AC Ambassadors - Tell us about your device history!

[LeoRex]

I came to smartphones a wee bit late to the game in 2012 with a Verizon Wireless Samsung Galaxy Stellar..... up until that point, I was reluctant to pony up the extra cash for the data plan and phone. But then Big Red had a 'free' phone offer and I (foolishly) signed on the dotted line and took home that dumpster fire of a mobile device. Not long after that mistake, I found myself delving into the dark underworld of Android power management and wakelocks in order to find out why it would die overnight. Soon after I joined Android Central and slowly weaved my way to where I am now, obsessively researching countless minutiae in an attempt to know all the Android thingz.

Devices... After the Stellar (oh, the irony of that name), I used my wife's upgrade to get into an SIII. After picking up a Nexus 7 (2012) I soon realized the foul taste I always had in my mouth when using my phone was due to the visceral digust that Touchwiz welled up deep in my soul. The morning I unlocked my SIII's bootloader and loaded an AOSP based ROM, it was like the clouds parted and angels played Ode To Joy on guilded trumpets. But I still wanted more and then T-Mobile launched their plan to pay off any termination charges so I switched, and snagged a matching paid of Nexus 5's for me and the wife. After that it was a somewhat brief stint off the Nexus line with a LG G3, then a Nexus 6 and now I rock a Nexus 6P as my daily driver. But there's an Honor 5X and Nexus 5X lurking in the shadows... along with a Moto G (1st) and Moto E (2nd) that are now in use as Wifi devices for my hellspawn.

 

[STARGATE]

Re: LeoRex : A Tale of Legend

I had many phones in my life, actually, the first cellphone I had was one of the first Motorola Startac phones!

I was fresh out of high school at the time so I thought it was a great thing, because before that phone I had only Motorola pagers.
That phone and those pagers are in my Mom's house in México.

Several phones after that one (I even had a Blackberry Nextel), I had another Motorola; the ic902.

This was a great phone, one of the first to have smart features through Sprint's network.
I could browse the internet with opera and many other things. It also had a microSD card port, so I can save all my 2MP pictures, videos and music in a microSD.
Not only that, but it was a Nextel too, so it was great for work.
I'm very fond of this little flip phone, I still have it at home.

After the ic902, I got the Palm Prē on its launch date, my beloved Palm Prē!
Still have it in its box, and all the Palm accessories I got for it.
Until now, I still miss the windows metaphor and the gestures.
I didn't change completely from my beloved Prē until mid September 2011.

But I did have the original HTC Evo 4G, the iPhone 4 and the HTC Evo 3D. Each of those 3 phones stayed with me for about 3 months before I got tired of them and went back to full time with the Prē.

Finally, after it was obvious those ignorants at HP were going to kill Palm, I switched to Android full time.
I still had my PalmPad (the so called TouchPad) to have my WebOS fix.

Then Motorola also let me (and many others) down. And in 2013 I got the Samsung Galaxy S4. Great phone!

I have used other smartphones from Motorola, HTC and LG during my time getting only Samsung phones as my daily drivers. But none of them made feel the need to change phones.

Every year since 2013, I've been getting the new Galaxy iteration (GS4, GS5, GS6 edge and now the GS7 edge) on its launch day, or before.
Each new Galaxy has been better than the previous model and has put a smile on my face.

The Galaxy S6 edge was the best smartphone, not including the Palm Prē. Until the Galaxy S7 edge came along.
This newest Galaxy version is great! I really love it.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my cellphone history.

 

[belodion]

Re: LeoRex : A Tale of Legend

My first smartphone was a Nokia Lumia 520 in March 2014. I remember how it seemed almost magical to me. I quickly started adding others, beginning with a Nexus 5 for its Androidery a couple of weeks after the Lumia, and then, in approximate order of acquisition, a Lumia 1020 for its camera, LG G3 for its quadHD display, Lumia 930 for its camera and 1080p display, Nexus 4 because I came across one cheap, iPhone 4 because I came across one cheap, iPhone 4s because I wanted a better camera than the 4's, iPhone 5s for its better specs and greater storage, and LG G4 because I was very generously given one by Mobile Nations. There have been other small acquisitions of old devices, none particularly usable, the favourite being a Motorola Blur.
In general, I like the Nokias for their cameras, the Androids for their up-to-the-minute this-and-that, and the iPhones for their good cameras and small size.

