Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Ben on July 07, 2018, 07:47:00 PM
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Yes, I've started another smart phone thread. So a while back I (had) decided I wasn't buying a damn $900 phone. I had asked about the Kyocera Duraforce as an option (I wanted Ben-proof). Upon more research, it just didn't get good enough reviews for me to want to try it.
Now I'm back to thinking I want flagship features, but I still don't want to pay the regular flagship price. I read recently that the Samsung S9s are not selling nearly as well as Samsung would like. Whether not enough features over the 8, or price, or some combination, I read that they are starting to be discounted.
Only, the discounts I'm seeing always seem to be around a rebate (only worthwhile if you have the previous generation phone where you can get the $300) or "buy one, get a second S9 free" deals. I don't want two of them. I have yet to see even 25% off on a single S9.
Which brings me to the reason for the post: Does anyone know of any sites that work like camelcamelcamel except setup to monitor smart phone deals? I'd like to do something like that, and whenever some sale pops up, now or in a half year, maybe take advantage of that and just get the damn S9.
There are times I wish Verizon was still doing the old contracts. I keep staying with them anyway, so I'd almost be happy just doing a two year contract again to get a phone for half price.
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I bought an iPhone SE. Best thing I have ever used.
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We went from the iPhone 6s to the LG X Charge (Android) and are quite happy! Cost? $7.50/mo for a few years. I can live with that.
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You may wanna check Verizon again. I recently upgraded to an S9 and it was $200 off As a rebate and I also am paying for it over the 24 month term of the contract. I love to my S4 but this S9 is head and shoulders above the S4.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
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You may wanna check Verizon again. I recently upgraded to an S9 and it was $200 off As a rebate and I also am paying for it over the 24 month term of the contract. I love to my S4 but this S9 is head and shoulders above the S4.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
I've been checking in at their website to catch something like that, but right now the rebate on an S5 is like $30 ($300 for an S8) then the "two for one" offer, which is apparently for new subscribers.
I've seen them give deals on that 24 month payment plan in the past that were cheaper than paying for the phone outright, which sounds like what you got. I will likely jump on one of those deals when they come up again. I think I've convinced myself that I can suffer paying up to $600 for the S9.
I'm just wishing for some kind of alert so I don't have to remember to go to the website all the time to check. :)
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Actually I just looked at the Verizon website again. No deal on the S9 other than trade in, but they have a rebate on the Google Pixel 2 that brings i down to $550 on the 24 month deal. I've been a bit anti-Google of late, so haven't really looked at their phones, but does anyone have experience with them? I understand they are actually a little less bloaty than the other flagship phones.
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I like my Moto E4. It was less than $100; quite a bit less but I don't remember the amount. I probably have pretty low standards ;/
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The Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL are being moved out in preparation for the new Pixel 3 that is planned to be released in October of this year. I had a Google Nexus 5 a few years back, and I just loved the concept of pure Android with no bloatware and frequent updates direct from Google.
The Pixel 2 still gets excellent reviews, and I will be looking at the Pixel 3 when it comes out. I like to go with an unlocked phone. I am currently using a ZTE Axon 7, which is about two years old, and it still works well. But with all the political stuff going on with ZTE, it looks as though it will not get an update to Android 8.
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Any deals on a Galaxy S8? Being last year's phone it should be significantly less than the flagship S9 line.
Brad
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Any deals on a Galaxy S8? Being last year's phone it should be significantly less than the flagship S9 line.
Brad
I was thinking about that, but have seen zero deals. I may have missed them, but I'm guessing Samsung thinks they don't need to discount them at this point.
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I just got an LG G6 as a prime exclusive phone. It's a huge upgrade over my S5.
The camera is a huge improvement, among everything else.
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Watchu need is one of dem GLOCK flip-phones!
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S9 Plus here. If you aren't in a hurry, just wait for a deal to come up. I went through three iPhones (3gs, 4s, 6s plus) and this is my first Android. It's stupid fast, with a good signal it has faster internet than any network I've been on, and the screen is awesome. Just make sure to get a case and don't drop it. It has strong glass, but concrete is a bit too much for it.
