Cell Phone Recommendation

[Todd Willhoit]

My aging Droid X2 has decided to go nuts. I need a replacement, and would like something budget friendly and current enough to be workable for at least two years. I don't play games (other than cribbage) or do anything particularly intensive that makes me think I need something state of the art.

What I want to do:
find stuff on google maps
do a web search now and then
use the gas buddy app
check email
use the Free42 calculator app
take photos
maybe play some music
use it as a hotspot if possible

I am on Verizon. The Droids were second-hand, and cheap. The two-year cost of ownership has been very low even with Verizon in the mix.

Although the coverage generally isn't as good, I wouldn't mind trying Simple Mobile or another pre-paid provider. Aside from cost, an advantage is that I am not stuck in a contract.

The Droid is running Android 2.3.4. Is there some minimum version that you recommend?

Preference for unlocked vs locked?

[Mark Patoka]

I don't have a specific recommendation for you but I am using a no contract Virgin Mobile smartphone. The one thing they don't tell you is that the internal memory is extremely limited, even with the SD card, and I can hardly download any apps and the phone is full. There are many system files and apps that just won't let you move them to the SD card. For me that's the most frustrating thing otherwise it works well enough for me. I primarily use Google Maps for traffic and check my email. Mine doesn't have hotspot capability and it uses the Sprint network so I do lose coverage while traveling sometimes.

I was told that the phones you get from Verizon have much more memory and allow the ability to download many apps that most of the no-contract phones won't tell you about or even tell you the internal memory on their phones.

[Todd Willhoit]

I believe the Droid X2 has 8GB internal, and I had a 32GB SD card. I have never had any issues.

[Gordon Eyre]

You can get some good deals on Craigs List. Why not think big and get a used iPhone or Samsung Galaxie.

[Myk Rian]

Do not buy used. I've heard of too many people getting burned. Android ver 2 is really old now. Like Windows 95.

I was just helping a neighbor lady get a new phone 2 days ago.
You can get a Samsung Galaxy S3 for free. There was just an OS update to KitKat 4.4.2. We have 2 of them. Fits in your pocket. I love mine. Have had it for 2 years.

The Galaxy S4 is a little larger, and also runs KitKat 4.4.2. Probably $50 at the VZ store.
There is also the S4 mini which is the size of the S3.

Now you have the Galaxy S5, which is kinda in between a phone and a phablet. This is what she got because of the ease of reading webpages, e-mail, etc.
It is loaded with KitKat 4.4.2, but will be getting the update to Android L (no name yet. Maybe Lollipop?) when it is released.
$250 with a 2 year contract, and a $150 rebate. I would love to have this phone, but it is a bit large. Will fit in a purse, but not a pocket.

A 2 year contract with unlimited talk, and text, w/ 2gig data is $60/mo. $70 with phone insurance. That can come in handy if you drop your brand new $600-$800 phone on the Verizon store's sidewalk.

Samsung are top of the line phones. LG makes some great models also, but I'm not so well versed in them.

[Todd Willhoit]

Do not buy used. I've heard of too many people getting burned.

I thought about buying used to save a few bucks, but I am more than a little leery.

The Galaxy S3 is in my sights unless something else compelling comes along. A "free" phone sounds good too, but over a two-year period I spend less if I buy it outright assuming I go with a prepaid plan.

Having said that, has anyone used Net-10 or Simple Mobile? Verizon has great coverage, but I can save $10-$20/phone/month on prepaid and have more data to boot.

[Matt Day]

I'd get an iPhone 5c and not worry about a few bucks here and there, but I don't know how tight money is for you. I pay $88/mo for my iPhone 5 with Verizon, unlimited tall/text and 2GB data.

But it sounds like your hooked on Android devices only?

[David Cramer]

Do not buy used. I've heard of too many people getting burned. Android ver 2 is really old now. Like Windows 95.

I was just helping a neighbor lady get a new phone 2 days ago.
You can get a Samsung Galaxy S3 for free. There was just an OS update to KitKat 4.4.2. We have 2 of them. Fits in your pocket. I love mine. Have had it for 2 years.

