OT:Smart Phones

[dbdynsty25]

The new Note 5 just arrived. Wow. What a device. Feels significantly smaller than previous notes even tho its only slight smaller physically. The shape and contours are just a huge step up. Pair that with the best specs available in a phone right now and we've got a winner here. It just feels smoother than the S6 I've got (which has already been sold). I've literally got no complaints. If you can deal w a bigger phone this is definitely the one to buy.

[jLp vAkEr0]

How's the battery life?

[dbdynsty25]

How's the battery life?

Only had it two days now, so I'll let you know after a few more charge cycles, but so far so good. In comparison to the S6 at least, it's light years better.

Most of the time, getting home at 5pm after a day at the office, the S6 would be at around 40-50%...the Note 5 was at 70% last night, and that's even with me playing with it all the time because it's new. Clearly it'll be around 80% once the newness wears off. I can barely make it through a full day on the S6...went to bed w/ 35% last night on the Note...sooo...it's good!

[Spooky]

I miss my Note. Nice to hear the new one is a winner. It's really funny to look back on how much sh*t I got for how large that phone was when I got my Note 2.

[Diablo25]

Anyone use the ATT Next plan? Seems like a scam to me but I'm not familiar with it. My 2 year contract is up in September so I was going to grab the new iPhone (6S?) at a discount. Here is the thing, the Mobile Share value plan I have says if I upgrade to a new 2 year deal (with a discounted phone) I will lose a $25 discount I currently have...making my bill go up. ATT has a deal on the table that will more than double my data (2 GB to 5 GB) yet lower my bill by a few dollars. However, as detailed above, if I grab a new discounted phone and re-up for 2 years I will be punished. I'm trying to wrap my head around this whole scenario before I decide what to do. Anyone even know what the hell I'm talking about?

[dbdynsty25]

Anyone use the ATT Next plan? Seems like a scam to me but I'm not familiar with it. My 2 year contract is up in September so I was going to grab the new iPhone (6S?) at a discount. Here is the thing, the Mobile Share value plan I have says if I upgrade to a new 2 year deal (with a discounted phone) I will lose a $25 discount I currently have...making my bill go up. ATT has a deal on the table that will more than double my data (2 GB to 5 GB) yet lower my bill by a few dollars. However, as detailed above, if I grab a new discounted phone and re-up for 2 years I will be punished. I'm trying to wrap my head around this whole scenario before I decide what to do. Anyone even know what the hell is talking about?

It's pretty simple. Two scenarios:

1. You RENEW your contract, get the new iPhone for 199-299-399 (depending on storage) and you're now under contract for 2 years and you're subjected to whatever plans they are currently offering (usually no grandfathering in).

2. You finance the new iPhone and get a discount on your plan, and more storage, but you're paying FULL PRICE for the phone over the 18-24-30 month period. So the money you save on the plan essentially goes to the payment for the phone (25-35 a month). The advantage of this is that at the end of ONE year, you can trade in the phone and upgrade to the next phone you want and you just continue paying the payment plan price for the new phone (essentially starting over). If you do keep the phone the full 2 years, or pay the phone off entirely (you can do this at any time), the phone is yours to keep.

Ultimately they want you on option #2 as they make the most money off of it because the subsidy of the phone is gone and the customer is paying full price at all times. If you cancel and change providers, you have to pay the rest of the phone off or you have to turn it in.

[Diablo25]

Anyone use the ATT Next plan? Seems like a scam to me but I'm not familiar with it. My 2 year contract is up in September so I was going to grab the new iPhone (6S?) at a discount. Here is the thing, the Mobile Share value plan I have says if I upgrade to a new 2 year deal (with a discounted phone) I will lose a $25 discount I currently have...making my bill go up. ATT has a deal on the table that will more than double my data (2 GB to 5 GB) yet lower my bill by a few dollars. However, as detailed above, if I grab a new discounted phone and re-up for 2 years I will be punished. I'm trying to wrap my head around this whole scenario before I decide what to do. Anyone even know what the hell is talking about?

It's pretty simple. Two scenarios:

1. You RENEW your contract, get the new iPhone for 199-299-399 (depending on storage) and you're now under contract for 2 years and you're subjected to whatever plans they are currently offering (usually no grandfathering in).