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Flagship phone for less than flagship price? Oneplus. Their release cadence is twice a year instead of once. Each phone stops selling well in advance of the next one, so if you don't get one soon enough you might have to wait 2-3 months for the next phone to launch.
https://www.oneplus.com/6 released in late May.
$529 for 6GB/64GB and $579 for 8GB/128GB
It's close to stock android, and within a few months of release their phones get LineageOS support, so if you're willing to reflash the OS you can probably get android and security updates after the 2-3 years that OnePlus provides updates. The 6 doesn't have wireless charging and it does have a notch, but other than that it's a great phone.
The Nokia 6.1 and Motorola G6 have lower specs but they're much, much cheaper, if you can live without contactless payments (no NFC) and the lower specs which might include less LTE band support. Nokia's naming is confusing. The 6.1 is also known as the Nokia 6 (2018), but it's a different phone with different dimensions than the original Nokia 6 from 2017.
To have the option of using Google Project Fi, you can't use a OnePlus. You need a phone that explicitly supports it, from https://fi.google.com/about/phones/
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Flagship phone for less than flagship price? Oneplus. Their release cadence is twice a year instead of once. Each phone stops selling well in advance of the next one, so if you don't get one soon enough you might have to wait 2-3 months for the next phone to launch.
https://www.oneplus.com/6 released in late May.
$529 for 6GB/64GB and $579 for 8GB/128GB
It's close to stock android, and within a few months of release their phones get LineageOS support, so if you're willing to reflash the OS you can probably get android and security updates after the 2-3 years that OnePlus provides updates. The 6 doesn't have wireless charging and it does have a notch, but other than that it's a great phone.
The Nokia 6.1 and Motorola G6 have lower specs but they're much, much cheaper, if you can live without contactless payments (no NFC) and the lower specs which might include less LTE band support. Nokia's naming is confusing. The 6.1 is also known as the Nokia 6 (2018), but it's a different phone with different dimensions than the original Nokia 6 from 2017.
To have the option of using Google Project Fi, you can't use a OnePlus. You need a phone that explicitly supports it, from https://fi.google.com/about/phones/
The Oneplus has a lower quality screen as well. Also, notches are stupid.
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I bought an iPhone SE. Best thing I have ever used.
Yep, small, cheap, realiable pocket computer.
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Best Buy has the S9 on sale with $300 off right now.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-store/samsung-galaxy-s9/pcmcat1517331114006.c?id=pcmcat1517331114006
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The Oneplus has a lower quality screen as well. Also, notches are stupid.
Respect other people's notches. They're a personal choice! Or genetic. I'm not sure. Either way, you're violating my safe space.
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I'm back to hype my LG G6 again. My wife had the LG G5 and was so happy with it, I decided to go with the G6.
It's a generation old, now (the G7 came out last month), but as it's a "Flagship" for a "lesser" company, the price has come way down. Really happy with its performance and abilities.
I may stick with the "underdogs" on phones as the price differential (after a short time) is huge.
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I'm following just to be informed but my iPhone 4s is still working just fine and I'm going to use it until it pukes. Twice in the past 2 weeks I've had somebody comment on it. One young lady pointed to it and said, "is that really an iPhone? OMG my very first phone I got was that same one! And that was like 8 years ago!"
I'll get an SE or something a couple generations old when I have to. Cheap.
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Best Buy has the S9 on sale with $300 off right now.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-store/samsung-galaxy-s9/pcmcat1517331114006.c?id=pcmcat1517331114006
Dammit, I'm traveling this week and don't want to deal with transferring stuff. That puts it right in my price range though. Maybe it'll still be going on next week.
I'm also taking note of the other input here. Also gonna check out that Amazon Prime page. I was unaware of that.
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Actually I just looked at the Verizon website again. No deal on the S9 other than trade in, but they have a rebate on the Google Pixel 2 that brings i down to $550 on the 24 month deal. I've been a bit anti-Google of late, so haven't really looked at their phones, but does anyone have experience with them? I understand they are actually a little less bloaty than the other flagship phones.
