Smart Phones - 2023 edition

[Marc Vaughan]

I picked up a Galaxy 9 a couple of months back ... because, well 'Android' ... its meh and has taken ages to setup to something which is anywhere near as usable as my old iPhone .... and the voicemail still sucks at present

(I swear Samsung must have invested in Apple the design for this device is moronic - it has a massive side button the only purpose of which is to summon an annoying Siri-alike, its taken me ages to work out how to disable it as I was constantly accidentally pressing it while holding the phone ... and for some reason you can't give that button a new purpose, just disable it ffs)

[Ksyrup]

I still have my S7 edge - afraid to switch to something I won't like as much. I have little use for cameras and it seems like all of the new phones are touting these great camera improvements or gimmicks. Couldn't care less.

[AlexB]

Really happy witht the Pixel2, better than the Samsungs I've had in the past

[bryce]

Just this week I replaced my 5 year old Q10 with a KeyOne. Yep, still rocking the Blackberry! Keyone is on Android, looking forward to these apps of which people speak. No more m.uber.com! I'm obviously not a technoguy. But I do love the physical keyboard, as well as a smaller phone (relatively speaking as all of them are big now).

[Dantooine98]

I like my Huawei Mate it's very affordable, very fast processor, very good camera (dual lens) and video quality but not in low light it's average in that regards. I can play a lot of games, I haven't experienced any lag time. Love watching movies and tv shows with it. Sounds is pretty good. Battery life is good 3340 mAh. The screen is big, the bezels are small, the picture is clear and sharp and the colors are crisp.

For the price this phone offered the best feature overall.

[Edward64]

Anyone excited about the new iPhones?

iPhone XR, XS, XS Max US pricing 64GB 128GB
iPhone XR $749 $799
iPhone XS $999 N/A
iPhone XS Max $1,099 N/A

I may skip this S year and wait for next year.

[INDalltheway]

I normally replace every 2 years, but nothing had me jumping to replace my 7 plus. The prices certainly don't help.

[stevew]

Turbo charging is a pretty substantial quality of life upgrade, but yeah, otherwise meh

[Comey]

I am awaiting the LG v40. I admit, this is the first time I considered moving to the iPhone, but three cameras on the back of the v40 has me very intrigued. I love the v5 camera, and the tech that's come since should blow that out of the water.

[Ksyrup]

I need to upgrade my S7 Edge because battery is starting to go and everything runs so slowly now, but I haven't decided what to switch to. I do not use the camera for anything but taking pictures of things at the grocery store to make sure they are what my wife wants, so I don't care about cameras at all. Just needs to have a micro card expansion slot for my music and great screen. Might just end up with another Galaxy if I can hold off long enough for the newest model early next year. Not sure.

[Atocep]

I was a longtime Note owner, but switched to the S7 Edge after the Note 7 battery disaster. I planned on jumping back to the Note with the 9, but it just doesn't seem to be much of an improvement so I'm holding out for the S10+. It looks like the S10 will be the biggest leap in tech Samsung has had in quite some time.

[Ksyrup]

I'll probably just hope my current phone holds up until March.

[Jughead Spock]

Picked up an LG G6 a couple months ago, and not finding much to be envious of. Phones have definitely plateaued a bit. Not sure what the next 'killer' mod will be.

[Edward64]

Good to know!

iPhone XS drop test: This phone would not crack - CNET

I've done my fair share of drop tests in my time at CNET, and I've never come out of one without a broken phone. Until now. The iPhone XS didn't crack.
:
Based on how similar the iPhone XS looks to its predecessor, the iPhone X, I was expecting it to crack on the first drop or two. Clearly, I was wrong.

After four falls from up to 5 feet onto the concrete sidewalk, this iPhone XS came out almost intact. It has a few tiny dents and scrapes on the frame and the side of the camera, but the glass is nearly flawless.

Does that mean that the iPhone XS glass is stronger? That's a tough call to make, given the nature of our tests. But I can tell you it fared significantly better than last year's iPhone X, which ended up with cracks on both sides and tiny pieces of glass falling off the edges after only two drops from hip height.

[MrBug708]

I have an s6 and the battery is pretty much crap now. Also am tired of paying 150 dollars for two lines. Been thinking about cricket wireless for the price, but the 8mbs kind of scare me, even though I don't really stream that much

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I have an s6 and the battery is pretty much crap now. Also am tired of paying 150 dollars for two lines. Been thinking about cricket wireless for the price, but the 8mbs kind of scare me, even though I don't really stream that much

I have T-mobile. Its about $40 per line so somewhat reasonable. I also have like a $10 credit for Netflix so its free for me.

