Cell Phone Survey/Advice Please

[closg00]

Gotta give me iPhone 6 to my son so I will be wide-open to suggestions for an upgrade, Android/Google/OS, what are you guys running with and are you happy with it? Camera upgrade is a must. Thx

Mods - Please indulge me a little run before moving this to random thoughts. Thanks

[dobrojim]

I bought a Samsung Note 3 just as they were being replaced by the Note 4
and thereby got a very good price IIRC under $500 which was important
as we were buying phones for whole family.

My choice was heavily biased by my desire to get a phone with an OLED screen
as I have a heavy investment in the company, Universal Display, that has a major
stranglehold on the IP and materials required for OLED displays.

Apple is finally going to OLED.

Many of the other higher end phones, esp those from Samsung have been
OLED for some time. It's a better display technology which is why I invested
in OLED (that's their ticker symbol).

I'm very pro-apple anti-PC so in some ways it was difficult for me to not buy
an iPhone. I suspect when it comes time to replace my Samsung, I will buy
an OLED iPhone. But I'm in no hurry to run out and spend >$1000 when my
current phone is fine.

Article in today's WaPo about the new iPhone. They left some room for doubt
about the new iPhone being OLED but I believe there really is not much question
about it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/09/06/apples-new-iphone-may-have-a-different-type-of-screen-heres-what-that-could-mean-for-you/?utm_term=.639bb032ee4a

[Kanyewest]

I currently own a LG G3 a 2014 model which I bought in 2015. I've owned Android phones including the HTC MyTouch 4G (2010) which lasted me 5 years and HTC One (2013) which was stolen. LG in particular had cameras that rated better than IPhones when I last did research in 2015.

I've generally stayed clear of Apple when I purchased my first smartphone in 2010
- I had an IPod and overall felt that transferring videos/music was annoying since it had to convert to an Apple supported format.
- They did not have a microsd (ability to purchase a card to expand storage)
- I liked the option of swapping out batteries rather than dealing with Apple support to change the battery, which would charge $100.

Although now I suppose I would consider an IPhone again because
- Many Android phones don't have an external battery (Samsung, the latest LG phone, HTC, Pixel)
- The camera is still good and the design is solid.
- Generally, you still need a big hard drive as I've found that you can no longer install apps on your micro-SD (although having the option to have micro-sd is nice if you want to store extra music/video and extend the life of your phone).

My general strategy for buying a phone has been the following.
- I generally buy a phone that came out the previous year. I feel that the premium for getting a brand new phone is not worth it (ie an Iphone 7s is not $200-300 better than an IPhone 7). Although Apple generally stops releasing older models of its phones.
- The last two phones I have been are used which have been on swappa.com. I have found the quality of phones to be reliable, especially since their staff reviews the phones and their sellers are rated by other users. Opting for this strategy means I could purchase cell phones more often (every 2 to 2 1/2 years) but I end up saving money in the long run.

I guess if I were to buy a phone right now I would consider purchasing the LG G5 (2016) or the LGV20 phablet phone. I would also consider the Pixel because you will always have the latest software from Google although it does not have a removable battery. Although I would wait a couple of months for the new one to drop, and then purchase the Pixel 1 at a discount. I would also go to a store to feel out the phone before ordering it online.

Other thoughts to consider
- While having a phone with a great design is nice on paper, you often have to preserve it by putting in a case which makes it heavier and defeats the purpose of buying a nice looking phone.
- You can save money to purchasing multiple devices. For instance I don't by the latest and greatest cell phone to take pictures or read books but have a camera and a kindle, although this depends on personal convenience for you (if you would rather have 1 device to do everything). I found that I have saved money by having more mid/upper range devices than one super premium device.

[montestewart]

My iPhone 3 is still running, piece of chewing gum holding it together, camera dead, otherwise works. That's gotta speak to its durability. Have never had to replace battery. Maybe someday I'll be forced to replace it, probably get another iPhone since it will be more compatible with what we already have.

[tontoz]

I have a OnePlus 3t, a phone i hadnt even heard of until i started researching phones. Many of the tech review sites describe it as the best value among smartphones. The big downside is that it only works for AT&T and TMobile.

I have had it for a few months now and am very impressed with it. Very fast, good camera and possibly the longest battery life of all smartphones. It also has a unique charger that works much faster than a standard charger.

[Tricky_Kid]

I never had an IPhone but had a chance to checking it out few times.
Even if I had the money I wouldn't buy it because for the same price You can find better phones from other firms. You are overpaying basicly for the brand.
Iphones seemed to be always one, two steps behind the rest.
What is really ennoying - You can't transfer files directly from PC to Iphone you need to use it Itunes, or sending MP3 via Bluetooth or apps. Terrible.
It depends how much You want to spend on new phones but LG, Huawei have few good product You should consider.

[closg00]

Thanks everybody for the input, waiting for Apple's Tuesday presser before making a final decision.