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paulz
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# Posted: 11 Jun 2020 10:45am
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My wife needs a new phone, I should get one two. We have old Androids with Verizon service. Got a few questions:
Most everyone around here uses Apples. Worth the extra cost?
Do all phones now come with the new USB connector that goes on either side up? That would be a blessing to my one handed wife.
Had to have Verizon before at the cabin, now ATT put in a tower and it works. Any benefit to either service? Do the new phones have to be one or the other like what we have now, or is that a thing of the past?
Any new features I should look for?
Thanks!
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qbodsyt
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# Posted: 11 Jun 2020 11:38am
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Can't weigh in on Apples, I'm not a fan but lots of people love em and they do seem a little bit better suited to those who are not tech savvy.
My friend recently showed me the Moto G7 and G8 models, they are Android phones, I was really impressed by the build quality and features that they have for their price. They have USB C charging ports so yes, that is the kind that is easy to plug in, both sides are the same, I also find that it's a much sturdier plug than the old style, seems more durable.
The more basic models sell for about $175 new here (Canada) so I'd imagine it would be possible to get one for under $150USD
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paulz
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2020 09:12am
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Thanks! I will check out the Motos. Definitely want the USB C plug. Even for me (with 2 hands) the old USB plug is a hassle, and they seem to wear out, or at least not work without fiddling around.
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ICC
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2020 09:33am - Edited by: ICC
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Samsung XCover Pro. Android and it has a user replaceable 4050 mAh battery! Available from Samsung unlocked so you can use it on any carrier
https://www.samsung.com/us/business/products/mobile/phones/galaxy-xcover/galaxy-xcove r-pro-64gb-unlocked-sm-g715uzkdxaa/
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Nate R
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2020 09:39am
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I paid $180 from Best Buy for a Moto G7. Replaced my Samsung Galaxy S6. The wife still has an S6. We find the Moto is worse at: video sound quality and camera picture quality is slightly worse.
For the price though, can't really beat it! I've been happy with it overall, and would buy it again. And yeah, love the USB-C!
I don't think the extra $ is worth it for Apple.
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paulz
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2020 10:38am
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Thanks again guys. What about wireless charging, anyone tried that?
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hueyjazz
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2020 01:17pm
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My work supplies me an Apple phone. Basically so I can be on call 24/7 Such a deal I'm the facilities manager. My job puts me in, on and around major equipment and the phone is part of my tools. Phone has been very dependable. Only issue is you can crack screen
The service is on Verizon but for years the near by towers to cabin were ATT and even then I had to install a cell repeater to get to them. We ended up getting a Trac Phone account for cabin as that was hitting ATT towers.
We programmed one of my old iPhones for cabin. It worked great. iPhones do have nice features and they have their own texting network. But you get more bang for the buck with an Android.
Both my daughters phones are wireless charging. No issues. Again iPhones
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ICC
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2020 01:28pm
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I had a Galaxy with the wireless charge ability. That was handy but my impression was that the phone got warmer when wireless charging. That can shorten battery life. I had an opportunity to gift it to a relative earlier this year and got the Samsung XCover Pro. I like it. It has it's own sort of wireless charging with a stand that has pogo pins. The Xcover Pro has contacts that match the pogo pins on their stand and it charges w/o extra heat. Plus it has a USB-C port. The Xcover is more suitable for carrying around and being used by tradesman than regular phones.
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qbodsyt
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2020 03:04pm
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Quoting: ICC That was handy but my impression was that the phone got warmer when wireless charging
Ditto, and it's slower. The Motos dont support wireless I dont think. My Galaxy Note 8 does and I have a dock but it's slow even with theoretical "fast charging" capability....but fast charging with the cable is really fast, I throw it one for like 10 to 15 minutes middle of the day just to ensure I wont be low in the evening.
