Phone Dying

[LunarMist]

My SII phone is on the last legs. It is very warm and not charging properly. I'm trying external, but that is not so great every day.
I was reading that there will be a Galactic S6, but not for months. Should I buy the S5 or what? Thanks.

 

[ddrueding]

I've enjoyed my S5 so far. Better screen and faster than the S3 that it replaced. The fingerprint reader is easy enough to use that I've "secured" my phone for the first time.

 

[time]

At the moment, Samsung's top offerings appear to surpass everything else on the market. Not because of stupid bench tests, but because of fundamentals such as display quality and overall utility.

In 2012, I was tempted by the Note 2, but was swayed by the practicality and lower price of the S3. Six months ago, I passed on the S5 and went for the Note 3. Not because there was anything wrong with the S5 - good grief, I'm not aware of any weaknesses at all - but because I found the Note screen to be slightly less reflective and obviously the larger display was a handy bonus for someone with deteriorating vision. I haven't had the slightest cause to regret my decision. The original plan was to upgrade to the Note 4 when it came out, but I haven't bothered to even look at one. The Note 3 is a huge improvement over the S3, thanks to one of the best displays on the market (I checked out everything available), more than twice the battery life, and no Bluetooth problems after using 3G (which may have been unique to my phone).

Yes, the bundled software can leave a lot to be desired, but so far I haven't been motivated enough to upgrade them (apart from email, which is a no-brainer). The only software problem that really annoys me is that S-Voice sometimes comes to life even when I have carefully disabled it and its ilk in the Settings. Stupid zombie apps.

So even though I haven't looked at a Note 4 yet, I'd have to suggest you check one out. The extra display resolution is obviously useless, but the overall package is undoubtedly the best available right now.

 

[Stereodude]

My SII phone is on the last legs. It is very warm and not charging properly. I'm trying external, but that is not so great every day.
I was reading that there will be a Galactic S6, but not for months. Should I buy the S5 or what? Thanks.

Did you drop it in the toilet along with your WD? :rofl:

So even though I haven't looked at a Note 4 yet, I'd have to suggest you check one out. The extra display resolution is obviously useless, but the overall package is undoubtedly the best available right now.

I have two coworkers with Note 4's. They just love them.

 

[LunarMist]

I've enjoyed my S5 so far. Better screen and faster than the S3 that it replaced. The fingerprint reader is easy enough to use that I've "secured" my phone for the first time.

My device must be password protected by law.

Even the S5 seems rather large. I think the Note would cause a problem in my pants, perhaps interfering with medication.

 

[ddrueding]

If your phone must share the space in your pants with other things, and if you can't get away with cargo pants, you might want to stay away from the Note series. I'm honestly considering a lateral move from an S5 to a Note 4, but the phone has an entire pocket of my (baggy) jeans to itself.

 

[Will Rickards]

I think the S5 is your safe bet.

I have the note 4.

 

[LunarMist]

Thanks. I cannot wear large pants, only business casual or dressy.

 

[LunarMist]

Do you all have a second battery? How will it compare with the old phone on battery life?

 

[ddrueding]

I run 4 batteries, 3 of which are in standalone chargers all of the time (home, car, work). Rather than leave the phone plugged in for extended periods anywhere I just swap batteries when it runs low (once or twice a day depending on load).

 

[LunarMist]

I'm trying to gauge whether the battery is an issue compared to the older phones. It does not sound good.
Normally I keep either one spare for emergencies or an external charger.
The S6 rumors indicate that it may be like the dreaded iPhones without a replacement battery.
I know that is the trend, but I don't like it.

 

[LunarMist]

Did you drop it in the toilet along with your WD? :rofl:

No, those are wholly unrelated incidents. :blue:

 

[LunarMist]

Did you drop it in the toilet along with your WD? :rofl:

No, those are wholly unrelated incidents. :blue:

 

[Will Rickards]

I don't know about the S5 but the note4 battery life is great.
I mean like not even 50% by the end of the day.
Though I'm a light user.
Quick charger is also a real plus.

 

[Mercutio]

The 6" phones are massive enough to have legitimate 36 hour batteries. It's nothing special about the Note4.
I'm still amazed by how much difference there is between 5.5" devices like the LG G3 and phablets like the Note 4.

5.5" = totally hand and pocket friendly
6" = that is a monster meant only for gentlemen sasquatches and ladies who take a purse everyplace.

 

[timwhit]

I have the LG G3, I've been happy with it. I compared it with the S5 and there was no comparison.

 

[time]

I'm still amazed by how much difference there is between 5.5" devices like the LG G3 and phablets like the Note 4.

5.5" = totally hand and pocket friendly
6" = that is a monster meant only for gentlemen sasquatches and ladies who take a purse everyplace.

I know what you mean, but it isn't just the display size per se.

The Note 3 is 5.5", the Note 4 5.7" - it's not at all easy to tell the difference. And yet they feel completely different to the 5.1" S5, for instance.

The only phone with a 6" display I'm aware of is the LG G-Flex. It was purely a proof of concept device.

 

[time]

I have the LG G3, I've been happy with it. I compared it with the S5 and there was no comparison.

I was pretty much sold on a G3 - clearly state-of-the-art technology - but in the end I felt that for my personal situation, the Note 3 display was a better solution.

 

[CougTek]

Isn't the LG G3 the one with the SnapDragon 810 chip for which LG is considering legal action against Qualcomm regarding overheating issues, or is it another model?

