I need a new-ish phone
-
My faithful iPhone 5, in addition to being no longer supported, is now showing obvious signs that its battery is not what it once was.
I have no particular preference for an iPhone - my mum happened to be upgrading her phone just when my ancient Blackberry Curve gave up the ghost, so I adopted the old one because it was there. And free. But it looks like its replacement is going to last a little bit too long to do the same again, so I have to actually choose a phone.
I don't particularly want a bang up to date latest generation phone, and I plan to go refurbished because it's more sustainable and I'm cheap. I'm mainly looking for advice on the pros and cons of iPhone versus all the other brands out there, though I won't be upset by suggestions of a particular model.
Intended usage:
- Phone calls, texting, email, and a few social media apps.
- Occasionally browsing the internet, but if I want to actually enjoy anything I'll use my computer.
- Inept photography. A super fancy camera would be wasted on me. Just looking for basic functionality.
- Carrying it in a pocket. The same size as an iPhone 5 would be perfect. A little bigger would be acceptable.
- Dropping it on the floor. (Not actually intended but being realistic here.) Would like it to tolerate to a reasonable amount of abuse - iPhone 5 and ancient Blackberry Curve have both been epic in that regard.
-
iPhones have software support for far longer than Android phones, so if you're used to that anyway just get like an iPhone 7 or if you really want the size of an iPhone 5 get the original iPhone SE.
-
I've been pretty happy with my Motorola G3. It's a couple of generations old, so I'd guess you might be able to find one refurbished, but I haven't looked.
@CarrieVS said in I need a new-ish phone:
- Phone calls, texting, email, and a few social media apps.
- Occasionally browsing the internet, but if I want to actually enjoy anything I'll use my computer.
- Inept photography. A super fancy camera would be wasted on me. Just looking for basic functionality.
Pretty decent camera for its age and price- Carrying it in a pocket. The same size as an iPhone 5 would be perfect. A little bigger would be acceptable.
Fits comfortably in front or back pants pocket or shirt pocket. It's just about as big as possible while still fitting comfortably.- Dropping it on the floor. (Not actually intended but being realistic here.) Would like it to tolerate to a reasonable amount of abuse - iPhone 5 and ancient Blackberry Curve have both been epic in that regard.
I've dropped mine a few times with no protective case, and it's survived. Also, (see back pocket, above) I've sat on it many times without a hint of bending.Cons:
- Not a popular model, so protective cases to fit it aren't really available
- Biggest drawback: The version of Android is ancient. Apps get updates, but not the OS. If you find one refurbished, the refurbisher may have updated the OS; at least I'd hope so.
- Occasionally becomes unresponsive, but that's more likely the fault of having four score and seven tabs open in Chrome.
- Battery not replaceable, but nothing newer is going to have a user-replaceable battery, either.
-
I’ve been using my iPhone 6S for 5ish years now and been thinking about a replacement. I guess the next-gen iPhone won’t be an option, but I might go with the new iPhone SE. It’s got basically current hardware at the same size as the 6/S and a sane price.
I bought my mom a Huawei P-whatever last year and whenever I use it I get the feeling that that garbage would drive me crazy, but really it does all you need and was comparably cheap, so it’s got a good price/performance.
-
I have a Xiaomi A2 Lite, which was fairly inexpensive, and it's part of the Android One program so it gets up to date security updates, and even occasionally gets an OS update. I got Android 10 a few months ago.
- Phone calls, texting, email, and a few social media apps.
- Occasionally browsing the internet, but if I want to actually enjoy anything I'll use my computer.
It works great for things like that
- Inept photography. A super fancy camera would be wasted on me. Just looking for basic functionality.
It's got some fancy dual camera tech but I haven't really seen any benefit from it. Either way the picture quality is good enough.
- Carrying it in a pocket. The same size as an iPhone 5 would be perfect. A little bigger would be acceptable.
It's quite a bit bigger than the iPhone 5, but you'll be hard pressed to find anything much smaller these days
- Dropping it on the floor. (Not actually intended but being realistic here.) Would like it to tolerate to a reasonable amount of abuse - iPhone 5 and ancient Blackberry Curve have both been epic in that regard.
Mine has survived a few drops on a hardwood floor, with no case and no problems
-
@CarrieVS said in I need a new-ish phone:
I plan to go refurbished because it's more sustainable and I'm cheap.
I'd recommend against refurbished. You'll get a pretty significantly decreased life out of the phone (both for EOL and hardware problems).
-
@CarrieVS said in I need a new-ish phone:
My faithful iPhone 5, in addition to being no longer supported, is now showing obvious signs that its battery is not what it once was.
That's where I was last year with my Nexus 5. :)
I don't particularly want a bang up to date latest generation phone, and I plan to go refurbished because it's more sustainable and I'm cheap. I'm mainly looking for advice on the pros and cons of iPhone versus all the other brands out there, ...