T-mobile is okay in cities but spotty elsewhere. If you travel overseas, can't beat it for the free 2G or 3G and text messaging. Not great but a heck of a lot better than the others for basic use.

[MrBug708]

I've had t mobile before and didn't have a problem. All of the major carriers end up having the 40 dollars per line and then like another 25 per line to actually use the plan with your phone so they all end up around 140 anyways

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I've had t mobile before and didn't have a problem. All of the major carriers end up having the 40 dollars per line and then like another 25 per line to actually use the plan with your phone so they all end up around 140 anyways

Not sure I understand your comment about "$25 per line to actually use the plan". When we had 3 on the family plan, it was straight up $120.

There was not anything extra. Haven't checked recently though.

[Comey]

I bit the bullet...ordered an iPhone XSMax (256GB) and an Apple Watch 4 (44mm sport band). The phone should arrive tomorrow, the watch later this week. I'm looking forward to seeing how it changes the way I use these things, with regards to the watch. My guess is, it will somewhat dramatically.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Comey

I bit the bullet...ordered an iPhone XSMax (256GB) and an Apple Watch 4 (44mm sport band). The phone should arrive tomorrow, the watch later this week. I'm looking forward to seeing how it changes the way I use these things, with regards to the watch. My guess is, it will somewhat dramatically.

I was a little tempted by the Apple Watch but held off because I wanted better battery life. Let us know how it works out for you.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I need to upgrade my S7 Edge because battery is starting to go and everything runs so slowly now, but I haven't decided what to switch to. I do not use the camera for anything but taking pictures of things at the grocery store to make sure they are what my wife wants, so I don't care about cameras at all. Just needs to have a micro card expansion slot for my music and great screen. Might just end up with another Galaxy if I can hold off long enough for the newest model early next year. Not sure.

The next Galaxy is supposed to be quite a decent jump, so it may make sense to wait. I think that's when Samsung is introducing foldable OLED displays (probably won't be in the regular Galaxy 10 though, but you never know). And Samsung is well known for making the best screens.

Google is supposed to release the Pixel3 next month (with the absurd notch on the 3XL).

Samsung is still the only flagship that has a headphone jack though (I find it important still). And I think it's the only flagship that still has a microSD. slot. If you need something really quickly, the Note 9 is supposed to be very good.

[BishopMVP]

I believe Motorola's have headphone jacks too, but maybe I'm a version or two behind. I still really like the Droid Turbo models, though the charging port gets messed up & battery life starts to weaken eventually.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

The next Galaxy is supposed to be quite a decent jump, so it may make sense to wait. I think that's when Samsung is introducing foldable OLED displays (probably won't be in the regular Galaxy 10 though, but you never know). And Samsung is well known for making the best screens.

Google is supposed to release the Pixel3 next month (with the absurd notch on the 3XL).

Samsung is still the only flagship that has a headphone jack though (I find it important still). And I think it's the only flagship that still has a microSD. slot. If you need something really quickly, the Note 9 is supposed to be very good.

The foldable phone was originally supposed to ship as the Galaxy X in January but was pushed back again.

[SackAttack]

My Galaxy S5 is refusing to detect a charge cable tonight and I don't know if something is wrong with the phone or with the cable. Rragh.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

The next Galaxy is supposed to be quite a decent jump, so it may make sense to wait. I think that's when Samsung is introducing foldable OLED displays (probably won't be in the regular Galaxy 10 though, but you never know). And Samsung is well known for making the best screens.

Google is supposed to release the Pixel3 next month (with the absurd notch on the 3XL).

Samsung is still the only flagship that has a headphone jack though (I find it important still). And I think it's the only flagship that still has a microSD. slot. If you need something really quickly, the Note 9 is supposed to be very good.

I'll probably hold off until March (I assume that's the timeframe) for the Galaxy S10. I have no interest in the Note - too big, and I would never use the stylus. The fact that I've kept the same phone for 3 years means Samsung did something right, so I'll probably stick with them.

[Edward64]

This should be pretty cool.

Unless Samsung is trolling us, a folding Galaxy phone is finally coming this week | PCWorld

After four years, dozens of rumors, several patents, and one profile pic change, Samsung appears to finally be on the verge of showing off its first folding Galaxy phone. And man are we ready for it.

