Mobile device

vikinganna87

Good Afternoon, Ladies!  Again I'm seeking your valuable insight on a topic.  This time it's cell phones.

I'm in the market for a new phone.  I've had iPhones in the past and am currently on my third Windows phone.  The first two were Nokias with excellent cameras, this one is a large "phablet" that is relatively similar to the first two - a Lumia 640.  While I was originally attracted to the Windows phone for its user interface, kickass camera and integration with MS Office, I'm now ready for an Android.  At first the lack of apps developed on the Windows platform didn't bother me, but it's becoming increasingly inconvenient.

In spite of recent issues with the Samsung Note 7's battery, I believe I'd like a Samsung.  Can those of you who have one (or other Android OS device) weigh in?  What should I be looking for?  How do the cameras stack up?

Also, my carrier is AT&T.  It's unlikely that I'll switch because I have decent service in my area and a good company discount.  I'd prefer to buy the phone outright from BestBuy or another third party but I reckon I'm open to leasing options as well.

OliveOilsMom

My H has the Samsung Galaxy 6 and loves it.  He does IT for his job and can do many of things on his phone without having to log on to an actual computer.  He has had the phone for a year and is starting to see some issues with the battery draining faster. 

I do have the LG G4 and love it.  I use my phone for more basic functions than H, but I am able to easily log into my work email (which due to my firm's rules I cannot access through an app but rather must use the browser).  The one thing I like about the G4 is that the battery is replaceable if you begin to have issues with it.  The G5 is out now too, but I'm not sure if the battery is still replaceable in that unit.

I'm not sure if its coincidence or not, but we have amassed a large amount of LG electronics (A/C window unit, TV, microwave, my phone, etc) and have not had any major issues with any of them.

If it matters, I bought my LG off Amazon, but H got his through Verizon and we pay for it monthly through our bill.  I also bought third party insurance for my phone instead of Verizon's plan and it was much cheaper for the LG than it was for H's Samsung phone.  The insurance I bought also covers theft and got good reviews from what I was able to find on the interwebs.

justsie

I have the Galaxy edge and love the screen. To be honest I don't use the edge feature all that much but the screen looks so much bigger than the normal one to me. The phone continues to function perfectly for me and I am on it a good amount of my day. 

KeptInStitches

I have the Galaxy S4 and love it - then again, with my bad eyes, Samsungs are the only phones with screens I can handle.

MissKittyDanger

My H has a Samsung 7, my mum has one also. I use to but when I went to upgrade I just didn't want to get the one available.

Honestly, there's rarely issues with Samsung in the recall territory so I think if you want a samsung, go for it.

lyndausvi

A few months ago I upgraded from a Samsung Active 5 to an Active 7.   I love the phone.   I'm a klutz, so the active works well for me.  The battery lasts a long time.  I love the camera.  Screen is nice and big for these old eyes.

I had my Active 5 for 2 years.   I would say about about 1.5 years in I noticed the battery draining faster.   I guess time will tell what happens with this one.      

I upgraded simply because I'm a brat and wanted a newer phone with a better battery and well, I could afford to get a new phone.   If I didn't have the finances I would happily use the 5 till it died.

missfrodo

I had the S4 for 3 years--good, reliable phone, though I didn't do much app-wise with it.  It finally started to die, plus I couldn't play the apps I wanted to on it, so I got the S7, and so far, so good.  When I'm not running anything, the battery is great; however, I play Pokemon Go, which sucks the life out of it (pretty sure it does that with every phone, though).  

cowgirl8238

OliveOilsMom said:

My H has the Samsung Galaxy 6 and loves it.  He does IT for his job and can do many of things on his phone without having to log on to an actual computer.  He has had the phone for a year and is starting to see some issues with the battery draining faster. 

I do have the LG G4 and love it.  I use my phone for more basic functions than H, but I am able to easily log into my work email (which due to my firm's rules I cannot access through an app but rather must use the browser).  The one thing I like about the G4 is that the battery is replaceable if you begin to have issues with it.  The G5 is out now too, but I'm not sure if the battery is still replaceable in that unit.

I'm not sure if its coincidence or not, but we have amassed a large amount of LG electronics (A/C window unit, TV, microwave, my phone, etc) and have not had any major issues with any of them.

If it matters, I bought my LG off Amazon, but H got his through Verizon and we pay for it monthly through our bill.  I also bought third party insurance for my phone instead of Verizon's plan and it was much cheaper for the LG than it was for H's Samsung phone.  The insurance I bought also covers theft and got good reviews from what I was able to find on the interwebs.

My H and I both have an LG G4 and LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! Even after a year plus they are holding up really well with 2-3 days of typically usage on a charge.

Two selling points for us were removable batteries, and expandable memory cards.  The battery thing is great if we were to have issues, and the memory cards enabled us to get a lower priced (less capacity up front) phone but still have the memory we wanted with the cards.  Also, I have dropped my phone a number of times, and while I have a slim case on it with some rubberized texture, the phone doesn't even have a scratch!

My previous phone (and tablet) were Samsung, and while I loved them both at first I found they didn't do well once updates rolled out, and then the batteries would start to drain very quick after about a year of ownership.  As someone who had many brands, (and a husband who is equally opinionated about this topic) I can say:
- Nokia's were good in the day but we have limited experience with them now
- LGs have always been good to us.
- Samsungs started good but became slow and had battery drain issues
- Motorola's were never good to us but, again, we have limited experience with them now

Good luck!

SP29

I have a Samsung S3. I love it, except I am noticing the battery drains really easy.

I have always bought my phones from somewhere like BestBuy.

Have you looked into the Google phones? They look pretty cool, and not a bad price at all compared to iphones.

luckya23

I love my Samsung Note 3. I think DH will probably upgrade and I'll get his Note 4. Beyond that, I'm not switching phones until it's do or die or Samsung starts making the batteries replaceable again!  Imagine how much cheaper the Note 7 recall may have been, so I hope they learn!

ginnybinny17

I have the galaxy s7 edge and I LOVE it.  The battery life is incredible and the screen is beautiful, and it takes really lovely, clear pictures (including at night!).  The edge function took me a few weeks to get used to but now I use it a ton.

vikinganna87

Thanks for sharing your perspectives; this is very helpful.  I will be looking at the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the LG G4, evaluating the price differences and which is most suitable for my needs.  Since I'm a bit of a klutz I'm a bit leary of a $500-600 phone, but I reckon that's what insurance is for

OliveOilsMom

@vikinganna87 I mentioned above I got my G4 off Amazon.  It was under $400 and it was new out of the box, not refurbished.  I added in a case and screen protector and my final costs was just over $400, which if you have the Amazon store card gives you 6 months 0% interest on purchases that high.

vikinganna87

OliveOilsMom said:

@vikinganna87 I mentioned above I got my G4 off Amazon.  It was under $400 and it was new out of the box, not refurbished.  I added in a case and screen protector and my final costs was just over $400, which if you have the Amazon store card gives you 6 months 0% interest on purchases that high.

That's awesome.  Yes, I've noticed that the LG G4 seems to be significantly less expensive than the Galaxy S7.  I will likely order from Amazon --- LOVE Amazon...    Have a great weekend.