@Targaryen Same. Google gave me over 60% of what I gave for my 3 two years before in trade towards the 4a 5g, so I couldn’t pass it up. Loving everything except the lack of wireless charging so far.
@ybmuG sounds like my work phone situation. I just got an upgrade a few months back. It was an iPhone 7, I think it was released five or six years ago. In my case though it is just a work phone so I use it for call and text/email messages and not much else.
Believe it or not I had a flip phone for work until about four years ago.
If it still works well and meets your needs maybe wait to trade up until more of them are the newest wireless standard compatible (what is that 6g?) so you have more choice, the price comes down, and that level of service is available in more areas?
If it works well, not sure you need to be talked into upgrading. The usual cases requiring an upgrade are battery suckage, not enough storage, or so far beyond EOL you can’t install some app you need.
Oh, or a screen that shreds your fingertips from cracks.
If you’re looking for the most bang for the buck, my TCL 10L is the best phone in it’s price range. A lot less accessory options, but I’m too cheap for those anyway.
I loved my HTC phones. I had the Aria and then the One (M7, I think) I went with the pixel 3 and it’s probably as close to the HTC as I could get. I’ll probably eventually upgrade to the newest pixel when I need to. Currently it works fast enough for me and the battery is fine.
I had a galaxy in between and I wasn’t a fan of all the bloatware.
A lot of people that worked for HTC jumped ship to Google… And HTC used to make some of the Google phones. Probably why I like the pixel.
@RiotDemon@Thumperchick All depends on how much data you actually use. If you are on wifi at home and work, data use could be really low. fi is $20 for calls and text, plus $10 per GB, or actually $0.01 per 10 MB and they stop charging at 6 GB.
My last bill is $27.84, plus taxes and fees and a device payment.
Adding a second phone is $15/month, hotspot data or adding a data sim is no extra charge.
@RiotDemon@Thumperchick With paying for what you actually use on data, it also can encourage you to change habits. Like wait to watch a video until on wifi for example.
@kevinrs@Thumperchick another plus if you get a pixel from Google Fi it will actually switch between three different networks. I switch between T-Mobile and Sprint and some other one I rarely ever use. So I get whatever network is best. I also get call screening so I never have to talk to anybody about spam anymore.
Here’s a referral code to get a $20 credit when you join Google Fi! Redeem it at https://g.co/fi/r/3M8K27
@mycya4me
I thought I’d hold the record for oldest iPhone with the 7s but you win. When Verizon stopped offering free upgrades with new contracts I stopped getting new phones. I would like a new one though bc of the camera. I take a lot of pictures and my camera sucks ass compared to new phones, I just don’t like how big they are. But if I’m gonna get a new one it’s gonna be the new-new one.
@Star2236 The only reason I now have a iPhone 6s is that a good friend gave it to me since my 6 took a dump. That is a year ago. He said that he had to upgrade so he gave it to me. When you have been friends as long as we have been you just don’t say NO. you don’t want to insult him. Yes when I do upgrade it will either a 12 or 13?? FYI all the rest of my Apple products are also either Refreb or preowned. The only thing I don’t have they make is the earpods …
@mycya4me I just switched from an Essential PH-1 to a new iPhone SE. Do I miss the larger edge to edge screen? Surprisingly, I don’t. Getting updates is a big thing for me, so when the PH-1 stopped getting them, I started keeping my eye open for something else. I narrowed it down to a Pixel 4a or the iPhone SE, and went with the iPhone because Costco had a good deal on them around the holidays. Plus, my airpods work much, much better with the iPhone.
currently using a Samsung S7 that was a re-furb from Office Depot (had a bunch of recycling credits so it was almost free…) Not the fastest phone in the room, but I would generally rather use a computer and full sized screen/keyboard anyway. Does what I need: makes phone calls and can send/receive texts.
I loved HTC phones. I had three of them before moving over to Samsung galaxy S9. The last one, the M9 was only keeping a charge for about 15 minutes so I was getting tired of staying leashed to a charger constantly. The only reason I switched to Samsung was that carriers around here were not stocking HTC any longer.
Stil running Nokia 6.1 (HMD owns the brand). It’s a Android One phone, so it just got the Jan 2021 update and is running Android 10. No complaints or issues at all.
Would buy again and recommend. Has 2 sim slots, and a microSD slot for more memory. Fingerprint reader for unlocking.
I can only assume the newer models have gotten even better, specs wise. e.g. camera, CPU, 5G, etc.
Has a headphone jack and BT and FM radio. It can be a hotspot, but my carrier doesn’t enable it. For wifi calling, GVoice does the trick. No bloatware either.
/image nokia 6.1
@f00l They are all Android One, afaik. It was a commitment from HMD to launch the brand.
