I've got a GS3 through US Cellular. No problems to report since I got it in June. Very fast, peppy, and 4G LTE works great
Best used Android phone (VZW)?
- Thread starter Hokiefyd
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Originally Posted By: dparm
Originally Posted By: redhat
Hokiefyd I feel your pain.
I upgraded my 8GB VZW iPhone 4 to iOS 7.
Horrible experience with the iPhone 4. Slow, buggy, crashes, takes as long as a BlackBerry to start up.
Weird. My Dad's iPhone 4 on VZW runs just fine on iOS 7. Not as fluid and fast as my 5S, but still acceptable.
That's my experience as well on my 4s. Not perfect but not bad at all. Battery life seems to be about the same as pre iOS 7. I do charge every night and am usually at 25-40% just as I was before
And the pickups, poor performance and instability is par for the Android course. I had a Droid X and it was a POS and was all that and abandoned by Motorola.
Originally Posted By: redhat
Hokiefyd I feel your pain.
I upgraded my 8GB VZW iPhone 4 to iOS 7.
Horrible experience with the iPhone 4. Slow, buggy, crashes, takes as long as a BlackBerry to start up.
Weird. My Dad's iPhone 4 on VZW runs just fine on iOS 7. Not as fluid and fast as my 5S, but still acceptable.
That's my experience as well on my 4s. Not perfect but not bad at all. Battery life seems to be about the same as pre iOS 7. I do charge every night and am usually at 25-40% just as I was before
And the pickups, poor performance and instability is par for the Android course. I had a Droid X and it was a POS and was all that and abandoned by Motorola.
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: beast3300
Soon android 4.3 will be official for all the US carriers and with it TRIM support on the s3 and s4.
Please elaborate on TRIM support for Android devices. Similar to what is done with SSDs in computers?
Yes! Same thing.
Originally Posted By: beast3300
Soon android 4.3 will be official for all the US carriers and with it TRIM support on the s3 and s4.
Please elaborate on TRIM support for Android devices. Similar to what is done with SSDs in computers?
Yes! Same thing.
It strikes me as funny, the hot-and-cold feelings different folks have towards the same phones. My wife and I both had Droid 2s from Motorola and I thought they were quite poor. After the Gingerbread update, they really went downhill. Very buggy, lots of lock-ups, lots of battery pulls, etc. My folks, on the other hand, both had them and they never had any of those issues. Then my wife and I eventually moved into iPhones, and we've generally had positive results with those. My 4S really went south with iOS 7, but my wife's 4S is still running well. Our 4th gen iPad runs excellent on iOS 7, so that's hard to explain. And the folks who have replied in this thread either love their GS3s or hate their GS3s. My folks both have GS3s, and based on their great experience with them, I figured that's what I'd buy should I need or want to buy a used Android phone.
I guess smartphone experiences really do vary that much still. Maybe they're still packing them full of new and innovative features where they haven't really hit a reliability plateau yet. It's commonly said that you really can't buy a bad car these days; all are so good and so consistent that a lemon is really very much out of the ordinary. Maybe the same can't be said yet of smartphones.
I guess smartphone experiences really do vary that much still. Maybe they're still packing them full of new and innovative features where they haven't really hit a reliability plateau yet. It's commonly said that you really can't buy a bad car these days; all are so good and so consistent that a lemon is really very much out of the ordinary. Maybe the same can't be said yet of smartphones.
I have activated one of our old Droid2s for the time being, to use temporarily for a few days. My iPhone 4S is on Craigslist (anyone who replied in this thread that they want one, feel free to PM me!) for $200, which is less than most are listed for around here. I'm hoping for a quick sale.
Once I get the cash in hand, we'll go upgrade my wife's 4S to a new 5S and I'll probably take over her 4S and see how it goes. I will keep my eye, however, on the Android and Windows phone market much more than I have in the past, because for my next phone, I will truly be open to all platforms.
Thank you all for the good discussion and for your recommendations.