Let's see:
- A big con of switching between Android and iOS is losing your software library. You'll have to repurchase any programs you use and many programs aren't on both OSes.
- Android isn't one thing; companies like to customize it. Sometimes these are neat ideas, sometimes they rearrange the Settings for no good reason.
- Android phones don't get as many OS updates, sometimes thanks to the carriers. This doesn't affect the software as much since Google's been trying to pull everything they can out of the OS itself and into things it can update via the Store.
...though I won't be upset by suggestions of a particular model.
My current phone is a Pixel 3a. It's a bit bigger than an iPhone 5 by about an inch in the long dimension and a half an inch in the short one. Like all the smartphones I've owned I put it in a case (a slim two-layer one) and put a screen protector on it to help protect it from random events.
I like it very much, now that I've turned off most of Google's "helper" functions like the automatic brightness. Addressing your points:
Intended usage:
- Phone calls, texting, email, and a few social media apps.
- Occasionally browsing the internet, but if I want to actually enjoy anything I'll use my computer.
You shouldn't have any trouble here. I use it for phone calls, e-mail, texting, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, and random web browsing. No real problems with reception.
- Inept photography. A super fancy camera would be wasted on me. Just looking for basic functionality.
This is the kind of photography I do too. The 3a's camera hardware isn't the best (according to reviews), but Google's software does an excellent job turning point-and-shoot into decent pictures.
- Carrying it in a pocket. The same size as an iPhone 5 would be perfect. A little bigger would be acceptable.
I carry mine in the lapel pocket of my shirt or the inside (closeable) pocket of my jacket, depending on what I'm wearing and doing. While it is more likely to fall out when bending over than my old phone, it's only happened a couple of times. I don't generally put anything but my wallet and keys (and mask now) in my pants pockets.
- Dropping it on the floor. (Not actually intended but being realistic here.) Would like it to tolerate to a reasonable amount of abuse - iPhone 5 and ancient Blackberry Curve have both been epic in that regard.
Even without a case I would expect it to do well in this regard, given its plastic construction. Mine has fallen on the floor/ground/driveway/street a few times with no damage.
The current version is the 4a, which is slightly smaller than the 3a. Might be worth looking at if your budget allows (~$400 or less).
Good luck finding a phone!
-
@CarrieVS said in I need a new-ish phone:
Dropping it on the floor. (Not actually intended but being realistic here.) Would like it to tolerate to a reasonable amount of abuse - iPhone 5 and ancient Blackberry Curve have both been epic in that regard.
Try Samsung Galaxy XCover 4.
The display doesn't reach the edge, so there's a theoretical chance of it not falling down glass-first.
-
@topspin said in I need a new-ish phone:
I’ve been using my iPhone 6S for 5ish years now and been thinking about a replacement. I guess the next-gen iPhone won’t be an option, but I might go with the new iPhone SE. It’s got basically current hardware at the same size as the 6/S and a sane price.
I did exactly that, when the battery in my old iPhone 6S went dead two months ago (well, not really dead, but 9 hours of standby time just doesn't cut it).
I can recommend that as a straight replacement, but it's probably not worth it if your one is still working without problems (or unless you want special features like wireless charging). It is an upgrade, but not really noticeable.Rant time:
I have tried to look around for some other phone, but there are no this size (except in the "total cheap-ass crap" category). Or even smaller, because even 6S/SE is already quite a big one for a pocket (trousers/jeans).
is that apparently nobody wears phones in pockets. Seriously, how do you carry 6.5" phone? Fanny bag? Backpack? Valet or footman?
-
@Kamil-Podlesak said in I need a new-ish phone:
Rant time:
I have tried to look around for some other phone, but there are no this size (except in the "total cheap-ass crap" category). Or even smaller, because even 6S/SE is already quite a big one for a pocket (trousers/jeans).
is that apparently nobody wears phones in pockets. Seriously, how do you carry 6.5" phone? Fanny bag? Backpack? Valet or footman?My 6.1" iPhone XR fits fine in my pockets, even when it's in there next to my 1st gen iPhone SE.
-
@Kamil-Podlesak The XCover I have fits into these, so I can carry it on my belt:
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/mil-tec-modular-system-communications-pouch/16781
-
@Kamil-Podlesak said in I need a new-ish phone:
apparently nobody wears phones in pockets. Seriously, how do you carry 6.5" phone? Fanny bag? Backpack? Valet or footman?
It's not even solely a question of carrying it. I want to be able to use it one-handed comfortably. If I didn't want that I'd be looking for a tablet, not a phone.
-
@Parody said in I need a new-ish phone:
You'll have to repurchase any programs you use
It's pretty rare to purchase apps on Android. Not unheard of, of course, but not done very often. (Microtransactions are a whole 'nother story, as are intrusive ads.)