2. You finance the new iPhone and get a discount on your plan, and more storage, but you're paying FULL PRICE for the phone over the 18-24-30 month period. So the money you save on the plan essentially goes to the payment for the phone (25-35 a month). The advantage of this is that at the end of ONE year, you can trade in the phone and upgrade to the next phone you want and you just continue paying the payment plan price for the new phone (essentially starting over). If you do keep the phone the full 2 years, or pay the phone off entirely (you can do this at any time), the phone is yours to keep.

Ultimately they want you on option #2 as they make the most money off of it because the subsidy of the phone is gone and the customer is paying full price at all times. If you cancel and change providers, you have to pay the rest of the phone off or you have to turn it in.

I kinda thought that was the jist of it but wanted some expert clarity. Thanks for the info.

[Spooky]

I did the math back and fourth multiple times between the AT&T plan options when I got our iPhone 6's and ended up going the the 'Next' plans. Between the no activation fee and added discounts in this plans I ended up saving $ over the 2 year period opposed to resigning a 2 year contract.

Take that for whatever it's worth.

[jLp vAkEr0]

Played around with a Note 5 today at Att and wow, it has to be the slickest most beautiful phone I've ever had in my hands.

Gotta say, unless the new iPhone makes me switch back to iOS, I think I found my new phone.

[Diablo25]

Played around with a Note 5 today at Att and wow, it has to be the slickest most beautiful phone I've ever had in my hands.

Gotta say, unless the new iPhone makes me switch back to iOS, I think I found my new phone.

There are several great phones out there today. The new iPhone probably won't be too dramatic. Force touch, faster processor and, supposedly, a big camera improvement. I don't think you will be swayed by this update. I'll be getting the iPhone 6S on the 9th because that's what I do .

[pk500]

Time for me to step up from iPhone 4S to 6S this fall, too.

[MUTTS]

Gee- thought I was the only Upstate New Yorker with a 4s.

Thinking of going 6s this fall.

I'm with ATT.

Here's the deal and I'm hoping you guys can help. Wife and I are grandfathered in on the unlimited data plan but honestly we aren't data hogs. Eventually my eighth grader will get an iPhone. He's the only middle schooler in town without a phone. What's the best way for us to go? The more I read, the more confused I get.

Thanks
Tony

[pk500]

Our family is on Verizon, Tony. I know nothing about AT&T's plans. Sorry.

Our senior in high school has a 5S; our ninth-grader has a 4S. The 4S works fine for him. The fifth-grader will continue to slum it with an iPod until he gets to seventh grade and starts playing modified sports.

[dbdynsty25]

Gee- thought I was the only Upstate New Yorker with a 4s.

Thinking of going 6s this fall.

I'm with ATT.

Here's the deal and I'm hoping you guys can help. Wife and I are grandfathered in on the unlimited data plan but honestly we aren't data hogs. Eventually my eighth grader will get an iPhone. He's the only middle schooler in town without a phone. What's the best way for us to go? The more I read, the more confused I get.

Thanks
Tony

Just get one of the new mobile share plans...plenty of data, reasonably priced. We've got the 15gb (you pay for 10) and don't come close to wiping it out, even with my son streaming youtube constantly.

[Diablo25]

On a slightly similar note (for th older iPhone guys...4S, etc.) supposedly iOS 9 is going to make those phones better...as far as performance and battery life.

[pk500]

On a slightly similar note (for th older iPhone guys...4S, etc.) supposedly iOS 9 is going to make those phones better...as far as performance and battery life.

I find that very hard to believe. iOS 8 runs slower than an income tax refund on a 4 and 4S, and Apple isn't in business to issue leaner, next-generation software that will enable people to keep older hardware longer and reduce sales and profits.

[Diablo25]

On a slightly similar note (for th older iPhone guys...4S, etc.) supposedly iOS 9 is going to make those phones better...as far as performance and battery life.

I find that very hard to believe. iOS 8 runs slower than an income tax refund on a 4 and 4S, and Apple isn't in business to issue leaner, next-generation software that will enable people to keep older hardware longer and reduce sales and profits.

I hear you but supposedly iOS 9 is a very cleaned up version of iOS 8. Just 'reporting' what I read

[dbdynsty25]

On a slightly similar note (for th older iPhone guys...4S, etc.) supposedly iOS 9 is going to make those phones better...as far as performance and battery life.

I find that very hard to believe. iOS 8 runs slower than an income tax refund on a 4 and 4S, and Apple isn't in business to issue leaner, next-generation software that will enable people to keep older hardware longer and reduce sales and profits.

