Which Android Phone To Get?

[dankup]

Hey guys, first time poster here that's looking for a little advice. Simply put I need a new phone and have been doing plenty of research in hopes of finding the best one that suits my needs. I'm pretty picky so bear with me but this is what I have:

I hate carrying phablets in my pocket, period. I hate huge phones with humongous screens that don't fit in my hand. I need a phone where I can use it with one hand if needed and my hands are pretty small. Anything that's been newly released is out of the picture. I burst out laughing when I saw the size of the LG G3 today, no offense folks . Simply put, the phone needs to be usable with one hand.

What I'll be using the phone for is lots of texting, little calling, moderate web browsing, moderate music listening, Facebook. No games. No videos. This leads me to say I do not need the greatest and latest hardware. (It would be nice) but I don't need a quad core CPU with 2GB of RAM to check Facebook or switch to another playlist. I'm not launching rockets into space here, so I think a mid range smartphone (or a flagship from a few years back) will suffice.

I'd like a relatively good camera. I'd like the ability to take decent shots that I can share on social media sites. Again, something that a midrange phone should provide.

A very important thing to me is storage capacity and this is what really limits my phone choice. I will have little data, so streaming songs from Google Music or YouTube is out of the question but my music library is ~8GB and is constantly growing. So I figure a 16GB device that has ~12GB of user memory is not enough as I plan to keep this phone for at least the next 3 years before getting another one. Add a few apps and pictures and you're looking at ~2GB of free space.

My budget is around $300 but the main selling points are a decent camera, storage, size. From all the research I've done, the S3 fits the bill. It's getting KitKat, has expandable memory, doable camera, and is borderline for what I can use one handed. Anything bigger and it doesn't feel comfortable to use. An HD screen is nice and the S3 can offer that. 720p is more than enough. There's no doubt that 1080p looks nicer and has better pixel density but if I look at my phone for 5 seconds to text, I don't need 1080p.

I'd love the Moto G with SD card or Moto X 32GB but from what I've seen their cameras are crap and the S3 would be able to take better shots <-- if someone could confirm this that would be great.

A Nexus 5 is too big. I've held one. 5 inch screen, bigger than the S3, it's huge.

It's really a shame manufacturers are forgetting about consumers who want high end specs in smaller phones and are only offering solid hardware in 5.5 inch screens so this niche market is forced to go for the previous generation of flagships.

But yeah, S3 is at the top of my list but I'm wide open for opinions on what phones would fit my criteria, thanks!

 

[Golfdriver97]

I am disinclined to agree that the N5 is that huge, especially compared to the S3. Physically, the are roughly the same. Sure, the S3 will get KitKat, but that is most likely where it will end.
I didn't think the Moto X camera was all that bad. The shots I took were good enough. Granted I wasn't intending to print any of them either. The Moto X outperformed the S3 by a long shot.

So, would you be getting a used S3?

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Hey guys, first time poster here that's looking for a little advice. Simply put I need a new phone and have been doing plenty of research in hopes of finding the best one that suits my needs. I'm pretty picky so bear with me but this is what I have:

I hate carrying phablets in my pocket, period. I hate huge phones with humongous screens that don't fit in my hand. I need a phone where I can use it with one hand if needed and my hands are pretty small. Anything that's been newly released is out of the picture. I burst out laughing when I saw the size of the LG G3 today, no offense folks . Simply put, the phone needs to be usable with one hand.

What I'll be using the phone for is lots of texting, little calling, moderate web browsing, moderate music listening, Facebook. No games. No videos. This leads me to say I do not need the greatest and latest hardware. (It would be nice) but I don't need a quad core CPU with 2GB of RAM to check Facebook or switch to another playlist. I'm not launching rockets into space here, so I think a mid range smartphone (or a flagship from a few years back) will suffice.

I'd like a relatively good camera. I'd like the ability to take decent shots that I can share on social media sites. Again, something that a midrange phone should provide.

A very important thing to me is storage capacity and this is what really limits my phone choice. I will have little data, so streaming songs from Google Music or YouTube is out of the question but my music library is ~8GB and is constantly growing. So I figure a 16GB device that has ~12GB of user memory is not enough as I plan to keep this phone for at least the next 3 years before getting another one. Add a few apps and pictures and you're looking at ~2GB of free space.

My budget is around $300 but the main selling points are a decent camera, storage, size. From all the research I've done, the S3 fits the bill. It's getting KitKat, has expandable memory, doable camera, and is borderline for what I can use one handed. Anything bigger and it doesn't feel comfortable to use. An HD screen is nice and the S3 can offer that. 720p is more than enough. There's no doubt that 1080p looks nicer and has better pixel density but if I look at my phone for 5 seconds to text, I don't need 1080p.

