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Other Discussion Boards => Technology & Information => Topic started by: Fortuna on August 04, 2014, 08:12:56 AM

Title: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Fortuna on August 04, 2014, 08:12:56 AM
My oh so premium iPhone is starting to show its age, and it doesn't handle iOS 7 as well as I'd like. What phones do you all have and why do you like them? Right now I'm considering a few options. Yes, I'm an Apple fanboy, but the low prices of some of the unlocked Android phones has piqued my interest. I'm considering the Moto X, the Nexus 5, and the iPhone 6 (when it comes out, obviously). I'd love another iPhone, but I don't really feel like paying $1000 for one that's unlocked. I'm leaning towards the Moto X, but I'd like to hear what you think first. Don't worry, this isn't going to be a Thork thread.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Pete Svarrior on August 04, 2014, 08:31:28 AM
I (and Blanko) have a ThL W11, an off-brand Chinese smartphone. It's got a huge, beautiful 1080p screen, two 13MP cameras (front and back), a good enough (but certainly not excellent) build, and despite being a brand that no one fucking heard of, it's easy to get replacement parts for it. For its price, it's really good, and the price is pretty damn low.

Full disclosure: I recently fucked up the screen on mine, so it's currently out of commission. Make fun and claim that it must be flimsy all you want, but it was genuinely my fault that I broke it. The display and the touchscreen are the same part, so I'm going to have to dump some $80 on a replacement (about a 3rd of the phone's price, at least when I paid for it). It's something to be aware of, but if you're not a retard like myself, you won't have to worry about it.

Oh, and Thork hates it, so welcome to Thork Thread Town >o<

(http://www.thlmobilestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/500x500/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/t/h/thl_w11_2.jpg)
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Fortuna on August 04, 2014, 08:42:39 AM
How much did it cost? It looks pretty decent.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Dave on August 04, 2014, 09:34:59 AM
I have an HTC ONE X (att build).  I like it personally though I wish I spent the extra money to get the good version.  Or at least wait until the HTC One came out. (I didn't name the phones.  No idea why "one x" comes before "one")

Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Pete Svarrior on August 04, 2014, 09:48:52 AM
How much did it cost? It looks pretty decent.
Off the top of my head it was under $300, but I honestly don't remember exactly. Fasttech have it for $300 (http://www.fasttech.com/product/1477606-thl-w11-5-ips-quad-core-android-4-2-jellybean) right now, and they're fairly reliable when it comes to not scamming people.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on August 04, 2014, 11:08:34 AM
I was going to ask recently about those THL's again. Good to hear they're still kicking. Definitely going to grab one of those as my next phone just because the price point is so fucking good.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on August 04, 2014, 03:43:37 PM
Getting the Nokia 930 (http://www.nokia.com/gb-en/phones/phone/lumia930/) very soon.

Love the windows phones. Great price (although I get them free they are cheap for what they are), Windows 8 works great on a phone despite being hideous on a desktop and everything just seems to work a lot better than Apple. Apple haven't moved at all since Jobs died, apart from making the most hideously disgusting puke coloured OS for their phones.

Down side of windows phone is a weak app store, but I don't play games on my phone. It does have xbox games though. Just not so many apps games. You'll find many of the big apps missing. Tinder if you like that kind of thing, Grinder if you like that kind of thing, and many others are knock offs made by someone else ... BBC news being an example. In fact many are just people throwing iFrames up. That said, I've used all the latest phones and I still have a boner for the Windows phone. Its worth a look.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Blanko on August 04, 2014, 04:21:40 PM
I was going to ask recently about those THL's again. Good to hear they're still kicking. Definitely going to grab one of those as my next phone just because the price point is so fucking good.

I'd hold out on it. While my chinkphone has yet to fail me, I wish I'd done more research on the subject before jumping on pizaa's hype train. As it turns out, there are a lot of Chinese off-brands that use the same MediaTek chipsets with similar price points across the board. The only thing this THL phone in particular has going for it is the ridiculously overkill front-facing camera, which in terms of how useful it is ranges from completely useless to a fun little novelty that can be used as a mirror. The one huge tradeoff you get from Chinese phones is that they have very poor support in terms of firmware and OS upgrades, and THL certainly isn't the best of them (although upgrades to 4.4 are finally starting to roll in). If I got a Chinese phone today, I probably would have gone with an Oppo instead, although the OnePlus One (http://oneplus.net) might be coming Soon™ and that's pretty hype.

Also, a point of warning: because America is a special little snowflake and all, it uses different 3G frequency bands from pretty much the rest of the world, so getting a Chinese phone would be inadvisable if you're American.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on August 04, 2014, 04:43:27 PM
Moto X, and I've had no problems. Best smartphone I've ever had, and it comes in multiple colors.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lemon on August 05, 2014, 01:17:00 AM
I'm sticking to my €15 phone that calls and texts. Get rekt. In other news, Pizaa's suggestion is fairly sound, from what I've read.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: xasop on August 05, 2014, 01:40:02 AM
I have an HTC One M8. It's decent, except that I can't install a custom OS on it due to adb being broken on Linux. That's not really a fault with the phone, though.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Pete Svarrior on August 05, 2014, 02:40:21 AM
The one huge tradeoff you get from Chinese phones is that they have very poor support in terms of firmware and OS upgrades, and THL certainly isn't the best of them (although upgrades to 4.4 are finally starting to roll in).
I suppose that could be an issue if you care about those things, but there are so many modded ROMs that fill that gap that you literally should never care.

Also, a point of warning: because America is a special little snowflake and all, it uses different 3G frequency bands from pretty much the rest of the world, so getting a Chinese phone would be inadvisable if you're American.
He's talking about unlocked phones, meaning he's on GSM, not CDMA. The special-snowflake companies won't even let you put a SIM card in1. He'll be fine.

1 - Except in case of 4G LTE, I guess, but the concept of an unlocked CDMA phone is still nonsensical.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Wilmore on August 05, 2014, 05:01:34 PM
I'd either get a Nexus 5, or wait until November for the inevitable Nexus 6. I think that they are the best compromise between value, build-quality, and support. I would be slow to suggest buying a Nexus 5 when it came out in November of last year, and even slower to recommend the Moto X, given that it came out in August. Both of these phones are due a refresh (pics of the new Moto X have already been leaked), so now would be a bad time to buy.