Ahead of its annual Developer Conference on Wednesday, Samsung provided the most concrete evidence that it will be showing off its new folding phone this week. Samsung Mobile updated its Facebook and Twitter profile pics with a folding Samsung logo, which can really only mean one thing: at long last, we’re finally going to get a look at Samsung’s vision of the foldable future.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by JAG

Any current thoughts on phones? I have an iphone6 plus that is starting to have touch screen issues (apparently not uncommon). Until then, it held up pretty well over the years without much in the way of problems. I've looked around at options but nothing really seems that appealing at the available price points. For myself, I'm mostly looking for phones with a lot of space (256GB), like Ksyrup I tend to store a decent bit of music on it, as well as pics / videos, but I'd be interested in hearing others' experiences with phones that don't fit that spec too.

To put a bow on this, I ended up getting a used iPhone 8 Plus. I am happy with the purchase. It’s basically the same as the old phone, except more storage space, much better battery life and much more responsive (switching apps, starting up).

[Fidatelo]

My wife went in for a new iPhone last week (XR) and I started asking some questions while we were there. Next thing I knew I was walking out with a Huawei P20 Pro for no extra money at all (locked in for 2 years, though, but realistically I need to stick with this provider anyways). I'm really happy with it, even if it does mean that there is probably someone in China living with my identity now. This world is big enough for two of me! :P

[Ksyrup]

My S7 Edge continues to have performance issues, so I decided to bite the bullet and get an S9+ now and potentially upgrade in about 18 months when you'd expect Samsung to release their 2020 model (S11?) early in the year.

Samsung has a nice deal where the S9+ 64GB is $275 off, so I'm getting it for $639 on AT&T's 24 monthly payment, upgrade-after-12-months plan. That was too good a deal to pass up. I can barely get Google Maps to work on my phone - it takes like 5 minutes to to fire up - and everything else is laggy as hell. If the phone is locked when a call comes in, the phone app won't appear in time for me to answer the call before the rings end.

[Thomkal]

So here I sit with my very first cell phone-an Iphone7 in my hands right now-yep until now didn't really want or felt I needed one. So my friends tell me about all the cool things I can do with it, tips on using it/how to take care of it, and what free apps I need right now. Games too of course.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

So here I sit with my very first cell phone-an Iphone7 in my hands right now-yep until now didn't really want or felt I needed one. So my friends tell me about all the cool things I can do with it, tips on using it/how to take care of it, and what free apps I need right now. Games too of course.

Bumping for those who might have not seen this in their turkey-induced comas Still looking for all this kind of thing, and any tips on how to take photos/post them on Facebook or here would be welcome, thanks.

[Edward64]

My first thought was "didn't know this was a thing" and second thought was "oh yeah". I know MS stock is doing relatively well but I'm struggling to remember any recent innovations from them.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/18/micr...r-android.html

Microsoft says anyone who still uses its Windows 10 mobile platform — once called Windows Phone — should switch over to an iPhone or an Android phone. A change to the Windows 10 Mobile support page was first spotted by Thurrott, a site that covers Microsoft.

Microsoft said that on Dec. 10, 2019, it will stop sending “new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free assisted support options, or technical content updates from Microsoft for free.” In other words, there aren’t going to be any more updates, and only a few phone models will even be supported until that final date.

“With the Windows 10 Mobile OS end of support, we recommend that customers move to a supported Android or iOS device,” Microsoft said. “Microsoft’s mission statement to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, compels us to support our Mobile apps on those platforms and devices.”

[Edward64]

I am intrigued by the folding phone but won't pay an outrageous price to be an early adopter.

With Apple's lower-than-expected sales for its new phones, it will be interesting to see how well this super-premium phone does in Asia (where Samsung is dominant) and the implications.

Think iPhones are expensive? Samsung official says foldable Galaxy phone will cost twice as much – BGR

Samsung is expected to unveil its first ever foldable Galaxy phone soon… for real this time. Samsung will give the phone a proper announcement this time around, and it’ll reveal all the details that it withheld from the press during its developer conference in early November, including an actual release date and pricing. The Galaxy F, or whatever Samsung ends up calling it, will be announced on February 20th, during Samsung’s San Francisco media event. Previous reports already said as much, but a Samsung exec confirmed it to Korean media, tackling the matter of pricing in the process.
:
An unnamed Samsung official who talked to a Korean publication said that “the folder phone will be released at twice the price of a premium phone, so a strong user case is needed” (via Phone Arena). “Premium phone” describes handsets like the Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9, iPhone XS, so we should definitely expect a sky-high price tag.