The newer models have more lenses and I think Zeiss optics. They are named 3.x, 6.x, 7.x, 8.x, 9.x, with the higher number indicating more features and size, towards bigger, higher-end models. The .x is a generation number. e.g. the 6.2 is the second generation of the 6.1. The Nokia 9 PureView is the current flagship model. The Nokia 10 will launch this year.
Thx. I have a Samsung s9 and a moto 6 that are fine for the present.
But I’m done w samsung after this. (bloatware and limits on OS upgrades). Tho Samsungs do have stellar hardware)
I don’t like the pixel’s lack of a microsd slot. And the two pixel 1’s I had were overpriced and had underperforming processors and batteries.
(I think the “a” series is better on price, and they’ve prob solved the hardware issues, but still no expanding storage capacity; this lowers my interest in the pixel line).
And I think the entire “famous manufacturer top of market flagship cell universe” is overpriced by 100’s of % at launch.
When I decide to upgrade, I wanna know what I’m shopping for. Then prob off to swappa or similar.
The nokia android one products sound perfect.
I don’t care about fancy cameras etc. To me, cell phones are handheld computers that also happen to make calls.
(I’ve never bothered to learn to use a phone camera beyond cropped snapshots.)
It’s a pity that the os and app makers see them as devices for stealing/sucking personal info from the user, and that locking them down (even as much as a normal user could manage) is such a pain, and we don’t really even know the depth of stuff the corporate data thieves are getting.
@f00l Yes, look for USB “Go” drives. They’re your basic FAT32 thumb drives. Sandisk makes a Dual Drive Go USB Type-C. You might need a USB-C-to-Micro-USB converter if you’re using both Apple and Android phones with a PC. Those Sandisk drives have both a USB-A connector for the PC and a USB-C connector in a “flip/pivoting cover” form factor.
The limitation of FAT32 is a max file size of 4GB. If you need exFAT or other formats, there is a Paragon Software driver app for Android that works with a free file explorer. The Paragon driver is not free, though. $10 and you get exFAT, extFS, HPFS, and NTFS support on your Go drives.
You’ll only need the Paragon driver if you actually have files bigger than 4GB, which you probably never do. I only mention it if you’re like me and just format every thumb drive with exFAT so they’re all the same and won’t have the file size limit, no matter which one I grab. I keep ISOs and backups on mine, so it was easy enough to add to my phone. YMMV, but since exFAT used to require licensing from Microsoft, few to none Android or Apple device OEMs did. The use case just isn’t popular enough to make business sense.
My favorite was my HTC Evo with the build-in kickstand, but it didn’t have room for much in the phone and I had to keep uninstalling apps. Since then I’ve had most of the Samsung Galaxy phones from the S2 to my current S10. The bloatware drives me crazy, which I minimized a little by getting an unlocked phone. I was considering switching to a Pixel or OnePlus model for my next phone, but apparently the new Galaxy S21 comes in purple, so I may have to rethink my decision. However, the S21 got rid of the external memory card, which may negate the purple.
I got a Pixel 4a which pretty nice, and it’s not too expensive either.
@Targaryen Same. Google gave me over 60% of what I gave for my 3 two years before in trade towards the 4a 5g, so I couldn’t pass it up. Loving everything except the lack of wireless charging so far.
I will not be of much help, still rocking a Galaxy S9+
@tinamarie1974 my Note 4 just died and I’m now using my son’s old Galaxy 5S. Some times I feel like I’m riding a tricycle on the highway.
@ybmuG sounds like my work phone situation. I just got an upgrade a few months back. It was an iPhone 7, I think it was released five or six years ago. In my case though it is just a work phone so I use it for call and text/email messages and not much else.
Believe it or not I had a flip phone for work until about four years ago.
@tinamarie1974 i had a flip phone for my personal phone until about then as well. Still have it, just not in service
If it still works well and meets your needs maybe wait to trade up until more of them are the newest wireless standard compatible (what is that 6g?) so you have more choice, the price comes down, and that level of service is available in more areas?
If it works well, not sure you need to be talked into upgrading. The usual cases requiring an upgrade are battery suckage, not enough storage, or so far beyond EOL you can’t install some app you need.
Oh, or a screen that shreds your fingertips from cracks.
@djslack shh. Keep your frugal logic away from my fun.
If you’re looking for the most bang for the buck, my TCL 10L is the best phone in it’s price range. A lot less accessory options, but I’m too cheap for those anyway.
@DoctorOW what do you like best about it?
I loved my HTC phones. I had the Aria and then the One (M7, I think) I went with the pixel 3 and it’s probably as close to the HTC as I could get. I’ll probably eventually upgrade to the newest pixel when I need to. Currently it works fast enough for me and the battery is fine.
