Upgrade Now or Wait? The $1,000,000 Question!

[ajacobs79]

Hi Everyone! I'm the proud owner of an aging HTC One M8. MM and Nova Launcher have breathed some new (battery) life into my phone, but I'm well past upgrade eligibility. I'd probably go for the S7 Edge if upgrading right now. It's not perfect but seems to check off most of my must-haves. As much as I love the HTC 10 and want to support that company, the mixed reviews have me worried. For those of you knowledgeable about upcoming releases, I'm trying to decide if I should wait a few months until the new devices have been announced. I'm sure many are in my same position, so hopefully your opinions can benefit all forum users. Thank you in advance for your feedback!!! Here are the things I'm looking for:

* Excellent screen resolution/quality (especially outdoor visibility...i.e., AMOLED)
* Large screen size (minimum of 5.2" but preferably closer to the 5.5" range)
* Excellent camera (not overly concerned with low-light performance)
* Better-than-average speaker(s)
* Loud speakerphone (my One M8's speakerphone volume is terrible)
* P.S. - I'm with the evil Death Star, AT&T (but not married to them for my next phone)

 

[SpookDroid]

I would wait out until the new Note line is announced, and at the very least there should be more promos or better pricing for the S7 Edge then. Since the Note is expected to be the same screen size, it's just a matter of improved specs and S-Pen compatibility. But if you just can't wait, the S7 Edge is a reaaaaally good device. I've had mine since launch and it's just such an awesome phone.

The speaker aspect you want, though, maybe that's where it'll fall short. The speaker on the S7 Line (and I don't see why it would be any different on the new Note) are not great. They're decent, get the job done, but not great or awe-inspiring.

 

[ajacobs79]

I would wait out until the new Note line is announced, and at the very least there should be more promos or better pricing for the S7 Edge then. Since the Note is expected to be the same screen size, it's just a matter of improved specs and S-Pen compatibility. But if you just can't wait, the S7 Edge is a reaaaaally good device. I've had mine since launch and it's just such an awesome phone.

The speaker aspect you want, though, maybe that's where it'll fall short. The speaker on the S7 Line (and I don't see why it would be any different on the new Note) are not great. They're decent, get the job done, but not great or awe-inspiring.

Thanks so much for your input! Yeah, the upcoming Note 6/7 is what prompted me to wait. I also thought about the S7 Edge possibly going down in price as you mentioned. The Note owners I know have all LOVED their devices.

My co-worker has the S7 Edge and loves everything about it. His audio speakers weren't horrible by any means, but I haven't tested his speakerphone. Glad to hear you're just as happy with your device. What does attract me to the Note line is the less gimmicky design language I've seen so far. If the leaks are to be believed, of course. The curved screens seems to be less obvious which could eliminate the "accidental gestures" issue plaguing many S7 Edge owners. It's funny, people love to knock Samsung for Touchwiz and gimmicky features. They've toned that down A LOT in their recent devices, and they are seriously good-quality phones. I owned the S3-S5 models and was very happy with all of them.

 

[npaladin-2000]

In addition to the Note, the OnePlus Three and ZTE Axon 7 are on the WAY very soon, both 5.5 inch AMOLED. The ZTE in particular is supposed to have great sound.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[ajacobs79]

In addition to the Note, the OnePlus Three and ZTE Axon 7 are on the WAY very soon, both 5.5 inch AMOLED. The ZTE in particular is supposed to have great sound.

Posted via the Android Central App

Are these both considered reliable manufacturers? I know the earlier OnePlus models were not without issues. ZTE has been around for a while but I unfortunately have zero knowledge of their overall quality. Will definitely be on the lookout for these, though! Thank you!

 

[npaladin-2000]

Are these both considered reliable manufacturers? I know the earlier OnePlus models were not without issues. ZTE has been around for a while but I unfortunately have zero knowledge of their overall quality. Will definitely be on the lookout for these, though! Thank you!

They're reasonably reliable. OnePlus is a sister company of OPPO, ZTE is pretty popular in Asia as a midrange brand. There's some Asus models coming too but I don't think they're AMOLED, and I'm not sure they'll meet your audio requirements.

