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GAF, what phone should I get (Android)

Fbh

Fbh

Member
The battery on my S6 is dying. I can't go through a whole day of light use without having to charge it (and with mid-high use it's more like half a day or less).

So I'm looking for replacement Android phone (iOS and apple products in general just aren't for me).

What I care about:
- Good camera: My phone camera is the only one I use so I want it to be good. It's actually the thing I like the most about my S6 (low light performance isn't great but with good light I still think the pictures look amazing)
- Good battery life: I don't need it to be crazy good but I need it to last for a full day of normal (sometimes slightly heavy) use
-Standard 2017 features: waterproof, SD card slot ... hopefully headphone jack.


So far I'm inclined to go for the S8. Looks nice, I keep reading that the camera is great and it has all the other stuff I want (waterproof, SD, etc).
The fingerprint sensor placement seems annoying and I'm skeptical about the battery life.

I've also been looking at the LGV30 which seems to get good reviews. But I've read the camera isn't as good as the S8...and it's just really fucking expensive where I live (like $850 compared to the $600 of a S8)


Any other phones you'd recommend.?
 
D

DirgeExtinction

Member
Maybe the LG G6? LG's cameras shine when using manual mode, imo.

Not sure where you live, but have you checked out the OnePlus 5? It appears to have amazing battery life, but unfortunately it's missing expandable storage, actual waterproofing (it's slightly water resistant), and doesn't have a QHD display(it's 1080p).


Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with most flagship devices nowadays.
 
Blam

Blam

Member
I've got a OP5 and a very much enjoy using it battery life is pretty damn good, and everything else is really smooth on there, only gripe is the camera ain't great.
 
cormack12

cormack12

Gold Member
I went form the S6 to the S8. Definitely a massive upgrade - the camera is still spot on. It's a little more slippy and I know a lot more people who have cracked their screens due to an innocuous drop so I'd recommend a spigen case and a screen protector for sure.

Battery life is greatly improved as well.

The only other phone I considered was the Sony Xperia Premium which was also good and felt nice in the hand.
 
W

whytemyke

Honorary Canadian.
Have you looked at the Essential Ph1 yet?

That thing looked REALLY nice when I was playing with it at the store. Made me wish I didn't have an iPhone. Plus you can add camera enhancements to the whole thing as well.
 
F

Fledz

Member
My friend, I just went from the Galaxy S6 because the battery was dying and it was time for an upgrade after 2 years.

I went with the Google Pixel 2 and it's absolutely brilliant. The size and weight are about the same, bezels are not an issue, software is obviously brilliant and the camera is actually just as good as everyone keeps saying it is. Battery life is great so far, 4 days in.
I originally ordered the 2XL but cancelled it and got this. Good decision.

It was super easy to transfer everything over from the S6 too with the included adapter. All I had to do was delete a couple of Samsung apps later. Oh and don't forget to backup Whatsapp chats before you move over.

I thought about the S8 but I wanted to go back to Stock Android. Samsung has gotten a lot better but nothing beats the real thing from Google. You can save a lot of money with the S8 though so that could be a deciding factor, as well as the headphone jack of course.
 
H

Horsemama1956

Member
Why not just buy a new battery? Phone market beyond budget is just total garbage. You're paying a premium for fucking QHD/UHD on a tiny ass screen and features you probably will never use.
 
T

tsab

Member
I am thinking of getting OnePlus5 when I retire my Nexus5X. Seems to be the best in that price range
 
C

Composer

Member
If you want a phone that actually will last you several years and not slow down to a grinding halt, you HAVE to get an official Google device. I still highly recommend 2016's Google Pixel XL (has a headphone jack). If you have the money, go for the Pixel XL 2. No it doesn't have an SD card, but its a power house phone that will continue to be smooth and regularly updated.

With a Samsung, you get a phone that will be just 'okay' to 'shit' in just a matter of months. I don't know how they keep getting away with it. Also their TouchWix UI is pure nonsense.

Be smart, go pure Google Android. You'll never look back and wonder why you didn't do this earlier.
 
G

Greatest Ever

Member
Composer said:
If you want a phone that actually will last you several years and not slow down to a grinding halt, you HAVE to get an official Google device. I still highly recommend 2016's Google Pixel XL (has a headphone jack). If you have the money, go for the Pixel XL 2. No it doesn't have an SD card, but its a power house phone that will continue to be smooth and regularly updated.

With a Samsung, you get a phone that will be just 'okay' to 'shit' in just a matter of months. I don't know how they keep getting away with it. Also their TouchWix UI is pure nonsense.

Be smart, go pure Google Android. You'll never look back and wonder why you didn't do this earlier.
Click to expand...
Not with the Note 8. It may slow down but it won't go to shit.
 
