Should I buy an amazing top tier phone? Or a good phone and a good tablet?

jaycrewz

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Hey all, new to the forum, but have been an Android user for a while.(if too long, skip to the bottom few questions)

Ive been looking at newer phones and Ive been really really tempted the prospect of being a specs-***** that had the latest top of the line equipment. And while Ive been so indecisive about what resolution and screen size I really needed in a phone, I asked myself "why not get a tablet too?".

Ive always had modest phones...Pantech Pocket, Optimus F6, etc. Ive never had a 5 inch phone or a phone with HD resolution...but while I was out in the store yesterday seeing if I would like such phones, I really did like what I saw. I realized I much enjoyed 5 inch screens and that they will fit in pockets well, and I was amazed by 1080p video on the HTC One M8. I loved how it felt in my hand too. I didnt know a 5 inch phone could be so comfy and pocket-able as well. I even looked at the LG G3 and while I liked the 1440p content I saw...I couldnt say there was a significant improvement that I could detect over 1080p on screen sizes under 7 inches. That said, the LG G3 was also very comfy to hold and had great color reproduction that was better than the M8 (is that the screen tech or the QHD doing that?)

So I came home and did research into pricing. And I realized that high end GSM phones with 1080p or higher capability were pretty expensive to buy off-contract. I have Tmobile prepaid and dont want to enter into a contract just to save money on a phone (especially since my bill will go up a bit). Then I saw that many bigger tablets with good resolutions had attractive prices.

So i thought to myself..."what exactly do I need my phone to do when Im commuting, at work, or out on the town?" I know I need 4g speeds, a phone over at least 4.5 inches but still comfortably pocket-able in both dress pants and slim jeans, and I also need a phone that wont allow me to detect pixels in videos, pictures, or text when 12 inches from my face. Also, I do serious gaming on my pc...so any Android games I play will be stuff like Subway Surfers or emulators (N64, Genesis, etc)

That all said, I am still interested in watching HD video on a nice screen. But once I picked up phones that got close to or beyond 6 inches, my thumbs couldnt reach across the width of the screen, and I couldnt reach all of the icons comfortably with one hand without repositioning how I held the device. Nevermind how big this would look and feel in a pocket at work or in the bar.

I figured that given Im not going to be a huge power user on my phone, that instead of going for a top of the line big screen phone, that I could go midrange, but then also get a tablet if I really wanted to look at HD content on a larger screen. Im doing research at the moment, and seeing if I can get a really good phone and tablet for the price of a large flagship full HD or even QHD phone.

So I thought to get some advice here from people who have both tablets and phones;

1. Given my needs, do you think I need 720p or 1080p in a phone?

2. For those who have phones at least 5.7 inches, how comfortable are they in your pockets and in day to day use? Do you feel I should sacrifice screen size in a phone purchase in order to further fund a tablet?

3. In a tablet, at what screen size do you recommend QHD over FHD?

Lastly, part of the reason I am considering a tablet is that I know itll split the cost of my budget between devices. Im concerned with shelling out $450+ on just a phone, because I know a phone will be more susceptible to damage given how I use phone and where I take them. My tablet would see less travel and less risky use.
 

LeoRex

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Don't compromise... Get a Nexus 5 phone and a Nexus 7 tablet. You could get the pair for under $600 total if you find the right deal.

Too much? Get a Moto G 4G and Nexus 7 for a around $400

Still too much? Get a Moto E or LG Optimus L90, and a Nexus 7 for 300-330.
 

Aquila

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1. Either would work @ 12". Really I'd recommend paying attention to screen quality (go look at the device, move stuff around, etc) than worrying about any single number. Color accuracy, saturation, etc are all important. On a 16:9 ratio screen 720p is "retina" at 12" on anything that's 5.14" or smaller and 1080p is retina at 12" on anything that's smaller than 7.72" on the hypotenuse.

2. I haven't embarked on that one yet.

3. I just purchased a Nvidia Shield tablet and it's "retina" at 12.5", so I'm okay with that. Anything over 9" or so, I'd say QHD becomes more important.