The Galaxy S4 is a little larger, and also runs KitKat 4.4.2. Probably $50 at the VZ store.
There is also the S4 mini which is the size of the S3.

Now you have the Galaxy S5, which is kinda in between a phone and a phablet. This is what she got because of the ease of reading webpages, e-mail, etc.
It is loaded with KitKat 4.4.2, but will be getting the update to Android L (no name yet. Maybe Lollipop?) when it is released.
$250 with a 2 year contract, and a $150 rebate. I would love to have this phone, but it is a bit large. Will fit in a purse, but not a pocket.

A 2 year contract with unlimited talk, and text, w/ 2gig data is $60/mo. $70 with phone insurance. That can come in handy if you drop your brand new $600-$800 phone on the Verizon store's sidewalk.

Samsung are top of the line phones. LG makes some great models also, but I'm not so well versed in them.


Respectfully, my Galaxy S5 fits in my pocket, no problem at all. It's really not "that" big. The Note 3 takes it too another level, but the S5 isn't much bigger than the S3...surely not enough to make a difference in terms of fitting in your pocket:)

David

[Dave Richards]

I recently got a Motorola X from Republic Wireless (http://republicwireless.com/). I've been very pleased with it. It's an excellent phone and I like the service. I'm using the $25/month plan.

[Curt Harms]

For prepaid services, pay attention to what network the service uses. I use a prepaid provider, Airvoice Wireless. I haven't used their data services so don't know how they work. They use AT&Ts gophone network and work with any AT&T or unlocked GSM phone. There was a law passed recently that any carrier, once the terms of a contract are fulfilled must provide unlocking service. I bought a couple Samsung flip phones off Ebay and had good luck with them, SWMBO is still using one. Of course there's more to go wrong with a smart phone.

[Myk Rian]

Respectfully, my Galaxy S5 fits in my pocket, no problem at all. It's really not "that" big. The Note 3 takes it too another level, but the S5 isn't much bigger than the S3...surely not enough to make a difference in terms of fitting in your pocket:)

David

Ok, I'll put it this way. The S5 will fit in my pants pocket, but not a shirt pocket with a fold-over flap. That flap keeps the phone from falling out, hitting the pavement, or some place wet. It's a full 1" taller than my S3.

[Prashun Patel]

Verizon will probably give you a sweet deal on a 2 year contract. I think the Iphone 6 comes out next month, which means the 5's and 4's will be near free with a contract.
Your best bet is to ask your provider what kind of deals they have.

[Myk Rian]

When you go with Apple, you are locked into Apple. Many, many more apps are available for Android, especially free ones.
Tethering is something you will pay for from Verizon, BUT, an app called Foxfi can be installed. That requires you to root your phone, which is a simple thing to do.

Android Central is the place to go for all things android.

[Bert Kemp]

Republic Wireless is the way to go if you have wifi at home, the moto g is a great little smartphone and its cheap NO CONTACT plans are great , Phone is 149 8gig or 179 16 gig
they pay for them selves in the cheap plans. CHeck them out.

[Wade Lippman]

I have a Nokia 520 on Straight Talk. The phone is $40 and ST is unlimited for $500 a year. I don't know what Free42 is, that might not be available for Windows; but other than limited apps it is a great phone.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

You have a few decisions to make.

First, will you purchase new or used. I have used mostly used phones. I usually by them on ebay. The phone must have a clean ESN and be declared as working.

Warrany. I use http://www.squaretrade.com/ to warrant my phones. They are easy to work with and significantly cheaper than a similar warranty from your phone provider. I dropped the extended warranties I had with Sprint because the square trade warranties were much less. In general, they have a good reputation.

Will you have a contract? I was with Sprint paying $160 a month for two phones. I switched to Ting, a bulk Sprint reseller for Sprint usage. This means "pay for what you use", but, if you use nothing, you pay $6 per phone from fees (911 fees, etc). Because I went this route, I run three phones for about $50 a month. If you go to their site, you can see how they charge

https://ting.com/rates

Now, Sprint coverage is very different from what you have, so, don't assume that if you are happy with your provider that you will be happy with Ting / Sprint. I only mention it as a way to have a phone with no contract and much lower costs. With what I save I can outright purchase two top of the line phones every year and break even.

