Who makes a really good cell phone?

[Tanked]

Lets start off by saying that I am not emotionally attached to my phone.  No streaming, gaming...  It is a tool and nothing more. 

After 9 years my Android phone was deemed obsolete by the provider because:  It wasn't 4G.  (it is), and "it isn't branded" (it is).  My new provider neglected to mention that as a new customer I could get a "free" phone.  I already had  been given a new phone (BLU) that I would not wish on anyone for several reasons. Apple is not a consideration.  Other than general reliability, the most useful feature was the tiny blinking light that informed me that I had missed a call, message or text, without going through several steps.  So, minus the bloatware, who do you think makes a good cellphone?

[Guppysnail]

My hubby swears by LG. He has had several over the years and never had issues. I don’t actually know much about them. I’m only tech savvy enough to call and text on my iPhone 🤣

iPhone was Free with plan btw

[drewzero1]

My SO has an LG that's been pretty good, unfortunately they stopped making phones last year. I really enjoy my OnePlus; they've gone a bit upmarket since mine but it sounds like their newer ones are pretty good too. The OnePlus definitely seems to have the least bloatware of any Android phone I've used. I hear similar things about Pixels from friends who have them.

[drewzero1]

We both decided to steer clear of Samsung, since they seem to want to have their own version of all of the standard apps and a lot of weird bloaty stuff too. (Facebook preinstalled? No thanks!) They seem to have decent hardware but I just couldn't stand the software.

The "not 4G" is probably relating to VoLTE (voice over 3G). A lot of older 4G phones used 3G for voice calls, which won't work when the 3G network is shut down. On top of that, certain carriers require that a phone be on their list of VoLTE "certified" phones or they won't activate it. (I got a crash course in the state of the art when my 2G phone stopped working last year.)

[lefty o]

sorry, i cant help. my phone has a cord that plugs into the wall.😎

[modified lung]

I always go with Motorola. I'm the kind of guy who thinks grey is the best color and uses none of the features on anything and Motorola is the most boring, featureless phone in existence. 

Motorola. *yawn* It's a phone.

[Tanked]

On 4/14/2022 at 12:34 AM, modified lung said:

I always go with Motorola. I'm the kind of guy who thinks grey is the best color and uses none of the features on anything and Motorola is the most boring, featureless phone in existence. 

Motorola. *yawn* It's a phone.

I had Moto G, Gen 1, original battery. It worked quite well for its 8 years, until google and other developers started messing with it.  I use about 7 out of several dozen features.

[Scapexghost]

Internet speed and storage space were what I looked for when buying my new phone. It has that for a reasonable price. The only issue I have with it is the size. It is too big. I struggle to use it with one hand. And i have big hands too. I couldnt imagine a petite woman or younger teenage trying to use this thing. Is this phone designed for basketball players? Its so tall that movies have black bars on the sides, so there isnt even a benefit to the extra screen. 

[Patrick_G]

I’ve had Apple since before android was introduced so I’m attached! If you don’t want one of those then get a Samsung Galaxy S series. Those two brands make up about 80% of the US market so unless you’re feeling really iconoclastic go for one of those. 

[Tanked]

On 4/14/2022 at 9:53 AM, Patrick_G said:

I’ve had Apple since before android was introduced so I’m attached! If you don’t want one of those then get a Samsung Galaxy S series. Those two brands make up about 80% of the US market so unless you’re feeling really iconoclastic go for one of those. 

I will forego joining the Apple cult as long as possible🙂  The ROI just isn't there for me, and I have no use for most of it's features.

 

On 4/14/2022 at 9:40 AM, Scapexghost said:

Internet speed and storage space were what I looked for when buying my new phone. It has that for a reasonable price. The only issue I have with it is the size. It is too big. I struggle to use it with one hand. And i have big hands too. I couldnt imagine a petite woman or younger teenage trying to use this thing. Is this phone designed for basketball players? Its so tall that movies have black bars on the sides, so there isnt even a benefit to the extra screen. 

Add battery life to the list.  My new phone is constantly updating and using more internal storage and battery life.  As they evolve as entertainment devices, cell phones will soon be the size of the tablet they replaced.  Too large for my pocket or my wallet.

 

On 4/14/2022 at 12:24 AM, lefty o said:

sorry, i cant help. my phone has a cord that plugs into the wall.😎

Sooner or later almost all of them require a cord and a plug.  My landline has let me down twice in my lifetime.  My cell does that a couple of times a year.

[SVD_Author]

I have had great luck with my Pixel 6. Got it for less than $500, too.

