Tell me what phone to buy

I got a new job, starting in a week and change. That's great news. They pay more too, and I don't have to move. No phone though. GE took the iPhone 7 back. I liked it. It was fine  some things about it annoyed me. It's battery life was less than spectacular and siri was useless sometimes. Bluetooth pairing was sometimes spotty. I am using a Samsung Galaxy s5 now. It's utterly terrible. Bordering on useless. 

I want:

To take great pics

To have a days worth of battry life

Directions  via GPS

Shipping apps like ibotta

Making great phone calls with a blue tooth earpiece

Email

Decent Internet use when needed

Sometimes listening to music

I don't really care about much else. I'd like to spend like 200. 

Another iPhone 7? Nokia whatever it's called? Tell me. 

I recently upgraded from my Galaxy S5 like you to a Moto X4. It's like $200 and amazing. Buy the non-Amazon version, it's worth the extra money. No bloatware apps and crap. Just a fast smooth modern phone. I've had mine 4 months and rarely get the battery below 50% after a day. It's also compatible with any carrier. 

You liked the Apple. You dislike the Samsung. 

Is what you dislike about the Samsung the Android operating system? Newer Androids operate pretty much the same as old Androids. If this is what you dislike then Apple operating system might have to be your answer. 

If you are then still open to Android I recommend something from Motorola. The new Motorola G7 Power has a mega battery. 

Personally, I carry a Motorola G6 Play which also has a large battery. Some compromises on screen quality and camera but I find it to be a great value. 

The Moto G family

Moto X also a good  choice

For a new phone, Motorola is pretty much the only decent player at 200$. I use a G6. battery is good, durable, camera is okay. On par with the iPhone 7 I'd say. 

If you're okay with used, I bought a pixel 2 for my mom to used. It's faster than my g6, and the camera is light-years better. 

If you're okay with nearly doubling your budget, the pixel 3a would make my list. That will be my next phone. 

Check out Swappa.com for premium condition used phones.

I've been buying a 2 year old flagship every 2 years for less than your target price. 

Which carrier are you on ?

WiFi calling and VOIP ( voice of internet) are the new things being pushed , 

Forget 5g for now , it's not going to be a big thing for years.

And do you travel overseas and need LTE bands to use there ?

Wife had a S5 and it was finally so outdated it ran like crap, so she got a Note9 what cost more than the vehicle she drives to work.  But, she's happy so I'm happy lol.  I got a One Plus 6T and love it, it was half the price of the Note and is on par or above it in features.

What carrier do you use?  I have a LG G6 that's unlocked and a LG G5 that's on tmobile ATM but I should be able to get the unlock code for it you use a GSM based carrier (not verizon or sprint).

Still happy with my Pixel 2 I've had for almost 2 years. 

If you'll need new service as well, check out Google Fi for some seriously cheap service. 

Thanks for all of the options!

i use consumer cellular. Cheaper that fi. 

I am totally happy with a used phone from swappa 

No real overseas use  

thanks again!

My wife has an iPhone 8 and it’s pretty awesome. The Live Photo thing seems like a gimmick but it’s great for photos of kids and family. Multiple times I’ve watched the Live Photo over and over. I’ve been cruising my 6 still and am ok with it but the processor speeds finally starting to wear on me. I’d stick with the iPhone if you liked the 7 that much more than the Samsung. A new Samsung or other android phone would likely just be a faster version of the same. 

Ps I did not capitalize Live Photo like that. Thanks apple. 

Ive been on apple phones since the 3g. Been generally content but im pretty sure im done with apple. They are more focused on poopin out new devices and less worried about a good reliable OS. That said, ive had androids, tried to like em but just never did it for me. 

But next time i need a new phone, i’ll probably take a real look at ACTUAL androids like the pixel. Not the carrier flavor of android with bloat. 

My brother just got the pixel 3 and loves it. Camera is STUPID clear. 

Woohoo, congrats Tuna!

Priorities. Hahahhahaaha. I'm sill using an S4, and perfectly happy with it. But, I might be a luddite.

In reply to AngryCorvair :

Thanks dude. I slept all night last night for the first time in a month.

More money means I might get back to the truck once the dust settles on the loss of income period.

Congratulations on the new job. Happy for you. Hope it’s a good fit, but any fit is better than none. 

+1 moto x4.  I bought one like 6 months ago for $150 new, and traded in my 3 year old Nexus 5X for $50.  It does all the things you ask.

For that price range grab a Motorola Moto G. We've had several and I love them. They are so cheap we get new ones every two years (alternating years, this year it is my wife's turn). I love that they are unlocked from the factory.

Congrats!

BTW, You can turn Siri off and the iPhone 7 Plus has a larger battery and depending on how you use it, it might last longer for you.

If you like the iPhone, then get another one.  There are deals to be had on Groupon and the like for refurbs.  Apple sells them as well and they come with a factory warranty.

That said, since you’re a handy guy, replacing the battery isn’t too hard to do, if you find one with a bum battery or cracked screen. I’ve done a few using the iFixIt kits and they are as good as new.

tuna55 said:

In reply to AngryCorvair :

Thanks dude. I slept all night last night for the first time in a month.

 

More money means I might get back to the truck once the dust settles on the loss of income period.

 

Welcome back. Congrats on the new job.

Pete. 

I have an unlocked moto G7.  I am not a high demand user but it does all the things I ask of it well.  Battery life is all day.  It runs aps good and has decent speaker and camera.  I've owned it for 2-3 months with no complaints.

It was $250.  I've seen them for $180 now.  

Just include the cost of a case.  The phone is useless to hold without one 

Unconventional choice perhaps, but I've been nothing but happy with my Nokia 6.1. Pure Android Pie (no manufacturer-added bloat plus security updates every single month), runs fast, battery lasts days (seriously - I'm not a heavy user, but even after a day on the road with signal searching, maps open, and various other tasks it will still be at 50-60%;  with light use it will be at 85-90% at the end of the day), USB-C, nicely made, not terribly expensive. GSM only, however, so does not work with all carriers.

Way to go on the job.

I've got a Samsung S9... I get 2 days from my battery.......  Never could do that with any of my previous phones...  I also have the Bixby camera app... it translates 

Something from the Google Pixel Family. 

There is nothing like having Android the way that Google intended and the ability to get the monthly security/performance updates without the carrier's involvement is nice.

miatafan said:

Something from the Google Pixel Family. 

There is nothing like having Android the way that Google intended and the ability to get the monthly security/performance updates without the carrier's involvement is nice.

 

Came here to say this.  I have a Pixel 2 which I bought when they came out (so $500), but they might be down to your range now.

I've had mine for a year and I love it to death.  Waterproof, brilliant USB-C, wicked fast processor, beautiful display, battery lasts about 36-48 hours, and (since I'm on google project Fi) works in 180 countries.  I do wish it had a headphone jack, but it hasn't really been an issue.

I would give a slight nod to an iphone for pictures, but (as a photographer) I don't like the digital manipulation iphones use to make the photos look good.  If I want to manipulate it, I will.  Don't make the choice for me.

One of the things I love about Android is that EVERYTHING is linked to your gmail account.  Since I made the switch to android back with my first Moto Droid X, I have never lost an email address, phone number, or an app.  When you buy a new phone and sign in, you have the option to just download the whole kit and kaboodle; apps, phone book, passwords, preferences, etc.  I did a hard reset on my PIxel a few weeks ago and the actual reset took longer than it did for the phone to import everything and put me back exactly where I was when I started.