 

[Javier P]

Re: LeoRex : A Tale of Legend

I'll try to resume my long history with mobile devices. My first smartphone was the fantastic Moto G 2013, almost three years ago. This little phone changed the rules on the mid-range market. It showed that great user experience and low price are compatible. I really enjoyed this phone until Motorola released the Moto X Play last year and bought one for me. Another great mid-ranger with and amazing battery, excellent screen, ok camera and good performance after Marshmallow. Also ... humm ... that's it.

 

[the tall guy]

Re: LeoRex : A Tale of Legend

My name is Kevin and I suffer from Nomophobia. My first phone was back in 1996, it was an Alcatel something or other and you could replace the front face of the phone with a selection of colours. From there I went to the Nokia 3210, 8210.....

My first smart phone was the Samsung Galaxy S; 6 months later I got the HTC Desire. I kind of took a break from Android in 2011, when I got myself a Nokia C3 (Blackberry looking) since 2012 I've always had some form of Android: below is the list of all the devices I've had for at least two weeks

Samsung Galaxy S / S3 / S4 / S5 / S6 and the S7 edge.
Samsung Galaxy Note / Note 2 / Note 3 and the Note 4
HTC Desire / HTC Wildfire S / HTC One X / M7 / M8 / M9
Sony Xperia Z / Z2
Nexus 4 / Nexus 5 / Nexus 6 / Nexus 5X / Nexus 6P
LG G2 / G3 / G4 / G5 (current phone)
Moto G 2nd Gen / Moto G 3rd Gen
Moto X Style
Huawei Honor 5x

I think that's it

My favourite phone out of them all is a toss up between the Nexus 5 and the LG G2. I loved the G2 and the back buttons. Least favourite would have to be the Honor 5x - the UI was too much like an Iphone.

So yeah that's it for me - I know I have a problem and I love it. If only my wife was as understanding and let me buy constantly instead of swapping / buying 2nd hand.

 

[Morty2264]

Re: LeoRex : A Tale of Legend

I've had a number of mobile devices over the years, but as far as smartphones are concerned, I've only had a few! Here is my list, my impression and review of each, and also a summary of my platform jump impressions.

1. BlackBerry Bold 9780 (White)

This was my first introduction to the smartphone world, and to BlackBerry OS in particular. I loved suddenly having access to things like email, BBM, and Facebook. I fell in love with the physical keyboard and the trackpad (the track BALL, on the other hand, was not something I think I would have liked). I became accustomed to the LED notification and I'd customize different colours for different people (my brother was blue!). I had this phone for about two and a half years, and when it started to die, I was very sad indeed. The battery and overall software started to go, and at the point, I KNEW I wanted to stick with BB, and it was then that I set my eyes on the next device - the most beautiful one I'd ever seen: the BlackBerry Q10.

2. BlackBerry Q10 (Black)
This phone is pretty much my favourite BB device of all time. I am so sad that they discontinued it. I remember that this phone came out in May, and I actually purchased it only a few weeks after its official launch date. I'd actually cancelled my other contract and forked out $200 outright for it... I WANTED it.

I absolutely loved BB 10, though it took a few days for me to adjust to that from the 9780. I ended up loving the BlackBerry Hub automatically - I loved how every notification I had, regardless of what app it was, would always be located there. Texts, Facebook, email, everything. The keyboard absolutely blew me away: the prediction, the button layout, how easily I could hold it and type... It just amazed me.

Also, the combination of touch-versus-physical-keyboard was beautiful. The swipe to unlock, the screen itself, the display... Everything was great. And again, BBM was a pleasure to use on this device.