What operating system do you want? if you run Android and you want to stay on top of the latest version, then purchase a Nexus phone because a Google official release of Android should be made for the Nexus phones.

http://www.google.com/nexus/

But.... you must...



Make sure that your phone will work with your chosen provider
If you purchase used, be sure it has a clean SSN (or is that MSID).... what ever they call it.


Enough for now, I am tired.

[Lori Kleinberg]

I love my Nokia Lumia 822 (windows phone) on Verizon.

[Todd Willhoit]

Wow! The Creek has more variety than I expected.

I am definitely NOT looking for a monster phablet that I can't get in my pocket, so something like the Galaxy S3 is a good fit size-wise.

I assume an unlocked phone can upgrade to the latest OS unlike some phones tied to carriers. Is that a correct assumption?

I am definitely leery as far purchasing a used phone is concerned. For those who have done so, how did you safeguard your purchase to make sure it wasn't blacklisted, in working order, etc.?

Ting estimates that I will save $1400 over two years. I wonder how accurate the calculator is.

[Bert Kemp]

Looking at the sprint coverage map it looks like you have real good service were you live, plus you probably have lots of wifi hot spots. I think republic wireless with there great moto x and moto g phones , No contact plans that start at 5$ a month and there best plan 40$ a month is a no brainer.
I use to have a trac phone swore I'd never need or could use a smartphone but because of the cheap plans and good phone and a 30 day money back guarantee I decided to try it, now I never knew how I got along with out it.
I mostly use it at home with wifi seldom make calls on the road , but so far it works most everywere I need it to and I'm in a rural area of New Hampshire right now.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Wow! The Creek has more variety than I expected.

I am definitely NOT looking for a monster phablet that I can't get in my pocket, so something like the Galaxy S3 is a good fit size-wise.

I assume an unlocked phone can upgrade to the latest OS unlike some phones tied to carriers. Is that a correct assumption?

I am definitely leery as far purchasing a used phone is concerned. For those who have done so, how did you safeguard your purchase to make sure it wasn't blacklisted, in working order, etc.?

Ting estimates that I will save $1400 over two years. I wonder how accurate the calculator is.

I am not a big data user and I don't live on my phone. I am saving over $1200 a year with three phones compared to two previously. With Ting, it is all about "how much do you use".

When I purchase on ebay, if the phone is described as working, in a particular condition, with a clean ESN, you file a claim with ebay / paypal if the buy won't take it back. One friend of mine has asked for the ESN (or is that ID is called and then verified it with TING; MEDI??) before the purchase.

Also, I have a tendency to add a third part warranty through square trade. It adds to the expense, but you also have "oops I dropped it" coverage. I just dropped my Galaxy S III for the first time (by first time I mean closer to the 100th time) and it went straight down and shattered the camera covering lens. I purchased a $4 part on ebay and replaced it with a few minutes work. here is an example from square trade assuming a specific Galaxy phone:

http://www.squaretrade.com/samsung-galaxy-warranty

If you have a carrier locked phone, then you are stuck with their update cycle on the phone's operating system. I wanted to update the OS for a few newer features. Now, the difficulty with this is that there are a few things that may be more difficult to update. More specifically, the PRL (see http://www.phonescoop.com/glossary/term.php?gid=11). Now, with my phone, when you are on Sprint, you need Sprint's version of Android to update your PRL. So, if I want to update my PRLs, I need to revert back to a previous OS, update the PRL, then go back to cyanogen. If you are content to stay on Sprint's release schedule, then any clean Sprint phone will do. I don't know about phones purchased directly from TING. If you purchase a Nexus phone from Google (or pay more to buy it from Ting... and Ting says you are crazy if you pay more and buy it from them), I believe that you can directly update your PRL (I just shot a text to a friend who does this, I should know today for sure).

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Yes, with a NEXUS even purchased directly from Google, you just tell it to update the PRL and you can always be on the latest with no problems. Thinking about dumping my S3 and doing that.