I have a Nexus 4, and I'll probably upgrade when the Nexus 6 comes out, assuming there's nothing dumb about it.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: EnigmaZV on August 05, 2014, 06:34:07 PM
I have the HTC M7, and since the M8 is out, they're going for cheap right now. I think the only main differencea are that the M8 has a SD slot, and a slightly faster processor.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Blanko on August 05, 2014, 06:36:03 PM
u wot M8
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Snupes on August 05, 2014, 08:45:50 PM
u wot M8

I love the name so much. Any time I see anyone type it I mentally put a comma after "HTC" so it just seems like they're m8ing all over the place
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Fortuna on August 06, 2014, 09:02:27 AM
I went smartphone window shopping today and the Nexus 5 is my favorite so far. But I'm going to look into PP's suggestion more since it seems like a lot of bang for your buck.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on September 09, 2014, 09:19:41 AM
Welp, my Galaxy S4 has finally broken so I'm looking for a replacement. At the moment I'm looking at the Oneplus One, it seems to offer very impressive specs for the price.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on September 09, 2014, 07:38:44 PM
Yep, picked up a Oneplus One (http://oneplus.net/) for $460 AUD. Tech specs better than most everything on the market while still maintaining comparable battery life to the S5, comes with CM11 and 64GB on board data. Hopefully it holds up better than my shitty S4 did.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Blanko on September 09, 2014, 08:07:25 PM
You got an invite? How?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on September 09, 2014, 09:14:43 PM
Only need an invite to buy the one from their site, afaik. It's slightly cheaper that way but I don't really care, because I needed a phone quickly.

Looks like those in the US may need an invite to purchase the international version from their site, due to differences in networks. But I'm not sure.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: fappenhosen on September 09, 2014, 10:07:19 PM
Xperia Z. Pretty good phone. Water tight. Nice screen. It's the first phone I've considered watching porn on. Will update with details should this happen. Performance will probably get better once I scrub all the Sony Bloatware off it.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on September 09, 2014, 10:19:36 PM
You should have bought a Moto X. Fuck you!!! >:|
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on September 09, 2014, 11:39:41 PM
So I just had a beer with my boss. He is very insistent that I get an iPhone 6. But I like my Lumia 930. Its way better. And half the cost. He has offered to buy me one. I feel like a spoilt brat because I get my Windows phones free from a guy at Microsoft phones and my company will buy me any iCrap I want. But when money isn't an object ... I still want the cheaper Windows phone. They are way better.

If Windows app store was as good as the app store, it would be game over. A total monopoly. You could forget Android.

Windows make the best machines and now have the best OS. Their app store is woeful. It will improve. But there is no way I'd pay real money for a new iPhone.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on September 09, 2014, 11:58:51 PM
I never thought I'd see such a strange opinion.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on September 10, 2014, 12:12:21 AM
So I just had a beer with my boss. He is very insistent that I get an iPhone 6. But I like my Lumia 930. Its way better. And half the cost. He has offered to buy me one. I feel like a spoilt brat because I get my Windows phones free from a guy at Microsoft phones and my company will buy my any iCrap I want. But when money isn't an object ... I still want the cheaper Windows phone. They are way better.

If Windows app store was as good as the app store, it would be game over. A total monopoly. You could forget Android.

Windows make the best machines and now have the best OS. Their app store is woeful. It will improve. But there is no way I'd pay real money for a new iPhone.

Have him buy it for you. Then sell it.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on September 10, 2014, 12:33:40 AM
So I just had a beer with my boss. He is very insistent that I get an iPhone 6. But I like my Lumia 930. Its way better. And half the cost. He has offered to buy me one. I feel like a spoilt brat because I get my Windows phones free from a guy at Microsoft phones and my company will buy my any iCrap I want. But when money isn't an object ... I still want the cheaper Windows phone. They are way better.

If Windows app store was as good as the app store, it would be game over. A total monopoly. You could forget Android.

Windows make the best machines and now have the best OS. Their app store is woeful. It will improve. But there is no way I'd pay real money for a new iPhone.

Have him buy it for you. Then sell it.
It doesn't work like that. I have o have an iPhone for work, but I'll take an iPhone 5 as it does everything I need from a demo point of view. Bu MY phone is a Windows phone. That's the one that gets to house my sim.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on September 10, 2014, 12:38:38 AM
You need an iPhone for work? I would hate to have your job.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: xasop on September 10, 2014, 01:18:04 AM
Yep, picked up a Oneplus One (http://oneplus.net/) for $460 AUD. Tech specs better than most everything on the market while still maintaining comparable battery life to the S5, comes with CM11 and 64GB on board data. Hopefully it holds up better than my shitty S4 did.

That looks neat. I haven't been able to install CyanogenMod on my One M8 because adb doesn't work properly on Linux. I can't even get to the point of unlocking the bootloader. I may buy one of these instead.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: fappenhosen on September 10, 2014, 09:53:17 PM
I feel like a spoilt brat because I get my Windows phones free

Did he put his hand on your knee and tell you you have beautiful lips?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on September 10, 2014, 11:36:40 PM
I feel like a spoilt brat because I get my Windows phones free

Did he put his hand on your knee and tell you you have beautiful lips?
No. >:(
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: fappenhosen on September 11, 2014, 12:14:35 AM
I feel like a spoilt brat because I get my Windows phones free

Did he put his hand on your knee and tell you you have beautiful lips?
No. >:(

Well then maybe you should think about making an effort around the workplace. You won't get much attention in those frumpy little outfits you wear.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vongeo on September 11, 2014, 04:59:33 PM
Have they come out with a smart phone with battery life yet? Or that is stupid charger habit proof?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Dave on September 11, 2014, 05:51:29 PM
Have they come out with a smart phone with battery life yet? Or that is stupid charger habit proof?
Battery life is Dependant on what you do, how long you do it, and your battery size.


What life span would you like?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vongeo on September 11, 2014, 07:19:24 PM
I want my phone to go around screaming I will never die and be correct
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on September 18, 2014, 01:23:30 AM
Got my Chinese phone. The screen is very nice and it's responsive, but that's to expected I suppose. A lot of the kinks in the S4 are mysteriously no longer present, things like the battery getting hot with minimal use, random reception dropouts, less than 1 day on a new battery etc. Came with CM11 not ColorOS so I didn't have to flash it, and it let me quickly get rid of the Chinese bloatware.

It does seem a bit heavy. It's still lighter than most phones (interestingly the iPhone 6+ weighs 10 grams more) with a 5.5inch screen, so I'm probably just not used to using such a large phone. No expandable memory but I don't need it with 64Gb. It doesn't look like OnePlus make separate batteries for it, so I'm a bit concerned about getting long mileage from a Chinese battery. It's fairly easy to get the back off of the phone, so with some luck they'll sell replacement batteries eventually. Also has some Chinese scribbles on the back, but who cares?