I think, to summarize, the Q10 made preexisting features from BB's past even better; and the newer features from BB10 further enhanced the device, together making the Q10 my favourite BB device and one of my favourite phones of all time.

3. Google Nexus 5 (Black)

About fourteen months after I acquired my BlackBerry, I began to wonder what the Android experience had to offer; and I was soon researching which new device to purchase. I knew I wanted to jump ship - just to try something new. After some looking around at devices around $0 at Rogers, I finally decided on a phone: the Nexus 5.

When I bought it, I immediately fell in love with the custonizaability of Android. There are homescreens! Launchers! Icon packs! SwiftKey! Oh my gosh! I was totally immersed. And what better way to have an introduction to Android than to use a stock Google OS such as the Nexus 5. I learned that it was the most underrated yet amazing Android device of its day. For such a great price, you get amazing features, a great display, and a good experience. It delivered what flagships did at a fraction of the cost. I recommended it to everyone. I love Nexus for giving me my introduction to Android, and so I have a soft spot for the company. I will probably go to Nexus again in the future.

4. LG G3 (black/grey)

And now on to the last phone of my purchase/Devi d history. I chose the G3 by accident - sort of.

Again, when it came time for me to upgrade (I always cancel contracts early, pay the difference, and upgrade at my own expense), and so I began to look at different options. I finally decided on the Sony Xperia Z3, but when I went to Rogers, they had none in stock. Sad face!

But the G3 had been my second choice, and when the sales rep recommended it to me, I snagged it because I already knew it would work for me.

Well, that choice turned out to be the right one! Again, the customization offered by Android is superb. And LG made it even better for me than last time around. My lockscreen has animations - and weather animations! Double tap to unlock! Great display! And SwiftKey looks sick here too! And, of course, LG has its own custom app store (LG SmartWorld); where I've downloaded fonts, themes, and wallpapers. Love it so much!

And since I watch a ton of Netflix on my device, the G3, thanks to its bigger screen size and better display, has offered me a better viewing experience the the Nexus 5.

I will keep this phone for a long time, and it honk I got a winner here; because I'm seven months in and have no clue what to get next... That might mean something.

Platform Jump

As someone who has gone from BlackBerry to Android, I have a lot of respect for both platforms. I love BlackBerry for the way it introduced me to the smartphone world and BB 10 was able to integrate my device with my school and personal life in wondrous ways with the Hub and the keyboard. Android allowed me to further use my creativity and passion for expression by customizing every inch of it. And as someone who watches videos and TV on my phone, Android's app store and screen enhancements make Netflixing a real pleasure.

Though I know I will stick with Android for now (the foreseeable future), I did not platform jump because I was unhappy with BB: I jumped for a change, which is what I think all mobile enthusiasts must do. In order to become more well versed with mobile and in order to help others in this field, we need to know what's out there; and what better way to do that is to experience what the different platforms have to offer?

 

[sydneycooper1979]

LeoRex : A Tale of Legend

My very first smartphone was the pink blackberry curve from Verizon. I loved that phone so much. I would still use it today if it was at all relevant. Once the pink blackberry bit the dust, I got a droid Eris. Then it was onto the Samsung Fascinate, and the rest is downhill! I've pretty much had them all at one time or another. I'm a chronic switcher and I love tinkering!

 

[Laura Knotek]

Re: LeoRex : A Tale of Legend

My first smartphone was the Nokia E62, which I got in 2006. I was the oddball using Symbian in the US, when everyone else used Palm OS, Windows Mobile, or BlackBerry. I kept that one for 3 years and then got a Nokia E71. The E71 wasn't as good as the E62. It had battery life issues (beeping for low battery and then dead in 6 hours of light use). I took the E71 back, and they didn't have any replacements in the store to give me (I was within my 30 day exchange period at the time). Therefore, I got a BlackBerry 9000.

