JJFIVEOH Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 I'm looking to get a new phone, my HTC One M7 is on its way out. I love the aluminum body on the One and the phone speakers are excellent. Was looking forward to the M9 hoping there would be a 5.5"-6" display version. Well, there is and it's called the E9. But it comes with a smaller battery and plastic body. While I'm still considering it, I've put some thought into other. Samsung Note 4 Samsung Note Edge Google Nexus 6 LG G3 LG G4 I like the UI on the LG G3 a lot and it has a great display. But it's been out for 9 months. Not sure this phone will hold out until the G4 omes out. I'm really impressed with the Note 4, but being a big fan of the HTC's audio, the downfall of the Samsung is the sound. The single rear facing speaker is awful. But I've convinced myself that that shouldn't be important. I like the Nexus 6 because of the great specs and the fact it is usually the first to receive any major OS updates. But I don't like the UI of it. Seems pretty plain. Right now I'm leaning towards the Note 4 because the Note 5 won't be out for a few months. Might consider the Edge, tough to tell if I'd like that curved screen or not. Seems like something people either really love, or really hate. I'm looking for the biggest display size so anything 5" and under is probably out of the question. Any recommendations? What do you all have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattPie Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) I'd suggest the Moto X as a budget option, but it stays pretty close to the Android base GUI, like the Nexus which you've said you don't prefer. I'm the other way, I want as little manufacturer BS on my phone as possible. Just give me straight Android. One of these days I have to get around to upgrading our phones, we're both using Samsung Galaxy Nexuses (Nexii?) which, for a 3+ year old phone is holding up better than expected but is on the border of not being useful. Adding: I'm toying with the idea of a Blackberry Z30. Anyone have a newer Blackberry, as in something with a full touchscreen? Edited March 10, 2015 by Met'yuPirog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derrico Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 I'd suggest the Moto X as a budget option, but it stays pretty close to the Android base GUI, like the Nexus which you've said you don't prefer. I'm the other way, I want as little manufacturer BS on my phone as possible. Just give me straight Android. One of these days I have to get around to upgrading our phones, we're both using Samsung Galaxy Nexuses (Nexii?) which, for a 3+ year old phone is holding up better than expected but is on the border of not being useful. Adding: I'm toying with the idea of a Blackberry Z30. Anyone have a newer Blackberry, as in something with a full touchscreen? I have the Blackberry Z30 and absolutely love it. It's got a nice size screen. Obviously not tablet size but makes reading and watching video's much easier. I went from an IPhone 3S so it's a nice step up in terms of screen size and overall quality. I'd recommend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJFIVEOH Posted March 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 Doesn't the Moto X have a smaller screen? I don't think Sprint offers the Z30. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattPie Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 Doesn't the Moto X have a smaller screen? I don't think Sprint offers the Z30. Ah, I missed that. The Moto X is a "normal" sized phone, around 5" I think. I didn't think of Sprint, I'm on Verizon so the Z30 is an (expensive) option for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJFIVEOH Posted March 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) Ah, I missed that. The Moto X is a "normal" sized phone, around 5" I think. I didn't think of Sprint, I'm on Verizon so the Z30 is an (expensive) option for me. Sorry, I didn't mention Sprint. That's my bad. Yeah 5" is good, I just use my phone for pretty much everything but making phone calls. I'm looking for something that barely fits in my pocket. Although, I use Sprint because I get a cheap employee plan because of a family member. They're always changing the parameters of the plan. Two years ago it was no questions asked, 4 years ago I had to jump through hoops. If I have problems this time I might switch. Where I live I barely get 1 bar, need roaming most of the time. But, Sprint doesn't go to roaming based on signal strength it's based on where you are on the map. Their 'map' deems me in a Sprint zone so I can't go into roaming. Verizon has a tower nearby. Edited March 10, 2015 by JJFIVEOH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBHockey13 Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 I am very happy with Sprint because of their customer service and because of the Unlimited Data. I have friends on AT&T and Verizon always sweating or going over their data. I have the Samsung Note 4 and love it. I got it to replace my Note II which I also loved. I really appreciate having the ability to swap the battery if needed (though the battery life is very good, but the rapid charging is completely underrated - you barely top it off and it's about full), and also use an SD card. The Galaxy S6 to be is a disappointment to me because they no longer allow you to remove the battery or use an SD card. I'm hoping the backlash from Samsung fans means they'll stick with those features on the Note 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McJeff215 Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 I have a Nexus 6. Honestly, it is too big. I'll go back to something smaller after I put some miles on this thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubkev Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) I've had an LG G2 for a while now and I will most certainly be getting the G4 when I upgrade after it comes out. I love LG phones. My first camera phone(back when it was a big deal lol) was LG, I had the Dare when it came out. After that I had the Motorola Droid X, then the Razr Maxx and now I'm on The G2. LG is good stuff. Edited March 10, 2015 by ubkev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biodork Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) I've had a Nexus 5 for around 13 months now and really love it. I've had a couple Lollipop related bugs, but otherwise great performance and really