smartphone clueless...which one 4 me?

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philfromMPC

n00b
Joined
May 19, 2015
Messages
25
Hi all,
I've been using a Nokia 521 for the past 2 years. I have it running WP8.1. I am pretty happy with it because my needs are very simple, at least for now. It seems the 521 is getting old with random reboots, crashing apps especially the browser and podcasts. I can put up with most issues, but I'm thinking about getting a new phone. As long as it has good manufacturing quality and reliability, I am fine.

Things I would like:
  • Good battery
  • SD card slot
  • international capability i.e. USA mainly but also India
  • Not so big to hold or put in pocket
  • prefer ability to work offline rather than depending on cloud
  • should last me a while; I don't keep up with the latest tech as long as what I have works

The things I don't really care for are playing games (only simple things, if I feel like it) and I don't take many pics. I'm not an audiophile and don't run a ton of apps or care for the latest apps. I like my Nokia because I got access to One Note, Office, and Here Maps (offline is awesome). I have about 12 gb in podcasts (don't listen to music) on my SD card; I think it's time to backup and delete the old ones.

I want to put the budget between $200-300, but I would rather not like to go to the $300 end.

Let me know if you need to know anything else. Thanks
 
Look at unlocked GSM 1st gen Moto G LTE 8GB internal+SD card slot or 16GB internal without SD card slot.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K0NRZSW

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Moto-Unlocked-16GB-Black/dp/B00H0MGCDK

There's a US and international version. Just find out what bands your carriers use and choose appropriately.

Another option is wait to see the 3rd gen Moto G and hope it's as good as 1st gen and better than 2nd gen. 2nd gen was a downgrade.

These run Android but support all your mentioned apps and have a better app selection.
 
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Ok, that's a start.Thanks mi7chy. I was looking at the 1+1 and the Alcatel Idol 3. Any opinions on those?

Also, I know that I probably can't get a phone that will meet all my requirements so I'm ok with making some compromises.
 
Another thing I would really like aside from good battery life is a stable OS. I know they're all Android with some changes but I would like the software to work well with the hardware. Why spend money on fancy hardware if the software and UI makes it hard to use?

So far, I have looked at 1+1, Alcatel Idol 3, Asus Zenfone 2 (cheaper one), HTC M8. I think some might be over budget. The 1+1 for $250 sucks for me because it's 16gb internal without an SD slot. And all these feel big; I held my friends 1+1 and the 5 inch size might take getting used to. I looked at the HTC M8 mini and like the size but too expensive.
 
Alcatel supposedly offers the idol3 in 4.7" too but the one on Amazon is 5.5". You can try contacting Alcatel to see when they plan to make the 4.7" available, otherwise, I think once you get used to 5.5" you'll like it. It's kind of like practicality of ultrabook size vs portability of tiny netbook.

The UI differences between manufacturers is really much about nothing. Think of it as a theme over the same OS. As long as you have good hardware, like the ones mentioned above, you won't have any issues with stability but Motorola has a longer track record for OS updates.

Update: Alcatel support says the 4.7" idol3 is coming to the US but they don't have an official date nailed down.
 
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BTW, op, not that I have more suggestions for you, but mi7chy's aka TTL's comments should never be taken seriously on this board. That said a Moto G or a Moto X might be good androids that you might be looking for within budget. And I don't know if you're interested in used phones, but that would open up the market for you.
 
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TheMadHatterXxX said:
^ LOL ... also if you can wait for the One Plus Two release in July...
Click to expand...

That may be when they're released to a couple dozen online marketers, but how long before us plebs are graced with the opportunity to purchase one?
 
LOL. Someone didn't get cookie and milk this morning.

Used phone? Gross like used toilet paper.
 
Suppose I up the budget to $350, what can I get?

The more I look at the 1+1, I don't like. The specs are great but not so sure about quality, durability, longevity.
 
mi7chy said:
Used phone? Gross like used toilet paper.
Click to expand...

You wipe your ass with your phone..? Lol

Never heard of a disinfectant or a case either? Or are you one of those OCD germaphobe people or something? Half the things you touch everyday were probably touched by people with cootie hands after fondling themselves or sneezing into their hands. ;)

But srsly..I'm sure the plagues spread through Swappa are rampant. :rolleyes:

Ok, I'm done now, lol.

OP, go on Swappa and just look at phones in your price range that meet your criteria, then research accordingly to ensure you'll like it. A good start in your price range would be the LG G3 or One M8 (which I've had for a year now and still love).
 
philfromMPC said:
Suppose I up the budget to $350, what can I get?

The more I look at the 1+1, I don't like. The specs are great but not so sure about quality, durability, longevity.
Click to expand...

For $350 you can get a new Moto X 2nd gen 32GB after $50 rebate or wait to see 3rd gen. Only thing is it doesn't have SD card slot but the quality, durability, longevity and OS support are there.

http://www.motorola.com/us/motorola-shop-all-sale.html

https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/prod_answer_detail/a_id/97692
 
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