[Shawn Pixley]

When you go with Apple, you are locked into Apple. Many, many more apps are available for Android, especially free ones.
Tethering is something you will pay for from Verizon, BUT, an app called Foxfi can be installed. That requires you to root your phone, which is a simple thing to do.

Android Central is the place to go for all things android.

I am not sure you are correct as to Android having more Apps available than Apple. The last data i saw on this was they had essentially the same number of Apps (compiled by webcrawler bot at the various App locations).

Android is open, and potentially could have more Apps. However they are not tested for compatability or viruses.and can therefore have more problems with the Android Apps actually working. Several of my friends seem to have a lot of problems with this. There is a case to be made for testing before release or totally open too. Pick your poison.

Admittedly, I am an iPhone afficianado. For people who don't want to figure out how it works, iPhones are easier. They just work. If you want and like to fiddle about with the phone, go Android.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I am not sure you are correct as to Android having more Apps available than Apple. The last data i saw on this was they had essentially the same number of Apps (compiled by webcrawler bot at the various App locations).

Android is open, and potentially could have more Apps. However they are not tested for compatability or viruses.and can therefore have more problems with the Android Apps actually working. Several of my friends seem to have a lot of problems with this. There is a case to be made for testing before release or totally open too. Pick your poison.

Admittedly, I am an iPhone afficianado. For people who don't want to figure out how it works, iPhones are easier. They just work. If you want and like to fiddle about with the phone, go Android.

Apple seems to be a way of life. If you have or know nothing, it probably on average matters not what you buy. With Apple, you probably pay a bunch more for it, but, you also probably have better support at the Apple store (I have not experienced this great support, but I hear it exists and they are helpful, might be true, might be false). If you plan on writing software for your phone, you probably want an Android unless you are fine purchasing two phones. Apple does a good job of locking down the phone, but, once you make it a development platform, Apple limits what you can do with it so that you cannot generally use it as a primary phone with applications. I am talking about writing software you want to release. Pretty sure you can still write a simple app and convince it to run without affecting other factors. With Android, it seems to be the carriers that try to lock down the phone but you don't have any of the benefits of a locked down phone the way that Apple does it

I am mostly at home with Linux, Windows, and Android. Apple tablets (iPad I suppose) were enough to have me in a rather poor mood (understatement) trying to fix a few irregularities. None of the choices are obvious nor intuitive to use if you do not have previous exposure. So, if you know and like one, you are probably fine. When I was a computer rep, people would ask me what to purchase (I was pushing zenith laptops, yeah, it was a while ago). I had a few general recommendations that probably hold true here as well:



If there is something you know and love and it does the job for you, stick with it. In this case, i don't expect you to ask me what to get (as far as type goes).
If you have a particular task to perform, find the software to accomplish the task then purchase the computer that will run the software. I kept telling this to a vet who kept purchasing an Apple that would not run the vet clinic software, so, they never computerized the clinic as long as I was in a position to know.
You are generally better served purchasing what your friends have / use / know if you hope to use them for support.


As for who has more apps, Apple or Android. well, I can't say and I don't care. The fact that it is not obvious means it probably does not matter. What does matter is that some things run on one and not the other other. So, if you think that you want to run something in particular, check to see which one it runs on and then purchase that one. I saw some cool game on an iPhone that was not available for Android. I have seen that go both ways, however.

I see a lot of different numbers, but, it seems that there are more Android users than iPhone users. It seems that there is a greater concentration of iPhones with people with lots of money (and rich people are more likely to drive a Mercedes than an old beater, no surprise).

[Matt Meiser]

Verizon just gave us an iPhone 5c 32gb "free" on a line that wasn't even close to being out of contract. $30 upgrade fee, $32 for an Otterbox case and $13 for an extra charge/sync cable and then we took the 4s it replaced on to the Veizon store and got a $100 gift card which the immediately applied toward our next bill.

We have a separate rider on our homeowners insurance for each phone. Their plan offers the same $100 deductible as the carriers buy the yearly fee is way cheaper. The most likely injury on an iphone is a cracked screen and a good case goes a long way toward preventing that. If it happens they can be replaced for under $100.

