Phone snobs: I need your help on buying a new cell

[dawheat]

A used LG G5 is in your price range on swappa and would have decently high end specs. If you're comfortable installing your own ROMs from XDA, I'd say get it over one of the Moto G5 devices (or a very old Samsung Galaxy or newer Samsung low end phone) since you'll get better specs and camera. However if you stay on stock, I wouldn't get it as it's unlikely to get further updates.

New i'd go with the recommendation of one of the Moto G5 family phones, based on your size preference.

 

[Ken g6]

I'd just like to say thanks for this thread. My Nexus 5x died yesterday, and thanks to seeing the advice here I got a Moto E4 at a Verizon store for $75, and got a cheaper plan than I had with T-Mobile.

 

[sdifox]

I'd just like to say thanks for this thread. My Nexus 5x died yesterday, and thanks to seeing the advice here I got a Moto E4 at a Verizon store for $75, and got a cheaper plan than I had with T-Mobile.

Are you saying this thread killed your phone? :awe:

 

[DaveSimmons]

I'd just like to say thanks for this thread. My Nexus 5x died yesterday, and thanks to seeing the advice here I got a Moto E4 at a Verizon store for $75, and got a cheaper plan than I had with T-Mobile.

I went to look at their website to compare, and it keeps locking up that tab in Chrome. Needless to say that didn't do much to convince me to go with Verizon

 

[Sonikku]

Will either of these phones work with safelink?

Only 1.5gb of Ram but for $30 it's stupidly cheaper than my $150 budget.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/total-...paid-cell-phone-black/5859400.p?skuId=5859400

$200 - $50 = $150 with my early access. This is just barely in my budget and has 3gb of ram and decent specs all around.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/huawei...l-phone-unlocked-gray/5712450.p?skuId=5712450

I'm hopelessly confused by the whole gsm or cdma thing when dealing with the tiny free phone service carriers.

 

[John Connor]

Look at the Moto E4 at amazon with offers. The regular E4 is 5" screen for $100. The E4 plus is a 5.5" screen for $140. Both have 16gb storage, 2gb of ram, and takes a SD card if you need more space.

E4
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B071YC3G5V/

E4 plus
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B072ZS6JD2/

They are also unlocked so you can use them on any of the major carries.

Looking at those, I might bite the bullet and buy the E4+. But I noticed that the sim is a nano and my current is a micro. How do I remedy this? My carrier is Cricket.

 

[jcwagers]

Will either of these phones work with safelink?

Only 1.5gb of Ram but for $30 it's stupidly cheaper than my $150 budget.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/total-...paid-cell-phone-black/5859400.p?skuId=5859400

$200 - $50 = $150 with my early access. This is just barely in my budget and has 3gb of ram and decent specs all around.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/huawei...l-phone-unlocked-gray/5712450.p?skuId=5712450

I'm hopelessly confused by the whole gsm or cdma thing when dealing with the tiny free phone service carriers.

https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Enrollment/Safelink/en/NewPublic/upgrade_phone.html

Try that and select "bring your own". It should let you check to see if the phones are compatible. You'll probably have to put in your zip code and I didn't want to ask that kinda information to try to do it on your behalf.

 

[jcwagers]

Looking at those, I might bite the bullet and buy the E4+. But I noticed that the sim is a nano and my current is a micro. How do I remedy this? My carrier is Cricket.

Can you request or buy another sim card? I have straight talk and they let you choose your sim card. Some of them are set up so they can be cut down to work with a smaller sim size depending on your needs. It looks like you might be able to get a different sim card.....

https://www.cricketwireless.com/support/apps-and-services/sim-cards/customer/get-a-new-sim-card.html

 

[John Connor]

What an absolute pain in the butt. Why mess with the damn sim card size? Damn things are small enough. All of my phone numbers are stored on it. I would have to renter all of my contacts.

 

[sdifox]

What an absolute pain in the butt. Why mess with the damn sim card size? Damn things are small enough. All of my phone numbers are stored on it. I would have to renter all of my contacts.