 

[ajacobs79]

They're reasonably reliable. OnePlus is a sister company of OPPO, ZTE is pretty popular in Asia as a midrange brand. There's some Asus models coming too but I don't think they're AMOLED, and I'm not sure they'll meet your audio requirements.

Well I'm definitely intrigued by the OnePlus and the ZTE. I read a review of the latter, and the bottom line was the phone is mid-range priced with top-end specs.

 

[Michael MCATEE]

I just got the S7e on AT&T and to be blunt it is awesome.

It will let you check off all your boxes.

The speakerphone is very loud and clear and if talking to someone else on AT&T and a newer phone have a button to increase it even more.

I've seen quite a few S7e out in the wild since I got mine last week..and they are all new folks who have just gotten their's and I have helped a few set them up, especially those coming from the iPhone. The others haven't never heard of Nova and haven't owned any newer Galaxy phones

The only diss I have about this phone is not having a great glass screen protector for it...and it isn't up to a audiophiles quality of music playback,but I'm not that disappointed with the quick Bluetooth music quality and a good equalizer output.

Imho...get the edge cause the note is going to be 100-150 more when it comes out and you got to wait until it does.

Posted from my AT&T S7 Edge

 

[ajacobs79]

I just got the S7e on AT&T and to be blunt it is awesome.

It will let you check off all your boxes.

The speakerphone is very loud and clear and if talking to someone else on AT&T and a newer phone have a button to increase it even more.

I've seen quite a few S7e out in the wild since I got mine last week..and they are all new folks who have just gotten their's and I have helped a few set them up, especially those coming from the iPhone. The others haven't never heard of Nova and haven't owned any newer Galaxy phones

The only diss I have about this phone is not having a great glass screen protector for it...and it isn't up to a audiophiles quality of music playback,but I'm not that disappointed with the quick Bluetooth music quality and a good equalizer output.

Imho...get the edge cause the note is going to be 100-150 more when it comes out and you got to wait until it does.

Posted from my AT&T S7 Edge

Thank you so much for your thorough comments! After seeing the Moto Z Force announcement Friday, I'm now very intrigued by that device. I think they've done a far better job with the modular design than LG. The screen size and resolution are exactly what I'm looking for, the interface is clean, etc. The price seems to be right as well. I'm interested in reading some in-depth reviews and whether the pros think it's a worthy competitor to the S7e. But, at this point, your idea of waiting until the Note comes out and the S7e price drops is a good one. Thanks again!

 

[sydneycooper1979]

I think I would wait out the note 6 and then decide between the note and S7e. I can tell you the edge is a fantastic device. I think the only thing that could best it at this point is the note 6

 

[anon(27512)]

I think I would wait out the note 6 and then decide between the note and S7e. I can tell you the edge is a fantastic device. I think the only thing that could best it at this point is the note 6

I can't wait to see the next galaxy note. Does anyone know anything about a release date or keynote yet?

 

[Clocks]

I can't wait to see the next galaxy note. Does anyone know anything about a release date or keynote yet?

August 2 apparently

 

[firebirder]

I am in a very similar boat. My Lg G3 is out of contracout and has been acting up lately. I am, unfortunately, tied to Verizon (their coverage is great, but hate that it's a CDMA carrier, limits options). My thoughts are a little different than a lot of others here but my 2 cents:

I am honestly impressed with the HTC 10 and its a brand I want to support. I especially like the almost stock Android on it, with very little carrier skin on top and I want a device I can watch Netflix on with a little better sound quality. The only thing stopping me from pulling the trigger and buying it is the disappointment HTC does not have an unlocked version that supports CDMA.

S7/S7Edge has my interest as well. I know Samsung builds quality phones and the fact that I can get an unlocked phone that works on VZW is awesome! I would choose the S7 but I really have no idea the usefulness of the Edge (maybe someone can enlighten me). Granted, it looks cool, but not worth an additional $100 for cool looks.

I'm trying to wait to see the Nexus reveal, especially the Marlin. But, as I'm sure is the case with many of you, it's hard to wait for that "next phone" annoucement.

For those others mentioned above, the OnePlus 3 I would like to try, but again only GSM. The Axon 7 and Sony Xperia Performance, based on reviews both have issues that drop it behind the HTC 10 and S7. As for the Note, no thanks, don't want a phone that big.