Besides that it's amazing value for money. If you're interested and can get an invite for the International (US) version then you should definitely grab one, since they're even cheaper than mine.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Fortuna on September 20, 2014, 08:43:42 AM
I got an iPhone 6 Plus after all. It's pretty mint.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Pete Svarrior on September 20, 2014, 08:52:23 AM
I got an iPhone 6 Plus after all. It's pretty mint.
Put it in your microwave m8

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bx5NduNIYAANIwq.jpg)

(Please don't actually do it)
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Dave on September 20, 2014, 03:32:54 PM
I'm sorry but this is obviously fake.
If it were real it would be called iWave.  Nice try.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on September 20, 2014, 04:50:39 PM
Hey guys, I heard the new iPhone was waterproof out of box. Nothing bad will happen to it if you toss it into the pool or bathtub! So cool!
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Snupes on September 20, 2014, 05:16:50 PM
I can't even tell what you're going for with that post
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on September 20, 2014, 06:03:54 PM
I got an iPhone 6 Plus after all. It's pretty mint.
Put it in your microwave m8

(Please don't actually do it)

Ugh, they've been trying to repeat the "waterproof" scandal every year now. They put a lot more effort into the original waterproof ad than the other ones, not to mention these like these are obviously wrong, even to someone who has no basic knowledge about electronics.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on September 20, 2014, 06:13:01 PM
I got an iPhone 6 Plus after all. It's pretty mint.

It is very nice. Still on the fence about the size. I already gave Secret User my 5s, so I suppose I will get used to it.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Pete Svarrior on September 20, 2014, 06:45:30 PM
Ugh, they've been trying to repeat the "waterproof" scandal every year now. They put a lot more effort into the original waterproof ad than the other ones, not to mention these like these are obviously wrong, even to someone who has no basic knowledge about electronics.
It still works. It doesn't require quality or effort.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Particle Person on September 20, 2014, 06:49:48 PM
It isn't exactly difficult to persuade somebody who owns an Apple product to do something stupid.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Fortuna on September 20, 2014, 07:43:49 PM
I tried the Wave thing. My battery is at 110% now. 👳
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on September 20, 2014, 07:54:08 PM
Ugh, they've been trying to repeat the "waterproof" scandal every year now. They put a lot more effort into the original waterproof ad than the other ones, not to mention these like these are obviously wrong, even to someone who has no basic knowledge about electronics.
It still works. It doesn't require quality or effort.

I don't believe you.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: markjo on September 21, 2014, 12:54:40 AM
I tried the Wave thing. My battery is at 110% now. 👳
I can confirm that it works on Android and Windows phones as well. 
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rama Set on September 21, 2014, 01:17:37 AM
I got an iPhone 6 Plus after all. It's pretty mint.

It is very nice. Still on the fence about the size. I already gave Secret User my 5s, so I suppose I will get used to it.

Did you get the 5.5"?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on September 21, 2014, 02:30:05 AM
I got an iPhone 6 Plus after all. It's pretty mint.

It is very nice. Still on the fence about the size. I already gave Secret User my 5s, so I suppose I will get used to it.

Did you get the 5.5"?

I did indeed. My manly hands have adequately adjusted. I am not sure how I ever used the 5s anymore. Especially since I had a 4.3" EVO 4G back when it launched in 2010
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Yonah ben Amittai on October 31, 2014, 10:31:32 PM
I just got a new-old smartphone. First time I have ever used one. Its two years old, a Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere. I like it so far, but then again, I don't know any better, either. What do any of you think of said device?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on October 31, 2014, 11:57:17 PM
I just got a new-old smartphone. First time I have ever used one. Its two years old, a Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere. I like it so far, but then again, I don't know any better, either. What do any of you think of said device?

Is that the one with a physical keyboard? I've always liked physical keyboards. You should download tapatalk and use the forum with it.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Yonah ben Amittai on November 01, 2014, 12:11:37 AM
I just got a new-old smartphone. First time I have ever used one. Its two years old, a Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere. I like it so far, but then again, I don't know any better, either. What do any of you think of said device?

Is that the one with a physical keyboard? I've always liked physical keyboards. You should download tapatalk and use the forum with it.

It is indeed the one with a physical keyboard. Does tapatalk make it easier to use the forum? Is a free app?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 01, 2014, 12:14:09 AM
I just got a new-old smartphone. First time I have ever used one. Its two years old, a Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere. I like it so far, but then again, I don't know any better, either. What do any of you think of said device?

Is that the one with a physical keyboard? I've always liked physical keyboards. You should download tapatalk and use the forum with it.

It is indeed the one with a physical keyboard. Does tapatalk make it easier to use the forum? Is a free app?

It is a free app and it's my preferred method of posting when not on a computer.

Your phone is old though, so it's OS might not be up to date enough to run tapatalk. But I'd still give it a try. It only takes a few seconds to download. Just search tapatalk in the Play Store (or it might be called Market on your phone).
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Yonah ben Amittai on November 01, 2014, 12:20:11 AM
How do I find this forum?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 01, 2014, 12:37:52 AM
How do I find this forum?

There should be a search function. "The Flat Earth Society" usually pulls it up for me.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Yonah ben Amittai on November 01, 2014, 12:55:50 AM
I am having trouble signing in to the Flat Earth Society. Says my password is incorrect.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 01, 2014, 01:15:55 AM
One of the problems I've noticed with tapatalk: type your username in all lowercase. Otherwise it will not accept your credentials. I don't know why it does this, but it does.

Let me know if that helps you.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Yonah ben Amittai on November 01, 2014, 01:22:23 AM
Signed in. Now how do I reply to you?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 01, 2014, 01:30:31 AM
There's a tab on the right side that gives you several options. They are pretty self explanatory.  Unread and Timeline are very useful for finding recent posts. Just tap into the thread, scroll to the bottom, and click on the text field. Alternatively you can tap someone's post and then go to quote icon at the top to automatically quote that post and respond.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Yonah ben Amittai on November 01, 2014, 01:36:21 AM
There's a tab on the right side that gives you several options. They are pretty self explanatory.  Unread and Timeline are very useful for finding recent posts. Just tap into the thread, scroll to the bottom, and click on the text field. Alternatively you can tap someone's post and then go to quote icon at the top to automatically quote that post and respond.
.