-
@dkf said in I need a new-ish phone:
@Parody said in I need a new-ish phone:
You'll have to repurchase any programs you use
It's pretty rare to purchase apps on Android. Not unheard of, of course, but not done very often. (Microtransactions are a whole 'nother story, as are intrusive ads.)
I have a bunch of purchased applications: media players, utility apps, a calculator I like, and a couple of games. I also have some free applications without ads. The only programs with ads I keep around are the social media apps I couldn't escape and their in-feed ads. YMMV, I suppose.
Regardless, if you're considering switching look at the apps you use and see what equivalents are on the other OS. Many aren't on both.
-
I've bought a grand total of about 5 apps. The only one worth mentioning is Nova Launcher, which I got basically so that every Android phone/tablet I get has the same home screen instead of each of them doing subtly stupid things.
-
@sloosecannon said in I need a new-ish phone:
@CarrieVS said in I need a new-ish phone:
I plan to go refurbished because it's more sustainable and I'm cheap.
I'd recommend against refurbished. You'll get a pretty significantly decreased life out of the phone (both for EOL and hardware problems).
Agreed. Especially that being a not-popular-model, when the phone goes EOL and you need to repair it, you'll have difficulty on finding replacement parts. Usually you'll end out buying another phone like what I did when I bought cheap cheap China-made phone in the past.
If you were going to buy an old phone, you had better stick with whatever is still offered by a reputable repair shop you can find nearby, in order to save some future headache.
-
@Captain said in I need a new-ish phone:
I've bought a grand total of about 5 apps. The only one worth mentioning is Nova Launcher, which I got basically so that every Android phone/tablet I get has the same home screen instead of each of them doing subtly stupid things.
Nova Launcher is one of my purchased apps as well. IIRC, around 2011 it started to get way ahead of the other replacement launchers, and Google had a sale where they sold a bunch of apps for 10c, and I picked it up in that sale.
-
@hungrier said in I need a new-ish phone:
@Captain said in I need a new-ish phone:
I've bought a grand total of about 5 apps. The only one worth mentioning is Nova Launcher, which I got basically so that every Android phone/tablet I get has the same home screen instead of each of them doing subtly stupid things.
Nova Launcher is one of my purchased apps as well. IIRC, around 2011 it started to get way ahead of the other replacement launchers, and Google had a sale where they sold a bunch of apps for 10c, and I picked it up in that sale.
I got my copy in a similar sale. I liked it enough to use it on my Nexus 5, but I haven't gotten around to trying any replacement launchers on this phone. Highly recommended if you don't want the search bar or Google
NowFeed.
-
I recently got a moto X4 (after my nexus 6 got destroyed, because it was too fucking big to hold with one hand) for under $100 and it seems fine. At least it fits in my pocket, has a really decent camera (3 of them), headphone jack, sd card slot and enough RAM and performance for me. Also the OS is almost exactly stock android, without any crapware. The only problem is that it won't be upgraded beyond Android 9, but afaik can be flashed with unofficial roms (haven't done that yet, but i used CM on older motorolas and it was good).
-
@sebastian-galczynski
If Motorola would actually offer regular updates, it'd be a decent manufacturer. But their software support is so fucking ridiculously bad, even for their flagship models, that I cannot recommend them. You get some security patches with a delay of multiple months and then they drop support after a bit more than a year. If they tell you they're going to offer upgrades to the next Android version for a particular model, there's a 50% chance they actually won't and you'll keep waiting and waiting until you realize a year late that they stopped giving a damn about your phone.I'm going to buy an iPhone next. I hate Apple products with passion and there are many Android features I'll miss, but at least you won't feel like you wasted hundreds on a device that will no longer be supported the minute you buy it. I store so much sensitive data, passwords and access tokens on my phone these days that buying a device that won't receive security updates is not a choice I can justify anymore.
-
@dfdub
Yes, but due to their system being so close to stock android, the unofficial distributions work on these devices for many years. I could even run 7.1 on a Droid 4, the one with slide-out keyboard.
I honestly don't know if any manufacturer except Apple supports anything for more than 2 years, so I don't even concern myself with that, because I'm not planning to buy a new (really new, not used) phone every 2 years due to software issues.
-
@sebastian-galczynski said in I need a new-ish phone:
I honestly don't know if any manufacturer except Apple supports anything for more than 2 years
Samsung now support a lot of Galaxy devices for 3 generations, so effectively 3 years on the usual yearly cycle but no-one's near Apple's 5+ years.
-
@loopback0 said in I need a new-ish phone:
Samsung now support a lot of Galaxy devices for 3 generations, so effectively 3 years on the usual yearly cycle but no-one's near Apple's 5+ years.
After having to touch Tizen I don't think I'm buying anything from Samsung. Not even a microwave, much less a smartphone.
-
@sebastian-galczynski said in I need a new-ish phone:
Not even a microwave
Those are actually okay, but only because there's not much software in them that they could possible screw up.
-
Thread is 