Not sure which phone to get...

[RumoredNow]

Have you looked at Nexus?

Fastest updates. Least Bloat. Most flexible for modding.

 

[metz65]

Do a little homework on different phones to make sure they have no major issues. After you decide what YOU find important( camera, screen size,etc) go to the store play around with the display phones, then disregard everything someone else tells you as a reason to get a phone and get the one YOU like.

I don't care what kind of phone you have, that's not how I judge someone's worth or intelligence.

 

[JeffDenver]

Do a little homework on different phones to make sure they have no major issues. After you decide what YOU find important( camera, screen size,etc) go to the store play around with the display phones, then disregard everything someone else tells you as a reason to get a phone and get the one YOU like.

Yes, ignoring phone nerd advice is a great idea. Go buy that Samsung Galaxy Exhibit you've had your eye on. You totally will not regret it in 3 months, I promise.

 

[JulesJam]

I'm finally moving into the world of smartphones. I want an android, obviously. I'm going no-contract, so it also needs to be unlocked GSM.

whatever you get, make sure it is 4G LTE capable.

 

[JulesJam]

In that price range I would probably get a Moto G LTE (the only "modern" Moto Phone to have SD support). But for $50 more you could get a Nexus 5 which is significantly better.

How long do you get out of a full battery charge on the Nexus 5? Of course it depends on your usage, but from what I have read, not a full day if you are actually using the phone.

 

[JeffDenver]

How long do you get out of a full battery charge on the Nexus 5? Of course it depends on your usage, but from what I have read, not a full day if you are actually using the phone.

Depends on what you mean by "actually using". If you mean gaming, no, it will not last more than a few hours. The Nexus will not do well for marathon gaming sessions. If you mean listening to MP3s and making phone calls, yes, it will last well over a full day. If you mean occasional web browsing and texting and phone calls, it will last a full day as well.

Different people have different definitions of "real use". Mine will last a full day, unless I am using my wifi tether app. If I am using it for texting and web browsing and MP3s and reading, I can go 12 hours pretty easy. I typically have my screen brightness at 100%, I never turn off LTE (and never use Wifi), and I often use bluetooth.

Anandtech's results are pretty consistent with my experience.

 

[thatdennis]

Try the XiaoMi brand, it's from China and quite cheap with high end specs. The price is around $200-$300, unlocked but a bit hard to get.

 

[Acantha]

How necessary is 4G? I regularly have access to decent wifi. I don't need super fast download speeds. I mostly want to be able to receive/send email, check Moodle for class updates and maybe browse the web.

About XiaoMi--do they update their phones?

 

[JulesJam]

How necessary is 4G?

it is indispensable for me to browse the web on verizon b/c their 3G speeds are horrible. On TMobile and ATT they have HSPA+ speeds on 3G, which is much faster than verizon's old skool 3G speeds.

3G on verizon is unusable for web surfing or accessing anything online other than email and even then not attachments.

 

[Acantha]

it is indispensable for me to browse the web on verizon b/c their 3G speeds are horrible. On TMobile and ATT they have HSPA+ speeds on 3G, which is much faster than verizon's old skool 3G speeds.

3G on verizon is unusable for web surfing or accessing anything online other than email and even then not attachments.

I won't be going with Verizon. I'll be using Cricket or another prepaid GSM provider. Cricket is owned by and uses the towers of AT&T.

 

[JulesJam]

Cricket is owned by and uses the towers of AT&T.

ATT's HSPA+ network has decent speeds. So whatever phone you get make sure it can at least access ATT's HSPA+ network. However, as with all networks, you get slower speeds if the network is congested.

 

[RumoredNow]

And if you are using a reseller... research to see if they even allow LTE speeds. Many are still at H+ as the fastest.

 

[Acantha]

I'm not even sure if there's 4G coverage where I live. I think it's just 3G.

 

[RumoredNow]

So if the reseller you use and the area you live in are only going to offer 3G/H+, you can save some $$$ by not insisting on LTE.