I see! So that's how the little bugger works! I'll have to mess around with it a bit tomorrow and get to comprehend it a bit! Thanks for all your help, Vaux! I take back some of the things I said about you! *GRIN*
 
Sent from my SCH-I405 using Tapatalk 2

Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Yonah ben Amittai on November 01, 2014, 02:34:17 AM
VAUX, that was only meant to be a joke. Don't get offended, man!
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 01, 2014, 03:10:38 AM
I'm pissed.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Yonah ben Amittai on November 01, 2014, 03:17:17 AM
Dude, seriously. Relax, I was kidding.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on November 03, 2014, 10:56:17 PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/11197797/Tim-Cook-comes-out-as-proud-to-be-gay.html

And now we know why all those new iPhones are bent. #bendergate
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 04, 2014, 12:26:49 AM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/11197797/Tim-Cook-comes-out-as-proud-to-be-gay.html

And now we know why all those new iPhones are bent. #bendergate

Why do you think Apple consumers are called 'applefags'? I think the answer is fairly obvious.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Gayer on November 10, 2014, 08:49:43 PM
I have a new smartphone. My first ever smartphone. I still use my old phone more. I don't like change.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on November 20, 2014, 01:50:57 AM
I'm going to get a new phone soon. I've pretty much already decided on the new Motorola Droid Turbo since it seems to have the best features and I've had a Droid phone since 2011 leaving me more familiar with its interface. If anyone has any other suggestions I'd look at them. Remember that I live in 'murica and I don't won't any cheesy chinese knockoff (also, verizon only allows phones with a huge ass VERIZON logo on them).

I thought about getting a Note 4 because the Gear VR is coming out in December, but from what I could tell, they're not going to allow it to output video from the computer.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 20, 2014, 02:03:32 AM
I'm going to get a new phone soon. I've pretty much already decided on the new Motorola Droid Turbo since it seems to have the best features and I've had a Droid phone since 2011 leaving me more familiar with its interface. If anyone has any other suggestions I'd look at them. Remember that I live in 'murica and I don't won't any cheesy chinese knockoff (also, verizon only allows phones with a huge ass VERIZON logo on them).

I thought about getting a Note 4 because the Gear VR is coming out in December, but from what I could tell, they're not going to allow it to output video from the computer.

Motorola X is a really great smartphone. It's what I use. I believe a new model just came out. But the turbo just seems like a supercharged Moto X, so might as well stick with the Turbo.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on November 21, 2014, 06:18:11 PM
So, apparently I wasted my time at a Verizon store yesterday...

Quote from: http://www.verizonwireless.com/news/article/2014/10/a-new-droid-experience-arrives-in-48-hours.html
•From launch until the end of this year, upgrade and activation fees are being waived for customers who purchase the DROID Turbo. Waived activation and upgrade fees will be credited to the customer’s bill, and may take up to two billing cycles to process.

They tried to bait and switch me to using Verizon Edge, which is Verizon's fancy name for paying the full price of the phone over 24 months. Am I missing something in the wording of this article? It doesn't say "new customers" anywhere in it, it simply mentions customers wishing to purchase the Droid Turbo.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Dave on November 21, 2014, 06:27:25 PM
So, apparently I wasted my time at a Verizon store yesterday...

Quote from: http://www.verizonwireless.com/news/article/2014/10/a-new-droid-experience-arrives-in-48-hours.html
•From launch until the end of this year, upgrade and activation fees are being waived for customers who purchase the DROID Turbo. Waived activation and upgrade fees will be credited to the customer’s bill, and may take up to two billing cycles to process.

They tried to bait and switch me to using Verizon Edge, which is Verizon's fancy name for paying the full price of the phone over 24 months. Am I missing something in the wording of this article? It doesn't say "new customers" anywhere in it, it simply mentions customers wishing to purchase the Droid Turbo.

Not sure what you mean.  The activation fees are being waived but you still gotta pay for the phone.  Either it's with a 2 year contract or you pay full price over a period of time.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on November 21, 2014, 06:30:06 PM
Not sure what you mean.  The activation fees are being waived but you still gotta pay for the phone.  Either it's with a 2 year contract or you pay full price over a period of time.

No, I mean they're waiving the upgrade fee, which should mean I can upgrade before my free upgrade comes up and I don't pay extra. I would renew with a contract at $200 for the phone + contract, but they claimed I can't upgrade in that manner unless I wait for the free upgrade or pay the extra fee, but the article states they're waiving the fee. The edge program was completely irrelevant. I'm not even sure why the sales agent even brought it up.

The phone should have been an easy $200 upgrade, but the agent wanted me to use the Edge program, essentially paying the full price for it.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Dave on November 21, 2014, 06:36:00 PM
Not sure what you mean.  The activation fees are being waived but you still gotta pay for the phone.  Either it's with a 2 year contract or you pay full price over a period of time.

No, I mean they're waiving the upgrade fee, which should mean I can upgrade before my free upgrade comes up and I don't pay extra. I would renew with a contract at $200 for the phone + contract, but they claimed I can't upgrade in that manner unless I wait for the free upgrade or pay the extra fee, but the article states they're waiving the fee. The edge program was completely irrelevant. I'm not even sure why the sales agent even brought it up.

The phone should have been an easy $200 upgrade, but the agent wanted me to use the Edge program, essentially paying the full price for it.
Based on the article I'd wager this was a Motorola promotion and not a Verizon.  Once the phone get's processed Motorola pays the fee, hence why it takes up to 2 billing cycles to get a credit.

Also, of course they want you on the edge.  It's better to not have to subsidize the phone than get a customer for 2 years.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on November 21, 2014, 06:39:59 PM
Alright, so after some investigation it looks like the article is referring to a new upgrade fee that didn't exist when I signed my first contract. It isn't referring to the old upgrade fee for upgrading mid-contract. Apparently they charge $30 now just for upgrading to a new phone and renewing your contract.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Dave on November 21, 2014, 06:44:49 PM
Alright, so after some investigation it looks like the article is referring to a new upgrade fee that didn't exist when I signed my first contract. It isn't referring to the old upgrade fee for upgrading mid-contract. Apparently they charge $30 now just for upgrading to a new phone and renewing your contract.
Verizon: the shittiest phone company around.

Granted, AT&T isn't much better.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: EnigmaZV on November 21, 2014, 06:50:10 PM
They charge you money to sign a new contract? That seems like something that shouldn't exist, and would cause people to switch to a different carrier when their existing contract is up.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Dave on November 21, 2014, 06:55:46 PM
They charge you money to sign a new contract? That seems like something that shouldn't exist, and would cause people to switch to a different carrier when their existing contract is up.

It's how they can offer unlimited talk and text.  They just swap the cost to something more stable.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 21, 2014, 06:56:09 PM
The phone should have been an easy $200 upgrade, but the agent wanted me to use the Edge program, essentially paying the full price for it.

I didn't know PP2 worked for Verizon.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Blanko on November 21, 2014, 06:58:31 PM
The phone should have been an easy $200 upgrade, but the agent wanted me to use the Edge program, essentially paying the full price for it.