C

Composer

Member
Greatest Ever said:
Not with the Note 8. It may slow down but it won't go to shit.
Click to expand...

Every year its the same thing from Samsung. We've heard this for years. I'll see you a few months down the road when I'm on Android P with a great battery life, and the Note 8 is barely pulling a day's worth of battery, and struggles to get Google Maps up and running when you need it the most.
 
C

Cherubimon142

Member
I'm looking to port a few games for mobile gaming. Some are simple exe games, while others are the ROM. Which Android model would anyone recommend for the best results?
 
F

Fledz

Member
Also the Pixel 2s have 2 year warranty now and 3 years of OS updates. That's pretty damn sweet for manufacturer warranty and support.
 
G

Greatest Ever

Member
Composer said:
Every year its the same thing from Samsung. We've heard this for years. I'll see you a few months down the road when I'm on Android P with a great battery life, and the Note 8 is barely pulling a day's worth of battery, and struggles to get Google Maps up and running when you need it the most.
Click to expand...
Sure
 
B

Bergsy

Member
I went from only having premium top spec phones to a mid range Moto G5s plus. Couldn't be happier. I'd love a s8 note or essential ph1 but my job or my kid would wreck them and I'm not dropping 700+ for a new phone every other month.
 
S

SMattera

Member
Composer said:
If you want a phone that actually will last you several years and not slow down to a grinding halt, you HAVE to get an official Google device. I still highly recommend 2016's Google Pixel XL (has a headphone jack). If you have the money, go for the Pixel XL 2. No it doesn't have an SD card, but its a power house phone that will continue to be smooth and regularly updated.

With a Samsung, you get a phone that will be just 'okay' to 'shit' in just a matter of months. I don't know how they keep getting away with it. Also their TouchWix UI is pure nonsense.

Be smart, go pure Google Android. You'll never look back and wonder why you didn't do this earlier.
Click to expand...

My Pixel XL is probably the worst phone buying experience I've ever had in terms of longetivity. A year later my battery life is crap, the phone slows down randomly all the time, and when I'm using the YouTube app it reboots itself. If you look at the Pixel reddit, Android forums, etc. you'll see widespread complaints. And if you made the mistake of buying from Verizon, Google support will treat you like crap.
 
Sosokrates

Sosokrates

Report me if I continue to console war
Im still rocking an s6 and the new phones only offer small improvements.

I think any 2017 flagship will offer better battery then your s6(s6 has poor battery life).plus the camera will be better.

For me personally I dont think the 2017 flagships offer that much improvement worth increasing my contract.

Besides having bigger screens and a few other slight improvements. Web browsing,taking pictures,viewing media and making calls will be a very similar experience to your s6.

If your contract is running out, why not save some money and get a 12 month sim only contract.

If the rate of progression of smartphones continues at the slowish pace it is at now, I probably wont get a new phone until 2019/2020. They just dont offer that much improvement for the majority of smartphone uses.
 
Fbh

Fbh

Member
Composer said:
If you want a phone that actually will last you several years and not slow down to a grinding halt, you HAVE to get an official Google device. I still highly recommend 2016's Google Pixel XL (has a headphone jack). If you have the money, go for the Pixel XL 2. No it doesn't have an SD card, but its a power house phone that will continue to be smooth and regularly updated.

With a Samsung, you get a phone that will be just 'okay' to 'shit' in just a matter of months. I don't know how they keep getting away with it. Also their TouchWix UI is pure nonsense.

Be smart, go pure Google Android. You'll never look back and wonder why you didn't do this earlier.
Click to expand...

I don't know man.
Aside from the battery life I'm still pretty happy with my S6 after 2 years. Of course, I can't say with 100% confidence that the performance hasn't gotten worse since I'm not keeping any records or other useful data to compare the performance with how it was 2 years ago. But just with regular use I can't say I've noticed any difference


Horsemama1956 said:
Why not just buy a new battery? Phone market beyond budget is just total garbage. You're paying a premium for fucking QHD/UHD on a tiny ass screen and features you probably will never use.
Click to expand...

Because, honestly, I don't have enough confidence in my "tech" skills to open up the phone and replace the battery. I've looked around at some phone repair places but they are all overpriced as hell in my country, if they are going to ask $200 to replace a fucking battery I'd rather just get a new phone

Fledz said:
My friend, I just went from the Galaxy S6 because the battery was dying and it was time for an upgrade after 2 years.

I went with the Google Pixel 2 and it's absolutely brilliant. The size and weight are about the same, bezels are not an issue, software is obviously brilliant and the camera is actually just as good as everyone keeps saying it is. Battery life is great so far, 4 days in.
I originally ordered the 2XL but cancelled it and got this. Good decision.

