What should I be looking at next ??

[steve_ma]

Nothing wrong with my S5 but I am starting to get the itch and I am thinking about upgrading. I am looking for some suggestions from folks who may stay on top of trends and developments more than myself.

• My last couple of phones have been Samsungs. I like them but aren't married to them.
• I love the idea of a swappable battery even though I almost never actually need to swap one out. Is that sort of disappearing altogether?
• External storage (sim card) is nice but as long as the onboard storage is reasonable and cost effective I'm fine with it.
• I really like the idea of basic water and dust proofness.
• As long as it's android, don't much care about the particular flavor of the OS. I'll customize with Nova, Zooper, and widgets anyway.
• I value dependability over next gen features. I do like living on the edge but not with untested features of questionable functionality.

Thanks for reading and any thoughts and suggestions welcome.
--Steve

 

[rokemsokem]

Eh. Hard to say, Steve. You have a much larger field to choose from given that you aren't concerned with removable power supply and external storage. Personally, I'm waiting to see the GS8. I actually do want removable power supply and external memory option, though. If it doesn't have those capabilities, I'll be looking elsewhere, too. Likely a Moto if Samsung doesn't come through with my preferences in terms of physical build. Plus I'm still kind of annoyed by that built in Clean Master nonsense that Samsung let through the door.

Agreed on the GS5, though. Nothing at all wrong with it here, either.

 

[steve_ma]

Thanks rokem. Will a closed system where you can't replace the battery necessarily lead to degrading battery performance over time? Do modern batteries get weaker over time? Is that a thing?

Replaceable batteries have always been a priority for me and I have always had two spares for my S5 (I swap them around occasionally). But, I almost never NEED one. I am not sure if that is because I keep a clean system with minimal garbage running or because rotating the batteries helps their lifespan... or maybe blind luck. If I could get a phone where I'm confident the battery life will be equal to or better than my S5 and NOT DEGRADE then I could live with a non swappable battery.

 

[rokemsokem]

Thanks rokem. Will a closed system where you can't replace the battery necessarily lead to degrading battery performance over time? Do modern batteries get weaker over time? Is that a thing?

No, they all degrade over time whether they are removable or not. Likely at the same rate. That's just an uneducated assumption, though, as far as equality in rate. Of course, Android is managing power consumption much better these days, too. A single battery should last a few years. I'm just going by my own usage. Others may use theirs more heavily than I. In fact, others likely do.

Replaceable batteries have always been a priority for me and I have always had two spares for my S5 (I swap them around occasionally). But, I almost never NEED one. I am not sure if that is because I keep a clean system with minimal garbage running or because rotating the batteries helps their lifespan... or maybe blind luck. If I could get a phone where I'm confident the battery life will be equal to or better than my S5 and NOT DEGRADE then I could live with a non swappable battery.

Yeah, you could. The swappable battery thing is just convenience. A bit of nostalgia even. But it does save money on having to have the battery replaced by an authorized dealer in a few years. Of course, by then, it may be your decision to upgrade the device again. I keep my phones for years. That's mainly why I like the replaceable batttery. I know I'm not going to be upgrading as often as the average phone user. So I just get the ones with the replaceable battery to avoid having to have it factory replaced in 36 months or so. Just depends on how often you upgrade, really.

 

[JustWorkStupidPhone]

I'm curious about this as well. My phone probably has some more life in it. I am just itching for something new. I installed the Nova launcher and that probably gave me another 6 months.

Is anyone excited about the S7?