Can you help me decide on a new phone? Please and thank you!

[AC Question]

I've been trying to research this stuff since last night. The only 'smart' phone I have had is this stupid iPhone 4s which is a better paperweight than anything else. I mean, seriously, the internal storage on this thing is worse than my boyfriend's $80 Chinese Android knock-off. Anyway, my mom called me last night and said I had 30 mins to decide on a new phone...not that easy lol.

I first picked the LG G3 because:
A) my boyfriend had the G2 and that thing was freakin' SICK! So fast, such nice graphics, such an amazing camera (only downfall was the screen seems a little weak, he broke two within a year...)
B) the monthly payment is quite reasonable at $18/month. However, the people at the Verizon store told me that the G3 is currently being 'phased out,' and that I wouldn't be able to receive updates and stuff like that soon.
**First of all, can anyone verify if that is true?**

They recommended the Droid Maxx 2 for a mere $16/month, which at face value seems like an okay phone. It's currently being over-nighted here, BUT, *I have a 14 day trial period with it,* so if I hate it I can exchange it for a different one for free. That's why I am writing here.

I have a list of the phones that could be in my "price range" (if I wanted to stretch it), from most expensive to least expensive:
Droid Turbo 2 - $26/month
LG G4 - $24/month
HTC One M9 - $23/month
The other option is an Galaxy S5, but since it was released in 2014, I'm assuming it'd have the same 'phasing out' issue.

I have absolutely no experience with these phones and have no clue what the difference between them is. The biggest difference I've noticed is between all of these and the Maxx 2 is that the Maxx 2 much 'worse' specs, but the above three are all pretty comparable. Honestly, I am a little upset that for only $2 a month more, I could get the G3 which has way better specs, but it's being 'phased out' (whatever that means).

**As far as my smartphone usage goes,** I don't really know because I've never had a really nice one. The most gaming I do on my phone currently is Hanging/Drawing With Friends, PVZ 2, Best Fiends, you know. I usually just use it for Snapchat, Reddit, and Google Maps. Of course I wouldn't *mind* being able to play Sims and other fancy games on my phone, but I have Sims on the computer so it's not really a big deal. I do use it for pictures a lot and it must have a microSD slot so I can put music on it.

The MAIN question I have here is: **is upgrading to one of the more expensive, fancier phones going to make a noticeable difference for someone like me?** How important is having Snapdragon 800-something over 615 and so on? Am I going to regret not just eating the price in a few years, or do you guys think I'll be perfectly happen with my little Maxx 2?

I would prefer to stay under the $20/month range because, while I can afford it now, I like to travel a lot and that extra $8-10 can make a big difference in some countries. But if you think that I'm really selling myself short on getting my first Android, I will happily reconsider.

Thanks in advance, guys.

-Super Confused

 

[Golfdriver97]

I don't think the G3 will be all that bad for you. Yes, it's an older device, but there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[LeoRex]

Well.. the G3 is coming up on its 2 year birthday. In mobile-phone-years, that's pretty old. The LG G3 is slated to get the current version of Android (6.0) eventually, but it most likely won't get beyond that, nor will it keep getting regular security updates for very long. What they mean by 'phase out' is that they are getting rid of whatever stock they have on hand and LG won't be making any more.... you can call it being discontinued.

As for the three phones... I'd say go for the G4. My wife has one (I have a Nexus 6P). It runs well, looks good, takes great pictures, etc. I don't have a lot of experience with the Turbo 2 or M9 (though, the M9 has a meh camera).

What I would do was get the Maxx 2.. use it for a week or so. And ask yourself "What do I find annoying?" If the phone feels a bit sluggish, laggy... apps load a bit slow and some games are janky... then going to either the DT2 or G4, both phones have more powerful processors and graphics capabilities. The Maxx 2 will have its own charm, of course, as I can tell you that the thing will most likely last you a LOOOOOONG time on a charge... more than the other two. But it doesn't really have the same overall performance as either others.

But give it a shot. What's the worst that can happen, considering you have that 14 day window?

 

[dpham00]

Verizon g4 is currently $18.83 online. It would be worth it to pay an extra $2.83 a month to go from the maxx 2 to the g4,imo.

The difference would be performance... The maxx 2 would be noticeably slower than the g4. But at the same time the maxx 2 would get noticeably better battery life.