Once I get the cash in hand, we'll go upgrade my wife's 4S to a new 5S and I'll probably take over her 4S and see how it goes. I will keep my eye, however, on the Android and Windows phone market much more than I have in the past, because for my next phone, I will truly be open to all platforms.
Thank you all for the good discussion and for your recommendations.
JHZR2
Staff member
If you're out of contract, do an unlock and then sell the 4s and pick up a 5s.
Despite my hatred for the larger screen phones, we decided to not go Tmobile this round due to some coverage issues in a few states and territories that were important. So we didnt want to keep throwing away the subsidy each month, and got two iPhone 5s models. We shopped the whole gamut of what was at best buy, AT&T and Costco (mostly the same phones, just different folks knew different stuff), and the form factor, size/mass, and overall feel was superior still. The htc one is a nice phone, but it has the same compromises as the iPhone and we just didnt like it as much. Plus, through a carrier with subsidy setup, there isnt a compelling cost advantage to the droid products.
Despite my hatred for the larger screen phones, we decided to not go Tmobile this round due to some coverage issues in a few states and territories that were important. So we didnt want to keep throwing away the subsidy each month, and got two iPhone 5s models. We shopped the whole gamut of what was at best buy, AT&T and Costco (mostly the same phones, just different folks knew different stuff), and the form factor, size/mass, and overall feel was superior still. The htc one is a nice phone, but it has the same compromises as the iPhone and we just didnt like it as much. Plus, through a carrier with subsidy setup, there isnt a compelling cost advantage to the droid products.
My wife has a Samsung Note 2 and loves it. I like the physical size of that phone as it's easier to hold in position when talking on it. Plus the screen size....
It has a few quirks but for the most part, it runs without problems.
I have an iPhone 4 that I upgraded to IOS7. The only gripe I had with the upgrade is that I had to delete all my music in order for the phone to upgrade. The memory was freed back up after the install.
As for IOS 7? The ability to block phone calls is worth the upgrade to me over IOS 6.
But when upgrade time comes, I most likely will take my wife's phone and hand down the iPhone to my son.
It has a few quirks but for the most part, it runs without problems.
I have an iPhone 4 that I upgraded to IOS7. The only gripe I had with the upgrade is that I had to delete all my music in order for the phone to upgrade. The memory was freed back up after the install.
As for IOS 7? The ability to block phone calls is worth the upgrade to me over IOS 6.
But when upgrade time comes, I most likely will take my wife's phone and hand down the iPhone to my son.
Sold my 4s this morning; $200 cash and carry. Probably to the VZW store this evening or tomorrow to turn the cash over on a 5s for my wife. Then I will inherit her 4s, which hasn't been as afflicted with the bugs as mine was. Fingers crossed.
Just some random thoughts from the Verizon store last night...
Apple: I bought my wife the 5s, as I had set out to do. The phone quality was at least as good as any other phone out there, and after playing with every one for a short while (Android, Windows, BlackBerry), I think iOS still has the smoothest and most consistent interface. That said, I think Apple is going to have to offer at least one model with a larger screen. And that doesn't necessarily mean a larger form factor (see below). And Apple absolutely does not have an advantage in display quality anymore. I think they used to, but those days are in the past now. All of the phones had wonderful display screens.
Android: the Galaxy Note phones were visually stunning...obviously very large with tablet-like screens. What do they call these now? Phablets? Anyway, very cool, but way too big for me. The Android interface has come a long way since Gingerbread that's on our Droid 2, but in some ways, it's still not as smooth as I think it could be. I saw at least two phones (and both were Motorolas) that had an error message on the screen that said something like "Process com.motorola.something has stopped responding." What really impressed me, from a hardware footprint standpoint, was the Motorola Droid Mini. As I recall, it had a 4.5" screen, but it was a beautiful edge-to-edge screen, and the entire phone's form factor was no larger than my iPhone 4s, with its much smaller 3.5" screen. Very light weight, and very pocketable (which is how I carry my phone most of the time). I liked it a lot, the Droid Mini.