I'd love the Moto G with SD card or Moto X 32GB but from what I've seen their cameras are crap and the S3 would be able to take better shots <-- if someone could confirm this that would be great.

A Nexus 5 is too big. I've held one. 5 inch screen, bigger than the S3, it's huge.

It's really a shame manufacturers are forgetting about consumers who want high end specs in smaller phones and are only offering solid hardware in 5.5 inch screens so this niche market is forced to go for the previous generation of flagships.

But yeah, S3 is at the top of my list but I'm wide open for opinions on what phones would fit my criteria, thanks!

You're absolutely right, the N5 does have a huge screen compared to the S3, and it's higher resolution, and higher quality. The camera is also better, and you can get it with 32GB of storage built-in. If you're worried about the physical size, don't be. The N5 is actually a tad bit skinnier than the S3. Oh, that other phone? It's the Xperia Z1 Compact. It's actually a full fledged flagship device in the body of a mid-range. Great phone on paper (I haven't actually used one). It's also not available on any US carrier, and is going for about $480 right now through importers. The N5 is a much better deal, and better than anything else you'll get for the price.

It's worth waiting until you can get the N5.

 

[dankup]

I am disinclined to agree that the N5 is that huge, especially compared to the S3. Physically, the are roughly the same. Sure, the S3 will get KitKat, but that is most likely where it will end.
I didn't think the Moto X camera was all that bad. The shots I took were good enough. Granted I wasn't intending to print any of them either. The Moto X outperformed the S3 by a long shot.

So, would you be getting a used S3?

Well again, what does outperformed mean? Sure it gets higher benchmarks, is a newer phone, and will be supported for longer than the S3 but do I really need all that power if I want to text a buddy? It's like saying I need a printer for black and white printing but buying an all in one that does color printing. Sure, it will do what I need it to do but why spend more if I don't need more. Kind of like that.

The Moto X features are cool but I won't use them. Don't want to talk to my phone, don't get enough texts to need it to read out to me while I drive. The only cool thing is the way I can open the camera. Speaking of which, how does it stack up against the S3? I won't be printing any of my shots either but still want quality photos either way.

I'm hoping to find a new S3 for a little under $300. Most of the retailers in Canada still carry them.

 

[dankup]

You're absolutely right, the N5 does have a huge screen compared to the S3, and it's higher resolution, and higher quality. The camera is also better, and you can get it with 32GB of storage built-in. If you're worried about the physical size, don't be. The N5 is actually a tad bit skinnier than the S3. Oh, that other phone? It's the Xperia Z1 Compact. It's actually a full fledged flagship device in the body of a mid-range. Great phone on paper (I haven't actually used one). It's also not available on any US carrier, and is going for about $480 right now through importers. The N5 is a much better deal, and better than anything else you'll get for the price.

It's worth waiting until you can get the N5.

I've held it and it's huge. The physically size might be close to the S3 but because the screen is bigger, my thumb can't reach the notification bar up top. These huge phones are good but there needs to be something smaller with the same 3GB of RAM and quad core CPUs and new cameras.

I've looked at the Z1 compact but it's out of my budget. Not to mention the placement of the buttons of the phone is ridiculous. Power, volume, and camera on one side. I've held it and laughed because the second I tried to power the phone I hit the camera button instead. When I tried to change the volume the phone slipped out of my hand because the volume button is halfway down the phone... dumb placement if you ask me.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Well again, what does outperformed mean? Sure it gets higher benchmarks, is a newer phone, and will be supported for longer than the S3 but do I really need all that power if I want to text a buddy? It's like saying I need a printer for black and white printing but buying an all in one that does color printing. Sure, it will do what I need it to do but why spend more if I don't need more. Kind of like that.

The Moto X features are cool but I won't use them. Don't want to talk to my phone, don't get enough texts to need it to read out to me while I drive. The only cool thing is the way I can open the camera. Speaking of which, how does it stack up against the S3? I won't be printing any of my shots either but still want quality photos either way.

I'm hoping to find a new S3 for a little under $300. Most of the retailers in Canada still carry them.

Outperformed meaning the X had optimized the OS with the hardware. The hardware was relatively equal, but my Moto X blew my S3 out of the water, for smoothness and response.
I didn't think I would talk to my X either. But I do. I use the Active Notifications all the time, and the Moto Assist Sleep mode was the only thing I used there.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

I've held it and it's huge. The physically size might be close to the S3 but because the screen is bigger, my thumb can't reach the notification bar up top. These huge phones are good but there needs to be something smaller with the same 3GB of RAM and quad core CPUs and new cameras.

I've looked at the Z1 compact but it's out of my budget. Not to mention the placement of the buttons of the phone is ridiculous. Power, volume, and camera on one side. I've held it and laughed because the second I tried to power the phone I hit the camera button instead. When I tried to change the volume the phone slipped out of my hand because the volume button is halfway down the phone... dumb placement if you ask me.