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ICC
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2020 05:55pm
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Yes, after many trials it seemed to be quicker and cooler to charge by cord. The new XCover Pro is as quick on either the USB-C plug or the pogo. I have a spare battery and when out in the boonies for a long day or overnite it is nice to be able to swap the battery for a charged one and worry about charging later. I don't worry so much about using the maps and other functions as much as I used to with the phones you cannot exchange batteries on.
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justinbowser
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2020 06:05pm
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We have 3 of LG Stylo 5 models with Verizon, been great so far. I won't buy Apple due to their corporate "politics."
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spoofer
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2020 06:56pm
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Apple has a new IPhone out for $399. My Daughter has it and likes it.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 14 Jun 2020 11:10am - Edited by: paulz
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Did a little reading on 5G network. Don't remember the date of the article, 2020, said it's up now in about 50 cities, phones available.
I don't do much phone work, talk and text, map directions.. Speed not a big thing but my old old phone got obsoleted by some new technology a couple years ago, voice over data or something. Would hate to buy a new phone and have it happen again.
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qbodsyt
Member
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# Posted: 14 Jun 2020 11:51am
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Quoting: paulz my old old phone got obsoleted by some new technology a couple years ago....Would hate to buy a new phone and have it happen again.
That's technology unfortunately....our consumerist economy involves a great deal of planned obsolescence. My wife's Samsung Galaxy S6 still works fine but suddenly Samsung let's slip that there is a fatal security flaw and they will only be updating security patches for the S7 and newer devices. The phone isn't even that slow once we did a factory reset, yes it's about 5 years old but the hardware itself is well built. We use it as a work phone now with no critical data on it. I still miss my Google Nexus 4, which I bought in 2013, it was such a simple and elegant little phone...but even though the hardware is fine, the software is several cycles out of date.
No matter what you buy, you may find in a couple years there are a number of sources arguing that you need to upgrade, for legitimate or imagined reasons
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 15 Jun 2020 11:25am
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Yep. I got forced off WIndows XP, which I liked, bought Windows 7, got used to that, and just got forced onto Windows 10, bloatware city. Yesterday I plugged my phone into it to transfer pictures, got stuck while it put stuff into my new 'cloud', which I neither wanted nor asked for. I dunno, maybe a cloud is good but I don't see the need, so far.
Despite the drawbacks of cordless charging, I do like the idea for my wife, as she has decided I'm am responsible for charging her phone and Kindle. Between that and my own stuff it's getting pretty tiring. I understand though, try plugging in the USB with one hand. There is those 'docking stations', that might work, if they are still around.We would need two however, home and cabin.
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95XL883
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# Posted: 15 Jun 2020 06:18pm
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I am an Apple fan boy. The stuff is pricy but the longevity is, in my experience, much better than the androids. I was pushing four years on my 7 and had no qualms about going longer. The 11 came out and they gave me $300, I think it was $300, on a trade in, The camera on the 11's is very good. I opted for an 11 Pro. Really pricy but I wanted the bigger screen with my old eyes and I wanted the telephoto. Our first grand baby was coming, yada, yada. We rationalized trading up.
I have mixed feelings on cloud storage. It sucks when I want to listen to a tune and it is out on the cloud and won't download because I am somewhere out of service. They give just enough free to get you hooked on it and then they start charging. Still, it might be cost efficient if you figured in the cost of a backup. drive and the convenience of it being automatic.
Rant warning: While cloud storage may be fine for personal use, it sucks for business usage. The cloud is nothing magical. Somewhere there are servers with the info on it. What you get is freedom from managing those servers. What you get is dependence on internet speed and those managing those servers. In the business world the cloud is a crutch for IT departments that don't know how to manage servers. It typically costs more than the client maintained servers and has lag issues. But if your corporate IT dpt stinks, it might make sense. In a corporate world, IT security is paramount. You are totally reliant on whoever is providing the cloud for that security. And I have been lied to too often by IT vendors and car salesmen to trust either easily. I could go on, but rant off and back to topic.
