Fone Faceoff V2

[Mike Soda]

So once again I'm comparing budget smartphones, I just want to start off saying I'm well aware Moto G is the best. Unfortunately Verizon doesn't offer it with a monthly payment plan or normal service, only prepaid for the first 6 months which I can't do. So the phones in question are LG K8 V, HTC Desire 530 & Samsung Galaxy J3 V. I've compared all three on phone arena & a few other sites, including various video reviews for each separately. I'm still torn, Samsung has the largest battery but actual use time is about equal to the other two options. Both Samsung & LG however have the best displays with great viewing angles although only LG has automatic brightness adjustment for changing light conditions. HTC & Samsung appear to have more solid build quality, but unfortunately I've yet to find an actual test for any of these phones regarding that. Performance speed wise isn't too big a concern of mine, as I'll mainly be using it for: making calls, rare texting, rare weather checks & an alarm clock. With that said though brings to mind speaker loudness so it wakes me up in the morning. Something the Galaxy J3 V lacks but Desire 530 seems to excel in. In the end, I need to know y'all's opinion & or facts on which I should pick for my first smart phone based off my needs. One final thing, although I know none of them have gorilla glass, durability is still important even though I plan on getting the best case possible.

 

P.S: Yes I misspelled the title on purpose as a joke, I'm pretty sleepy so yeah lol.

[dizmo]

A poll would probably be useful

They're all pretty shit. I'd say go with the Samsung for the vastly superior battery, USB OTG, and more compact body.

Plus I'm betting the AMOLED will be a lot nicer than the LCD panels.

[Mike Soda]

18 hours ago, dizmo said:

A poll would probably be useful

They're all pretty shit. I'd say go with the Samsung for the vastly superior battery, USB OTG, and more compact body.

Plus I'm betting the AMOLED will be a lot nicer than the LCD panels.

Yeah I realized that after the fact haha I was pretty tired. My only concern about the Samsung is it's rear facing speaker just like the LG. Although I don't know if a bulky enough case would raise it up off my nightstand so I could then hear the alarm. Both LG & Samsung phones have AMOLED screens though it's just as I said the LG's has the ability to change off lighting conditions. On the other hand, do I really need great viewing angles? Only I need to see what I'm doing on my phone in the first place & I'll always be looking dead on. That & the better front facing speaker are why I like the HTC Desire 530. Ugh see what happened again, they've all got pros & cons that make em as you put it "all pretty shit" lol. Of course the speaker thing can be worked around by me simply laying it face down, I'm scared the screen might crack if it's done slightly too hard.

[dizmo]

4 minutes ago, Mike Soda said:

Yeah I realized that after the fact haha I was pretty tired. My only concern about the Samsung is it's rear facing speaker just like the LG. Although I don't know if a bulky enough case would raise it up off my nightstand so I could then hear the alarm. Both LG & Samsung phones have AMOLED screens though it's just as I said the LG's has the ability to change off lighting conditions. On the other hand, do I really need great viewing angles? Only I need to see what I'm doing on my phone in the first place & I'll always be looking dead on. That & the better front facing speaker are why I like the HTC Desire 530. Ugh see what happened again, they've all got pros & cons that make em as you put it "all pretty shit" lol. Of course the speaker thing can be worked around by me simply laying it face down, I'm scared the screen might crack if it's done slightly too hard.

I wouldn't worry about it. I tend to find that even if the speaker is on the bottom, you're still cupping it for better sound just like it's on the back. Makes no difference. I don't believe LG has ever used AMOLED, it's an IPS display (unless you've seen otherwise, but my sources say IPS). AMOLED is just better. More efficient with battery life, nicer colors, usually vastly superior when it comes to outdoor visibility. How often do you use your phone? The Desire has a tiny battery. I'd rather have speakers that last the day, than nice speakers that I'm unable to hear later on because the phone's dead

As for the screen. Buy a case. Then you can toss it around as much as you want!

[Mike Soda]

18 hours ago, dizmo said:

I wouldn't worry about it. I tend to find that even if the speaker is on the bottom, you're still cupping it for better sound just like it's on the back. Makes no difference. I don't believe LG has ever used AMOLED, it's an IPS display (unless you've seen otherwise, but my sources say IPS). AMOLED is just better. More efficient with battery life, nicer colors, usually vastly superior when it comes to outdoor visibility. How often do you use your phone? The Desire has a tiny battery. I'd rather have speakers that last the day, than nice speakers that I'm unable to hear later on because the phone's dead

As for the screen. Buy a case. Then you can toss it around as much as you want!

My bad it was the Samsung Galaxy J3 V that has the Super AMOLED display. Which does look better than K8's however there's no ambient brightness censor which LG does have. I wouldn't mind manually adjusting the brightness on my own but it was also mentioned that TouchWiz slows down the phone more than LG's software does. I do plan on getting the best case possible although it's unfortunate Otterbox doesn't make any for either.

 

*EDIT: Oh & I forgot to include that it was noted that Samsung's speaker is actually quieter than the earbuds when not worn. So now I'm pretty sure it won't be HTC but I've got to watch more reviews on the Samsung J3 V VS LG K8 V.

[dizmo]

7 minutes ago, Mike Soda said:

My bad it was the Samsung Galaxy J3 V that has the Super AMOLED display. Which does look better than K8's however there's no ambient brightness censor which LG does have. I wouldn't mind manually adjusting the brightness on my own but it was also mentioned that TouchWiz slows down the phone more than LG's software does. I do plan on getting the best case possible although it's unfortunate Otterbox doesn't make any for either.

 

*EDIT: Oh & I forgot to include that it was noted that Samsung's speaker is actually quieter than the earbuds when not worn. So now I'm pretty sure it won't be HTC but I've got to watch more reviews on the Samsung J3 V VS LG K8 V.

Just install a launcher. It won't bog down nearly as much.

Eh Otterbox is overrated, oversized and overpriced.

 

Do you use your phone quite a bit for music?

The Samsung can take a much, much larger microSD card.

Also, if you're worried about sound, why not buy a small amp? It'll improve the headphones quite a bit for $30.

 

[Mike Soda]

3 hours ago, dizmo said:

Just install a launcher. It won't bog down nearly as much.

Eh Otterbox is overrated, oversized and overpriced.

 

Do you use your phone quite a bit for music?

The Samsung can take a much, much larger microSD card.

Also, if you're worried about sound, why not buy a small amp? It'll improve the headphones quite a bit for $30.

 

I can't lie I had to Google what launcher was haha, which bloat & malware free ones would ya recommend to streamline either the K8's or J3's performance? Music would be an occasional thing & probably even more rare if it dramatically effected battery life. I like how Samsung has a built in FM radio although with all the flu shot commercials the radio stations out here have I doubt I'd use it much. In addition I've seen at least one comment by a major phone reviewer who mentioned that the LG K8 V is slightly better overall than the Samsung J3 V. According to Verizon they can both take up to a 128GB Micro SD although I highly doubt I'll even fill the built in 16GB storage on either. I'll probably go with the K8 unless it's case selection is limited, then the J3. The case could be pink for all I care, I just need it to be a full cover sleeve or at very least have a slim front door like a Dot View. I know there's stick on screen protectors but that just protects against light scratches.