Phone recommendations?

[SlickRCBD]

Yesterday my phone stopped making voice calls. I called my carrier, and they said they finally took down the 3G tower and that my Samsung Galaxy S9, which reports model "SM-G960U" does not have VoLTE, so I can no longer use it as a phone. I'm pissed because I just got it two years ago and intended to last at least 5 years.

I found out that the Galaxy S20, s21, and s22 don't have a headphone jack or FM tuner.

Can anybody recommend a phone that will last 5 years before I won't be able to install/update apps that has a headphone jack that can run "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nextradioapp.nextradio&hl=en_US" and receive FM radio signals? I use that feature a lot in the warmer weather.

Also an SDCard slot that I can pop the 64gb SDCard out of my S9 and pop it into the new phone?
I need comperable or better battery life than the S9, and preferably comparable performance.
Also I need a price tag under $500. Sorry, I only had a temp job and I hadn't planned on getting a new phone because my S9 was working great until yesterday. It just isn't in the budget and money's tight.

Other features I use are probably pretty standard, but the phone needs a bit of storage. The S9 had 64gb of internal storage but 32 _might_ work if I have the microSD card.
* Use it as a flashlight
* Use it as an MP3 player
* use the GPS
* use it as a magnifying glass. (apps)
* Use it as a notepad (apps)
* Link it to Google Calendar
* use it as an address book (with google contacts
* use it as a barcode reader (not QR codes, but I occasionally need to scan those too). I have a couple apps for that.
* use it as an e-reader with CoolReader
* need to be able to connect it to my computer and load files via USB (for use with CoolReader, or to move the MP3 collection)
* Use it as a stopwatch or alarm clock
* get weather updates.

So any suggestions on something with equal or superior capabilities for the Galaxy S9? Hopefully one that will fit in my belt holster for the S9?
Key sticking point seems to be the FM radio capability, if NextRadio or something similar will work.
Note when I say FM, I mean old-fashioned radio that works without an internet connection with mobile data disabled with no wifi in the area.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Which carrier are you on? That might be important to know if any phone that is suggested will work on their network.

The Galaxy A52 5G might be a good choice, since it has a headphone jack and an SD card slot, and is a midrange phone from Samsung (so the price should be right). All reviews indicate the phone's performance is excellent. (Unfortunately, the newest generation A53 5G doesn't have a headphone jack.)

Please register on this forum, which will allow you to engage in discussion more easily, as well as post images. https://forums.androidcentral.com/ask-question/409154-join-android-central-community.html

 

[smvim]

To get a better idea on what to shop around to buy, try using the phone finder feature on the gsmarena site:
https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php...elected&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1
Go through the various options and see if what phones might be available that match up with what you want.
But a big priority you need to confirm is buying a phone that's compatible with your chosen carrier. You might find the perfect phone but if its cellular radio chip isn't going to work with your carrier that's a deal-breaker. Of course this is only an issue if you want a carrier-unlocked model. If you buy a phone sold by your carrier this doesn't matter. There will be more bloatware and branded apps on a carrier-locked phone but you don't have to worry about compatibility, and if you avoid getting locked into a contract there could be a price advantage.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-budget-android-phone/

 

[smvim]

Y... Hopefully one that will fit in my belt holster for the S9?
Key sticking point seems to be the FM radio capability, if NextRadio or something similar will work.
...

Forgot to add, odds are you'll be needing to buy a new belt holster for whichever replacement phone you end up buying. The casing your S9 fits into is made to match up specifically with a S9 phone. Things like the overall dimension, thickness, location of the power and volume buttons, the openings for different ports (headphone, USB, etc., the location of the SIM card/microSD card (could be a combined tray, two separate trays, or none if the cards get mounted inside), the camera opening, and more all vary widely between each model phone. Is the belt holster a one piece unit or a two-piece holster plus separate phone casing that slides into it?

 

[L0n3N1nja]

Samsung phones as old as the S5 support VoLTE, the issue is it was often a carrier feature and only worked on phones provided by the carrier until the last couple years.

Knowing which carrier you're with would help us provide phone recommendations.

 

[SlickRCBD]

OP here. I'm on Consumer Cellular.
As for registering, I don't understand why it showed I wasn't registered. I logged in, made the post, and it showed up like I wasn't logged in.

I'm using a SM-G960U model s9.

 

[mustang7757]

OP here. I'm on Consumer Cellular.
As for registering, I don't understand why it showed I wasn't registered. I logged in, made the post, and it showed up like I wasn't logged in.

I'm using a SM-G960U model s9.

[I changed you to post owner]
Probably weren't log in at the time you posted.