Apparently, that strong user case means a unique form factor that allows the user to run three apps at the same time on a more prominent display, or turn it into a tablet-sized device ready for entertainment and media consumption.

Previous reports did say the Galaxy F will sell for $1,500 to $2,000, and that’s because the phone will contain a bunch of expensive technology not available on other devices. However, some other regular smartphones might be just as pricey as the Galaxy F. A report a few days ago claimed that the 5G Galaxy S10 would be twice as expensive as the cheapest Galaxy S10 version.

[Subby]

I have an XS Max and it's easily the best phone I have ever owned. Not even close (and I've had 5-6 different iPhone models prior to this). This is the first phone that's actually something I feel like I could hold on to for 2 or 3 years without worrying too much about what's coming out next. The screen size is perfect, the hand size is perfect, and face id is hugely improved from the X. The price is ridiculous, but it's so much more than a phone to me that it makes sense.

[Edward64]

Not sure if foldable phones are a fad but I want one.

Apple better get off their butts, no 5G and no foldable phone this year. With poor Apple sales with prices around $1,000 - $1,500, it will be interesting to see if these new phones, priced far higher, will do well.

Huawei’s Mate X foldable phone is a thinner 5G rival to the Galaxy Fold - The Verge

Samsung’s Galaxy Fold announcement isn’t even a week old yet, and we already have a competitor that is thinner, has a bigger screen, and folds flatter. Say hello to the Huawei Mate X. Launching this very moment at MWC 2019, the Mate X has an 8-inch wraparound OLED display, a folded thickness of a mere 11mm, and a formidable spec sheet highlighted by 5G, a 4,500mAh battery, and Huawei’s in-house Kirin 980 processor.

The single OLED display of the Mate X actually serves triple duty. When the device is folded, you essentially have a dual-screen smartphone, with the second display on the rear allowing you to shoot selfies with the main camera or to share what’s on your primary display with a person on the other side. Open up the Mate X, and you get an almost square (but not quite) tablet that has minimal bezels on three sides.

Prices.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/24/tech/...one/index.html

The price tag for Huawei's foldable 5G-enabled phone, the Mate X, is downright astronomical.

The Chinese phone maker launched its new, foldable device on the eve of the Mobile World Congress, a huge gathering of the mobile industry in Barcelona. The Mate X is set to compete with Samsung's recently announced Galaxy Fold, which is priced at about $1,960 before taxes.
The cheapest version of the Mate X goes for $2,600, including taxes.

[Edward64]

Oh good. Hope it keeps the greedy bastards in-line and discourages $1,000+ pricing on phones.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/05/tech/...nes/index.html

The South Korean technology giant said Friday that it expects operating profit for the first quarter to plunge by 60% compared to the same period year ago.
:
The global market for smartphones shrank more than 4% in 2018 and could contract again this year, according to market research firm IDC.

China, the world's biggest market for the devices, has been particularly weak. Apple (AAPL) stunned global markets in January when it said iPhone sales would come in lower than expected.

A range of factors are hurting the industry, including increasingly saturated markets, consumers replacing their phones less often and frustration over rising prices.

[stevew]

I dunked my iPhone in the toilet. Bought a new iPhone. I have the recovery email and phone number but these bumblefucks are saying 2 weeks til i can reset my iTunes password. Seriously...

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by stevew

I dunked my iPhone in the toilet. Bought a new iPhone. I have the recovery email and phone number but these bumblefucks are saying 2 weeks til i can reset my iTunes password. Seriously...

Rice didn't work?

[BishopMVP]

Shockingly it sounds like the foldable phones are having trouble with displays breaking. It's a cool idea, but I'll let other people be the guinea pigs on that one for the first few iterations.

[stevew]

Yeah the Samsung is a fiasco already.

I can't remember my password. I don't want to keep trying wrong. Having access to my recovery email and phone number and still waiting 2 weeks is insane. Rice didn't do anything. If there was a genius bar nearby I'd be up in there

[stevew]

Who actually asked for foldable phones. Especially at 2500ish.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by stevew

Who actually asked for foldable phones. Especially at 2500ish.

This. To me these things feel like the phone version of 3D TV's.

[Scoobz0202]

Seems like a lot of tech in that while the first iteration looks like something I'd never want, and certainly not at the early adopter price that a lot of new tech costs, but I'm curious where it takes us in the years to come.