 

[wonderbread]

Wait for Google Daydream VR ready phones to drop. Preferably ones with 4k displays.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[speedlever]

Also being with AT&T with an old Galaxy S4/32GB, I am not happy about the lag in getting Android and security updates but am otherwise happy with the service I get. Ergo, I'm interested mainly in the upcoming Nexus phones.

I might consider the Note7, but have little to no interest in the edge version. The Axon7 looks and sounds interesting, but I have no interest in an unknown UI/skin. Make it pure Android and my interest level goes up.

I'm tired of the 5 inch display on my GS4 and want at least a 5.5 inch screen if not larger. If my iPad mini2/retina had phone radios, I might even prefer that size! But I'd hate to lug it around on my belt.

I would love to see a large screen Nexus with an SD card slot, waterproofing, a great camera with OIS, an IR blaster, front facing great speakers, and a removeable battery (since I tend to keep phones more than 2 years).

So I'm holding out to see how the Note7 (hopefully there will be a non-edge version) and the Nexus Marlin shake out. I've waited this long, I can wait a bit longer. Then will have to decide where to make a compromise. Sigh.

 

[Android Optimizer]

I would love to see a large screen Nexus with an SD card slot, waterproofing, a great camera with OIS, an IR blaster, front facing great speakers, and a removeable battery (since I tend to keep phones more than 2 years).

So I'm holding out to see how the Note7 (hopefully there will be a non-edge version) and the Nexus Marlin shake out. I've waited this long, I can wait a bit longer. Then will have to decide where to make a compromise. Sigh.

Google's TPTB have sworn never to put an sd card slot in their phones and tablets. Unless there is a change in the people running Google you're likely going to be waiting until hell freezes over before you get a Nexus with your wishlist features.
The Note7 should have the screen, sd card slot, waterproofing (s pen probably will not be waterproof), good camera, but will not have the IR blaster, front speaker"s" (none of Samsung's phones have had more than one front speaker - you pretty much have to go for an HTC for that), and no removable battery (most phone manufacturers have done away with the removable batteries since they want battery issues to be one of the things that push you to buy a new phone).

 

[jedpatrickdatu]

If price is one of the reasons you're worried about upgrading, consider the OnePlus 3. It's like an S7 but at a sweeter price without sacrificing quality, and even improving on it in some areas, like having a full metal body.

 

[radioactive70]

The new nexus marlin will have dual speakers and and a 64/128 g storage and a 5.5'screen

 

[radioactive70]

If I didn't get such a great deal on my nexus p I might of held out for the marlin.

 

[speedlever]

I'm past ready to upgrade from my i337 (ATT) running 5.0.1 with a 2015 security update. I'm not overly impressed with the Note7, especially after reading some of the performance issues XDA forums have found. Not to mention the fact that an iPhone 6s significantly outperforms the N7.
http://www.xda-developers.com/with-...delivers-embarrassing-real-world-performance/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-61FFoJFy0

I'm more and more interested in timely OS updates and more importantly, timely security updates. From what I've read, it seems unlocked Samsung phones are updated AFTER carrier locked phones which strikes me as absurd. I thought surely that updates filtered through the mfg would occur significantly sooner than updates filtered through the mfg and then through the carrier. But that does not appear to be the case.

If the Marlin is not appealing for some reason, (and I can't believe I'm saying this), I may have to consider the iPhone 7+. I'm pretty fed up with the Android fragmentation problem. And look at what VZW is doing to Nougat! No Samsung Pay? No Samsung drive? No thanks. Good thing I'm not with VZW.

I'm stumped at the moment for an upgrade that works for me if Marlin is not attractive. I sure hope it shakes out on the positive side of the equation for me.

My wife got an iPhone 5 when I got my GS4 over three years ago. Guess which one still gets updates and which one doesn't? Guess which one has no carrier bloat and which one has bloat that can't be uninstalled?

I honestly don't know how Android fixes this mess. At least it sure looks like a mess to me. And I do NOT want to confine myself to a walled garden. I suppose one solution is to trade phones every year or two. But that seems an expensive solution.

Sorry for the rant. But I'm a bit frustrated with my choices at this point.