 

[Clocker]

Lunar - you might check out the Galazy S4. I got it for my work phone early because I thought the S5 was too big for me. It is just big enough and I am very happy with it. Probably cheap too! I moved up from a RazrM.

 

[Handruin]

I've been very happy with my HTC One M8. None of the garbage Samsung adds onto the phone with minimal of their own crap. Battery life is great and when it runs low, the battery saver and extreme power saving mode (can stretch a 5-percent battery out to 15 hours) are very nice options.

 

[Mercutio]

I've seen posts on a couple tech sites that say that Samsung is cutting way back on the crap it's loading on the next model year of its phones.
Honestly, it's hard to make a bad decision on the flagship Android devices. Between Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola and even Sony, there's a lot of good stuff going on.

 

[LunarMist]

Maybe I should just get the S5. I did not like the barebones interface on the 7" Nexus tablet I got a couple years ago. The Samsung 8.4" pro tablet (2014) setup seems a lot better with more options.
Apparently her Nexus just updated to Android 5 OS and the user is not very happy. They removed the e-mail app and make you go through the g-mail app even to look at the personal e-mail accounts (ATT, Verizon, etc.).

 

[LunarMist]

What is a good smallish case that can be removed for battery access?
I forgot to ask if there are different phone models for different carriers, or if they are all the same now.
I see that the price differences between carriers don't seem to be a high as a few years ago.
Which one do you recommend or is changing a major PITA? Thanks.

 

[Clocker]

What is a good smallish case that can be removed for battery access?
I forgot to ask if there are different phone models for different carriers, or if they are all the same now.
I see that the price differences between carriers don't seem to be a high as a few years ago.
Which one do you recommend or is changing a major PITA? Thanks.

I have the S4 version of this case and love it. It's slim, grippy and has a built in kickstand. I don't use the holster than comes with it though.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K345E0O...TF8&colid=282VK02GLH4Q8&coliid=I33F1OO0VFF08T

 

[time]

Tech21 case demo:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/embed/jw0Kky6sZCA[/video]

I was going to buy a (business) Otter Box, but witnessed an iPhone with one of these being thrown around the shop and was sold on the spot.

 

[time]

Better demo here: [video]https://www.youtube.com/embed/j4uMTZWh0Rc[/video]

 

[LunarMist]

Thanks. Do you think it can be take it on and off 50-100 times without falling apart?

 

[Clocker]

A guy at my work told me these cases are good: http://www.lifeproof.com/

 

[time]

Thanks. Do you think it can be take it on and off 50-100 times without falling apart?

I don't see why not. I know what you mean though - some other cases aren't all that durable.

 

[Mercutio]

I use just enough of a cover to keep my camera lens from scratching if I set the phone down. One of the really wonderful things about the S4 is how thin and light it is and I really see no reason to spoil that, especially given the number of devices I see that are damaged in spite of the ridiculous protective cases being used.

 

[Handruin]

I'm of the same mindset. I use a case that's fairly thin and has added grip on the edges to help me handle it. It's thick enough to keep from scratching the case and camera and if I flip it onto its screen side, the lips on the edge of the case keep the screen off the surface but 0.5mm or so.

 

[LunarMist]

Thanks. I don't need 3-4 batteries, but I want to have two. My last case was terrible in that the tabs started breaking off after it was taken apart about 5 times.

 

[LunarMist]

It seems that the S6 is more like an iPhone, so that's not any good.
I'll look at the S5 again. I wonder if it will be discounted after the S6 or just disappear.

 

[Mercutio]

It'll be a sub-$100 option for carriers that offer contract discounts.
Dropping uSD AND the battery really throws the S6 into the unacceptable category. Maybe LG or HTC will pony up with something decent.

 

[timwhit]

Maybe LG or HTC will pony up with something decent.

Th LG G3 is more than 6 months old, but it's still a very decent option. I've had one since last summer and have been happy with it.

 

[Handruin]

I'm reading mixed reviews from the HTC One M9. Seems many don't like that it hasn't changed much in cosmetic form and the camera is still not up to par with competition. Overall it looks to be a quality phone. I'm still happy with the M8 but the M9 doesn't have enough change for me to warrant an upgrade. What about the Note 4 or go with timwhit's suggestion on the LG G3? If you can wait a bit longer there might be a G3 replacement.

 

[Mercutio]

The G4 will be out in May.
I don't feel the need to replace the phone I have, but I suspect that if the big OEMs are taking their cues from the Nexus 6 and GS6 and the G4 is as disappointing, I'll be keeping what I have for quite a long time.

 

[fb]

What's wrong with the Nexus 6? It's great (well) for RDP, reading the shopping list etc. And it's my work phone, so the camera isn't very important.

I wouldn't mind a Moto G or Moto X either for that matter even if there are better phones, but the simple interface + turbo charging is very addictive.

 

[Mercutio]

The Nexus 6 doesn't have a card reader.

I don't leave much free space on my phone's card, so for days when I expect to need the camera functions (comic cons etc), I swap in a fresh one and keep another in my bag in case the first gets full. This is a lot better than having to clear space off to store photos or living with only having to take as many photos as I have free space.

Likewise, I don't want a non-removable batter because, if I'm on a high-use day (again, probably a comic con in my case), I don't want to have to deal with an external charger for however long I have to have it plugged in to keep my phone running. I'd rather just pop in a fresh battery and be ready to go.

These are two of the biggest knocks against iFruits and yet Google and Samsung are now offering flagship products with the same defects.