Err why are you not backing it up on google?

 

[FIVR]

Buy an iPhone. Unless you want to slave away in the Android data mines for Alphabet shareholders.


https://qz.com/1131515/google-colle...ons-even-when-location-services-are-disabled/


I recommend the iPhone SE. Way better than almost all android phones and it doesn't steal your location data even when you tell it not to.

 

[Sonikku]

Wait, the phone in the link says "total wireless".
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/total-...paid-cell-phone-black/5859400.p?skuId=5859400
Does that mean it can only work with that specific carrier?

https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Enrollment/Safelink/en/NewPublic/upgrade_phone.html

Try that and select "bring your own". It should let you check to see if the phones are compatible. You'll probably have to put in your zip code and I didn't want to ask that kinda information to try to do it on your behalf.

I put in my zip and hit continue but it insists the field still needs to be filled.

 

[John Connor]

Err why are you not backing it up on google?

You kidding me? Like I want my Info. in the cloud?

 

[sdifox]

You kidding me? Like I want my Info. in the cloud?

Then get off a smatphone.

 

[John Connor]

Why don't you mind your own damn business.

 

[sdifox]

Why don't you mind your own damn business.

All smartphones gleam that info and report to central. If you are concerned about it, get off smartphone.

 

[ZGR]

If you are on Verizon, the Galaxy Note 4 is often under $200. Last Note with expandable battery/easily replaceable battery.

I love mine and it has 3gb of RAM.

 

[mikeymikec]

What an absolute pain in the butt. Why mess with the damn sim card size? Damn things are small enough. All of my phone numbers are stored on it. I would have to renter all of my contacts.

Use the Android Contacts app to export the contacts to vcf, save the file off the phone, transfer it to the next phone, import contacts from VCF.

Having said that, if you're using a Micro SIM card already then you're probably using a smartphone already, in which case I wouldn't be surprised if your phone hasn't stored any contacts on the SIM card since you moved from a dumbphone.

I too kept my contacts on the SIM card, but the first Android smartphone I had didn't provide any option to save to SIM, nor have I seen the Android Contacts app provide that option on any phone since.

 

[John Connor]

I'll check that App out. I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 and it was my first smartphone. So the contacts are new.

 

[killster1]

i have purchased 3 galaxy s7 in past year all for 150$. they have slight crack on back or bottom corner out of the view of screen. last galaxy s7 edge was 145 but has been working great for 6 months and has become my new favorite. now to find a galaxy s8 plus with crack for 300

 

[Sonikku]

Well I finally decided. I opted to get a Motorola Moto G4 16gb for $49 at my local Walmart.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Motorola...20029540031293476820&affillinktype=14&veh=aff

https://brickseek.com/walmart-inventory-checker?sku=52328570

Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[Yuriman]

I hope it works for you! I saw this thread and was about to recommend the G5 Plus, which I just purchased for a friend after significant reading.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I hope it works for you! I saw this thread and was about to recommend the G5 Plus, which I just purchased for a friend after significant reading.

I ended up getting the Amazon Offers G5 Plus for myself a few days ago. My initial impression is favorable but I haven't done much more than activate the SIM card yet.

 

[Yuriman]

I ended up getting the Amazon Offers G5 Plus for myself a few days ago. My initial impression is favorable but I haven't done much more than activate the SIM card yet.

Same. The camera low light performance is a bit disappointing, but I use a Pixel as my device so my basis for comparison isn't fair. I appreciate that it has radios for all of the major carriers, that it has mostly stock Android, and the screen isn't half bad.

 

[jcwagers]

Well I finally decided. I opted to get a Motorola Moto G4 16gb for $49 at my local Walmart.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Motorola...20029540031293476820&affillinktype=14&veh=aff

https://brickseek.com/walmart-inventory-checker?sku=52328570

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I have that phone in the 32gb version. It's been a solid phone thus far. I think you'll like it. Congrats on your new phone.