 

[SlickRCBD]

[I changed you to post owner]
Probably weren't log in at the time you posted.

Could it be because I logged in at Androidcentral when looking at articles on enabling VoLTE on an S9 (the option in the article on the main site doesn't appear on my phone) but did not log in again with clicking on the link to the forums? Are they separate logins?

In any case, I'd like suggestions on phones with comparable capabilities and looks to the Galaxy S9, as until Tuesday I was very happy with it, it runs plenty fast, has enough storage and all the features I want. However the S10 is a couple years old, and the S20 and 21 do NOT have FM radio so I don't know what else to get, what other brands have headphone jacks and comparable features to a Galaxy S9? I don't want to downgrade, but I don't have a lot of money to spend either. I've only had temp jobs since COVID.

 

[mustang7757]

Could it be because I logged in at Androidcentral when looking at articles on enabling VoLTE on an S9 (the option in the article on the main site doesn't appear on my phone) but did not log in again with clicking on the link to the forums?

Its possible, if your still using Andriod Central App you cant comment on blogs at this moment but Forum works , im not sure any glitches as i dont use that app .

 

[B. Diddy]

Could it be because I logged in at Androidcentral when looking at articles on enabling VoLTE on an S9 (the option in the article on the main site doesn't appear on my phone) but did not log in again with clicking on the link to the forums? Are they separate logins?

In any case, I'd like suggestions on phones with comparable capabilities and looks to the Galaxy S9, as until Tuesday I was very happy with it, it runs plenty fast, has enough storage and all the features I want. However the S10 is a couple years old, and the S20 and 21 do NOT have FM radio so I don't know what else to get, what other brands have headphone jacks and comparable features to a Galaxy S9? I don't want to downgrade, but I don't have a lot of money to spend either. I've only had temp jobs since COVID.

You saw my suggestion for the A52 5G, right?

 

[SlickRCBD]

Forgot to add, odds are you'll be needing to buy a new belt holster for whichever replacement phone you end up buying. The casing your S9 fits into is made to match up specifically with a S9 phone. Things like the overall dimension, thickness, location of the power and volume buttons, the openings for different ports (headphone, USB, etc., the location of the SIM card/microSD card (could be a combined tray, two separate trays, or none if the cards get mounted inside), the camera opening, and more all vary widely between each model phone. Is the belt holster a one piece unit or a two-piece holster plus separate phone casing that slides into it?

It's a 1-piece holster. Fairly new. I used the phone as an electronic Swiss Army Knife at one temp job from March to August last year on a temp job migrating computers from win7 to win10 and I kept needing to whip it out to scan a bar code (much easier than writing down the long, gibberish serial numbers), consult my instructions (including The List of what computers to upgrade), make or edit notes, use as flashlight, use as a magnifying glass, or use as a walkies-talkie to coordinate with the rest of the team via Microsoft Teams or text messages when we were split up upgrading some computers.
Since I was whipping it out all the time, having a holster made sense. That list isn't exhaustive of what I used it for on the job, there were also daily COVID screening questions, looking up stuff on the internet, and other stuff I did less regularly.
My team was joking that our phones were being used as electronic Swiss Army Knives or electronic Leathermen. I also had one of those too since I needed a box cutter, slot, and Philips screwdriver.

I'm not worried about the holster, it was $10, minor compared to the cost of phones.

 

[SlickRCBD]

I just found that the A52 doesn't have FM radio, which is why I want a headphone jack. Any other suggestions on phones? It's hard to figure out what phones are as good as the old S9, since it seems everybody talks about screen size and the camera. I don't care about the camera, 3mp camera should work. As long as the phone can scan bar codes and QR codes, and take a quick snapshot of items to display on the screen, the camera is fine.
Sorry, frustrated trying to find a new phone with a radio. Looking for suggestions to replace the S9 since these instructions don't work on MY S9:
https://www.androidcentral.com/how-enable-volte-samsung-galaxy-s9

 

[Laura Knotek]

I just found that the A52 doesn't have FM radio, which is why I want a headphone jack. Any other suggestions on phones? It's hard to figure out what phones are as good as the old S9, since it seems everybody talks about screen size and the camera. I don't care about the camera, 3mp camera should work. As long as the phone can scan bar codes and QR codes, and take a quick snapshot of items to display on the screen, the camera is fine.
Sorry, frustrated trying to find a new phone with a radio. Looking for suggestions to replace the S9 since these instructions don't work on MY S9:
https://www.androidcentral.com/how-enable-volte-samsung-galaxy-s9

Unfortunately, you probably won't find much if anything that still has FM radio.