The N5 has 2GB of RAM.

Also, did you look at the side by side size comparison picture? The notification bar of the N5 and S3 actually overlap a bit. Sure, the diagonal screen size difference is .3", but the vertical screen size difference is much smaller. If you can reach the S3, you can reach the N5. Especially since your hand can be higher up on the device with the N5 because the on screen buttons aren't as far down.

It's that, or you also can't reach the S3.

 

[dankup]

Outperformed meaning the X had optimized the OS with the hardware. The hardware was relatively equal, but my Moto X blew my S3 out of the water, for smoothness and response.
I didn't think I would talk to my X either. But I do. I use the Active Notifications all the time, and the Moto Assist Sleep mode was the only thing I used there.

Oh I know all about the optimization for software with hardware. I'm coming from a Galaxy Ace which lags when I try to change from one song to another. On the Moto X I'll be spending an extra ~$150 doing the same things the S3 can do, won't I? Would the S3 truly lag if I try to change a song through Poweramp, or text someone while a song is playing? I don't think so but I wouldn't know.

The N5 has 2GB of RAM.

Also, did you look at the side by side size comparison picture? The notification bar of the N5 and S3 actually overlap a bit. Sure, the diagonal screen size difference is .3", but the vertical screen size difference is much smaller. If you can reach the S3, you can reach the N5. Especially since your hand can be higher up on the device with the N5 because the on screen buttons aren't as far down.

It's that, or you also can't reach the S3.

Yeah I was just throwing random numbers around emphasizing a point that do I need all these gigabytes for a simple task.

I've tried holding and playing around with both. Both are big. Too big. The S3 fits better. Yeah I can reach the N5 notification bar but if I keep it up I'll dislocate my finger

 

[dankup]

I'm open for other phones too by the way, not just the N5, Moto X, or S3. Can not be massive though.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

I'm open for other phones too by the way, not just the N5, Moto X, or S3. Can not be massive though.

Moto G. Not sure I can actually come up with any others. BUT I doubt it'll last three years. That's really what's making it tough. The S3 wouldn't last you three years. The N5 and Moto X would. You basically HAVE to get a flagship today for it to stand a chance of being relevant in three years.

 

[SactoKingsFan]

What about the HTC One M7 or the LG G2? Both are practically the same size as the S3.

You can compare the screen size side by side at phone arena.

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/si...axy-S-III,HTC-One,LG-G2/phones/6330,7678,7969

 

[dankup]

Moto G. Not sure I can actually come up with any others. BUT I doubt it'll last three years. That's really what's making it tough. The S3 wouldn't last you three years. The N5 and Moto X would. You basically HAVE to get a flagship today for it to stand a chance of being relevant in three years.

Great phone out of the box I love the Moto G but with its crap camera I don't wanna get it.

Define 'relevant'. Is texting going to require an octacore CPU in 3 years? Am I gonna need to have 2GB of RAM to power my phone on and listen to music? I highly doubt it. I'm down for the Moto X but I need to wait until the 32GB version gets to the $300 level (when is the X+1 coming out?) and I want to know how crap the camera is compared to the S3.

What about the HTC One M7 or the LG G2? Both are practically the same size as the S3.

You can compare the screen size side by side at phone arena.

Visual Phone Size Comparison

The price homie! An S3 is under $300 outright today. Both of these are $600 phones (I don't want to sign a contract).

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Great phone out of the box I love the Moto G but with its crap camera I don't wanna get it.

Define 'relevant'. Is texting going to require an octacore CPU in 3 years? Am I gonna need to have 2GB of RAM to power my phone on and listen to music? I highly doubt it. I'm down for the Moto X but I need to wait until the 32GB version gets to the $300 level (when is the X+1 coming out?) and I want to know how crap the camera is compared to the S3.



The price homie! An S3 is under $300 outright today. Both of these are $600 phones (I don't want to sign a contract).

The Moto X camera isn't crap compared to the S3 camera now. In fact, I think it's more consistent and gives better images.

And nobody really has any idea what will be required to do what in three years. Here's what I do know, any of the phones that I had three years ago would struggle to do any two things that I do now at the same time. There would be so much performance degradation that I would just give up.

 

[dankup]

The Moto X camera isn't crap compared to the S3 camera now. In fact, I think it's more consistent and gives better images.

And nobody really has any idea what will be required to do what in three years. Here's what I do know, any of the phones that I had three years ago would struggle to do any two things that I do now at the same time. There would be so much performance degradation that I would just give up.