I didn't know PP2 worked for Verizon.

ow the irony
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Particle Person on November 21, 2014, 08:01:31 PM
How is that ironic?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 21, 2014, 08:10:44 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/IB3g6F2.jpg)
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rama Set on November 21, 2014, 09:46:12 PM
Alright, so after some investigation it looks like the article is referring to a new upgrade fee that didn't exist when I signed my first contract. It isn't referring to the old upgrade fee for upgrading mid-contract. Apparently they charge $30 now just for upgrading to a new phone and renewing your contract.
Verizon: the shittiest phone company around.

Granted, AT&T isn't much better.

Come to Canada. Literally the worst phone companies in the world. Even paying a warlord in human blood to make a call would be an improvement.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: EnigmaZV on November 21, 2014, 10:13:32 PM
Alright, so after some investigation it looks like the article is referring to a new upgrade fee that didn't exist when I signed my first contract. It isn't referring to the old upgrade fee for upgrading mid-contract. Apparently they charge $30 now just for upgrading to a new phone and renewing your contract.
Verizon: the shittiest phone company around.

Granted, AT&T isn't much better.

Come to Canada. Literally the worst phone companies in the world. Even paying a warlord in human blood to make a call would be an improvement.

I pay $30/mo for 6gigs of data, and I use voip. $2/mo for unlimited incoming calls, and I use Google Hangouts to make free outgoing calls.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on November 21, 2014, 10:37:59 PM
Switch to T-Mo, the uncarrier...
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: xasop on November 22, 2014, 09:02:00 AM
Come to Canada. Literally the worst phone companies in the world.

Ah, I see you haven't visited Australia.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rama Set on November 22, 2014, 01:36:17 PM
Come to Canada. Literally the worst phone companies in the world.

Ah, I see you haven't visited Australia.
I pay $65 for 3GBs of data, unlimited minutes and 250 texts. Challenge!
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: xasop on November 22, 2014, 02:04:41 PM
I pay $65 for 3GBs of data, unlimited minutes and 250 texts. Challenge!

Something roughly equivalent (3 GB of data, unlimited calls and texts between 18:00-06:00) costs me $100 with my current provider, which is something like $90 USD. I'm on pre-paid; I'm not sure if what you've said is pre-paid or on a contract. I actually pay less because I wouldn't use close to 3 GB of data if I had it.

Full disclosure: I'm with a fairly expensive provider because the others suck at reliability. I could get the same for cheaper if I didn't care about not being able to make use of the service randomly.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Dave on November 22, 2014, 02:57:59 PM
I pay $130 for 2 smart phones, 10 GB of data, unlimited talk and text in the US, and cheaper international rates.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on November 22, 2014, 03:36:02 PM
 Work pays for my phone.  :-\
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 22, 2014, 05:49:00 PM
Work pays for my phone.  :-\

Do you pay for anything?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on November 22, 2014, 05:53:27 PM
Work pays for my phone.  :-\

Do you pay for anything?
My colleagues ask me this. When you go for a job, you negotiate your package and work conditions. I'm always surprised at how many people don't bother to ask for anything. It might be hard to get another $5000 in wages but its never hard to get $5000 worth of perks because companies just write it all off against tax.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 22, 2014, 05:58:04 PM
Work pays for my phone.  :-\

Do you pay for anything?
My colleagues ask me this. When you go for a job, you negotiate your package and work conditions. I'm always surprised at how many people don't bother to ask for anything. It might be hard to get another $5000 in wages but its never hard to get $5000 worth of perks because companies just write it all off against tax.


Not everyone has a cushy corporate job to mooch from.

You might think you're moving up but you'll never get ahead giving head to the man, Thork.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on November 22, 2014, 06:08:03 PM
???

Most companies have no idea what they should be providing anyway. I'll give the example of Gulfstream. I went for a job there that paid £55,000 a year + 15% annual bonus and pension contribution. That was it.
I negotiated with them for a London travel allowance, mobile costs, equipment (phone, laptop, etc). A London travel allowance is worth about $3500 on its own each year. They turned around and then resent that out as the offered package to all the applicants because they realised these weren't unreasonable requests for anyone doing that job in London.
I didn't get the job - down to the last 3 (they ended up promoting someone from within the company and frankly he'd been ear-marked from the outset), but it shows you can bolster your wages very often if you know what to ask for.
This time around I got equipment, mobile, travel costs - train, petrol, flights etc, meal costs, company car (still waiting for that bastard mind you), and the ability to work from home as I choose - currently do at least 3 days from home every week.

My advice would be if you ask in a way that makes it sound like a)it would be very normal to expect such perks, b) you ask for sensible and usual things c) you don't tremble like a shitting dog whilst you are doing it, you'll probably get that kind of stuff. :p
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on November 22, 2014, 06:15:25 PM
You know when they ask ... "Is there anything else you'd like to know about the role?" and you can either ask bullshit questions about whether they intend to expand, or if you'll get additional training, or you just have that long silence when you try to think of something so you sound interested in the job? No. that's the time to say "Does it come with a travel allowance? that would be a very important consideration for me". It puts them on the back foot and they rush off to see what they can do and sure as bears shit in the woods, it'll be ok'd. It also gives them warm feeling of "this guy is making standard industry demands ... he knows what he is doing." over the guy that sat there and asked bollocks questions about who they'd report to or if there was a football team they might join in the company.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 22, 2014, 06:20:21 PM
The epeen is strong with this one.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on November 22, 2014, 06:27:38 PM
You asked.

sure, if you are going for a job as a McDonalds fry-guy you aren't going to be able to ask for anything, but a job interview is supposed to be a two-way negotiation. Do they want you, and do you want them? If you just put them in complete control, you aren't going to get a very good deal and they aren't going to fight to hire you.

Anyway, back on track ... I don't know what a mobile phone costs. I haven't paid a contract in several years.  :P
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 22, 2014, 06:29:08 PM
You asked.

sure, if you are going for a job as a McDonalds fry-guy you aren't going to be able to ask for anything, but a job interview is supposed to be a two-way negotiation. Do they want you, and do you want them? If you just put them in complete control, you aren't going to get a very good deal and they aren't going to fight to hire you.

There are many jobs that are high-paying that don't require cellphones, laptops, or travel allowances. I already have a cellphone and a netbook to begin with, why would I need to ask for another one? I work as a sup, and if I went up to my bosses and asked for a free laptop they'd laugh at me. It's unnecessary for what I do. Every job that isn't yours is not Mcdonald's-caliber.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on November 22, 2014, 06:29:58 PM
Exactly, most jobs have negotiable packages. Just ask for things that are sensible.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on November 22, 2014, 06:32:18 PM
Exactly, most jobs have negotiable packages. Just ask for things that are sensible.

What's sensible for a desk-job? Pens?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on November 22, 2014, 06:36:58 PM
It depends on the job.