[Brian Elfert]

A big reason users go with iPhone is because they already have other Apple devices. If you already have other Apple devices like an iPad or Apple TV it makes sense to get an iPhone. I happen to have an iPhone, but that is because it is a work device that I don't have a choice on. I like it, but I have never used Android either. I would probably get a Nexus 5 for a personal device if it supported Verizon.

[Shawn Pixley]

Apple seems to be a way of life. If you have or know nothing, it probably on average matters not what you buy. With Apple, you probably pay a bunch more for it, but, you also probably have better support at the Apple store (I have not experienced this great support, but I hear it exists and they are helpful, might be true, might be false). If you plan on writing software for your phone, you probably want an Android unless you are fine purchasing two phones. Apple does a good job of locking down the phone, but, once you make it a development platform, Apple limits what you can do with it so that you cannot generally use it as a primary phone with applications. I am talking about writing software you want to release. Pretty sure you can still write a simple app and convince it to run without affecting other factors. With Android, it seems to be the carriers that try to lock down the phone but you don't have any of the benefits of a locked down phone the way that Apple does it

I am mostly at home with Linux, Windows, and Android. Apple tablets (iPad I suppose) were enough to have me in a rather poor mood (understatement) trying to fix a few irregularities. None of the choices are obvious nor intuitive to use if you do not have previous exposure. So, if you know and like one, you are probably fine. When I was a computer rep, people would ask me what to purchase (I was pushing zenith laptops, yeah, it was a while ago). I had a few general recommendations that probably hold true here as well:



If there is something you know and love and it does the job for you, stick with it. In this case, i don't expect you to ask me what to get (as far as type goes).
If you have a particular task to perform, find the software to accomplish the task then purchase the computer that will run the software. I kept telling this to a vet who kept purchasing an Apple that would not run the vet clinic software, so, they never computerized the clinic as long as I was in a position to know.
You are generally better served purchasing what your friends have / use / know if you hope to use them for support.


As for who has more apps, Apple or Android. well, I can't say and I don't care. The fact that it is not obvious means it probably does not matter. What does matter is that some things run on one and not the other other. So, if you think that you want to run something in particular, check to see which one it runs on and then purchase that one. I saw some cool game on an iPhone that was not available for Android. I have seen that go both ways, however.

I see a lot of different numbers, but, it seems that there are more Android users than iPhone users. It seems that there is a greater concentration of iPhones with people with lots of money (and rich people are more likely to drive a Mercedes than an old beater, no surprise).

I am very agnostic to what you or anyone else chooses. Computers, tablets, and phones are all just tools for me in my interests, profession and expertise. I don't want to or ever plan to write or modify code. However I use computers to analyze huge amounts of data. I have staff to write the various schema to extract and manipulate the data.

My real comment is to correct incorrect information that was posted. What decision anyone makes about what to buy, i don't care. I do notice the general trend though; people who want to play in the computer code, use Windows, Linux, or Android. People who don't play with computer code want a device that is intuitive and just works, use Apple products. Such is the freedom of choice. At home, I am entirely Mac based. At work, I use a Wintel machine scripted with our companies common environment.

World wide, there are more Android users than iPhone users. As you state it, this is often around economics. But when you look at the data, there are marked assymetries here. Richer nations (US, western Europe, Japan) are much more likely to have iPhones. At my company (non-IT but highly educated - >60% with graduate degrees), probably 85% use iPhones and iPads. When I travel to China or Brazil, iPhones probably represent 20-25% of the mobiles I observe. However, those using Android in those countries, express their wish to change to an iPhone. How much of that is functionality and size vs status, I cannot say.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

People who don't play with computer code want a device that is intuitive and just works, use Apple products. Such is the freedom of choice. At home, I am entirely Mac based. At work, I use a Wintel machine scripted with our companies common environment.

