What phone should I get?

[MadMojoMonkey]

I haven't carried a phone for quite a while, but I kinda need one for various reasons.

I don't have a current plan, so totally open to any options.


What's worth looking for in a phone these days?

[boost]

I really like my iPhone SE. Not crazy tablet sized like the 6 and 7, but it has the same guts as the 6. Haven't looked into androids since getting my first iPhone years back. Back then the build quality of even the best androids just wasn't up to par, and I've really come to dig the Apple simplicity when it comes to a phone.

As for a carrier, check out r/nocontract. I've just switched off of a major carrier after doing some reading there, and it looks like my bill will be cut in half or better. YMMV, but it seems like the hive mind agrees that buying your phone outright and getting service through a carrier that uses one of the major carriers networks (boost for example is the AT&T network, I beleive) is the way to go.

[OngBonga]

What I want in a phone is to be able to make phone calls and send text messages. I find my galaxy is somewhat overkill, I kind of hanker after the days where I had a brick of a Nokia. I miss snake.

[MadMojoMonkey]

I am not a fan of MacOS. Is this a thing that translates to iPhone?

I have given up on the dream of a phone that is only used for calls.

I'll end up using it for apps and other time-wasting nonsense, I'm sure. It'll be nice to have a camera on hand for a lot of things in my job.

I guess I have a question about optimal size. I'm not trying to carry a tablet in my pocket, but I don't want something tiny, either. What's a good size for a phone?

[boost]

Hopefully others will chime in so you can get some varied input, but, until then..

Anytime I hop on a friends apple computer I hate the universe. It's "so simple and intuitive" to the point that if you want to do anything it's complicated and nonsensical. Probably, if I spent a week using a mac, I'd get over this, but that's besides the point-- as it stands I hate macOS. With that being said, I love iOS. It generally just works, the use of the single main button is actually really intuitive. The camera on the SE and beyond is legit. But, yeah, just go check some iPhones out at a mac store.

As for size, that's another reason I went with the iPhone again. There just isn't much in the size range of the SE that is comparable. Even the standard size 6 is a small tablet-- but some people love it, so again go check them out at the apple store. Remember that you'll have to put this thing in and pull it out of your pocket though. I have a desktop with dual monitors, I have a laptop, and I have a phone. I suppose if you only were going to have one of these three, a tablet sized phone makes sense.

[oskar]

A couple of years ago I switched from a data plan to a data sim card in my smartphone that gave me 10mb for free a day which is really all the data I need and got a $20 nokia with a pre paid card for phone calls. That cut my phone bills by ~85%. Earlier this year I lost my smartphone and I haven't felt the need to replace it yet. Most of the use it got was as an mp3 player and for gps. Neither of which I really need. Unless they come out with a smartphone that I don't need to charge every day I'm super happy with my drug dealer style Nokia. Also since I've replaced the android phone with a kindle I'm doing a lot more reading, so that works.
I dunno about the situation in other countries but I have zero issues with my shitty budget carrier.

My issue with smart phones is that while they can do a lot of stuff I want them to do, but they do none of that stuff nearly as good as the standalone alternative. I'd like a competent metronome app... doesn't exist yet to my knowledge. I'd like to either have a line-in or a thing that adds a proper phantom powered mic pre for recording - there are options but they all suck. I think the iphone stuff has come a long way, but that's not a platform I'm willing to invest in.

[MadMojoMonkey]

What I want in a phone is to be able to make phone calls and send text messages. I find my galaxy is somewhat overkill, I kind of hanker after the days where I had a brick of a Nokia. I miss snake.

You played snake on a phone?

You damn kids don't know how good you got it.

Back in my day, we had to play snake on a PC! With a keyboard! None of that fancy touch-screen nonsense!

***
1 vote iPhone SE
1 vote Nokia brick from the 90's
1 vote Nokia $20 drug-dealer special


I must admit this is not going the way I expected.

[BankItDrew]

I have an iPhone 6 and love it. I used to have a blackberry but would never go back.