Ding ding ding. There is literally NO positive aspect to Apple making 3-4 year old phones faster/better. Takes money OUT of their pockets.

[Diablo25]

On a slightly similar note (for th older iPhone guys...4S, etc.) supposedly iOS 9 is going to make those phones better...as far as performance and battery life.

I find that very hard to believe. iOS 8 runs slower than an income tax refund on a 4 and 4S, and Apple isn't in business to issue leaner, next-generation software that will enable people to keep older hardware longer and reduce sales and profits.

Ding ding ding. There is literally NO positive aspect to Apple making 3-4 year old phones faster/better. Takes money OUT of their pockets.

And yet that is what is being reported. Like I said, just reporting what I read.

The Cupertino-based smartphone manufacturer has released multiple OS updates (iOS 4, iOS 7, and iOS 8, specifically) that were significantly slower than the operating systems they replaced. While this issue has always been most acute on older hardware, Apple’s update policies are designed to make falling back to an earlier operating system difficult, if not impossible. We’ve already covered reports that iOS 9 will focus on fixing bugs and improving performance rather than relentlessly launching new features, and a new report extends that focus by claiming that the OS will be optimized for older devices like the iPhone 4S.

Full article. http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/2064 ... er-devices

[jLp vAkEr0]

Just FYI, Nexus 6 is now at $349 (32GB) and $399 (64gb) at Amazon.

[Rodster]

Thanks Javi, I think the N6 will work on Straight Talk. Hopefully it's the LTE model. It's a lot cheaper than expansys-usa.com

Edit: Cha-ching, just bought me a 32GB Cloud White N6 on Amazon. It's the 1103 Model so it has LTE, damn sweet deal, and now I can offload my N4.

[dbdynsty25]

Thanks Javi, I think the N6 will work on Straight Talk. Hopefully it's the LTE model. It's a lot cheaper than expansys-usa.com

Edit: Cha-ching, just bought me a 32GB Cloud White N6 on Amazon. It's the 1103 Model so it has LTE, damn sweet deal, and now I can offload my N4.

Ummm...all the N6s are LTE bro. Whether they work with At&t's bands, that's another story. But either way, good deal there.

[wco81]

New Nexus phones are suppose to be announced soon.

Maybe that would reduce prices of Nexus 6 further.

However, the new manufacturer is suppose to be Huawei, which isn't as well known for phones in the US. Other than being known for making routers with backdoors for the Chinese govt. that is.

[Rodster]

Thanks Javi, I think the N6 will work on Straight Talk. Hopefully it's the LTE model. It's a lot cheaper than expansys-usa.com

Edit: Cha-ching, just bought me a 32GB Cloud White N6 on Amazon. It's the 1103 Model so it has LTE, damn sweet deal, and now I can offload my N4.

Ummm...all the N6s are LTE bro. Whether they work with At&t's bands, that's another story. But either way, good deal there.

Actually the N6 Model#1101's (Int'l) aren't and they're sold by expansys-usa.com. Amazon sells only the 1103's.

New Nexus phones are suppose to be announced soon.

Maybe that would reduce prices of Nexus 6 further.

However, the new manufacturer is suppose to be Huawei, which isn't as well known for phones in the US. Other than being known for making routers with backdoors for the Chinese govt. that is.

I think the current price of these phones are a reflection of that. That's $300 off the MSRP and I read about those other phones the other day but Motorola still makes a top shelf Android phone. The Huawei aren't bad but they're not Motorola quality. LG is the other vendor supposedly in the mix for the updated N6.

[dbdynsty25]

I think the current price of these phones are a reflection of that. That's $300 off the MSRP and I read about those other phones the other day but Motorola still makes a top shelf Android phone. The Huawei aren't bad but they're not Motorola quality. LG is the other vendor supposedly in the mix for the updated N6.

$350-400 is a good deal, tho I certainly would NEVER buy one of those less than a month before the new ones are announced.

LG is making the N5 (definitely getting one)
Huawei is making the N6

The N5 is supposed to be 399 and the new N6 499-599...so you really should have waited because outside of stock android, the original N6 just isn't that great. Screen is poor, camera is terrible and it's way too big for regular use (specifically width wise). And with the new Nexi being announced on the 29th (allegedly), you probably pulled the trigger too quick.

And why would you buy an International Moto N6 when all of the local ones are unlocked too? That's what I was referring to.