I worked at Airbus in a desk job. I started as a contractor on £10 an hour (first job out of uni). I left 5 years later on £22 an hour having renegotiated my contract every 6 months from the initial start.

I got a part-time job in a call centre when I was learning to fly. Everyone in that call centre got £8. I told them I wanted £10/hour. I got it. I even went back for a second 6 month stint a year later on the same rate.

I got a student job in an Hr dept. Again, everyone got £8/hour. I told the agency I wanted £10/h. the agency swallowed the loss of commission (likely charge £13/h or more for me) to ensure that their candidate got the job and that they at least got some commission.

It depends on the job. You just need to think of your position and how you can get a better deal without sounding like a gonk.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on November 23, 2014, 01:27:33 AM
Thork is right. Most of the tech in my house was provided by work. I don't pay for my phone which is a 6 Plus, and have a 150Mb business internet circuit I also don't pay for. Full benefits with no premiums (which is very uncommon in the US), and good pay.

I can also buy anything from Newegg I want basically anytime I want.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: markjo on December 07, 2014, 03:33:38 AM
(http://memeguy.com/photos/images/we-wanted-them-smaller-122369.jpg)
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: spoon on December 07, 2014, 07:11:27 AM
markjoooooo'd
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on December 25, 2014, 03:03:38 PM
My phone is suspiciously going haywire just weeks before my upgrade cycle date. Coincidence? I think not.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: xasop on December 25, 2014, 03:11:49 PM
My phone is suspiciously going haywire just weeks before my upgrade cycle date. Coincidence? I think not.

Let me guess. Samsung?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on December 25, 2014, 04:05:51 PM
My phone is suspiciously going haywire just weeks before my upgrade cycle date. Coincidence? I think not.

Let me guess. Samsung?

Motorola. Uninstalling a bunch of apps had little effect. Restarting it temporarily helps.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: EnigmaZV on December 28, 2014, 02:44:29 PM
Did you try a factory reset?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on December 28, 2014, 04:09:37 PM
Did you try a factory reset?

No, but the phone seems to have gotten itself in order again. Still does some funny business but at least it doesn't lag like hell now.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on December 28, 2014, 05:59:40 PM
Let me guess. Samsung?

Why are Samsung phones such shit? I know a few people who have Galaxy S4-5 and they are some of the worst pieces of crap smart phones I have ever touched. They're slow, choppy, and lock up way too often. I don't understand why some people get so excited when a new Galaxy S or something comes out.

I have always used Motorola phones. My Moto X has had no problems in the 2 years I've had it.

Rushy, you need to stop downloading games like "Hot Strip Poker" and "MILF Hunter" from the Play Store. All they do is ruin your phone.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Snupes on December 28, 2014, 06:38:31 PM
But my S5 is neither slow not choppy
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on December 28, 2014, 06:39:53 PM
But my S5 is neither slow not choppy

Maybe you take good care of your phone and these people do not.  I don't know.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Snupes on December 28, 2014, 06:49:06 PM
I do take excellent care of my phone, if I may say so myshelf.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on December 28, 2014, 07:55:12 PM
I've never had an issue with performance on my iPhone's while I had them. On a 6 Plus now, and it's rock solid. Although I never had performance issues on my Android phones, either. Having said that, I loaded new, custom ROMS on a near weekly basis.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on December 29, 2014, 12:45:47 AM
I think it was Facebook jacking up my phone. When I looked at apps that process any time the phone is on, Facebook was always there with 3 different processes doing some nefarious shit.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Dave on December 29, 2014, 12:57:55 AM
I think it was Facebook jacking up my phone. When I looked at apps that process any time the phone is on, Facebook was always there with 3 different processes doing some nefarious shit.
Always turn off Facebook notifications.  That shit keeps your phone from going into deep sleep and drains your battery hard.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Pete Svarrior on December 29, 2014, 12:58:26 AM
The Facebook app is really shit. It also reduces battery power by literally 40% (based on ad-hoc measurements by myself and some friends). Friends don't let friends use the Android Facebook app.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Dave on December 29, 2014, 01:00:21 AM
The Facebook app is really shit. It also reduces battery power by literally 40% (based on ad-hoc measurements by myself and some friends). Friends don't let friends use the Android Facebook app.
I use it.  As long as you turn off the notifications and the stupid "auto play videos" crap, your battery life won't suffer too much.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on January 08, 2015, 04:58:53 AM
Got my new Droid Turbo. It's Turbo-Tastic. It's pretty much just a newer, faster version of my old Razr Maxx. Not sure why I need 1440p on a phone, though.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Fortuna on January 08, 2015, 08:36:23 AM
Got my new Droid Turbo. It's Turbo-Tastic. It's pretty much just a newer, faster version of my old Razr Maxx. Not sure why I need 1440p on a phone, though.

So your battery life can be worse than an iPhone.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on January 09, 2015, 02:32:38 AM
So your battery life can be worse than an iPhone.

I don't understand what you guys are doing with your phone that makes battery life even a relevant thing to look for. I'm playing a N64 emulator quite a lot and the battery still lasts until the next day (and that was on my Razr maxx, which has a smaller battery than the Turbo), the hell are other people doing with their phone? Running Folding@home mobile edition?

Seriously, I want to know.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on January 09, 2015, 02:35:02 AM
What games are you playing on that N64 emulator?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on January 09, 2015, 02:40:02 AM
What games are you playing on that N64 emulator?

Mostly just Super Mario or Perfect Dark (being my favorite N64 game). The Razr Maxx actually had serious trouble playing Perfect Dark even on low resolution settings, but the Turbo seems to crush it like a boss since it has a GPU that nearly rivals a Playstation 2.

I play lots of others too, but Mario and PD always seem to stick around.

Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on January 09, 2015, 02:43:22 AM
I use my PSP as an emulator device, since it has buttons... it has trouble with Star Fox 64, Perfect Dark, and Super Mario 64. I can't stand playing games that were meant to be played with a controller on a touchscreen, so I usually avoid mobile emulation. There are controllers out there built for mobile devices, though... and WiiMotes and Ps3 controllers can be bluetoothed in as well, so that's cool.

Perfect Dark is one of the best games on N64 indeed. Farsight XR-20 for life.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rushy on January 09, 2015, 04:11:40 AM
I use my PSP as an emulator device, since it has buttons... it has trouble with Star Fox 64, Perfect Dark, and Super Mario 64. I can't stand playing games that were meant to be played with a controller on a touchscreen, so I usually avoid mobile emulation. There are controllers out there built for mobile devices, though... and WiiMotes and Ps3 controllers can be bluetoothed in as well, so that's cool.