like not having the manufacturer stock nonsense with past phones. Previously had the HTC One and it was nice, but had to upgrade sooner than anticipated because it started malfunctioning after a few months and they decided to stop offering updates way too soon. The newer HTC models are nice, though. Edited March 10, 2015 by biodork Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJFIVEOH Posted March 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 I am very happy with Sprint because of their customer service and because of the Unlimited Data. I have friends on AT&T and Verizon always sweating or going over their data. I have the Samsung Note 4 and love it. I got it to replace my Note II which I also loved. I really appreciate having the ability to swap the battery if needed (though the battery life is very good, but the rapid charging is completely underrated - you barely top it off and it's about full), and also use an SD card. The Galaxy S6 to be is a disappointment to me because they no longer allow you to remove the battery or use an SD card. I'm hoping the backlash from Samsung fans means they'll stick with those features on the Note 5. I noticed T-Mobile has rollover data which is nice. Not sure about their coverage though. I've had a Nexus 5 for around 13 months now and really love it. I've had a couple Lollipop related bugs, but otherwise great performance and really like not having the manufacturer stock nonsense with past phones. Previously had the HTC One and it was nice, but had to upgrade sooner than anticipated because it started malfunctioning after a few months and they decided to stop offering updates way too soon. The newer HTC models are nice, though. That's what sucks, some brands will only update for so long after a release and cell companies seem to have a mind of their own when it comes to releasing those updates. I had the Motorola Photon before this HTC One, bought it the first week it came out. Not a month later a big Android update came out (I forget which version) but it took almost a year of customer complaints to finally release it. And that was the only update ever released. Now this HTC One I've had for almost two years, I still get all major updates that come out. Just got Lollipop a couple weeks ago. Problem is, you don't know if you'll ever get updates until you actually have the phone. I guess that's the good thing about the Nexus, you know you'll get all major updates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biodork Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 (edited) Yeah, that's a big part of why I went with the Nexus (updates); I had Lollipop sometime around Thanksgiving. I actually wanted the Nexus 4 when I originally switched to T-Mobile, but ended up going with the HTC One S since the Nexus 4 wasn't LTE-capable. So when HTC decided to stop updating after less than a year and I saw the Nexus 5 was out (and LTE-ready), it was an easy decision. Edited March 11, 2015 by biodork Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunkard Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Sorry, I didn't mention Sprint. That's my bad. Yeah 5" is good, I just use my phone for pretty much everything but making phone calls. I'm looking for something that barely fits in my pocket. Although, I use Sprint because I get a cheap employee plan because of a family member. They're always changing the parameters of the plan. Two years ago it was no questions asked, 4 years ago I had to jump through hoops. If I have problems this time I might switch. Where I live I barely get 1 bar, need roaming most of the time. But, Sprint doesn't go to roaming based on signal strength it's based on where you are on the map. Their 'map' deems me in a Sprint zone so I can't go into roaming. Verizon has a tower nearby. I have Sprint and their signal is pretty much dog outside of the city limits for most towns. I got a AIRAVE Signal Booster from them though that boosts my signal from 0-2 bars to full signal and it works for all phones on a Sprint plan up to something like 1,000 feet from the unit. They gave it to me for free when I initially went in to cancel my plan and it only costs $5 per month added onto the bill. I got my first one when I moved to my current home back in 2009 and every now and then then send me a new one once the one I have can no longer handle whatever software or firmware updates that go through the system. I'd definitely look into it if you plan on keeping Sprint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBHockey13 Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 I have Sprint and their signal is pretty much dog ###### outside of the city limits for most towns. I got a AIRAVE Signal Booster from them though that boosts my signal from 0-2 bars to full signal and it works for all phones on a Sprint plan up to something like 1,000 feet from the unit. They gave it to me for free when I initially went in to cancel my plan and it only costs $5 per month added onto the bill. I got my first one when I moved to my current home back in 2009 and every now and then then send me a new one once the one I have can no longer handle whatever software or firmware updates that go through the system. I'd definitely look into it if you plan on keeping Sprint. I have the same thing. I actually talked my way into getting one for free. Works pretty well. Their new phones can also do Wi-Fi calling, which also works well, but I turn it off because I have the AIRAVE and because it asks me to update my location for 911 about 12 times a day. I can only do that so many times before saying "F this". