Choosing a problem-free Android phone

[claudeburdel]

Hi,

I've owned an Android phone in the past (Droid Razr M) but since then tried Windows Phone and iPhone. I have an update coming up on November 17th on Verizon, and I'd like to go back to Android.

My smartphone needs are relatively basic. I use relatively few apps: Uber and scanning app for work, Amazon Kindle for reading, Bejeweled and Words with Friends for games, weather app, and that's pretty much it. I use Outlook.com webmail for my email. I want a larger screen for reading but don't want to go to Note size because of unwieldiness. 5 to 5.2 inch display seems like a good compromise.

The phones I'm looking at are the Moto X 2014, the Droid Turbo, and the S5.

I'd like my smartphone experience to be as problem-free as possible. I realize there are always going to be some glitches, but I'm frankly dismayed when I look at the forum posts on the Moto X and the S5. There seem to be a lot of people complaining about battery drain on the S5, and lately the Moto Voice feature on the Moto X. Getting my Outlook.com email is a whole problem in itself -- I'm seeing lots of internet reports about the Outlook.com app not syncing, to the point where it's unusable. From doing some research it seems like a third party app would be the answer there (Blue Mail looks good).

I guess my problem is that reading all the reports of various problems is making me apprehensive about returning to Android. I do understand that lots of reports of problems on a forum doesn't necessarily mean that I'll experience those problems myself, but the problem posts are so voluminous that it's making me worried.

Whatever phone I get, I'll also be getting one for my partner. He's not very tech-oriented, and we live in different states for most of the time, so that's another reason I want our smartphone experience to be as problem-free as possible -- I'd hate to have to do a lot of tech support over the phone with him.

So I guess my main question is, for a 5 to 5.2-inch screen, what phones would you recommend for a relatively straightforward and problem-free experience? And how seriously should I take reports of problems when choosing a phone?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! The 2014 Moto X just came out, so it's a little early to determine how common any problems are. Samsung sells such a high volume of phones that it's always hard to tell if problems that come up are very common, or if it's just by virtue of the sheer number of their phones that are out there.

If you don't need the newest of the new, consider a 2013 Moto X, which has generally been problem free. I would also strongly recommend the Nexus 5--mine has been absolutely problem free. The lack of any manufacturer skin helps to reduce the risk of various glitches, especially when it's update time. Its main weak point is a mediocre battery, but if you don't heavy duty gaming or productivity, then it should be just fine.

 

[claudeburdel]

Thanks for the reply! I need to be on Verizon so the Nexus 5 isn't an option (unless Verizon starts carrying it, which I understand they might in the future). I'll take a look at the Moto X 2013, that's an interesting idea.

 

[Rukbat]

It's rare to see a post labeled something like "My phone works with no problems". About all you'll see on forums are the problems people are having. If you're standing in the middle of a meadow, don't expect to see fish.

Some phones have pretty bad problems. Some have relatively few. (My wife's Note 3 had only 1 problem - the facebook app was slow with pictures and videos - but a total reset of the router fixed the problem. Drove me nuts for about a month, though.) Mine blew during an over the air update (OTAs are usually done in a way that makes system analysts wonder if there are any intelligent people left on the planet) and had to be replaced. Both bought at the same time in the same store. But, as a whole, the model is pretty good.

Sometimes a new phone has a problem caused by the firmware (no program over 10 lines long is totally bug-free), and when they come out with an update (if the phone doesn't decide to eat its hardware, the way mine did), the problem is fixed. Other times, the phone is just a dog. I won't buy a phone until it's been out at least a few months (same with an update), so that I can see if some people are having some little problems (a lot of them turn out to be pilot error), or everyone is having the same major problem with the same model.