I admit without the already heavy auto-aim in the game I wouldn't be able to play it on the touchscreen. While I would like to have a controller, it would be a bit obnoxious lugging one around all day. I would only bother to bring one on something like a long flight, but then I'd just have my laptop anyway, so ultimately there's no point.

Perfect Dark is one of the best games on N64 indeed. Farsight XR-20 for life.

It's a shame no gun like it will ever be in a multiplayer game again, being the most cheapass gun in existence n' all.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on January 09, 2015, 05:44:46 PM
It's a shame no gun like it will ever be in a multiplayer game again, being the most cheapass gun in existence n' all.

I think we need to start blueprints on a gun like this for real life.

Bye bye terrorist hostage situations.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on January 10, 2015, 12:49:09 AM
So your battery life can be worse than an iPhone.

I don't understand what you guys are doing with your phone that makes battery life even a relevant thing to look for. I'm playing a N64 emulator quite a lot and the battery still lasts until the next day (and that was on my Razr maxx, which has a smaller battery than the Turbo), the hell are other people doing with their phone? Running Folding@home mobile edition?

Seriously, I want to know.

My OnePlus One lasts about a day under heavy use with 3G running. It's pretty durable doing just about anything else, but I use 3G most of the time on the phone so I can't really expect much more.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Fortuna on January 10, 2015, 11:22:55 PM
>3G
>Two thousand and fifteen, year of our lord and savior Jesus Christ
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on January 10, 2015, 11:23:35 PM
>3G
>Two thousand and fifteen, year of our lord and savior Jesus Christ

You should see his internet connection. It's criminal.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on January 11, 2015, 05:14:14 AM
>3G
>Two thousand and fifteen, year of our lord and savior Jesus Christ

I live in a country filled with luddites that pay $50/month for an iPhone and 1gig of data. Cheap 3G plans are your best bet for internet on the go as wifi is pretty scarce.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Pete Svarrior on January 11, 2015, 10:49:42 AM
Yep, picked up a Oneplus One (http://oneplus.net/) for $460 AUD. Tech specs better than most everything on the market while still maintaining comparable battery life to the S5, comes with CM11 and 64GB on board data. Hopefully it holds up better than my shitty S4 did.
I just got an invite for one of those from a friend of a friend (begging on Facebook works - who knew?). Since I broke my Chinaphone half a year ago, I've been using a shitty dumbphone, so I'm looking forward to this regardless of how it turns out.

You got an invite? How?
If you're still looking for one, I'll make sure to let you know if I get one. Apparently they assign them at random to customers, so this may or may not ever happen.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Blanko on January 11, 2015, 02:02:53 PM
We'll see. They've actually been throwing several invites at me, probably hoping I'll eventually claim one.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Lord Dave on January 11, 2015, 02:17:07 PM
I've been looking into this myself.  I need a new phone and so does the wife but we can't afford 2 at once. (she has apple and doesn't want to switch).  I'd be happy with something that had better battery life, 2 gb of RAM, and 32GB of storage.  But so far they're just beyond my price rage. 

I'm also looking at stuff for a friend of mine who bought a phone offline, unlocked, but it still had bloatware on it that he can't remove.  Are these phones rooted?  Are any?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: markjo on January 11, 2015, 05:24:50 PM
If you're still looking for one, I'll make sure to let you know if I get one. Apparently they assign them at random to customers, so this may or may not ever happen.
Were you the 1,000,000th visitor to someone's site?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on January 11, 2015, 07:21:08 PM
I'm also looking at stuff for a friend of mine who bought a phone offline, unlocked, but it still had bloatware on it that he can't remove.  Are these phones rooted?  Are any?

If it was rooted you would be able to delete bloatware at your leisure.

Rooting and unlocking are two different things.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Pete Svarrior on January 11, 2015, 08:01:11 PM
Were you the 1,000,000th visitor to someone's site?
No.

(begging on Facebook works - who knew?)

Are these phones rooted?  Are any?
Generally speaking, phones do not come rooted out of the box. It's something you have to do yourself (or pay to have it done), and more often than not it voids your warranty (at least technically. I have had rooted phones repaired on warranty because Samsung didn't give a crap, but it's something to keep in mind)
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on January 11, 2015, 08:18:30 PM
Yep, picked up a Oneplus One (http://oneplus.net/) for $460 AUD. Tech specs better than most everything on the market while still maintaining comparable battery life to the S5, comes with CM11 and 64GB on board data. Hopefully it holds up better than my shitty S4 did.
I just got an invite for one of those from a friend of a friend (begging on Facebook works - who knew?). Since I broke my Chinaphone half a year ago, I've been using a shitty dumbphone, so I'm looking forward to this regardless of how it turns out.

It's a great little phone, my only complaint is the tendency of the screen to not register keystrokes sometimes. It doesn't happen enough to bother me, and I did know about that going in to the purchase. I've also had the screen refuse to register any at keystrokes at all, warranting a quick restart. But those kind of things rarely happen, and are probably to be expected with a Chinese phone.

It also came with some Chinese bloatware but that was easily removed. Plus I don't really care if some Chinese dude is looking at my Facebook.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on January 20, 2015, 10:47:08 PM
I just ordered one of these to test with:

http://www.bluproducts.com/index.php/studio-5-0-hd-lte

I had heard about BLU before but never looked into it. For the cost I figured what the hell, I may as well try it. I haven't been much of an Android user in a long time, but I am interested to see if a budget smartphone can perform well. The 6" version looked interesting too.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on January 21, 2015, 12:41:13 AM
Bloody hell that's cheap.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on January 21, 2015, 02:42:56 AM
Bloody hell that's cheap.

It is. I am curious to see the build quality and responsiveness, but my expectations are not very high.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Hoppy on January 23, 2015, 04:20:53 PM
I have a new smartphone. My first ever smartphone. I still use my old phone more. I don't like change.
Does it have a clock on it?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Hoppy on January 23, 2015, 04:29:41 PM
I dropped my phone in the toilet while I was pissing last week. Of course it was on and I got a text, while taking it off my belt, down it went into the toilet. I quickly grabbed it, toweled it off and set it next to a heater. Luckily it never turned off, went blank or had any trouble. I am amazed that there has been no trouble from that.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on January 23, 2015, 04:33:20 PM
I dropped my phone in the toilet while I was pissing last week.... I quickly grabbed it ... I am amazed that there has been no trouble from that.
And it doesn't stink of piss?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Hoppy on January 23, 2015, 04:39:00 PM
I dropped my phone in the toilet while I was pissing last week.... I quickly grabbed it ... I am amazed that there has been no trouble from that.
And it doesn't stink of piss?
Of course not, you don't smell urine on this post, do you?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on January 23, 2015, 04:41:10 PM
I dropped my phone in the toilet while I was pissing last week.... I quickly grabbed it ... I am amazed that there has been no trouble from that.
And it doesn't stink of piss?
Of course not, you don't smell urine on this post, do you?
Sniffing posts for urine is something a dog might do.