Very happy with my Pixel 2.
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I got my Kyocera Duraforce via Puretalk through AMAC*. $70 for the phone and it's been flawless and indestructible. $37.59 per month for unlimited Talk, Text, and Data (as long as I can find a 4G signal).
Would buy again.
* - https://amac.us/ Better then AARP in that your money doesn't go to leftie causes, most places that give a discount** for AARP, recognize AMAC (a senior discount is a senior discount), and the magazine is actually pretty good.
** - I used the discount for every hotel I've stayed at, including all the ones during OPERATION GODFATHER out to Utah and back.
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Maybe the S9s aren’t selling well because owners were not happy with the S8. Mine was a complete piece of *expletive deleted*it that decided it didn’t want to do basic things like make and receive calls, save pictures when you used the camera, set off the alarm, display notifications, etc. It would also often take several seconds for an app to open. I didn’t do anything unusual with it or have it loaded down with many apps beyond the ones that came loaded on it. Searching online revealed I was far from alone.
I am starting to wonder if the cell phone store employees get free Samsung phones in exchange for promoting them though because they all act like the Galaxy’s are flawless and if you use anything else you are basically using a stone tablet instead. Honestly every Android device I’ve had (Asus tablet, LG Optimus G, and the S8+) has been crap..the tablet and the LG would crash apps all the time
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My experience with several Samsung phones, and a multitude of Samsung applicances, is that yes, they're pretty much flawless.
I hated giving up my aging S4 because it was so freaking good.
But, my S9 is incredible.
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Dammit, I'm traveling this week and don't want to deal with transferring stuff. That puts it right in my price range though. Maybe it'll still be going on next week.
I'm also taking note of the other input here. Also gonna check out that Amazon Prime page. I was unaware of that.
Its pretty easy now as long as your old phone works. S9s come with a usb to usb c adapter. Plug the old phone into the new one and there's an app that will transfer all your data.
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Its pretty easy now as long as your old phone works. S9s come with a usb to usb c adapter. Plug the old phone into the new one and there's an app that will transfer all your data.
Thanks for that tip. In the past, I have been in the habit of "starting fresh" and using a new SD card and loading apps fresh and only importing contacts. I have always been afraid of contaminating the new phone with crap and settings that have slowed down the old phone (same way I always spin up a new computer). Does this app let you choose what you transfer?
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"I have been in the habit of "starting fresh" and using a new SD card"
Yeah, you're not going to do that with the 9. It's sealed. No SD card.
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Assuming that you have a gmail account you shouldn't need to manually transfer anything. As long as you were signed into it on the old device and the proper settings were selected, once you sign in on the new one your contacts should automatically transfer. Open the play store and your previously installed apps with be listed under "my apps". You can set them to install automatically. Pics synced with google photos will transfer as well.
SMS backup and restore (I believe that's the name) will save your entire text history to your google drive,then allow you to import it to the new phone once it's installed. It's icon is a red life saver, but I can't remember the developer and it's free. All apps are a fresh install so slow downs shouldn't be an issue.
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"I have been in the habit of "starting fresh" and using a new SD card"
Yeah, you're not going to do that with the 9. It's sealed. No SD card.
The S9 can use SD cards. I have one in mine right now.
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The S9 can use SD cards. I have one in mine right now.
Da FUQ???
The ass clown at the Verizon store told me that the S9 isn't capable of using an SD card!
I'll be an SOB. I'm putting an SD card in my phone tonight when I get home.
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Da FUQ???
The ass clown at the Verizon store told me that the S9 isn't capable of using an SD card!
I'll be an SOB. I'm putting an SD card in my phone tonight when I get home.
It has to be a microSD and it takes up the hybrid sim slot (phone can use two sim cards, or a sim card and microSD card).
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It has to be a microSD and it takes up the hybrid sim slot (phone can use two sim cards, or a sim card and microSD card).
The S9 and S9+ can take a microSD card up to 400GB. That's a lot of gigs on a phone.
bob
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Yep, I just did some googling, and I also opened up the slot.