[oskar]

I know it was dead on arrival, but if I got a smartphone now it would probably be running the Ubuntu phone OS. Because I'd really like my smartphone to have the type of functionality a PC had in 1985... like ftp, a file browser and the ability to plug a keyboard and a screen into it.

At least I'd make damn sure that I have the option to replace the stock OS if I want to or when the manufacturer decides it's time to gimp their previous product line through updates.

[CoccoBill]

You basically need to choose 3 things:

1. Ecosystem, iOS or Android. Sounds like you don't care, so get Android (cheaper and more options)
2. Size, which seems like you want something pocketable, I'd still opt for a min. 720p and preferably 1080p display
3. Performance, as in how many cpu cores, how much memory, seems like a non-issue. You'll want at least 4 cores and a gig of ram or you might start pulling your hair out.

So, here's a couple options

http://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3...Sversions=2600

[BankItDrew]

I've had an iphone for many years and won't switch for many years I bet.

That being said, I'd actually recommend Samsung. Weird?

[wufwugy]

If you don't intend to do much of anything with apps, windows OS is good. I got the Lumia 735 because I have no desire to put up with operating system bullshit that everybody says comes more from the others. My next one will be an android though, because apps.

Very surprised to hear people here talking up iphones. I would have thought you guys are android all the way. The word is that if you ever like going "out of bounds" android is good, but if you like being confined to what the company wants then iphone is good. Example, a friend had an iphone but couldn't play emulated retro games. So he got an android, which does that easily.

[OngBonga]

I have an Android because my Mother got it me for Christmas.

I can make calls and send texts. I can also take shitty photos, like my avatar.

[oskar]

The two latest interactions I've had with apple were: loading some songs onto my moms ipod because iTunes kept crashing for her on Windows 10 and when I plugged it in at home it auto synchronized my entire library which consists of stuff I bought 5 years ago when I had an iphone which wasn't even on my pc at the time. I spent about 60 seconds trying to figure out how to delete it, and then just decided that that was not a me-problem.
Second was: friend of my mom spilled wine over his macbook pro. 2 hours work + $50 in replacement parts fixed it. The apple repair shop quoted him $1200 for this.
No, I would not recommend any apple products.

[OngBonga]

I recommend actual apples, especially fermented.

[oskar]

[aubreymcfate]

if you care about the camera, the samsung galaxy has the most impressive phone camera i have ever seen. i think androids in general take much better pictures than the iphone. it's kind of amazing how shitty the iphone pictures are given how ~top tier~ apple supposedly is. the difference is not subtle at all.

[OngBonga]

This lasted around ten seconds.

[oskar]

You are one uncultured plebian.

[OngBonga]

It started off ok, I thought it was going to be some nice spanner out electronica. Then he starting hip-hopping like a twat.

[MadMojoMonkey]

WTF?!

P-Flax? Is there more than 1 P-Flax? No?

This is the P-flax I know about, then?
... yeah ...
def him at the end where he's more talking than singing.

He is a funny and entertaining guy, but I no play DOTA, so I only ever see him when he's guesting on Yogscast videos.

***
What phone is he recommending, though? Is there a cider phone?

[MadMojoMonkey]

This lasted around ten seconds.

The chorus is "I got a pool full of cider and I dive in."

And is written by a UK gamer.

I bet there's more in there you'd like than you originally thought.

[MadMojoMonkey]

if you care about the camera, the samsung galaxy has the most impressive phone camera i have ever seen. i think androids in general take much better pictures than the iphone. it's kind of amazing how shitty the iphone pictures are given how ~top tier~ apple supposedly is. the difference is not subtle at all.

I'm sure I'll care about it once I start using it.

There are a lot of times at work when I just wanted to take a quick snapshot of something or a short video that I could slow-mo. One of my students could do this, and I was impressed with the immediate results.

