need a new cell phone - have no idea... | GTAMotorcycle.com

need a new cell phone - have no idea...

shanekingsley

Curry - so nice it burns you twice
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I know some people on here know way more about phones than I do...

I had an iPhone 3, which failed about 5 months ago after a long time of reliable use. I bought an iPhone 4 and this thing shuts down constantly and I can't have that since I also use it as a works phone. I'm with Telus and have an older plan which is pretty good ($63/month for 2GB data, unlimited calling/long distance/texting). I prefer to stay with them, because I need the rural coverage when I ride and the plan I have is good.

I need a phone that also has a good tough case I can get for it like an otterbox, and more importantly, a phone that is not weak - I drop my phone often and it needs to be strong enough to handle that - doesn't have to be an iPhone, but must be at least 16GB so I can store some tunes on there.

I called Telus and they said they can give me an iPhone 5s for free on a 2 yr contract, staying on same plan. I'd buy a phone off Kijiji or something, but don't want to spend more than around $300 - I'm willing to try out a new brand of phone if there is something I should consider that's better - too many choices, so I'd love to hear any good ideas.
Thanks.
 
I know some people on here know way more about phones than I do...

I had an iPhone 3, which failed about 5 months ago after a long time of reliable use. I bought an iPhone 4 and this thing shuts down constantly and I can't have that since I also use it as a works phone. I'm with Telus and have an older plan which is pretty good ($63/month for 2GB data, unlimited calling/long distance/texting). I prefer to stay with them, because I need the rural coverage when I ride and the plan I have is good.

I need a phone that also has a good tough case I can get for it like an otterbox, and more importantly, a phone that is not weak - I drop my phone often and it needs to be strong enough to handle that - doesn't have to be an iPhone, but must be at least 16GB so I can store some tunes on there.

I called Telus and they said they can give me an iPhone 5s for free on a 2 yr contract, staying on same plan. I'd buy a phone off Kijiji or something, but don't want to spend more than around $300 - I'm willing to try out a new brand of phone if there is something I should consider that's better - too many choices, so I'd love to hear any good ideas.
Thanks.
Factory Direct has a Nexus 5 on sale for 229 unlocked, is a really good phone
 
Get a Samsung s7, waterproof. Most phones have after market cases that tailor to your needs. You'll love the convenience of unlocking your phone with the fingerprint technology
 
Galaxy s5 are solid phones, and they are 2 generations old so they should be plentiful and reasonably priced on kijiji.

I would even consider the Galaxy s6 if you're considering going on a contract.

You have a good plan. Keep it as long as you can!
 
Galaxy s5 are solid phones, and they are 2 generations old so they should be plentiful and reasonably priced on kijiji.

I would even consider the Galaxy s6 if you're considering going on a contract.

You have a good plan. Keep it as long as you can!

+1 on the Samsung Galaxy S5. I can upgrade now and I think I will hold off for awhile. The S5 only comes with 16 Gigs on it but I just upgraded my internal Micro SD card from 32 Gig to 128 Gig and now I have a whack of songs on my phone. The battery does not hold the charge it did in its first year but I can still get through the day with it. A new battery is a sub $20 buy and I can replace it anytime I want to since it is a user replaceable battery. This phone is also dust and water resistant so long as the USB flap is closed.

If I were going to jump now the Galaxy S7 Edge is a beast of a phone. I am holding out to see what the next Galaxy Note is going to be like.

If I were the OP I would skip a Galaxy S6 since the lack of Micro SD support and water resistance are pretty significant deficiencies compared to the S7 series.

My wife bought a Sony Z5 and it is a nice phone (also has Micro SD support and water resistance).
 
if you stay with iphone you won't have to repurchase any software. telus is also offering free iphone se's on 2 year contract and it's current hardware, not 2 years old, uses the same cases as the 5 and 5s. lots of cases available for the iphone series, i use an otterbox knock off.if you decide to make the jump to android stick with the nexus series, anything else is going to have manufacturer/carrier ******** on them. i find the android UI clumsy compared to iphone. i'm often helping mom with her android devices and nothing is where you would expect it. she wanted to turn off notifications for email and facebook on her phone as she gets them on the computer and tablet, one would expect them to be under settings, notifications... nope, you gotta go into each app you want to disable notifications for and disable it. also permissions appear to be an all or nothing thing under android where on iphone i can run a program without giving it access to certain things like cellular data, camera, contacts, location or photos...
 