Windows: I really wanted to like the Windows phones, and there was nothing wrong with the hardware. They had two Nokia Lumia phones...a 922 and a 928 or something similar (older and newer). Both held well in the hand and both responded well, but I just don't care for Windows' tiled environment. There's a "clean" look, and then there's a "sterile" look, and Windows looked very "sterile" to me; visually cold.
BlackBerry: I played with a Z30 that really surprised me; I liked it quite a lot. I really liked the virtual keyboard, I liked most of the interface, and the BB Hub seemed cool. (My brother has a Z10 and loves the Hub.) The UI was a little complex for my tastes, but it looked very functional.
Apple: I bought my wife the 5s, as I had set out to do. The phone quality was at least as good as any other phone out there, and after playing with every one for a short while (Android, Windows, BlackBerry), I think iOS still has the smoothest and most consistent interface. That said, I think Apple is going to have to offer at least one model with a larger screen. And that doesn't necessarily mean a larger form factor (see below). And Apple absolutely does not have an advantage in display quality anymore. I think they used to, but those days are in the past now. All of the phones had wonderful display screens.
Android: the Galaxy Note phones were visually stunning...obviously very large with tablet-like screens. What do they call these now? Phablets? Anyway, very cool, but way too big for me. The Android interface has come a long way since Gingerbread that's on our Droid 2, but in some ways, it's still not as smooth as I think it could be. I saw at least two phones (and both were Motorolas) that had an error message on the screen that said something like "Process com.motorola.something has stopped responding." What really impressed me, from a hardware footprint standpoint, was the Motorola Droid Mini. As I recall, it had a 4.5" screen, but it was a beautiful edge-to-edge screen, and the entire phone's form factor was no larger than my iPhone 4s, with its much smaller 3.5" screen. Very light weight, and very pocketable (which is how I carry my phone most of the time). I liked it a lot, the Droid Mini.
Windows: I really wanted to like the Windows phones, and there was nothing wrong with the hardware. They had two Nokia Lumia phones...a 922 and a 928 or something similar (older and newer). Both held well in the hand and both responded well, but I just don't care for Windows' tiled environment. There's a "clean" look, and then there's a "sterile" look, and Windows looked very "sterile" to me; visually cold.
BlackBerry: I played with a Z30 that really surprised me; I liked it quite a lot. I really liked the virtual keyboard, I liked most of the interface, and the BB Hub seemed cool. (My brother has a Z10 and loves the Hub.) The UI was a little complex for my tastes, but it looked very functional.
JHZR2
Staff member
Good point on the Motorola. I'm really hoping for big things for them and google. If they really get good us manufacturing capability, good products, etc. I'll give them a look.
Always liked Samsung, my father has the note, but he has had a few usability/compatibility issues. Still, Samsung, htc one and Motorola,going forward are really impressive. This whole smartphone thing will only get more interesting as time goes on.
Also, agree on the edge to edge characteristic of the screens. Droid mini didnt do it for me as it is still bigger, thicker (which is a peeve of mine), and heavier, though these things are starting to split hairs...
A lot,of screens are now into the >300, and even a bunch >400 ppi. Not sure where diminishing returns and higher battery draw cross with functionality, but I'm sure it's somewhere in there. Im always a proponent of the highest quality display you can get, be it for a monitor, laptop, or phone. But for all these it is becoming insanely good at the high end, so it will be interesting where the physics makes it practically irrelevant or induces other issues.
Always liked Samsung, my father has the note, but he has had a few usability/compatibility issues. Still, Samsung, htc one and Motorola,going forward are really impressive. This whole smartphone thing will only get more interesting as time goes on.
Also, agree on the edge to edge characteristic of the screens. Droid mini didnt do it for me as it is still bigger, thicker (which is a peeve of mine), and heavier, though these things are starting to split hairs...
