Author Topic: Smart Phones Again  (Read 4990 times)

Ben

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Smart Phones Again
« on: July 07, 2018, 07:47:00 PM »
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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Mannlicher

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2018, 08:52:10 PM »
I bought an iPhone SE.  Best thing I have ever used.

HeroHog

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2018, 12:39:04 AM »
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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K Frame

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2018, 11:04:20 AM »
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.

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Ben

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2018, 11:44:02 AM »
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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Ben

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #5 on: July 08, 2018, 11:59:42 AM »
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.

"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."

zxcvbob

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2018, 12:42:08 PM »
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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MillCreek

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2018, 12:50:26 PM »
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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Brad Johnson

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2018, 01:04:03 PM »
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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Ben

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2018, 01:23:05 PM »
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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makattak

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2018, 01:42:54 PM »
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.
I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

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just Warren

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2018, 01:57:06 PM »
Watchu need is one of dem GLOCK flip-phones!
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Sideways_8

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2018, 11:20:00 AM »
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.

purequackery

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2018, 12:13:21 PM »
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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Sideways_8

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #14 on: July 11, 2018, 12:19:27 PM »
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.

brimic

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #15 on: July 11, 2018, 12:48:43 PM »
I bought an iPhone SE.  Best thing I have ever used.
Yep, small, cheap, realiable pocket computer.
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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #16 on: July 11, 2018, 01:14:15 PM »

purequackery

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #17 on: July 11, 2018, 02:08:24 PM »
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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makattak

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #18 on: July 11, 2018, 02:46:08 PM »
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. 
I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought

Kingcreek

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #19 on: July 11, 2018, 05:04:38 PM »
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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Ben

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #20 on: July 11, 2018, 08:59:13 PM »
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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sumpnz

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #21 on: July 12, 2018, 02:03:46 AM »
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.

Scout26

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #22 on: July 12, 2018, 03:30:29 AM »
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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Boomhauer

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #23 on: July 12, 2018, 04:54:17 AM »
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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K Frame

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Re: Smart Phones Again
« Reply #24 on: July 12, 2018, 07:15:31 AM »
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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