Of course when I did so I launched the freaking sim card...
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I dunno about the Pixel 2's, but I have the original Pixel XL and have been extremely happy with it.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
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The S9 can use SD cards. I have one in mine right now.
That's a relief to know. Mike had me worried. I'm already pissed off about new phones without user replaceable batteries and without headphone jacks.
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I, too, was a bit miffed about the non-user replaceable battery, but it's in an effort to make the phones more waterproof.
Or so they say.
I don't know why the guy at the Verizon store told me that you can't put an SD card in the S9.
Oh, and the S9 has headphone jacks. And comes with a set of very nice headphones that also have an integrated microphone for making phone calls. And you can control the volume with the headphones, even when you're listening to music.
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I, too, was a bit miffed about the non-user replaceable battery, but it's in an effort to make the phones more waterproof.
Or so they say.
I don't know why the guy at the Verizon store told me that you can't put an SD card in the S9.
Oh, and the S9 has headphone jacks. And comes with a set of very nice headphones that also have an integrated microphone for making phone calls. And you can control the volume with the headphones, even when you're listening to music.
IME, it's most likely because outside of the occasional phone nerd, Verizon store employees are useless
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
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Just got to handle the new Nokia 3310 and while it doesn't do much it's form factor is fantastic.
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If I can keep my S5 going just a little longer, maybe I can get a cheaper S9 soon after all:
https://bgr.com/2018/07/25/galaxy-note-9-release-date-accelerated-galaxy-s9-sales/
The article stating, "...worst selling phone for Samsung... but one of the best phones ever" seems to reinforce my theory that phone makers have simply exceeded the asking price that people are willing to spend, especially with market saturation and the closing gap of mid-range phones with high end phones.
It very much makes me think of personal computers. Looking back to when I started building/buying PCs: After my first one, because of grad school needs and then doing research at from home a lot for the job, I always needed the close to best CPU/MB/video card combos with close to max memory and storage available at the time. I was replacing stuff probably every 2-3 years.
Pretty much every time up until around 2010, it cost me around $3000. Price stayed around the same, tech advanced a lot, but whatever the higher end system was at the time, it ran me around $3000. Then after 2010, not only did price come down, but the mid-range" builds came close enough in performance to "top of the line" that I could drop my requirements and still have a computer that did everything I needed it to do.
I don't understand how smart phones should be different, other than manufacturer greed. If I use my "computer model", Whatever the flagship Samsung phone is out there at any time should be running $400-500. Or the price should be going down. Instead, smart phone makers up the price every time they up the technology, and it has never made sense to me given that the tech itself becomes cheaper. It seems maybe they have simply reached a point where people say "enough". I'm betting if the S9 dropped to $500 retail, they would see sales jump a lot.
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If I can keep my S5 going just a little longer, maybe I can get a cheaper S9 soon after all:
https://bgr.com/2018/07/25/galaxy-note-9-release-date-accelerated-galaxy-s9-sales/
The article stating, "...worst selling phone for Samsung... but one of the best phones ever" seems to reinforce my theory that phone makers have simply exceeded the asking price that people are willing to spend, especially with market saturation and the closing gap of mid-range phones with high end phones.
That, plus feature improvements becoming incremental rather than exponential combined with annual release deadlines rather than releases based on refinement and integration of significantly improved platforms. Until someone comes up with a revolutionary new manufacturing process or feature set, manufacturers are stuck with tech that is pretty much at the limit of physical density. For end users that means slight increases in speed and software-driven features without much change in the base hardware or physical configuration. Hard pill to swallow at $800-$1000 a pop.
It's to the point where skipping a couple of generations is the only way to get a significant and noticeable increase in features and performance. Service providers saw this coming early on. That's why they started giving phone prices in terms of "...only $x per month and you can upgrade free every year!" rather than a single stated number. It's essentially the same marketing tactic rent-to-own stores use, only with phone service plan charges rather than interest.