A lot,of screens are now into the >300, and even a bunch >400 ppi. Not sure where diminishing returns and higher battery draw cross with functionality, but I'm sure it's somewhere in there. Im always a proponent of the highest quality display you can get, be it for a monitor, laptop, or phone. But for all these it is becoming insanely good at the high end, so it will be interesting where the physics makes it practically irrelevant or induces other issues.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Also, agree on the edge to edge characteristic of the screens. Droid mini didnt do it for me as it is still bigger, thicker (which is a peeve of mine), and heavier, though these things are starting to split hairs...
Are you sure? Compared to a 4/4s? The Mini is indeed a bit longer and wider (121mm vs. 115mm and 61mm vs. 59mm), but it's also a bit thinner and lighter (8.9mm vs. 9.3mm and 130g vs. 140g).
All of these dimensions are very, VERY close to a 4/4s, which you and I both apparently feel is about ideal for a phone's physical footprint. If Apple would put a similar screen to a Droid Mini into a 4/4s or Droid Mini sized chassis, and install a 2,000 mAH battery for days-long charge, I'd be in line.
I guess in the end, I want a Droid Mini running iOS. LOL
Also, agree on the edge to edge characteristic of the screens. Droid mini didnt do it for me as it is still bigger, thicker (which is a peeve of mine), and heavier, though these things are starting to split hairs...
Are you sure? Compared to a 4/4s? The Mini is indeed a bit longer and wider (121mm vs. 115mm and 61mm vs. 59mm), but it's also a bit thinner and lighter (8.9mm vs. 9.3mm and 130g vs. 140g).
All of these dimensions are very, VERY close to a 4/4s, which you and I both apparently feel is about ideal for a phone's physical footprint. If Apple would put a similar screen to a Droid Mini into a 4/4s or Droid Mini sized chassis, and install a 2,000 mAH battery for days-long charge, I'd be in line.
I guess in the end, I want a Droid Mini running iOS. LOL
JHZR2
Staff member
No, 5s, which is what we got. Smaller and performance that blows all the others away. I really liked the moto x, almost went with it, but every one if saw had horrible smears on the screen. Apparently the glass used by Motorola doesn't have the oleophobic coating like the iPhone and other phones.
I must say, my wife's 5s is pretty dadgum snappy. The full capabilities of the 64-bit processor may not be used at this point, but I like where Apple is going with its mobile line.
And I've been using her 4s as my phone since last week, and am pleased that hers really does not seem to have the bugs that my 4s had. Battery life is good and software stability is good. I will use this for a while, and will probably upgrade to the iPhone 6.
I was looking at a few rumor websites over the weekend; it looks like the 6 is exactly what I said I wanted previously. It should have a 4.5-5.0" screen with a footprint similar to a wider 5-sized chassis. And THIN. Wow.
My wife loves the fingerprint sensor on her 5s. I must agree...it's pretty slick to have a passcoded phone and never have to type in a passcode.
And I've been using her 4s as my phone since last week, and am pleased that hers really does not seem to have the bugs that my 4s had. Battery life is good and software stability is good. I will use this for a while, and will probably upgrade to the iPhone 6.
I was looking at a few rumor websites over the weekend; it looks like the 6 is exactly what I said I wanted previously. It should have a 4.5-5.0" screen with a footprint similar to a wider 5-sized chassis. And THIN. Wow.
My wife loves the fingerprint sensor on her 5s. I must agree...it's pretty slick to have a passcoded phone and never have to type in a passcode.
JHZR2
Staff member
Yes Im loving the fingerprint sensor. never used a password before, but now it is simple.
Best deal for a big phone used would be the Note 2. I got up to 3 days of battery on mine and it was fast rooted. Changed to Tmobile, got a Note 3, better but not by a lot.
Apple 5s is great too, so much power in a tiny phone, if that is what you like. Good luck getting a deal on a 5s though.
Apple 5s is great too, so much power in a tiny phone, if that is what you like. Good luck getting a deal on a 5s though.
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