[MadMojoMonkey]

OK, so def. not going with an iPhone. The comments have reminded me of the many things I dislike about Apple, but which I generally put out of my mind because I can't change them. Except this time I can actively choose to not get an Apple product.

So Android seems like the choice for me, and that list of 15 phones by cocobill is daunting, but I can dig through it.

I need to figure out what size will be best for me.

[OngBonga]

The chorus is "I got a pool full of cider and I dive in."

And is written by a UK gamer.

I bet there's more in there you'd like than you originally thought.

Yeah but sadly it's unlistenable. It could me the most amazing profound lyrics in the world, hell it could be a song that literally unifies all the fundamental forces, and I'd still turn it off after ten seconds, because it's shit.

[MadMojoMonkey]

It could me the most amazing profound lyrics in the world, hell it could be a song that literally unifies all the fundamental forces...

Rest assured, it's none of those things. Just a silly rap from a gamer who loves him some cider.

[oskar]

I've been trying to get my band into hip hop to no avail. That won't stop my from trying to convert Ong...
let's try these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQjd6OimTjI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bScyew9x8ns

[aubreymcfate]

to be fair, what Oskar just posted is way better than his original post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR0AfZoWVFk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RrdU6oE9Ig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NySMsMPS9yk

Oskar, do you like E-40?

[OngBonga]

That first one is shit for Shadow. He's done tons of great stuff, but that isn't up there.

This Mos Def tune is ok. Probably because it's instrumental. I like a lot of instrumental hip-hop.

I like some rapping, too. Some. Here you go, just to show you that I'm not a hater...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKibXhFqPjA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZhMoOo4aJY

[OngBonga]

Oh look here's Aubrey, and she's posting Krush.

Good stuff.

[OngBonga]

Second Krush tune is a bit pants. That'll be because it's Mos Def rapping instead of Krush.

Fuck N-Big. Fuck him in the ear.

[aubreymcfate]

I rekindled my love for him recently.. What a master of sound, goddamn.

Mashin' on the Motorway is one of my favorite Shadow songs! I was almost going to post it.

[OngBonga]

This is how all threads should get derailed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wTcCdrYKNM

This is hip-hop at its finest.

[OngBonga]

I rekindled my love for him recently.. What a master of sound, goddamn.

Mashin' on the Motorway is one of my favorite Shadow songs! I was almost going to post it.

My second favourite, second to the monster I just posted.

[aubreymcfate]

Second Krush tune is a bit pants. That'll be because it's Mos Def rapping instead of Krush.

Fuck N-Big. Fuck him in the ear.

lol N-big.

dude I learned recently that Hypnotize samples Herb Alpert??? Literally like the whitest shit you can imagine hearing, but it's still totally recognizable. fucking hilarious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh69jCCj-qM

[OngBonga]

Entroducing by DJ Shadow was the first album made entirely of samples.

So along came a band and performed the album live, entirely with actual instruments. Awesome...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VwgI4zQT_8

[OngBonga]

lol N-big.

Glad that subtle racism didn't go unnoticed!

[oskar]

Oskar, do you like E-40?

Never heard of E-40. I'll check him out. If he's half as smooth as WD-40 I'm...
I'll be... down with the flow.

I've been playing drunk Undertale all night.
Which is just the greatest.
I highly recommend playing Undertale drunk to anyone who... doesn't have a history of substance abuse, I guess. Otherwise just play it sober.

[aubreymcfate]

Never heard of E-40. I'll check him out. If he's half as smooth as WD-40 I'm...
I'll be... down with the flow.

I've been playing drunk Undertale all night.
Which is just the greatest.
I highly recommend playing Undertale drunk to anyone who... doesn't have a history of substance abuse, I guess. Otherwise just play it sober.

I'm not super familiar with him but a friend showed me him recently and he is really fun and hilarious. Check out this music video, cracks me up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnnYRe5IwQ4

[bigred]

I recommend getting the Note 7. I hear it's on fire!

Every flight and other mode I've had in Asia thus far has had signs banning the devices. Oops, Samsung.