Looking for a smartphone

**Theseus1234** · April 07, 2012, 09:52 PM

Hey Basement, I was talking with a friend and he convinced me to get an android as a new phone (an upgrade from my current flip phone). My contract has run out so now I can get a new phone soon. Unfortunately, said friend is currently out of town and I can't reach him. So I turn to you. What would be a good android phone to buy?

I'm looking for something that's not too bulky, with a decent battery life, and some customization ability (not so far as app development, per se, but I'd like to look into tinkering with it some). The one real requirement, though, is that it should be on verizon as that is my family's carrier.

I hear ice cream sandwich is coming out on more phones and that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus already has it. Should I wait to get that update or get a phone now and hope it gets the new android OS this month?

Price range ~$300. And I'd mainly be using it for school-like things (college student here). I guess that includes browsing the web, playing some small games, etc.

**Shneckie** · April 10, 2012, 04:31 PM

I got the Samsung Galaxy Nexus the other day and so far just WOW. Super smooth screen, 1280x720 display, dual core processor (it will heat up like a furnace when playing games). The battery life is good given that it's a smart phone and it's hardware is top of the range. I'm having to charge it every single night but I'm a text freak and send and receive something like 100 texts a day. (there's a girl :p) So if your not texting anywhere near as much as I am and use it fairly lightly, your looking at just over 2 days before charge.

Not to mention it has the latest Android software which is a huge step up from 2.3 in my opinion. Overall just a much smoother and easier to use interface with nice elegant ui graphics while maintaining the complexity of Android. One problem with the massive changes of ICS software is that a lot of the UI customisation apps you can download have not been updated yet to work with ICS. I think there is a few launcher apps that have been updated but my favourite is still yet to be done.

If you can afford the Galaxy Nexus I would take it, it really is a wonderful phone.

**Cooraan** · April 10, 2012, 09:08 PM

Quad core phones should be releasing later this year if you want to wait. I'm thinking about grabbing the Galaxy SIII in Sept.

**Theseus1234** · April 12, 2012, 03:34 PM

Hmm the Galaxy Nexus looks nice but I've heard that some people feel it's cheap. I hear ICS is great, though!

And as for quad core, I was thinking that the increased processor abilities would eat up the battery life more and shorten it a lot, so I would have to get two batteries or wait until battery technology improves, which seems like it'd be a way off.

**Shneckie** · April 12, 2012, 03:52 PM

Cheap and tackiness is a trait among all Samsungs. They use cheap plastic to build their phones. Nonetheless the phones are still robust and sturdy. The back of the Galaxy Nexus has a soft riveted feel that somewhat alleviates the tackiness a bit. It feels less tacky than the Galaxy S2. I used to hate the cheap plastic of Samsung phones and sometime ago I swore by HTC mainly because of the excellent build quality of their phones using aluminium and much more lavish plastics. But the poor software of HTC and extremely low battery life drove me away to Samsung and I learned to get past the cheap feel.

**Cooraan** · April 14, 2012, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by Theseus1234

And as for quad core, I was thinking that the increased processor abilities would eat up the battery life more and shorten it a lot, so I would have to get two batteries or wait until battery technology improves, which seems like it'd be a way off.

They said the battery life is supposed to be improved actually. Won't find out if thats true or not for a few months though, besides you won't actually be using all four cores for most tasks.

**Zerosliver** · April 14, 2012, 03:35 AM

Galaxy SII feeling cheap? Can't agree on you with that. If at all, they had a remarkable design which made the device the lightest and thinnest at the time, while having the best screen.

If you want the best of the best atm, go for HTC though, the One X quadcore smartphone has the most power of any smartphone out there.

**Shneckie** · April 14, 2012, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by Zerosliver

Galaxy SII feeling cheap? Can't agree on you with that. If at all, they had a remarkable design which made the device the lightest and thinnest at the time, while having the best screen.

If you want the best of the best atm, go for HTC though, the One X quadcore smartphone has the most power of any smartphone out there.

But they do feel cheap and tacky. Take off the battery cover and it's a flimsy plastic piece of crap. The fact it's thin and light doesn't change the fact it feels cheap. Because it does, especially in comparison to HTC's.

**Zerosliver** · April 14, 2012, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Shneckie

But they do feel cheap and tacky. Take off the battery cover and it's a flimsy plastic piece of crap. The fact it's thin and light doesn't change the fact it feels cheap. Because it does, especially in comparison to HTC's.