I learned long ago that Apple products are NOT intuitive. None of them are. By none, I mean Android, Linux, Windows, etc. Although I already know how to use many types of systems, when handed an iPad and told to solve a few issues, it was exceedingly painful. I did not simply sit down and immediately understand all of the steps that needed to be done to do what needed to be done. I had to create certain accounts, i had to find obscure locations and set certain properties. Apple was one of the first to demand / require a certain level of consistency in applications with respect to things such as hot keys to accomplish things (you know, back in the late 80's and early 90's).

I always assumed that Apple was intuitive until I watched a person who regularly used numerous operating systems regularly struggle to do what I considered obvious on a Mac. Well, it was obvious to me since I had been doing it for a few years and was teaching a few classes that used the mac. After I thought about it, I realized that if you had no previous exposure, it was not at all obvious that perhaps you should delete a file by dragging it into a picture of a trash can (as an example).

I assume that what you really mean is that they have a more consistent interface. So, if you figure out the secret to accomplishing a task in one area then it will likely apply in another. Windows can't even achieve consistency between windows releases. Every time they released a new version, they moved some things to a new location for no apparent reason.

I know that on the Apple machines proper, they have certain things with respect to VPNs set so that they apparently just do what you expect (or so I am told) and I am not able to quantify it beyond that since I have not dealt with it personally on a mac.

If you move to something new, expect that you will spend the first week to a month unhappy with it until you start to figure it out.

[Lee Schierer]

I love my S4 Mini. It is easy to use has good battery life, lots of features and can even tether a laptop. It will run all your droid apps. Best of all they are free from Verizon.

[Jim Matthews]

Late to the party, so likely repeating what others have said.

I use the Consumer Cellular "no contract" service which is adequate in my area.
I bought the Motorola Moto G Android phone through them.

They also offer IPhones, if you're so inclined - no contract required.
https://www.consumercellular.com/info/phones

I would caution anyone over 50 about buying smaller phones - in bright spaces,
smaller icons, print and numbers can be impossible to read.

When I'm wearing my single-vision contacts, I can't read the keypad, it's just too small.

[Jerome Stanek]

I hate it when they say they are free. You have to sign a contract so you pay for them over time. If they were free you could go in and pick one up and walk out without signing anything or commit to paying anything. That is like saying I got a free car all I have to do is pay for the loan.

[Curt Harms]

I hate it when they say they are free. You have to sign a contract so you pay for them over time. If they were free you could go in and pick one up and walk out without signing anything or commit to paying anything. That is like saying I got a free car all I have to do is pay for the loan.

Exactly right. As with most things in life, there is no free lunch. It seems more common in other countries to buy your own device and get cheaper service because you're not repaying the service provider's device subsidy.

[Todd Willhoit]

I learned long ago that Apple products are NOT intuitive. None of them are. By none, I mean Android, Linux, Windows, etc.

I always assumed that Apple was intuitive until I watched a person who regularly used numerous operating systems regularly struggle...

+1. We have an iPad, Windows PCs, and Android phones. Navigating any of these is easy. Teaching my nephew how to create stop-motion videos on his iMAC takes some effort. Android is fine for me. It "just works" as they say.

I agree with the other sentiments about "free".

I've had no-contract Verizon for two years with free (second hand free, not pretend free) phones. Prior to that we used Boost Mobile for a while. Overall the service was good, but coverage was poor when we travelled to the rural Midwest to visit family. U.S. Cellular is king in those parts. Verizon roams well there too. I think Verizon just bought out some of their market.

Every carrier has good service in Houston. It is when you leave town that you discover the limitations.

[Charles McKinley]

My phone's power button went out a few days ago. To "upgrade" phones was going to cost us $25 more per line under the new contract. Be very careful of "Free." The phone I picked out would cost me $600 over the 2 year contract.

[Jim Becker]

Late observation, but since you've been using an Android based device, that would be my recommendation for whatever you replace your older phone with...you're already in that "ecosystem" and even state at least one app you want to continue to use. All of the current Android phones use v4.x...v2.x is major, major old!

Me...I'm an iDevice guy with years of experience and investment. It's unlikely I'd move from iPhone for exactly the same reason I suggest you consider staying with Android, at least if you have any investment in apps and media. If not, then it's work considering a switch IF you like the alternative.