It was super easy to transfer everything over from the S6 too with the included adapter. All I had to do was delete a couple of Samsung apps later. Oh and don't forget to backup Whatsapp chats before you move over.

I thought about the S8 but I wanted to go back to Stock Android. Samsung has gotten a lot better but nothing beats the real thing from Google. You can save a lot of money with the S8 though so that could be a deciding factor, as well as the headphone jack of course.
Click to expand...

I just looked into the Pixel 2. It does indeed look pretty cool. But, at least here, it's between $150 and $200 more expensive than the S8 and I'm not sure it justifies that price difference

Sosokrates said:
If your contract is running out, why not save some money and get a 12 month sim only contract.

.
Click to expand...

I have a cheap Sim only contract.
I don't like getting phones on a contract since I don't like being tied to a specific provider/contract for 1 or 2 years
 
N

Night Angel

Member
I love my Note 8, and it has a headphone jack!

I can use my phone for 6+ hours of screen-on time or some ridiculous shit and still have never run out of battery.
 
D

Days like these...

Have a Blessed Day
Depends on how much you want to spend. If you don't want to spend too much you can get an LG G6 which is water resistant, dust proof has a headphone jack and a good camera for about $400. I was going to get a V30 but couldn't wait till Dec for the unlocked version so I picked up a G6 and I can't complain especially at that price.
 
highrider

highrider

Banned
G6 is probably the best deal on an android phone right now. If I were looking at android would probably go with the pixel 2 xl or note 8. I like all of the features Samsung phones have, but I’ve grown to appreciate a smooth and consistent user experience more, though I know touchwiz has improved.
 
J

jose1

Member
Syphon Filter said:
Is s7 fine? Im not the type to get phones all the time and find s8 too expensive.
Click to expand...

FYI you can get a near-mint condition galaxy s7 on eBay for $250-ish. I got mine a month ago and it is great! The oled screen is amazing, snapdragon 820 is super fast and smooth everywhere. Phone charge easily lasts me a whole day. And it has a headphone jack and normal micro-usb port!

BTW don't believe the people saying samsungs slow down. I have a galaxy s2 still going strong...All you have to do is back up your data and do a factory reset, which wipes the slate clean, once every 2 years-ish if/when it bogs down. Then, it feels just like the day you bought it. This applies to all of the android phones I have owned.
 
I

Intergalactic

Neo Member
I'm on the LG V20 and love it quite a bit.

I don't plan on upgrading anytime soon, maybe late 2018.

However the S8 and Note 8 phones look damn good.
 
TTOOLL

TTOOLL

Member
Syphon Filter said:
Is s7 fine? Im not the type to get phones all the time and find s8 too expensive.
Click to expand...

Definitely a great option. Go for it if you are in a limited budget and can find one.




Greatest Ever said:
No.

Samsung phones pre-S8 should absolutely be avoided. They are notoriously shit at aging.
Click to expand...

This is false. I've been using my S7 for more than a year now and it's still perfect. This phone hits all the boxes too, including wireless charging that the Pixels don't offer.
 
G

Greatest Ever

Member
It's not false, Samsung phones are widely known to age like milk, S7 line included. That you guys have phones that aged great is fantastic and I hope it keeps up, but in no good conscious would I recommend those phones today.

The new Samsung Experience and the Snapdragon 835 are currently attributed to be the reason the S8, +, and Note 8 are much less laggy and prone to hitches, and why this current lineup of Samsung phones are anecdotally giving hope as to breaking that trend of aging horribly.

If you're trying to save money by getting an older flagship, get a 2016 Pixel, or maybe even a G6 (no experience here).
 
E

EekTheKat

Member
whytemyke said:
Have you looked at the Essential Ph1 yet?

That thing looked REALLY nice when I was playing with it at the store. Made me wish I didn't have an iPhone. Plus you can add camera enhancements to the whole thing as well.
Click to expand...


Just to point out an interesting fact about the Essential PH1 - it seemingly supports a ton of bands across a lot of carriers overseas.

I travel quite a bit these days and the PH1 has surprised me with how compatible it is with various carriers in different countries.

In England I get LTE+ in quite a lot of areas, while my North American pixel only gets 4g.

In China my pixel is mostly on edge, while the PH1 seemingly is fully compatible with China Mobile and China Unicom's LTE bands.


That plus you get a pretty much minimal bloatware Android experience.

Camera feels mostly fixed, not as snappy as the pixel 1 but not a huge slouch. 360 camera attachment is a neat novelty, much more convenient to use than a theta in some circumstances.

Of note - the Essential PH1 uses a white list system to determine which apps support its full screen mode (extend the display into the bezel area around the camera). White list last I checked was set by essential themselves, though you can root it and apparently edit it yourself if you're inclined to.

If your favorite app doesn't support it, it by default draws a black bar bezel at the top of the phone.
 
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