[Jawjagrrl]

Glad to know I'm not alone in keeping a good phone for as long as possible. I quit Apple as a frustrated art director years ago and have used motorola, samsung, etc. My Samsung edge 7 is 6 years old and still works perfectly, even after I dropped it on asphalt recently and my touchscreen is now packing tape. I dropped all the bloatware possible at the jump and it's now almost a personal challenge to see how long I can keep it going. It's fallen off the hood of my pickup at speed at least 3 times on the farm without damage over the years.

That said, I'm considering one of their flip phones - not the full double screen, but the smaller one. It will have bloatware too, but the performance has been there on every Samsung I've owned.

One of my pet peeves with phones (besides too much stuff for too much money) is the need for a case instead of making a phone that can be dropped like our old flip and candybar phones. Who cares what color a new iPhone is when you have to immediately buy a crummy case so you don't shatter a $1500 item? 

Edited April 18, 2022 by Jawjagrrl

[Flumpweesel]

I have an Oppo it's pretty decent and suited my budget, I really wanted a pixel but they remained just out of reach.

Previously I had Honor great phone for the money but not being able to use Google ruled them out at last up grade. 

[StockEwe49]

If the privacy aspect is something you are looking for I would recommend looking at the differences between Android and Apple.

[drewzero1]

On 4/17/2022 at 4:49 PM, StockEwe49 said:

If the privacy aspect is something you are looking for I would recommend looking at the differences between Android and Apple.

I've seen a lot of reports that Apple phones are more private than Android, but recent events like the CSAM scanning debacle really make me question that claim. Depending on how far you want to go...

If I wanted my phone to be truly private, I'd avoid them both and use a "feature"/"dumb" phone. Or the next best thing, a de-googled Android smartphone. Certain models can be rooted and flashed with alternate firmware like LineageOS, or sent to a company like /e/ and they'll do the techy stuff for you. Caveats abound, including device support/warranty issues, inconveniences & instability with some software, and the tech know-how required to set it up in the first place. Not to mention that you still need to trust the hardware manufacturer and firmware provider. I've done it before on a device that wasn't my main phone, and I'll probably end up flashing my phone when the manufacturer stops providing updates.

I'm hoping in the near future that mainstream Linux powered devices like the PinePhone reach a level of maturity to be reliable enough for primary use, but I'm not fully convinced that they're ready yet. For now, I will maintain a level of distrust for my phone and every app installed on it.

[Minanora]

I hate what smartphones have evolved into. I loved my pixel 2 and my Samsung fascinate before that. I hold onto my phone's as long as possible. I can't stand upgrading or replacing things without being almost dead in the water with my current tools.

I have to have a smartphone because of my job. I have a Samsung Galaxy z flip 3. Yes, trendy, blah blah blah. Spare me. I agree. I like things to fit in my pocket or have a size that is reasonable for a belt clip. Yes, a belt clip. So I figured I'd try this folding fancy contraption.

I have had this phone for 5 months. I'm about to send it in for a speaker issue. Other than that this has been my favorite phone since the pixel 2. I use the Nova launcher which I really like. I agree with the dislike of the Samsung bloat and their apps/Galaxy firmware delivery system.

I like LG devices. But this phone also has good antennas, which is important to me. Considering the size of the phone (it folds so it can be smaller than most), it had better antennas than most other devices on the market at the time. I'm not sure about currently though.

I also try to only buy from manufacturers that are approved for critical infrastructure system usage. Paranoid about that. Silly, maybe.

[Tanked]

On 4/17/2022 at 10:50 PM, drewzero1 said:

For now, I will maintain a level of distrust for my phone and every app installed on it.

I have always felt that there is an ulterior motive behind not letting the phone's owner delete/control the apps and permissions, and more recently, requiring use of the cloud.

[Tanked]

On 4/17/2022 at 5:49 PM, StockEwe49 said:

If the privacy aspect is something you are looking for I would recommend looking at the differences between Android and Apple.

Privacy is not a primary issue for me.  I'm looking for a reliable piece of equipment at a reasonable price.  There hasn't been a phone made that is worth upwards from $500.00, and bogus 5 star reviews are meaningless. I thought I would ask people who are actually using the phones.

[Minanora]

I have a friend who has a One Plus device. He loves it and it has lasted him two years so far. I haven't tried one though. They are much more affordable Android devices that are comparable to the big names.

Samsung has their budget line of devices that I'm quite fond of. I would have bought one if I didn't get the one I have for free.