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 I just went through this a few weeks ago. I went from a blackberry z10 to the ģalaxy s5 and it's been great so far. I found the note was too big to carry around as a guy who would carry a phone in my pockets. I was looking at the HTC one M8, the Motorola and the galaxy. Most places recommended the galaxy or wait for the M9. One place also told me to look into the G3. So far the only complaint I have with the galaxy is with the auto correct. Otherwise it's been a great phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJFIVEOH Posted March 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 I have Sprint and their signal is pretty much dog ###### outside of the city limits for most towns. I got a AIRAVE Signal Booster from them though that boosts my signal from 0-2 bars to full signal and it works for all phones on a Sprint plan up to something like 1,000 feet from the unit. They gave it to me for free when I initially went in to cancel my plan and it only costs $5 per month added onto the bill. I got my first one when I moved to my current home back in 2009 and every now and then then send me a new one once the one I have can no longer handle whatever software or firmware updates that go through the system. I'd definitely look into it if you plan on keeping Sprint. I have the same thing. I actually talked my way into getting one for free. Works pretty well. Their new phones can also do Wi-Fi calling, which also works well, but I turn it off because I have the AIRAVE and because it asks me to update my location for 911 about 12 times a day. I can only do that so many times before saying "F this". Thanks! Somebody told me they had something similar from AT&T, I didn't know Sprint had one. I'll definitely check it out. I just went through this a few weeks ago. I went from a blackberry z10 to the ģalaxy s5 and it's been great so far. I found the note was too big to carry around as a guy who would carry a phone in my pockets. I was looking at the HTC one M8, the Motorola and the galaxy. Most places recommended the galaxy or wait for the M9. One place also told me to look into the G3. So far the only complaint I have with the galaxy is with the auto correct. Otherwise it's been a great phone. The S5 is big improvement over the S4. I got the S4 last time and had it for two days before I returned it for the HTC One M7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyldnwoody44 Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Speaking of, the new lollipop update for S5 has had nothing but terrible reviews and is forcing some people to switch phones.... I love my S5 now with kitkat. Anyone here know how to root a phone correctly to stop the OTA forced updates before it's too late? I'm terrible at Tech things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 I was leaning heavily towards the HTC M8 but got a better deal on the s5, plus the place I got the phone from was carrying the m8. I was told that the m9 was going to be a good one, I don't like the new s6 that was coming out soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJFIVEOH Posted March 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 Thanks for the input everybody! I decided on the Note 4 mostly because of the display and the UI. I told them I wasn't going to upgrade unless they got me the AIRAVE. That should be here on Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBHockey13 Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 Thanks for the input everybody! I decided on the Note 4 mostly because of the display and the UI. I told them I wasn't going to upgrade unless they got me the AIRAVE. That should be here on Monday. Good job! You'll love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biodork Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 Speaking of, the new lollipop update for S5 has had nothing but terrible reviews and is forcing some people to switch phones.... I love my S5 now with kitkat. Anyone here know how to root a phone correctly to stop the OTA forced updates before it's too late? I'm terrible at Tech things Can't you just opt to not install the update? I think it might download automatically but it'll ask to install. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyldnwoody44 Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 Can't you just opt to not install the update? I think it might download automatically but it'll ask to install.I can prolong it, a prompt keeps popping up and I know I'll accidentally hit install now with my finger.... However after a certain period of time the carrier forces the OTA update out of the blue.... Typically I don't care about updates, but I've never seen so many terrible reviews about one. I know if I root before this happens I can stop the forced update, but I know If I try myself then I will mess something up lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcsaberks Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 +1 for Moto X. Just got it Feb 1, and received lollipop update last week (att). Chose it for similar reasons to Met'yu. Previous was S3 on vzw (bloated pig). Was set on Nexus 6 until saw size (same as iPhone 6plus), too big for my liking. Only downside so far is no external drive, it's gonna file up, and cloud based media/image storing is nice for back-up and stuff but not ideal flipping through a photo album or jamming tunes in airplane mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattPie Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 +1 for Moto X. Just got it Feb 1, and received lollipop update last week (att). Chose it for similar reasons to Met'yu. Previous was S3 on vzw (bloated pig). Was set on Nexus 6 until saw size (same as iPhone 6plus), too big for my liking. Only downside so far is no external drive, it's gonna file up, and cloud based media/image storing is nice for back-up and stuff but not ideal flipping through a photo album or jamming tunes in airplane mode. I haven't really looked hard at the specs, does the MotoX support USB OTG (On the go)? My Nexus 7 (tablet) does so all I have to buy was a cheap cable and I can plug USB sticks, SD card readers, or even a USB hard drive (with external power). It's not elegant, but on the rare occasion it works. That being said, I haven't run a portable device out of space since my 30GB iPod, I just don't carry all my music around with me like I used to, and I'm more of a book-reader for planes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biodork Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 I can prolong it, a prompt keeps popping up and I know I'll accidentally hit install now with my finger.... However after a certain period of time the carrier forces the OTA update out of the blue.... Typically I don't care about updates, but I've never seen so many terrible reviews about one. I know if I root before this happens I can stop the forced update, but I know If I try myself then I will mess something up lol lol gotcha. Well someone more tech savvy than I will have to help you there; I can follow directions like a champ, but no idea how to do that stuff on my own. ;) I've never rooted because I'm afraid I'll brick my phone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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