Brad
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Well, I ended up with an S9. American Express was doing a 25% off points sale, and Best Buy has a small sale on unlocked S9s, so between the two I got it for $450 using only my accumulated Amex points, no cash out of pocket. I was waffling between spending the points on this phone or that stupid Garmin Fenix 5X plus fitness watch that I've become enamored with, but given my S5 was getting twitchy, this was the right move.
Picked it up at the local Best Buy a couple of hours ago, stopped at the Verizon store next door to it for a sim card, and have been playing with it for a couple of hours. First impressions:
Way, way faster than my S5. I was going to first do a clean install of all my old stuff, but just ended up using the Samsung Switch app to do it. Moved everything over seamlessly, but I'm still setting stuff up like icon folders that Samsung didn't transfer. The first con was the incredibly tiny text for my old eyes. I've gone through enlarging text where I could, but there doesn't seem to be anything that can be done about enlarging icon text, which is smaller than on the S5. Even "huge" and "max zoom" doesn't change that text size. I took a recommendation I got googling and downloaded a new font that makes that particular text easier to see. The colors seem a little washed out compared to my S5.
The phone feels way skinnier (width) than my S5 even though it's really not by much, and it's already slipped out of my hand a few times, partially from being slippery, and partially from how I'm holding it to not activate the stupid bixby button. I've got an Otterbox Defender on the way from Amazon, so hopefully that will help with gripping the phone. I'll have to see if there is a way to deactivate the bixby button.
I guess after the first couple of hours I have more negatives than positives, but we'll see how that changes as I get accustomed to the thing.
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You can set the Bixby button to press and hold. A lot less annoying. Swipe right on the hole screen. Hit the three dots at the top and go to settings. Also the resolution on the phone is set to the mid range setting from the factory. That can be changed in the display settings. Bluetooth audio is limited in volume as well. To disable it, you'll need to go to developer settings. IIRC, go to about phone, software information, and click on the phone's build number 7 times. That will unlock developer settings. Then just find the setting for bluetooth volume limit. Also, turn on Dolby Atmos if it's off. The phone has bluetooth 5.0 as well so you can sync up to two speakers at a time.
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You can set the Bixby button to press and hold. A lot less annoying. Swipe right on the hole screen. Hit the three dots at the top and go to settings. Also the resolution on the phone is set to the mid range setting from the factory. That can be changed in the display settings. Bluetooth audio is limited in volume as well. To disable it, you'll need to go to developer settings. IIRC, go to about phone, software information, and click on the phone's build number 7 times. That will unlock developer settings. Then just find the setting for bluetooth volume limit. Also, turn on Dolby Atmos if it's off. The phone has bluetooth 5.0 as well so you can sync up to two speakers at a time.
Hey, thanks for those tips Sideways!
I kinda feel like the button positions are slightly different on the 9. Part of it is maybe my left-handedness. After I change the bixby button, I think the more tactile case, when it arrives, will eliminate my current con on the ergonomics issue. I do already really like some of the menu and system enhancements over the 5. I especially like having bought an unlocked phone. The lack of bloatware, other than some minimal Samsung stuff, is great. I'm doing unlocked phones from now on.
Playing with it more, I'm getting more into the "pro" column than the "con column". I did find a few annoyances with Samsung Switch. Going through stuff, I saw that it didn't actually move all my apps over for some reason. Then I'm not sure if it's Samsung Switch or Backcountry Navigator, but a ton of custom offline nav maps didn't make it over, so I have to track them down on the old phone and figure out where to put them on the new phone for BC to find them.
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Nice!
There are a metric buttload of display options, including enlarging icons. I think it's buried somewhere in the Accessibility menu.
Also, take a few photos and be hugely amazed at how much better the camera is versus your old S5.
Brad
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Nice!
There are a metric buttload of display options, including enlarging icons. I think it's buried somewhere in the Accessibility menu.
Also, take a few photos and be hugely amazed at how much better the camera is versus your old S5.
Brad
The only thing I found in accessibility was changing the grid size. It made the icons a little bigger, but they weren't the problem - it's the text underneath them that won't enlarge like all the other phone text does. I can mostly see it fine without glasses during the day, it was just really hard in low light. Worse comes to worst, my brain will likely just key into the icon symbols. My most used apps are found by their pictures anyway.
