New Smartphone Recommendations

[Vermilion]

Hello LinusTechTips forums.

 

This time I'm looking for smartphone advice.

 

EDIT: carrier is T-Mobile but not hard and fast; I might change carriers if need be. Besides, Verizon seems to offer much better coverage... Great job getting rid of contract benefits and discounts, T-Mobile; now I have no reason to remain loyal.

 

I'm not huge into phones. I had a Motorola CRZR for like six years, and didn't get a smart phone until my senior year of high-school, when our family got Samsung Galaxy Ss with our contract or whatever.

 

So, after like three years with that phone, it's showing its age. It feels slow, it gets bogged down, it takes forever to load stuff, it glitches during media playback, and the battery lasts six-eight hours at most even when I'm not using it (ie, phone is sleeping in my pocket, not being used to check the time or make calls or browse the web or whatever). Also, the low battery alert wakes the phone, and the screen remains turned on until I hit a prompt, which I usually never do seeing as how my phone is in my pocket and I can't see the screen. I don't know if that's just because of this specific phone/OS, or if that's a ridiculously stupid design flaw that all smartphones have, but it is an annoyance.

 

Basically, seeing as how T-Mobile apparently no longer offers customers discounts on new phones with contracts (or contracts, for that matter), I'm sort of stuck with it. I don't want to pay $400 for a marginal upgrade, and I don't want to pay $600 for the latest and greatest (unless it's actually worth it; I have no idea).

 

 

I was wondering if you guys could offer some advice as to what I should try shopping for. With what I'm doing now, my budget is flexible, but let's say that I'd prefer something under $300, with a tentative budget-cap around $400 (unless, like I said, the $500 super LG HTC Sony mega Life Phone 4S 1 Cosmos or whatever is like, life-changingly good, in which case, you know, I guess I'd like to know about it).

 

 

So, I guess the most important features to me would be storage space and media playback. I have my PS Vita (and a 3DS for backup if the Vita is unavailable) so I don't really need a powerful phone to play games or anything on the train. I primarily use my phone to make phone calls, send texts, and listen to music. I mainly use apps like Amazon's Cloud Player and Soundcloud, which I also sometimes use to capture riffs and melodies when I don't have something else to write them on at the time.

 

So, anything with good media playback would be ideal. I don't really know what that means. I guess, something which has better media players available with graphic EQs and the like. None of that Beats Audio crap, you know? Good, solid, clean, transparent playback, with a sturdy output jack (my friend has a - well, it's either a Galaxy S4 or 5 - and the headphone jack is screwed up, with the stereo connection not making contact with the plug). 

 

A decent camera would be convenient but isn't completely necessary. Anything that can take a clear picture with a quick focus, possibly with the ability to zoom at least a little bit without becoming a blurry mess would work, but again, isn't totally necessary.

 

The one non-text-or-music app that I use is MangaWatcher, and so while a nice, big, 1080p screen would be convenient, it isn't totally necessary. As long as it's crisp and clear, with good contrast (though with the articles in question being 90% black-and-white, it's not like there are many screens that couldn't pull it off), it should be enough.

 

I don't really mind the physical size as long as it fits in my pocket (I sometimes carry a Vita in my pocket, so I can't really imagine what kind of phone might be big enough to bother me), and I generally take good care of my devices, so durability isn't a huge issue. If it's strong enough to be repeatedly put down and picked up without breaking, and resistant enough to withstand a scratch from a fingernail, it should do fine. I tend not to drop my electronics into toilets (I never understood how some people do that so much), or lakes, or boiling pots of water, or waterfalls, or kiddie pools, so being waterproof is also not a big deal. As long as it won't short from being in my sweaty pocket on a hot day, it's fine.

 

I'm sure all of that was totally sort of unnecessary since I've probably already limited my options pretty thoroughly through my budget alone, and most of my other stipulations can be met by most smartphones, but I figured I'd include it all, anyway.

 

If that was all totally unnecessary, well, sorry to have wasted your time.

 

 

TLDR; looking into possibly getting a new phone if I can find a big enough upgrade for a small enough price (up to $400). I listen to a lot of music, so the phone should do that. I don't break my phones or dip them in water, so it doesn't need to be super-strong or super-waterproof. Go~!

[Rorgash]

3210, its amazing, and pretty much as "smart" as the latest "smart" phones

[Jade]

Nexus 5, One+One.

[TopWargamer]

It would help if we knew your carrier.

 

Either way, I say get the LG G2. You can pick them up for fairly cheap now a days.

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lg%20g2

[witting]

blackberry z30/10? they don't have a 1080p screen though?

[makkyun]

Xperia Z2.

 

 

blackberry z30/10? they don't have a 1080p screen though?

 

 

Blackberry Z30 has a 1080p screen, the Z10 has a 1280x768 screen (same res. as Nexus 4)

[MrImnotMLG]

A nexus device (You can get a 4 like me for $250 and still runs great from the playstore or a 5 or you can wait for the 6 to come out), One + one, You can get a Moto X for $300 on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Moto-Unlocked-Phone-Warranty/dp/B00E92B88I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407265911&sr=8-1&keywords=moto+x .

[Vermilion]

3210, its amazing, and pretty much as "smart" as the latest "smart" phones

 

Oh yeah, that really old phone that's made out of plastic and actually not that hard to break despite what the internet seems to think. No, I don't think I'm interested in that. Sorry.

 

 

It would help if we knew your carrier.

 

Either way, I say get the LG G2. You can pick them up for fairly cheap now a days.

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lg%20g2

 

T-Mobil - thread updated

 

 

blackberry z30/10? they don't have a 1080p screen though?

 

Blackberries still exist? Woah.

 

A nexus device (You can get a 4 like me for $250 and still runs great from the playstore or a 5 or you can wait for the 6 to come out), One + one, You can get a Moto X for $300 on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Moto-Unlocked-Phone-Warranty/dp/B00E92B88I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407265911&sr=8-1&keywords=moto+x .

 

That actually looks pretty decent. Is 16GB the only available memory config or can I get more? Or at least use a Micro SD to get more music and stuff on it?

[MrImnotMLG]

Oh yeah, that really old phone that's made out of plastic and actually not that hard to break despite what the internet seems to think. No, I don't think I'm interested in that. Sorry.

T-Mobil - thread updated

Blackberries still exist? Woah.

That actually looks pretty decent. Is 16GB the only available memory config or can I get more? Or at least use a Micro SD to get more music and stuff on it?

I don't believe they all have expandable storage. The One might but it hard to get that phone.

[Vermilion]

I don't believe they all have expandable storage. The One might but it hard to get that phone.

 

Yeah, my Googling revealed that they're pretty neat (or at least seem like they should be), and are available to purchase by personal invitation only.

 

Lame. It's a cell-phone, not a one-off 1.2 million dollar Ferrari.

[witting]

Xperia Z2.

 

 

 

 

Blackberry Z30 has a 1080p screen, the Z10 has a 1280x768 screen (same res. as Nexus 4)

99.9% sure the z30 has a 720p AMOLED screen.