I had a galaxy in between and I wasn’t a fan of all the bloatware.
A lot of people that worked for HTC jumped ship to Google… And HTC used to make some of the Google phones. Probably why I like the pixel.
@RiotDemon It looks like you’re right. Google bought HTC mostly for their design team. I think the Pixel might be the new frontrunner for me.
@Thumperchick ah I didn’t realize they actually bought part of the team. Makes sense.
If you end up switching to Google Fi you can use my sweet referral code
@RiotDemon Looks like Google Fi would cost more than my current unlimited plan (which also includes HBO).
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@RiotDemon @Thumperchick All depends on how much data you actually use. If you are on wifi at home and work, data use could be really low. fi is $20 for calls and text, plus $10 per GB, or actually $0.01 per 10 MB and they stop charging at 6 GB.
My last bill is $27.84, plus taxes and fees and a device payment.
Adding a second phone is $15/month, hotspot data or adding a data sim is no extra charge.
@kevinrs @RiotDemon You 2 are talking me into Google Fi. It looks like we might be able to save $10 - $20 a month, including paying for HBO max…
@RiotDemon @Thumperchick With paying for what you actually use on data, it also can encourage you to change habits. Like wait to watch a video until on wifi for example.
@kevinrs @Thumperchick another plus if you get a pixel from Google Fi it will actually switch between three different networks. I switch between T-Mobile and Sprint and some other one I rarely ever use. So I get whatever network is best. I also get call screening so I never have to talk to anybody about spam anymore.
Here’s a referral code to get a $20 credit when you join Google Fi! Redeem it at https://g.co/fi/r/3M8K27
Code is 3M8K27
@RiotDemon Thanks for the referral code.
Why do you want a new phone? If it does everything you want it to do wait until it doesn’t. Why spend money needlessly.
I am still using a iPhone 6s. It still receives the O/S update. It still works good. I also have better things to spend my hard earned money on!
@mycya4me I just love the small form factor of my iPhone SE. I’ll probably pick up a refurb iPhone 12 Mini in 2-3 years.
@mycya4me
I thought I’d hold the record for oldest iPhone with the 7s but you win. When Verizon stopped offering free upgrades with new contracts I stopped getting new phones. I would like a new one though bc of the camera. I take a lot of pictures and my camera sucks ass compared to new phones, I just don’t like how big they are. But if I’m gonna get a new one it’s gonna be the new-new one.
@Star2236 The only reason I now have a iPhone 6s is that a good friend gave it to me since my 6 took a dump. That is a year ago. He said that he had to upgrade so he gave it to me. When you have been friends as long as we have been you just don’t say NO. you don’t want to insult him. Yes when I do upgrade it will either a 12 or 13?? FYI all the rest of my Apple products are also either Refreb or preowned. The only thing I don’t have they make is the earpods …
@mycya4me
All my stuff is preowned too, I’m not gonna say no to a free iPad
@mycya4me I just switched from an Essential PH-1 to a new iPhone SE. Do I miss the larger edge to edge screen? Surprisingly, I don’t. Getting updates is a big thing for me, so when the PH-1 stopped getting them, I started keeping my eye open for something else. I narrowed it down to a Pixel 4a or the iPhone SE, and went with the iPhone because Costco had a good deal on them around the holidays. Plus, my airpods work much, much better with the iPhone.
currently using a Samsung S7 that was a re-furb from Office Depot (had a bunch of recycling credits so it was almost free…) Not the fastest phone in the room, but I would generally rather use a computer and full sized screen/keyboard anyway. Does what I need: makes phone calls and can send/receive texts.
The Oneplus8. Even the models that are a year or 2 old blow everything else away.
@zinimusprime I second, +1 for oneplus 8. (i^2 +141+8)
I loved HTC phones. I had three of them before moving over to Samsung galaxy S9. The last one, the M9 was only keeping a charge for about 15 minutes so I was getting tired of staying leashed to a charger constantly. The only reason I switched to Samsung was that carriers around here were not stocking HTC any longer.
/image motog first gen
it’s 5 years old, battery going out
@cattylaq Nice! I’m still on my Moto X 1st Gen, same battery problem.
@cattylaq I had one of those. It served me well.
Stil running Nokia 6.1 (HMD owns the brand). It’s a Android One phone, so it just got the Jan 2021 update and is running Android 10. No complaints or issues at all.
Would buy again and recommend. Has 2 sim slots, and a microSD slot for more memory. Fingerprint reader for unlocking.
I can only assume the newer models have gotten even better, specs wise. e.g. camera, CPU, 5G, etc.
Has a headphone jack and BT and FM radio. It can be a hotspot, but my carrier doesn’t enable it. For wifi calling, GVoice does the trick. No bloatware either.