 

Going pixel, you get the most number of Android updates per flagship device. Plus it's raw Android.

The life of those phones used to be really good but I haven't tried the newest yet.

[Jawjagrrl]

On 4/18/2022 at 2:54 AM, Minanora said:

I have a Samsung Galaxy z flip 3. Yes, trendy, blah blah blah. Spare me. I agree. I like things to fit in my pocket or have a size that is reasonable for a belt clip. Yes, a belt clip. So I figured I'd try this folding fancy contraption.

I have had this phone for 5 months. I'm about to send it in for a speaker issue. Other than that this has been my favorite phone since the pixel 2. I use the Nova launcher which I really like.

This is the phone I was considering, but had not really done a deep dive yet. I used to get excited for the next new tech thing, not anymore. I hate having a conversation in the car with someone about a topic I have never broached online, only to start getting ads for it the next day... on my laptop. Because my phone was in my purse. I'll never stop finding that creepy. But the reality is I am on a farm all day with no visible neighbors and things can go wrong when no one but me is here working. So a good antenna and service is important. The folding aspect is a big draw too. There are cheaper phones but when I average out the (hardware) cost of my current one it works out to about....$8/mo.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Jawjagrrl

[Tanked]

On 4/18/2022 at 11:10 AM, Jawjagrrl said:

 I hate having a conversation in the car with someone about a topic I have never broached online, only to start getting ads for it the next day... on my laptop. Because my phone was in my purse. I'll never stop finding that creepy. But the reality is I am on a farm all day with no visible neighbors and things can go wrong when no one but me is here working. So a good antenna and service is important. 

I want about 9 of the 30+ apps/functions on my phone.  4 of those were added by me.  I've had great luck with less expensive phones, often having service when others did not.  Unfortunately, phone promos and reviews are usually about cameras and streaming and less about reliable connectivity.  I can't prove that my phone is listening or watching, but I can't prove that it isn't...

On 4/18/2022 at 2:54 AM, Minanora said:

I can't stand upgrading or replacing things without being almost dead in the water with my current tools.

My Moto G is now 9 years old and works well.  HP, Microsoft, and google have all disabled some functions and the protective case is literally going to pieces. I can't make a phone call, 😶but I now have a pocket sized tablet.

[Minanora]

That's impressive. My Samsung Fascinate worked great until one day it bricked with a forced firmware update. I was very upset. I'm convinced that they bricked it on purpose. I have a galaxy S4 as a backup. I keep several backup batteries for it as well. Most apps don't work on it but I have a working sim card for it and it still makes calls and texts!

[Tanked]

It would not surprise me that they bricked it.  google said they were going to disable the music play app, but I could subscribe to YouTube. (Why do they keep reinstalling it on the new phone?) HP disabled their remote print service, and Microsoft OneNote is "unable to connect to the server.  All of this occurred before the 3G cutoff.

[anewbie]

On 4/13/2022 at 10:27 AM, Guppysnail said:

My hubby swears by LG. He has had several over the years and never had issues. I don’t actually know much about them. I’m only tech savvy enough to call and text on my iPhone 🤣

iPhone was Free with plan btw

LG left the phone business so there will be no new LG phones; apple makes bloody good hardware but their software is crap and i will never buy one. My mom has an apple and i dread touching the crap every time she needs help. 

 

I have a samsung ultra note 20 (last samsung phone with an sd slot) and it is ok. I've made having an sd slot mandatory so unless samsung sings a different tune my next phone will be an xperia. Pixel are interesting because of the software updates et all but historically they have not been very reliable and this is a thread about reliability. I can't comment on the latest pixel because i stopped following (after all they havent' had an sd slot in years). 

-

As for security a lot depends on what you install on the phone - apple has had some major security holes and some quite embarrassing security issues (remember all the leaked nudes of famous stars; chalk that up to lack of security on icloud). 

-

android has had some serious security flaws but i think google is faster at fixing the base software flaws; when it comes to third party apps you can't really blame apple or google but rather yourself for installing them. 

-

I know nothing about the Chinese phones like Hawuei but given state sponsor this and that i wouldn't trust them on the security side of things. Of course China is not the only one to play games; there is a famous historical issue when NSA forced a certain company to dumb down security so they could spy on transactions (but this predates smart phones).

Edited April 19, 2022 by anewbie

[Guppysnail]

On 4/19/2022 at 11:28 AM, anewbie said:

LG left the phone business so there will be no new LG phones.

We are not tech folks. We had no idea. Hubby will be heartbroken 😭