Best Android phone you've had?

[I_didnt_do_it]

Hi. Question says it all. What is the best Android Smartphone you have had? I have had an HTC Inspire 4g, HTC Droid Incredible 2, Galaxy S3, Galaxy S6 Edge, Note 5, Galaxy S7, Droid Maxx, HTC One M8, Droid Turbo 2(current daily driver) , and an LG G4.

Of those, I would say the S6 edge, Note 5, S7 were the best in terms of overall use and ESPECIALLY cameras. I haven't used anything yet that beats the cameras on those things. Though this Droid Turbo 2 is really impressing me with its battery life, and I actually think it's a cool looking device, I have the one with black bezels, so all the sensors and grilles aren't as noticeable. Its been an excellent pick up to replace my sadly deceased S7, especially picking it up for under $100. I'm liking it so much so that I would be content to use it for a couple years. I know it's not compatible with anything over Nougat, but that's a good version of Android and it works great, so I'm quite happy with this phone. It will keep me from having to shell out for a new phone.

On the flip side, the worst one out of the bunch I had was the HTC one M8. It had a good looking exterior, but man it performed poorly, and the photos were quite disappointing. Battery was an issue from day one, and I wasted no time in replacing with a different phone. None of my HTC devices were very good for that matter.

 

[belodion]

My Nexus 5, now approaching 5y old, never fails to astonish me with its smoothness and speed. No other Android that I've used has quite matched it in those respects. It remains a pleasure to use, in spite of its lack of modern features.

The iPhone SE is a delight too...though it may not be an Android device.

 

[bembol]

Easy.

My pick is hTc's One M7.

Amazing design, size was perfect, great OS and of course I love the BoomSound speakers.

I loved it so much after I sold it, I bought it again after 3-4 months. Of course, I sold it after a few months. lol

 

[Tsepz_GP]

My old Samsung Galaxy Note 4. That phone was the definition of Power House, it has a lot of the modern features for a 5 year old device:

- OIS in the Camera
- Fingerprint Scanner
- 1440P Display
- Fast Charging
- Metal frame

The battery life was great, the SPen completely set it apart from everything else on top of its endless feature list at the time, and the phone was so well built with the faux leather back that you didn't really need a case.

In hand it felt like a true Power Users device.

Overall I was very happy with the Galaxy Note 4, it was my first Galaxy Note, and I used it happily for 2 years only replacing the battery.

 

[B. Diddy]

My latest is my greatest -- Pixel 2 XL. No issues after more than a year, great performance, awesome camera. Worst is the Honor 5X I got for free -- that thing is slower than mud.

 

[chanchan05]

My Note 2. That was the only phone I had that I had no complaints of for what was offered at the time. My S7 Edge lacked the pen, and the S9 while great has a small battery and no pen. Stuff happened the last couple of times that didn't get a Note device for reasons, but certainly next phone will be Note again.

 

[Terminator55]

I have Samsung Galaxy S6 now. Good phone I'm happy with it.

 

[gendo667]

Best phone I've had? Probably the phone I have now, the Galaxy S8. Followed closely by the Nexus 5.

 

[Tim1954]

They just keep getting better ;-)

 

[belodion]

They just keep getting better ;-)

Overall that’s true. The developments in such a short time have been astonishing. But it surely hasn’t all been good. I for one don’t think that we can say that curved displays, notches, bezellessness, large phone sizes, and obsessive device thinness make phones better in any sensible interpretation of the word.

 

[uw]

From pure design perspective, I loved the LG G2. From the minimal bezel to rear volume/power placement, I thought it was the perfect size and the most comfortable phone I've ever used. The software stability could have been better though. If they made that phone again with modern specs/material/OS, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

 

[ManiacJoe]

I really like my LG V30. Great screen, DAC sound system, lots of storage space, good CPU, no notch, still with a headphone jack and SD card.

Some might argue that my previous LG G4 had a better camera system, and maybe they are right, but I am not complaining.

 

[Tim1954]

Indeed you are right Belodion, I was referring purely from the tech point of view. I was a radio tech long ago and am a radio amateur, I remember we used to dabble in Slow Scan TV and packet radio - these were the ancestors of internet coms and data exchange over radio. There were valve operated commercial radio stations, now replaced with all solid state components. I still maintain that valves sound much richer for audio...

 

[L0n3N1nja]

Possibly my S3, bought it in 2012 and it was lightyears ahead of my previous LG and it was the first actual good cell phone camera I used. I drowned it in a river and had to dry it out in 2013, took it apart myself and fixed it. My mom and sister both used it for awhile after that, and when I got it back gave it to a friend. He used it until late 2017 as his daily phone. That thing survived 5 years of abuse and never even had the battery swapped.

 

[belodion]

^ Well done for the successful repair.

 

[OrangeSpice]

Our first android phone was a Galaxy Note 4. It was okay, it felt a bit big in the hand and had tons of bloatware pre-loaded. Now days we are very happy using the Sony XA2. Feels great in the hand and does what it needs to do - with no issues and excellent battery life - all without breaking the bank. We have to say, Sony truly won our hearts yet again

 

[I_didnt_do_it]

Possibly my S3, bought it in 2012 and it was lightyears ahead of my previous LG and it was the first actual good cell phone camera I used. I drowned it in a river and had to dry it out in 2013, took it apart myself and fixed it. My mom and sister both used it for awhile after that, and when I got it back gave it to a friend. He used it until late 2017 as his daily phone. That thing survived 5 years of abuse and never even had the battery swapped.

I'll always have a soft spot for the Galaxy S3. That one was a game changer for me and really got me interested in mobile devices.

 

[I_didnt_do_it]

Overall that’s true. The developments in such a short time have been astonishing. But it surely hasn’t all been good. I for one don’t think that we can say that curved displays, notches, bezellessness, large phone sizes, and obsessive device thinness make phones better in any sensible interpretation of the word.

Definitely agree with the bezels and phone size. To me these ultra small bezels make it easier to untintentionally press keys when you don't want to. And I like a phone with some heft. Feels better made to me.

 

[Morty2264]

This is an amazing thread topic, thank you so much for posting it, OP! I wrote a huge post earlier but accidentally lost it LOOL so I'll try to reproduce it here!

The smartphones I've had, in chronological order, are the Blackberry Bold 9780, Blackberry Q10, Nexus 5, LG G3, Honor 8, and the Google Pixel 2.

Of all the phones I've had, I think the best and most favourite one I've had is the Honor 8. It was the first phone I ever bought unlocked, and that started a trend! It was also the most unbeatable price for the quality of the product. I loved the glass phone and its form factor; and the size of the phone was perfect for me (5.2"). I have small hands and love using my phones one-handed, so this really made my life easier. I truly loved EMUI: it was so customizable and I could entirely change my phone experience (font, icons - the wonder!) without downloading a third-party launcher. The dual camera setup was also an amazing feat to behold! Also, it was the only phone I've had that did not break/have software or hardware issues that forced me to get an early upgrade.

Also, I loved my Honor 8 so much that I let my boyfriend (now husband) borrow it when his iPhone SE was on the fritz (I had just purchased my Pixel 2 at that point in time). It was his first introduction to Android and he loved it so much that he considered an Honor/Huawei phone for his first ever Android phone! Plus, he works with the military and the Honor 8 stacked up against environmental conditions, traveling, and sand!

All in all, the Honor 8 was an awesome phone and I miss it! The only two things I wish it had were double tap to wake and water resistance. I may actually consider a Huawei phone for my next upgrade! Too many phones - so little money.

 

[recDNA]

Toss up between Note 7 and LG V20