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><Swipe right on the hole screen. ><
Would that be the front hole screen?
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Had a chance to dig around in my S7. Try Settings>Display>Font and Screen Zoom.
Brad
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Had a chance to dig around in my S7. Try Settings>Display>Font and Screen Zoom.
Brad
Tried that already. :)
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The only thing I found in accessibility was changing the grid size. It made the icons a little bigger, but they weren't the problem - it's the text underneath them that won't enlarge like all the other phone text does. I can mostly see it fine without glasses during the day, it was just really hard in low light. Worse comes to worst, my brain will likely just key into the icon symbols. My most used apps are found by their pictures anyway.
If you want to invest a little effort (probably about 2 hours), you can install and set up nova launcher, which allows you to do just about anything you want with icons, symbols, text, arrangement of your home screens. Pretty fantastic tool. Doesn't require cracking the phone in any way. Nova is available in the regular app store.
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If you want to invest a little effort (probably about 2 hours), you can install and set up nova launcher, which allows you to do just about anything you want with icons, symbols, text, arrangement of your home screens. Pretty fantastic tool. Doesn't require cracking the phone in any way. Nova is available in the regular app store.
I'm familiar with Nova Launcher, but have always gotten by on the native launchers. Well, till now anyway. :laugh:
I'm gonna see how things go with the updated fonts to make the icon text stand out more. If it flies, I'll leave things be. If it's still too hard to see stuff, I think I might just try Nova Launcher. I have always heard very good things about it.
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Well, three days in the pros are far outweighing the cons. :laugh:
Downloading that "Samsung Sans" font really helped with the icon text. Between that, using icon frames, and keeping the icons at the 4x6 or whatever the larger spacing is seems to pretty much be doing the trick. I've even got the display back to the default zoom setting and only "medium large" text instead of "huge". It can still be a little hard to see stuff in low light, but then that goes for menus in dark restaurants, etc., so I can live with that. :)
Otherwise, I am REALLY liking all the new settings features. I was still getting Android OS updates on the S5 up till about six months ago, but these settings are way different. I'm not sure if it's the Android OS for the newer phone or if it's because it's an unlocked phone with just whatever comes from Samsung vs the bloat and changes Verizon throws on their phones. If the former, it's another reason to only buy unlocked from now on. Among other things, I really like all the ways I can adjust the lock screen - location, linked devices, apps, etc. It makes it super convenient, especially around the house or in the vehicles.
The only thing I still don't like, and I know I'm a weirdo for it, is the small and thin form factor combined with the curved glass. Before the case showed up, I was gonna nickname the phone "Slippery Pete" because it was constantly shooting out of my hand like a greased pig. Or else to grip it well, my fingers would be half covering the screen and the sides of my hands would be pushing buttons. I know most people prefer the small and light, but it makes it harder for me. Throwing the Otterbox Defender on it made all the difference. It fits in my hand much better with the increased size, and the rubber outer layer makes it much easier to keep the phone in my hand with a light grip. The S5 I could always hold easily with or without the rugged case. Not so this one.
A funny thing is that on the Samsung Health app, while the AI is still female, she has gone to a slightly different tone of voice. The "running" function keeps you updated on distance, pace, etc. The one on the S5 always sounded like the perfect Stepford Wife. "Keep up this pace" always sounded like, "You're awesome and wonderful! Keep doing what you're doing!" I went running with the new one this morning. She sounds like a nagging Harridan. "Keep up this pace" sounds like, "Don't think about slowing down you lazy, fat pig! And take out the garbage when you get back!". :laugh:
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Turn off the Auto Brightness. That'll solve the low-light issues. Their prediction alghorhythm leaves screen brightness too low for me. Access the setting by swiping down from the top to open Quick settings the select the drop down arrown next to the Brightness slider.
I got a Beetle Unicorn case for my S7. I think they make one for the curved-screen phones now. Been very happy with it.