Advice on new phone

[McWatt]

Actually, his requirements were

1)call quality
2)"readable" screen (i'm assuming this means large, high-resolution)
3)Camera

I would recommend a Note 3 above all the other devices.

Congrats on reading his post thoroughly and not using it as an excuse to plug a dying company... oh wait.

I tried iPhone again with the 5, didn't like it (and returned to GS4/Note 3), but if camera quality is a concern I'd definitely recommend it over Samsung GS4 or a Note 3. In bright sunlight the Samsung sensors take nice photos, but even outside on a cloudy day they fall far behind the iPhone. Inside, day or night, the Samsung sensors are basically unusable for anything other than vague impressions of your shot. The main problem with the iPhone camera is over-processing by the software. Current iPhone cameras are competitive with $200 cameras from 2002. Current Samsung phone cameras are competitive with $200 cameras from 2000, and if you remember your sensor history, that's a big leap.

If the camera is very important, I think it might be worth at least looking at the Nokia Windows phones, which scare me because of the OS but show better camera performance in my testing than iPhone 5 or anything Android.

For call quality, The iPhone 5 and 5s have a better radio but a terrible, terrible microphone/squelch profile, depending on your facial geometry. The microphone is directional and doesn't work well for people with a shorter than average male ear-to-mouth distance. Most women, for instance, get squelched a lot while speaking on an iPhone 5 without ever realizing it. The problem gets blamed on the radio, but regardless of an accurate diagnosis it means that smallish people will need to repeat themselves a lot if they talk on an iPhone.

 

[blairharrington]

My new job is giving me a phone reimbursement (use it or lose it) so it is time to upgrade beyond using my wife's hand-me-downs (currently an iphone 3G). I can basically get any phone currently on the market or that will be released within the next 60 days.

Sound quality is probably the most important feature since I actually tend to use phones for calls and computers for internet access. Beyond that I'd like a readable screen for those times I have to check work email without a computer nearby and a quality camera would be nice.

Oh, carrier can be either AT&T or Tmobile.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

There are a lot of good phones on the market and some coming very soon.

By mid-April the S5 and new HTC One should be available for purchase. I would wait until both phones are available, and then go to your local AT&T or T-Mobile and handle the phones in person. For your needs there are several great options. Handle each phone and make your own conclusions.

I really don't think any phone you choose will be a poor choice for sound quality with respect to calls. An iPhone will give you the smallest screen.

Personally I'd go with the new HTC One. Followed by the S5 and then the Nexus 5 (if the speaker doesn't matter for you).

 

[notposting]

If you have 60 days I would wait around 45 days, checking reviews of current phones and seeing what gets released.

iPhone 5S, Note 3, Lumia 1520, the new HTC One, Nexus 5. See what the current OS versions are offering in about a month.

WP8.1 is (supposedly) about to drop, if it is as competitive as promised the Lumia would be a real contender -- the camera is really good, the outdoor readability tech is fantastic (my 928 is an AMOLED and it is superb outdoors, let alone the LCD of the 1520). See where iOS and Android are with their current releases, look into things like loyalty cards, apps for your banks, etc.

I'm not sure, maybe others can answer -- would you be able to go from the current (very old) iPhone to a new iPhone and have it be basically seamless and easy?

 

[mnewsham]

Curious how you came to that conclusion. I'm biased as a Note 3 owner but it seems that Note 3 is generally regarded as king of the phablet sized phones.

I mean, it has a larger screen, it has optical image stabilization (the note3 does not) and the front facing camera is slightly better.

Now besides that the note 3 and the G Pro 2 are essentially identical. So if you dont care about camera or screen size, then either one is a perfectly fine choice.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I mean, it has a larger screen, it has optical image stabilization (the note3 does not) and the front facing camera is slightly better.

Now besides that the note 3 and the G Pro 2 are essentially identical. So if you dont care about camera or screen size, then either one is a perfectly fine choice.

If you feel as if you may fill up the internal storage with music and video then your only real option is Samsung because of the microsd slot. Depends on the usage someone has in mind.

 

[dawheat]

I mean, it has a larger screen, it has optical image stabilization (the note3 does not) and the front facing camera is slightly better.

Now besides that the note 3 and the G Pro 2 are essentially identical. So if you dont care about camera or screen size, then either one is a perfectly fine choice.

Larger screen though OSB eat up most of the difference. Lack of digitizer and spen of course and is it confirmed yet that 32gb is the standard size in the US like the Note 3?

If the spen is useless to you and 32gb is the same price, I think the G Pro 2 is the better choice. If 32gb is more expensive, I'd tilt toward the Note. If spen has any utility to you, I think it heavily goes toward the Note. Purely as a note taking device, the spen gives me real utility.

 

[mnewsham]

If you feel as if you may fill up the internal storage with music and video then your only real option is Samsung because of the microsd slot. Depends on the usage someone has in mind.

G pro 2 has a microSD card slot as well, and a removable battery...

 

[notposting]

http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/C...a-Lumia-1020-HTC-One_id3500#5-Apple-iPhone-5s

Lots of comparative shots.

DPReview Connect has good reviews from a mobile photography standpoint as well.