I might recommend the Moto G LTE, Nexus 5 or Moto X and a Nvidia Shield tablet (check out the info about playing PC games on your TV through it) as a pretty hard hitting combo on the afforability scale. For the G and tablet and such you're looking at about $500 total, for the X more like $700 with the Nexus in between. That said, I said "might" because Moto is announcing something next week and that might be worth seeing. Another device in the highly affordable category (when they start selling it) is the OnePlus One. Barring a combo like that where the cost is roughly equivalent to just an off contract phone, i'd say go with a single device with a slightly larger screen - the tablet can't do anything the phone can't (except Nvidia) and redundant devices can be expensive.
 

Formerly Known As

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I moved from a Droid Razr to the Note 3.
Sometimes there is a quantum leap between phone generations that make an incredible difference. My move was one of those.
Between the Note 3 and 4, not so much. I will not be making that move. I bought cutting edge quality and will make up the extra expense over a number of years until the next 'quantum' leap.
Consider a Note 3 at cut rate prices after the Note 4 comes out.

Posted via Android Central App
 

JeffDenver

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I have both a high end phone and tablet.

1. Given my needs, do you think I need 720p or 1080p in a phone?

720p is good enough. I can tell the difference between 1080p and 720p, but not at a glance, and I don't think most people would notice. 720p is already really good, even on a large phone. That being said, more is never a bad thing.

PPI matters more than resolution. In general, I would want something above 300PPI. iPhones are 326ppi. I think the Nexus 5 is 445ppi.

2. For those who have phones at least 5.7 inches, how comfortable are they in your pockets and in day to day use? Do you feel I should sacrifice screen size in a phone purchase in order to further fund a tablet?
People exaggerate phone size differences. I can fit my 7" tablet in my pocket. The difference between a 5" phone and 6" phone is much less than people think. Mostly it affects your ability to use the phone one handed, but they all fit in pocket pretty easy IMO.

3. In a tablet, at what screen size do you recommend QHD over FHD?
Anything over 1080p on a 7-8" tablet is "good" IMO. On large tablets I'd want at least 1200p. More is better, and more noticeable on tablets than on phones.

Lastly, part of the reason I am considering a tablet is that I know itll split the cost of my budget between devices. Im concerned with shelling out $450+ on just a phone, because I know a phone will be more susceptible to damage given how I use phone and where I take them. My tablet would see less travel and less risky use.
If it was me I'd rather have a really good phone first. The cheapest of the "good" phones are $300+. Nexus 5's can be had for $350, and I think you can get a Moto X for $300.

If you shop smart, you can have both. The Nexus 7 is only $200 in some places. A decent 7" tablet can be had for as low as $100.
 

jaycrewz

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Im going to head to the store later and see if I like 720p on a 5 inch or 5.5 inch screen. Hopefully I do like it, as it will save me some money xD. Thanks for the informative post Jeff
 

JeffDenver

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Im going to head to the store later and see if I like 720p on a 5 inch or 5.5 inch screen. Hopefully I do like it, as it will save me some money xD. Thanks for the informative post Jeff

1080p phones are not necessarily more expensive. So don't limit yourself by that. The Nexus 5 has a 1080p display and is under $400 now. - Nexus 5 16GB Black T Mobile Smartphone | eBay

Unless you are a graphics nerd 720p is plenty. It will be iPhone retina-like-ppi quality. Some displays will still be better than others (view angles, brightness, black levels, ect), but 720p will be a good resolution.
 

barth2

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From my experience, people end up either using their phone a lot or their tablet a lot, depending on their work / home situation. So OP should try to think which he'll use more and spend accordingly.
 

mrsmumbles

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If the OPO will fit in your pockets, I'd second the recommendation for that. It's large and a good compromise between phone and tablet at a great price.
 

jaycrewz

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eBay has a 16gig Nexus 5 (new) for $315...with no tax (except for New Jersey) and free shipping.

LG Google Nexus 5 D820 16GB Factory Unlocked GSM Android Cell Phone | eBay
I passed on this phone because of the numerous complaints Ive read regarding the battery. In my opinion a 5inch 1080p phone should have at least a 3000 mAh battery. I dunno what LG was thinking giving the Nexus 5 only 2300 mAh.

Thanks for all the replies guys.
 

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