I'll just take your word for it that fishing a phone out of a pissed filled toilet, towelling it and leaving it by a heater would somehow cleanse it of urine entirely and that you aren't walking around with that thing smelling like you've pissed your pants.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: jroa on January 24, 2015, 10:42:02 AM
I think hoppy smells like he pissed his pants anyway, so no one will notice anything different.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on January 26, 2015, 04:40:47 PM
Bloody hell that's cheap.

It is. I am curious to see the build quality and responsiveness, but my expectations are not very high.

So my BLU Studio 5.0 HD LTE arrived. I must say, I am impressed by its initial performance. The screen is decent, comparable to 720P smartphone screens I have seen. The phone is plastic, but the build quality is just as good as other Android phones like the Nexus 5. The various bands work as advertised. I am on T-Mo, popped in my SIM and was pulling 45Mb on LTE. Performance is good, at least switching between apps and such. Haven't tried any games. Tested out Netflix, looked really good. Call quality is just as good as any other Android phone I have used. I haven't tested the camera yet, and can't comment on battery life since I haven't used it much.

My verdict is that it is worth every penny of its $170 price tag, considering that is for an unlocked, unsubsidized phone (still a thing here in the US). It comes with a charger, silicon case, screen protector, and headphones. A very good deal indeed. I am going to order one of their Windows Phone models today to test that out. They don't have a Windows model that supports LTE, but that is okay since it is just a test unit.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rama Set on January 26, 2015, 04:41:53 PM
Bloody hell that's cheap.

It is. I am curious to see the build quality and responsiveness, but my expectations are not very high.

So my BLU Studio 5.0 HD LTE arrived. I must say, I am impressed by its initial performance. The screen is decent, comparable to 720P smartphone screens I have seen. The phone is plastic, but the build quality is just as good as other Android phones like the Nexus 5. The various bands work as advertised. I am on T-Mo, popped in my SIM and was pulling 45Mb on LTE. Performance is good, at least switching between apps and such. Haven't tried any games. Tested out Netflix, looked really good. Call quality is just as good as any other Android phone I have used. I haven't tested the camera yet, and can't comment on battery life since I haven't used it much.

My verdict is that it is worth every penny of its $170 price tag, considering that is for an unlocked, unsubsidized phone (still a thing here in the US). It comes with a charger, silicon case, screen protector, and headphones. A very good deal indeed. I am going to order one of their Windows Phone models today to test that out. They don't have a Windows model that supports LTE, but that is okay since it is just a test unit.

Wait.  What happened to your iPhone 6 Plus?  Are you just being a baller?
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Thork on January 26, 2015, 04:46:54 PM
He probably sat on it and it bent.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on January 26, 2015, 04:58:37 PM
Wait.  What happened to your iPhone 6 Plus?  Are you just being a baller?

I still have my 6 Plus, which is my daily driver. Part of my job is to stay up to date on tech. Since I don't use Android phones anymore, I order units to test with which work pays for and I keep. So yes, I am just being a baller.


He probably sat on it and it bent.

Oh totally, I watched those videos where a guy applies 642 billion pascals of pressure and the phone slightly bends. Unheard of in any phone ever created before.

It is just as pristine as the day I bought it.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rama Set on January 26, 2015, 05:45:35 PM
Wait.  What happened to your iPhone 6 Plus?  Are you just being a baller?

I still have my 6 Plus, which is my daily driver. Part of my job is to stay up to date on tech. Since I don't use Android phones anymore, I order units to test with which work pays for and I keep. So yes, I am just being a baller.


He probably sat on it and it bent.

Oh totally, I watched those videos where a guy applies 642 billion pascals of pressure and the phone slightly bends. Unheard of in any phone ever created before.

It is just as pristine as the day I bought it.

After dropping my phone almost daily because I am dumb and have not gotten a case, I finally cracked the screen. It took a drop from about 5ft up on to pavement. I have always found the iPhone to be extremely durable.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on January 26, 2015, 06:45:30 PM
After dropping my phone almost daily because I am dumb and have not gotten a case, I finally cracked the screen. It took a drop from about 5ft up on to pavement. I have always found the iPhone to be extremely durable.

They are very durable, and the build quality is fantastic.


In other news, I am going to test out one of their Windows Phone models. Specifically, this guy:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NQGFQ7C/ref=s9_al_bw_g107_i3/184-1249409-2744814

Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on January 27, 2015, 09:56:12 PM
My Blu Win HD Windows Phone arrived today. I ended up ordering from Microsoft since it is $149 there, unlocked. I will fire it up here in a bit so I can test it out.

Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on January 28, 2015, 02:27:27 AM
Lol at iPhones being durable. My mates with iPhones are all running big cracks across the screens. Sure, the ones with galaxies are too, but that just goes to show that all phones are fragile.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on January 28, 2015, 05:13:15 AM
You need better mates. People who don't take care of their phones can't be good friends.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Vindictus on January 28, 2015, 06:35:08 AM
You need better mates. People who don't take care of their phones can't be good friends.

u wot m8
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Rama Set on January 28, 2015, 11:31:49 AM
Lol at iPhones being durable. My mates with iPhones are all running big cracks across the screens. Sure, the ones with galaxies are too, but that just goes to show that all phones are fragile.

Meh, I never got a crack in an iPhone until recently and even then, it took a lot of drops to get this crack.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: Ghost of V on January 28, 2015, 05:58:35 PM
You need better mates. People who don't take care of their phones can't be good friends.

I agree with this.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: juner on January 30, 2015, 11:28:19 PM
My Blu Win HD Windows Phone arrived today. I ended up ordering from Microsoft since it is $149 there, unlocked. I will fire it up here in a bit so I can test it out.

I finally had some time to test out this phone. While I was greatly impressed with their Android offering, this phone was a bit underwhelming. The build quality was fine. Maybe it is just that Windows Phone OS blows but it just doesn't seem very intuitive. The phone itself has most of the features one would expect, and they all function. The visual transitions look nice, but get choppy on occasion, maybe because of the hardware, I am not really sure. It has dual SIMs, which can be handy when needed. It does have the best implementation of Outlook for those using Exchange or a hosted Microsoft e-mail solution. Overall, I'd use this phone if I was in a pinch and needed something cheap, but the Android of a similar price is much more functional in terms of being a smartphone.
Title: Re: Getting a new smartphone
Post by: lions_lair on April 21, 2015, 01:46:07 AM
But my S5 is neither slow not choppy
Neither is my note 3...its a beast