Shane, CrusinGrrl brings up a good point. I went from BB, to WinPhone to Android. I'm getting sick of learning new os.
And is the old phone completely toast, or can you use that for your music?

Sent from my custom purple Joe Bass mobile device using Tapatalk
 
I use a note 3 and s7. My wife has s4's. The s7 is noticeably faster, fingerprint works most of the time(but not always), but I prefer the screen size of the note. I have used the original battery for 2 years and it is due for a replacement, it lasts during light days, but on heavy days it can be finished by lunch.

I would avoid the edge phones, all wank factor without much extra utility and almost impossible to protect even with a case.

I thought about going back to an iPhone, but once you get used to the dedicated back button on Android, it is hard to lose it. My wifes parents got iPhone 6 and 6+. They are both fine, but for most people I don't think they are worth the price premium.

I would also avoid the Samsung phones with no SD support.

Read reviews on nexus phones before you buy, some models have had horrendous battery life.

If you find an android device with an SD card and replaceable battery it's hard to go terribly wrong.
 
Thanks for all the info so far.
I travel outside Canada a few times a year. The only app I use is Shazam, but I might get some others if I get a better phone, because there are some useful ones for my work. I use the camera often for work and video occasionally.
 
I have a moto e LTE solid phone latest Android version takes a SD card and $150 no contract. Replaced a Nexus 5x I dropped in water and killed. A cheap phone is great as it doesn't really matter if you wreck it.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
 
I have the S5. The thing I hate about it is that flap for micro usb. I gotta open & close it every night. End getting a qi charger for it
 
I have a moto e LTE solid phone latest Android version takes a SD card and $150 no contract. Replaced a Nexus 5x I dropped in water and killed. A cheap phone is great as it doesn't really matter if you wreck it.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
This is another good option, if you go Android or WinPhone. Staples/ Best Buy etc. Can find Acer, Blu and others for sub $200.

Sent from my custom purple Joe Bass mobile device using Tapatalk
 
I have the S5. The thing I hate about it is that flap for micro usb. I gotta open & close it every night. End getting a qi charger for it

Ha! My flap broke off on a trip to Ottawa a few weeks back. Beauty is though that I have a new flap coming which cost $1. Love being able to open up my phone to fix something, add memory, or change the battery. Of course if I went with the S7 there is no flap and I would still have water resistance (the S7 is more water resistant then the S5).
 
Ha! My flap broke off on a trip to Ottawa a few weeks back. Beauty is though that I have a new flap coming which cost $1. Love being able to open up my phone to fix something, add memory, or change the battery. Of course if I went with the S7 there is no flap and I would still have water resistance (the S7 is more water resistant then the S5).
I'd recommend getting a qi receiver & charger for your s5. So much more convenient
 
I'd recommend getting a qi receiver & charger for your s5. So much more convenient

??? What the heck is that? Time to Google...

Edit: Interesting technology. Now I need to find the top rated units and go from there. If I plan to keep my S5 for another year or two I think this would be a worthwhile purchase thanks! Which unit are you using on your S5?
 
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I don't understand why you'd consider paying anything for a used phone when you have a line on a new one for free that'll be worth $300 or more from the get go, that meets all your needs and that you're familiar with!?!

If you didn't want to be tied down to a contract I might understand but you've very clearly indicated you wish to hold onto your current plan.

iPhones also have the best fingerprint detection, best longevity out there (which I gather you'd appreciate from your apparent willingness to hang onto old phones). Of course if you can get the SE for free as CruisnGrrl said then that's a no-brainer, but sounds too good to be true.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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I like my Android phones because I have been able to add Micro SD storage to them and also extend the lives of several phones over the years by buying new batteries. That being said I can see why the iPhone is popular. The closed ecosystem means that the hardware and software work very efficiently together and the UI is so well thought out and engineered that it "just works". I know several non techie people who bought Android phones and struggled to figure out how to use everything. For folks like this the iPhone would have been a much better choice; especially since they do not store tons of music and stuff like I do on my Android phones.
 
I have been without a cell phone for a few years, and last week I bit the bullet and got one, a Samsung s7 edge.

Had to go through Rogers as that is the best rate (it's the corporate plan and offers a discount to employees). The current promotion (not sure if it is still on) is a free original Samsung 128 GB Micro SD memory card. Supposed to be worth $130.

I'm liking the phone and the card. Good combo.
 

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