You're right about that one. That's why I'm looking to drop my Ace and get a new phone. The Moto X appeals to me more for 1 reason and 1 reason only - one hand usability. It's compact and curved and feels great in the hand. The one thing deterring me away from it is the camera. I do not care about the 'ok Google Now' and driving modes of the phone - I'll have them turned off 24/7, I will never use them.

I've been on the 'Post Your Moto X Photos' thread and I'm fairly disappointed with the majority of the shots. Some look nice, but for every 1 that comes out well 10 look like ****.

 

[Brad Steele]

My advice, go to your local mobile store and reboot every phone your interested and go back about 48hrs later. Check battery statistics if available. It all comes down to if you like the UI and how the phone feels to you, not just physically but the impression you get from the experience. Good luck and welcome to the world of droid.

This forum is in unacceptable condition, UNACCEPTABLE!!!!
12YRS DUNGEON, EVERYONE, NO TRIAL.

 

[sparker04]

Hey guys, first time poster here that's looking for a little advice. Simply put I need a new phone and have been doing plenty of research in hopes of finding the best one that suits my needs. I'm pretty picky so bear with me but this is what I have:

I hate carrying phablets in my pocket, period. I hate huge phones with humongous screens that don't fit in my hand. I need a phone where I can use it with one hand if needed and my hands are pretty small. Anything that's been newly released is out of the picture. I burst out laughing when I saw the size of the LG G3 today, no offense folks . Simply put, the phone needs to be usable with one hand.

What I'll be using the phone for is lots of texting, little calling, moderate web browsing, moderate music listening, Facebook. No games. No videos. This leads me to say I do not need the greatest and latest hardware. (It would be nice) but I don't need a quad core CPU with 2GB of RAM to check Facebook or switch to another playlist. I'm not launching rockets into space here, so I think a mid range smartphone (or a flagship from a few years back) will suffice.

I'd like a relatively good camera. I'd like the ability to take decent shots that I can share on social media sites. Again, something that a midrange phone should provide.

A very important thing to me is storage capacity and this is what really limits my phone choice. I will have little data, so streaming songs from Google Music or YouTube is out of the question but my music library is ~8GB and is constantly growing. So I figure a 16GB device that has ~12GB of user memory is not enough as I plan to keep this phone for at least the next 3 years before getting another one. Add a few apps and pictures and you're looking at ~2GB of free space.

My budget is around $300 but the main selling points are a decent camera, storage, size. From all the research I've done, the S3 fits the bill. It's getting KitKat, has expandable memory, doable camera, and is borderline for what I can use one handed. Anything bigger and it doesn't feel comfortable to use. An HD screen is nice and the S3 can offer that. 720p is more than enough. There's no doubt that 1080p looks nicer and has better pixel density but if I look at my phone for 5 seconds to text, I don't need 1080p.

I'd love the Moto G with SD card or Moto X 32GB but from what I've seen their cameras are crap and the S3 would be able to take better shots <-- if someone could confirm this that would be great.

A Nexus 5 is too big. I've held one. 5 inch screen, bigger than the S3, it's huge.

It's really a shame manufacturers are forgetting about consumers who want high end specs in smaller phones and are only offering solid hardware in 5.5 inch screens so this niche market is forced to go for the previous generation of flagships.

But yeah, S3 is at the top of my list but I'm wide open for opinions on what phones would fit my criteria, thanks!

I was extremely impressed with the LG G3 but I agree the size of the phone could be a little obnoxious. I haven't seen or touched the phone in person yet but from other reviewers and forums people didn't seem TOO bothered by the size as I thought most people would. With that said, I probably won't ever get used the size of the LG G3 and with your $300 budget, the S3 seems to be your best fit. I personally would pay the extra and get the S5.

Hope that helps!

 

[dankup]

I was extremely impressed with the LG G3 but I agree the size of the phone could be a little obnoxious. I haven't seen or touched the phone in person yet but from other reviewers and forums people didn't seem TOO bothered by the size as I thought most people would. With that said, I probably won't ever get used the size of the LG G3 and with your $300 budget, the S3 seems to be your best fit. I personally would pay the extra and get the S5.

Hope that helps!

The S5 to me is as big as the G3. Past the size of the S3 I don't care what size phone it is. It's huge and it's uncalled for, at least for me.

 

[dankup]

Bottom line is this. I'd like to choose a Moto X over the S3 because of the optimized software and easy to use one handed operation. I'm worried about the camera and how it stacks up against the S3, a phone that can do everything for me and do it for cheap.

 

[pappy53]

Bottom line is this. I'd like to choose a Moto X over the S3 because of the optimized software and easy to use one handed operation. I'm worried about the camera and how it stacks up against the S3, a phone that can do everything for me and do it for cheap.

S3 battery life is terrible.

 

[dankup]

S3 battery life is terrible.

I don't use my phone often. If it gets used for an hour a day of screen time on then that's good.