When I told a friend I got a BlackBerry 9000, he told me about CrackBerry, where I was very active from 2009-2012. I later got a BlackBerry 9700. I loved BlackBerry at the time, but my 9700 started showing its age, and the battery pulls needed just from using the browser got to the point that the device was hindering my experience, rather than helping me. Since BlackBerry 10 wasn't ready yet, I moved to Windows Phone.

I knew nothing about Windows Phone when I got my Nokia Lumia 900, but I had used Nokia Symbian in the past and decided to go back to a Nokia device. I later got a Nokia Lumia 920, since the 900 never got updated to Windows Phone 8 or 8.1. I used Windows Phone from April 2012 to March 2015. The Nokia Lumia 920 started showing its age, and I got tired of "Loading", "Resuming", and apps either disappearing, never getting updated, or never arriving. I decided to experiment with Android in March 2015 and got a 2013 Moto X and a 2013 Nexus 7.

What was originally going to be an experiment turned into a permanent platform change for me. I never put my SIM back in the Nokia Lumia 920 and never considered getting another Windows Phone. I probably should've known that I'd love Android, since I've been using Linux since 2006, in addition to Windows, which I've used longer. I had all the apps I could possibly want, including local apps, banking apps, and Starbucks. Customization of Android is so much fun, even without root; however, I did have my Nexus 7 rooted for a while. It's unrooted now, since I did not really feel any need to root, and I wanted to be able to get the monthly updates OTA. My 2013 Moto X got retired when I got a Moto X Pure Edition back in October 2015, and that's the device I'm currently using (albeit a warranty replacement I got in May 2016, since the original device was defective).

I'm having lots of fun with Android and plan to stick around, since Android is the platform that meets my needs the best. Next up on my wish list is a Chromebook.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Re: LeoRex : A Tale of Legend

Ok...so my first smartphone was a Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch.

Yeah...I always seem to get a mild case of carpal tunnel after typing that. Loaded with state of the art Gingerbread v.2.3. Yup, I do not miss those days. You almost needed to root the phone to make a phone call. That device was a mess. 16 GB of internal but only 2 GB was for apps and everything else was considered mass storage. This is where I learned that 900 partitions on a device was a bad thing.

On deck was the Galaxy S3 (Whew...no carpal tunnel here). Leaps and bounds better than the S2, and not just in name. This was among the first devices that Samsung made universal in exterior design. With the S2, you had as I recall 5 different shell versions. Meaning there were 5 different cases and all different enough in the camera region to make them device specific. Whole new breed of awesome there.

After that was the 2013 Moto X. Still one of my more favorite devices to date. Loved the form factor, feel and how the software was optimized for the hardware. Moto had it's prodigal son here.

Shortly after was the Nexus 5. Not a bad little device. Battery could have been a bit bigger. I still use it now as a test device.

Now...in 2014, came a new dawn. Yup, I changed to AT&T and got the HTC M8. Quite possibly my second favorite device. This device lasted a little over a year. In under a month, this was rooted, S-Off, and flashed an AOSP ROM. I RUU the device back to stock, and it is still in use, currently running 6.0.

2015 saw some testing devices. I used an LG G4. Overall, not a bad device. Having come from a couple devices that were slimmer on Android, this was a little bit of a wake up call. LG's skin is quite conspicuous. Almost to the point where it is annoying.

I was also testing an Asus Zenfone 2. Between this device and the G4, I learned that I don't care for 5.5"+ devices. And ZenUI is probably more in-your-face than LG's UI is. Between these two, I went from May to November on a skinned type of ROM.

In October/November of 2015, is when I purchased the Nexus 5X. Finally going back to a near 5" device was a relief for me. And back to a slimmer version of Android. This is still my personal flagship, with the M8 being my backup until a few days ago.

November also was when I upgraded my AT&T line to the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Yes, I chose a deice that had a 5.5"+ screen. My reason was, for the benefit of my helping out on the forums, I needed to see what Samsung was doing since the S3, almost 4 years ago.