At the cost of feeling heavier than the Galaxy S2 by a fair margin, not to mention the annoying fingerprints on that shiny surface.

And I know the way the back cover 'clips' on the device is a bit cheap, but once it's on you won't notice a thing of that. In fact, the SII proves remarkably resistant to damage when dropped compared to other devices.

And the sales figures don't lie: the SII is a monster, beating the HTC flagship at the time (Sensation) easily, and is still selling well.

**Shneckie** · April 14, 2012, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by Zerosliver

At the cost of feeling heavier than the Galaxy S2 by a fair margin, not to mention the annoying fingerprints on that shiny surface.

And I know the way the back cover 'clips' on the device is a bit cheap, but once it's on you won't notice a thing of that. In fact, the SII proves remarkably resistant to damage when dropped compared to other devices.

And the sales figures don't lie: the SII is a monster, beating the HTC flagship at the time (Sensation) easily, and is still selling well.

Well your certainly getting in way over your head. Yes the S2 is light, slim, sturdy and has excellent software and speccs. Yes it is a fantastic phone, having owned one prior to my Galaxy Nexus I agree it is certainly one of the best phones you can buy. But it still feels cheap due to the tacky plastics Samsung use to manufacture their phones. It is a common criticism among Samsung customers.

**Zerosliver** · April 14, 2012, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by Shneckie

Well your certainly getting in way over your head. Yes the S2 is light, slim, sturdy and has excellent software and speccs. Yes it is a fantastic phone, having owned one prior to my Galaxy Nexus I agree it is certainly one of the best phones you can buy. But it still feels cheap due to the tacky plastics Samsung use to manufacture their phones. It is a common criticism among Samsung customers.

A lot of people disagree with you that the plastic feels cheap. While an aluminum back is better than plastic, it also adds weight most of the time.

If at all, the galaxy SII is only so light because it uses plastic in a smart way, while being better for the environment too.

**prdude1234** · April 14, 2012, 01:47 PM

Whichever you choose, please, don't choose a Motorola, they are really cheap, they never get updates, start freezing after just a few days, and will not last more than 6 months, plus there are really no good apps for it. Currently, the best are the Galaxy S series and the iPhones, iPhones are of really good quality, rarely break (Heck, on of my friend accidentally ran over it with his car and it still worked like a charm) and they get plenty of updates, but on customization, meh, you really dont get much customization apart from the background picture. Another good shot will be the Nokia N series like the N8 or N9, even through they are not android, they have plenty of good apps, they are fast and have very good specs.

**mrmouth** · April 14, 2012, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by Theseus1234

I guess that includes browsing the web, playing some small games, etc.

I know you don't want to be lectured but this is the exact reason we are reaching the spectrum limit. That will drive costs up (as if they are not already ridiculous) and also result in a worse user experience for everyone. These phones were designed for people in business, who could actually use the features in a productive manner.

Just go with At&t and get an internet ready phone - pay $10 for unlimited data a month. You really do not sacrifice much, aside from the massive data demands that smart phones bring. It's the best kept secret in cellular.

Put the money you save into a high interest savings account and maybe leave school on a better financial footing than most.

**Zerosliver** · April 15, 2012, 03:27 AM

Weight and being thin is very important in smartphone/tablet land. But I do agree some like the aluminum body over the galaxy's body, you'll never have everyone applauding the manufacturer for its designs.

**Shneckie** · April 15, 2012, 07:16 AM

Originally Posted by Zerosliver

Weight and being thin is very important in smartphone/tablet land. But I do agree some like the aluminum body over the galaxy's body, you'll never have everyone applauding the manufacturer for its designs.

Not some. As I have said, it's a very common criticism of all of Samsung's devices in regards to the cheap materials they use. They are quite infamous for it. And no, weight is not as important as you make it out to be. A slim device is a very appealing factor yes given it actually cuts down the space it takes up in your pocket. Thus it is practical. A plastic body that only weighs a few grams less does not add any practicality whatsoever.

**Stuntdawg5** · April 15, 2012, 02:53 PM

If the price range is $300, go for the Droid Razr Maxx. I just got it yesterday and I'm already in love. The battery life is fantastic (9 hours), it has a kevlar back and gorilla glass front (In case you tend to drop it at all), you can buy an otterbox for it (Fantastic case for cellphones), and as of right now I have had no issues with it. It runs smoothly and is incredibly fast. I don't know the exact specs of it, but if you want a durable, long lasting phone. I'd give the Razr Maxx a look.