/image nokia 6.1
@mike808
What are the newer nokia android one models?
Is there a model # pattern that indicates a Nokia Android one product line?
@f00l They are all Android One, afaik. It was a commitment from HMD to launch the brand.
The newer models have more lenses and I think Zeiss optics. They are named 3.x, 6.x, 7.x, 8.x, 9.x, with the higher number indicating more features and size, towards bigger, higher-end models. The .x is a generation number. e.g. the 6.2 is the second generation of the 6.1. The Nokia 9 PureView is the current flagship model. The Nokia 10 will launch this year.
IMO, there are great choices at all points in the size, features, and budget spectrum.
See here for a quick comparison.
https://www.techradar.com/news/best-nokia-phones-2019-finding-the-best-nokia-smartphone-for-you
@mike808
Thx. I have a Samsung s9 and a moto 6 that are fine for the present.
But I’m done w samsung after this. (bloatware and limits on OS upgrades). Tho Samsungs do have stellar hardware)
I don’t like the pixel’s lack of a microsd slot. And the two pixel 1’s I had were overpriced and had underperforming processors and batteries.
(I think the “a” series is better on price, and they’ve prob solved the hardware issues, but still no expanding storage capacity; this lowers my interest in the pixel line).
And I think the entire “famous manufacturer top of market flagship cell universe” is overpriced by 100’s of % at launch.
When I decide to upgrade, I wanna know what I’m shopping for. Then prob off to swappa or similar.
The nokia android one products sound perfect.
I don’t care about fancy cameras etc. To me, cell phones are handheld computers that also happen to make calls.
(I’ve never bothered to learn to use a phone camera beyond cropped snapshots.)
It’s a pity that the os and app makers see them as devices for stealing/sucking personal info from the user, and that locking them down (even as much as a normal user could manage) is such a pain, and we don’t really even know the depth of stuff the corporate data thieves are getting.
Is there any form of external storage that works well portably w both iphone and w android?
@f00l Yes, look for USB “Go” drives. They’re your basic FAT32 thumb drives. Sandisk makes a Dual Drive Go USB Type-C. You might need a USB-C-to-Micro-USB converter if you’re using both Apple and Android phones with a PC. Those Sandisk drives have both a USB-A connector for the PC and a USB-C connector in a “flip/pivoting cover” form factor.
The limitation of FAT32 is a max file size of 4GB. If you need exFAT or other formats, there is a Paragon Software driver app for Android that works with a free file explorer. The Paragon driver is not free, though. $10 and you get exFAT, extFS, HPFS, and NTFS support on your Go drives.
@f00l You could get something like this, but not necessarily this particular model:
https://www.amazon.com/256GB-iPhone-Memory-Android-Computer/dp/B08H8341WL
I have similar ones that just work with Android and they are rather handy to transfer photos, files and stuff.
@mike808 @heartny
Ok thx.
I just need a means to carry stuff (mostly media) to use on whatever device.
Mostly android. Maybe some stray ios usage.
Trying to eliminate the need to always have to go to a laptop or whatever for frequently used stuff.
@f00l @heartny
Get the Sandisk and a C-to-Micro adapter.
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16820173464
/image sandisk ultra dual drive go usb Type-C
You’ll only need the Paragon driver if you actually have files bigger than 4GB, which you probably never do. I only mention it if you’re like me and just format every thumb drive with exFAT so they’re all the same and won’t have the file size limit, no matter which one I grab. I keep ISOs and backups on mine, so it was easy enough to add to my phone. YMMV, but since exFAT used to require licensing from Microsoft, few to none Android or Apple device OEMs did. The use case just isn’t popular enough to make business sense.
@heartny @mike808
I’m not keeping ripped ultra hd films on my pocket for phone-centric watching. : )
I imagine I can live within the file size limits of conventional formatting for this use.
@f00l Then you’ll be fine using them out-of-the box. You won’t regret it. Until the 4TB models are under $20. LOL.
My favorite was my HTC Evo with the build-in kickstand, but it didn’t have room for much in the phone and I had to keep uninstalling apps. Since then I’ve had most of the Samsung Galaxy phones from the S2 to my current S10. The bloatware drives me crazy, which I minimized a little by getting an unlocked phone. I was considering switching to a Pixel or OnePlus model for my next phone, but apparently the new Galaxy S21 comes in purple, so I may have to rethink my decision. However, the S21 got rid of the external memory card, which may negate the purple.
Here’s the new budget Nokia 5.4. Looks to be sub-$200. It’s a no for me because no 5ghz 802.11ac WiFi. Just b/g/n.
It is AndroidOne with 10 out the box.
A good in-depth review over at nokiamob.net.