I do like the idea in theory of when the phone is folded here is a smaller screen up front to use when on the go, but hey also this phone opens up into a tablet. The first version, though, when folded just looks very unpleasant to use.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

Seems like a lot of tech in that while the first iteration looks like something I'd never want, and certainly not at the early adopter price that a lot of new tech costs, but I'm curious where it takes us in the years to come.


I do like the idea in theory of when the phone is folded here is a smaller screen up front to use when on the go, but hey also this phone opens up into a tablet. The first version, though, when folded just looks very unpleasant to use.

100% agree

I was intrigued by the idea of a folding phone, but the design Samsung showed off didn't impress me at all. I ended up going with the S10+ and even though it's not the massive leap it was hyped to be it's still a significant upgrade of my S7 Edge and I love it.

[CU Tiger]

Im still on my S6 and its been great.
My first Samsung.


Its starting to wear out and needs to be replaced.
Really struggling with what to replace it with.

[Scoobz0202]

I recently got the newer Samsung Galaxy, but got the S10e, and really like it so far. I had an iPhone 6 16gb for the last 4 years that really wore out its welcome. Decided to try Android again.


I like the S10e, though. The cheaper price compared to the S10s was only a small benefit and reason why, though. I don't like the curved edge screen. Don't like the distortion at the edges when doing full screen video and feel it is more likely to break with a fall due to the edged screen. I prefer the slightly "smaller" (smaller in quotes because even small phones are huge these days). The S10e screen is still very large and mostly screen on the front with very small bezels that I like. It has the same cameras as the bigger brothers minus the telescopic lens, but the same widescreen lens and sensors for the regular camera. Same processor. SLIGHTLY smaller battery but still get good battery life. It has the same internals as the bigger brothers except for a select couple things, which is rare when companies gimp their smaller or cheaper models with cheaper internals. I did get the 256gb storage model, though, because that one has the bump in RAM versus the standard 128gb model. I just like have that much storage, though, so I never have to think about storage for the life of the phone. Coming from a 16gb iPhone for 4 years its a breath of fresh air to not have to micro manage my fucking storage.



Honestly, the only things it doesn't have is the higher resolution screen and the under screen fingerprint sensor. It has the capacitive (sp?) fingerprint in the power button, but for an "older" tech finger print sensor it is insanely fast and accurate. I almost prefer it to the newer, less accurate, and potentially more fiddly in screen finger print. It just works.


The screen resolution is noticeable if you go into your providers store and look at them side by side. The regular S10 looks crisper and just overall nicer. But once you are removed from the side by side I have never once thought my S10e's screen was anything but great. It's just a very nice fucking screen. The regular S10 is just a step above "very nice fucking screen."

[stevew]

iPhone XR is really responsive with a great battery life.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

Seems like a lot of tech in that while the first iteration looks like something I'd never want, and certainly not at the early adopter price that a lot of new tech costs, but I'm curious where it takes us in the years to come.

I do like the idea in theory of when the phone is folded here is a smaller screen up front to use when on the go, but hey also this phone opens up into a tablet. The first version, though, when folded just looks very unpleasant to use.

Yup, not good to be early adopter.

Samsung Fold Disaster Adds to 60% Q1 Profit Drop for Nightmare 2019

Following a shock 60 percent drop in profits by Samsung Electronics as reported by FT, woes for the South Korean technology giant continued as the Samsung Galaxy Fold, a $2,000 device released to the market this month, demonstrated serious problems in a scandal that’s been dubbed #peelgate.
:
Bottom line, according to Joanna Stern, a personal technology columnist for The WSJ who reviewed the Galaxy Fold, the device was not ready to be released to the public just yet.

“It was then that I made a call, too: There’s no point in me writing a straightforward review of a product that’s so clearly not ready. I wasn’t going to recommend the phone—but now I’m concerned that it is even coming to market. At the very least, Samsung owes its customers more explanation. Are we beta-testing a prototype here?” asked Stern

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Im still on my S6 and its been great.
My first Samsung.


Its starting to wear out and needs to be replaced.
Really struggling with what to replace it with.

I'd recommend looking at the S9. There are some great deals now that the S10 is out. And the S10 doesn't offer enough more to justify that price.

I bought an S9 last fall and it's been great. My only regret is not getting the plus sized version. If you've got bigger hands, the bigger screens help a lot with texting.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by stevew

Who actually asked for foldable phones. Especially at 2500ish.

Price is insane but I do think they'd be cool to use. My issue with phones are the big ones are a pain to lug around in your pockets while the small ones are a pain in the ass to use. This would solve both the problems.

But this feels like a technology that's going to take a few more years to smooth out and get the price down.