 

[cmdrdredd]

G pro 2 has a microSD card slot as well, and a removable battery...

I see...I never saw that advertised because all the comparisons are the screen and the camera.

 

[Cozarkian]

Just wanted to pop in and say thanks to everyone who has given advice. I really don't follow the mobile phone market, and this thread has helped identify some phones that I should investigate further.

 

[crowdfinger]

For work use, i suggest you get Samsung Galaxy Note 3. It is best for web browsing since it has the latest OS plus its speed is fast because of LTE. If you think it's big for you, you can also opt for S4 or wait for S5.

 

[Raduque]

LG G Pro 2 is better than the Note 3 so if he can get that instead it would have a better camera (same specs as the Note 3 but it has OIS where the note3 does not have) and a slightly larger screen. Besides that the phones are nearly identical.

When is the G Pro 2 released?

 

[mnewsham]

When is the G Pro 2 released?

was released internationally in some countries yesterday or today, they haven't announced US or Europe yet, but it shouldnt be TOO much longer. Month or two tops I'd expect.

 

[dawheat]

This doesn't apply to the OP since his work is covering it - so for him, spen vs. better camera is the call between the Note 3 and G Pro 2.

For everyone else, brand new AT&T and T-mobile Note 3s are going for under $600 on swappa which is about the normal progression for an Android phone after 6 months out.

I think it's pretty safe that the 32GB G Pro 2 won't be $600 at launch - in that light I think the Note is the better buy at this point for personal buyers. However, LG phones have traditionally had good price cuts after launch (the OGP was a screaming deal for a while), though its anyones guess how long it'll take to see a price cut.

 

[Raduque]

was released internationally in some countries yesterday or today, they haven't announced US or Europe yet, but it shouldnt be TOO much longer. Month or two tops I'd expect.

The handwriting and finger recognition (for writing and drawing) was terrible on the G Pro. Maybe it'll be better on the G Pro 2, but the S-pen is still the biggest reason for me to go with a Galaxy Note # over any other phablet.

(the OGP was a screaming deal for a while),

I paid retail ($550) for my G Pro. Two months later it dropped to $430. AT&T wouldn't give me a refund, but I talked them into a $100 bill credit.

 

[coolpurplefan]

Would anyone consider iPhone4 or Samsung mini S4 for video?

(Might be a useless question since I want to order a phone next year.)

 

[mnewsham]

The handwriting and finger recognition (for writing and drawing) was terrible on the G Pro. Maybe it'll be better on the G Pro 2, but the S-pen is still the biggest reason for me to go with a Galaxy Note # over any other phablet.

I have never once seen someone use their spen, I know some people swear by it, but I have never once found a need for it that I couldn't just do with my finger.

Honestly it's a bullshit gimmick that maybe 5-10% of people will use.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I have never once seen someone use their spen, I know some people swear by it, but I have never once found a need for it that I couldn't just do with my finger.

Honestly it's a bullshit gimmick that maybe 5-10% of people will use.

And if you root like me and use some of the roms based on CM or the other slimmer ones they rip out all the spen specific features.

 

[dawheat]

I have never once seen someone use their spen, I know some people swear by it, but I have never once found a need for it that I couldn't just do with my finger.

Honestly it's a bullshit gimmick that maybe 5-10% of people will use.

Even if only 5-10% people use is, how does it make it a bullshit gimmick? B/c you don't use it?

It's not a killer feature for me, but I use it at least 2X a week to take notes during lectures and small meetings where you don't want to carry or pull out your laptop. It certainly beats a paper notebook which a lot of my peers still use as it's another thing I need to carry around. Instead, I get my notes tagged and synced up on all my devices through Evernote, complete with highlights, visual diagrams, sequence flows, etc.

Could I live without it? Sure, it's not like a camera on a phone, but certainly more useful than say an IR blaster or front-facing speakers to me - the former I never use, the latter I might use once a week.

 

[jacktesterson]

Even if only 5-10% people use is, how does it make it a bullshit gimmick? B/c you don't use it?

It's not a killer feature for me, but I use it at least 2X a week to take notes during lectures and small meetings where you don't want to carry or pull out your laptop. It certainly beats a paper notebook which a lot of my peers still use as it's another thing I need to carry around. Instead, I get my notes tagged and synced up on all my devices through Evernote, complete with highlights, visual diagrams, sequence flows, etc.

Could I live without it? Sure, it's not like a camera on a phone, but certainly more useful than say an IR blaster or front-facing speakers to me - the former I never use, the latter I might use once a week.

I read an article recently that did a study on the S-PEN and it was found that hardly anyone used it overall, especially in Asia. I will try to find it.

 

[Raduque]

I have never once seen someone use their spen, I know some people swear by it, but I have never once found a need for it that I couldn't just do with my finger.

Honestly it's a bullshit gimmick that maybe 5-10% of people will use.

I use mine all the time. Used it all the time on the Note II. Really missed it on the G Pro.

I was talking about Note 3 features to a friend at work and my boss happened to be walking by when I mentioned the S-Pen... and he goes "hey, thanks for reminding me, I forgot about that". Funny thing is, he's had a Note 3 since December, and has even drawn on it using the S-Pen.