Wireless charging on the iPhone is fast but the phone does heat up. I am a heavy phone user and get almost two days on a single charge. My son and wife are very heavy users and get a full day. If I am going to be away from charging for several days, I carry a couple of power sticks and use those to charge.
In addition to the power sticks, I have a lithium based emergency jump start battery for my car. I haven't tried it yet but it does have a USB port for charging electronics. It is fairly light for how much power it has. It was either $40 or $50 at Costco.
Apple stuff is pricy but I like the quality much better than Android or Windows devices.
It seems to me that the value is really how much use an object provides. If an Android or Windows phone meets your needs and is easy to use, go for it,
Hope this helps.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 22 Jul 2020 10:25am
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Haven't gotten a phone yet, well actually I have.. last night the kid down the street whose dirt bike I keep going gave me his old Iphone 6 (not 6s). Been wanting to try an Apple. Battery is dead and it has the either way charger port, need to get a cable. But from what I read it may no longer be supported, or soon won't be.
My friend Joe, also an old Android guy, says he tried his girlfriend's Iphone and didn't like it. Everyone else around here swears by them. We'll see.
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paulz
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# Posted: 22 Jul 2020 03:06pm
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Just dug through my rat's nest of phone charging cords, found two with the reversible end but both are too big for the Iphone, dammit. I guess there are two sizes reversible jacks?
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jul 2020 11:13pm
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Long story but wife and I have new phones, too new to evaluate yet.. Androids
Anyway, I'm researching phone covers/protectors. I keep mine in my front jean pocket, which also seems to collect dirt at an unusual rate. Thinking of using a baggie when I'm working. Any other suggestions?
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paulz
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2022 10:45am
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Got a new phone, reluctantly, do to the hassle of switching over and learning to use it. Old one still worked but check out the screen, getting hard to read.
Now I can have wifi calling. Who uses that and why?
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ICC
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2022 01:29pm - Edited by: ICC
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There are locations with no cell signal or a poor cell signal that may have wifi from DSL, cable, or satellite.
You may be able to use wifi outside the US to make voice calls. to the US.
It may extend battery life as the phone does not keep checking for a cell signal if it has a wifi it can use
Depending on the wireless plan you have it may save minutes or bandwidth of cell service. Voice uses about 1 MB per minute, video calls 6-8 MB a minute.
Of course there are places with great cell service and no wifi. So it is nice to be able to use either.
What is the new phone?
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2022 02:01pm
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That is all we use at the cabin, we have no cell service. We are able to make voice calls and text as you normally would via cell service.
We use satellite internet and with our previous service, Viasat, it was difficult making voice calls due to latency. Now that we use Starlink the latency is so little voice calls are nearly normal.
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paulz
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2022 05:22pm
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Ah OK, for when there's no cell service but wifi. Don't know that I've come across that here in technoville.
New phone is a Samsung. I let the provider lady pick it out, too many options for me. I just said give me one for 100 bucks, don't need all the bells and whistles. It will look like my old one pretty soon anyway, already dropped it a few times.
One nice thing about it was when I set it up it asked if I wanted to transfer stuff from my old phone. Hit yes, boom, contacts, apps, photos, everything went over.
No denying how these phones have changed our lives, but sometimes I hearken back to the old days. Heard a comedian the other night on an old Carson, he got an answering machine. Every time he came home there was that big digital 0 staring at him. Before he got it, he figured he was missing calls, now he realized nobody ever calls him.
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ICC
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2022 06:13pm
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I use the wifi option a lot when I go to Canada or Mexico, though I have not done that much in the past couple of years.
And a neighbor uses the wifi with Starlink like Nobadays as they are in a canyon that causes the loss of cell signal, but Starlink works.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2022 09:15pm
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I tend to shirt pocket carry if I have a big enough pocket, dont like pants pocket carry at all. Have been thinking I might like a shoulder holster since Im 'kinda used to that'.
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