# Forum More Stuff At the end of the day  What Smart Phones do you use and why ?

## METRIX

Just curious which Smart Phones you use and why you chose it, also do you use the power of the phone or just basic use ?
I was an Apple user from 4,5,6 had a Samsung Galaxy Alpha between the 5 and 6, but went back to a 6 due to the Galaxy being a bit slow and battery not so good. 
Upgraded my plan at Christmas and went with a Samsung S8 as I was getting bored with the simplicity and "same same" of the Apple devices, and their limited customisation. 
The S8 is worlds apart from the Alpha I had, it is an awesome phone, so customisable, it's capable of doing things I want to do with it not what Apple wants to limit me to do.
Such as Wireless backup directly to my NAS device using only the device and an app to access the operating system, NO iTUNES rubbish software HORRAY  
The only thing I missed was losing iMessage, you don't realise how good a messaging app it is until you don't have it, I have worked around it on Android and messaging works just as easily and able to send high res images without a problem very easily. 
Last iPhone was a 6S, and the fingerprint sensor never worked reliably so I would just disable it after persisting with it for about 3 days, and have no security to unlock it as a password was cumbersome.
The phone was replaced 3 times under warranty, due to various problems, the 6S was the most unreliable one I had, the 5 was replaced once, the 4 I still have the original phone and it still works. 
I have had the S8 for 3 months and the fingerprint unlock works 99.99% of the time.
The iPod volume was better on the iPhone, the S8 has a limiter on volume due to some stupide EURO hearing standard. 
Overall I am very happy with the move to Android, and have zero intentions of returning to Apple, the Android system offers much more flexibility, customisation, plus they did not steal your headphone jack or fingerprint sensor like Apple is doing, I am not interested in Bluetooth headphones, it's just another thing to lose and have to remember to charge, keep it simple I say.  
I will admit it was a hard decision to give up on Apple, they scare you into thinking the other devices are inferior, I can tell you nothing is further from the truth, IMO it's the Apple devices which are inferior. 
What are your thoughts.

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## phild01

My current mobile is a Telstra 3G that cost about $40.  Does everything except for the crap pics.  Now need to upgrade to 4G but can't find any cheapies  :Frown:

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## Marc

i had an Apple Iphone 4, for the last mm 8 years. For what I need a phone it's still OK.
I deeply resent Itunes and the Apple ID nonsense so I suppose that when this one carkes it, it will be Samsung. Most of my family has given Apple the flick.

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## toooldforthis

recently bought a Nokia 6 (android) quality builddoes everything I wantcamera not as good as previous phone but okall the Android apps you could wantbare android so no bloatwareonly annoying thing about android is if I start an app from the home screen it starts where I left off last time, which may be several layers down from the beginning. I would prefer if it started the app, if I wanted to pick up where I left off I could use the recent apps feature.has an earphone jack - which I never use. Use the excellent bluetooth Plantronics explorer, which has a find feature, and excellent software unlike the previous Jabra rubbish I had.   
had a Nokia Lumia 930 (windows) for a few years before that. awesome phonewindows o/s was very good/excellentbut crap app support which got even worse so jumped ship to Android

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## r3nov8or

I stick with phones for a few years, so I need to choose well. Currently on LG G6 and will probably upgrade to a future LG when the time comes 
Being the family 'IT guy",  the pain of generations of iPhones, iPods and iPads has turned me off Apple for a lifetime

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## Bigboboz

Iphone 6 for the last 3.5yrs, work issued. Blackberry before that, work issued. 
Mostly happy with the iphone, not that fussed about the walled garden aspect, in fact like it. Less worry about dodgy apps in theory.  Loved the blackberry for it's time but they were falling behind in capabilities towards the end.  Battery has gone to @@@@@, need to get it replaced by Apple, battery life and stability is now rubbish.  Interesting that your finger print didn't work well, my 6 works flawlessly unless I have moisture on my finger etc 
My folks have had various Androids which I always have to help them with, so have some familiarity. Currently have LG G5s which they love because of the super widescreen camera, which is fantastic for internal shots and some scenery shots.  Too many 'free' apps asking for access to contacts, emails, calendar etc for my liking.  
Big fan of tech but I don't trust it.

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## Uncle Bob

Microsoft Lumia.
It's got a real nice UI.
Shame no one else thought so  :Smilie:

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## commodorenut

I've had a string of iPhones as my personal phone, currently on an 8+.  Never had any reliability issues with them.  The old 4 has a new battery now, and lives in the console of the car permanently as an iPod through the factory infotainment system.   
Got an S7 last year as a work phone (replacing an S3 - it was the last remaining one in the wild on the work plan).  I'd looked after it, which is why it was so old, but it finally died (electronic faults).  Had 3 batteries in the 6 or so years I had it.  Other colleagues had been through 3 or 4 Samsung phones in that time.
I have "recoded" my fingerprints the S7 many times, and it's still unreliable.  Yet the iPhone, since I had the 6 with it, has never been an issue for me. 
I preferred the S3's android system to the S7.  I know when people started getting S4 & S5s they lost some of the handy apps & widgets I used on the S3 - that, in combination witht he fact I had a car cradle for it, is why I held onto it for so long.  The S5 & S6 also had that funny USB+1 plug under them, which all my colleagues complained about.  The S7 has gone back to the single USB, which I like. 
Setting up the new S7 was so easy with the included adapter & lead - plug one phone into the other & everything transferred.  The iPhone is much more cumbersome, and you have to do things manually a lot.   I don't have an issue with itunes, but I only use my home laptop for it.  I can't do anything with it from the work laptop, but I do like that I can copy music onto the Samsung from any laptop or PC I plug it into, and authorise access from the phone. 
For my personal phone, I thing I'd still stick with an iPhone over the Samsung.  Each has pros & cons, but neither stands out dramatically over the other (like for like).

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## plum

Father in law had his mobile back in the 1950's [ took up half of the boot in his car ], he dealt them to Reg Ansett, Kevin Dennis, all sorts of high end business people. I got my first in 1989 and to tell you the truth, I couldn't give a stuff about the modern I phones. I have what I call a 'dumb phone',  for making and receiving calls and smsing.

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## toooldforthis

> Microsoft Lumia.
> It's got a real nice UI.
> Shame no one else thought so

  that's makes two of us.
who bought the other one? 
I have history on these type of decisions (Betamax ... I won't go on and embarrass myself)

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## David.Elliott

I have a Nexus 6P. 3 years(?) old. Pure Android OS without the Samsung bloatware. Just works... All the google apps like Photos, Play Music, work really well and intuitively, plus a pretty damn good camera.  It's wierd but I still upload my muisc into Apple Music/iTunes or whatever it is this week and the Google Music Manager puts them automatically into my Play Music. 
Bought the wife an Oppo as she had outgrown her hand me down iPhone4. That Oppo and a Brilliant Camera.
 Not a huge tech head so I was expecting some pushback re: changing from Apple apps to the Google apps. But it's all been a bit seamless. Has an iPad Pro, so we put the google apps on that and there is no drama with sharing photos etc.  
Two (small) things I like with the Oppo. A V shape drawn on a locked screen turns on the torch, and a O opens the camera, and you can set diff fingers on the fingerprint sensor to auto open whatever app you'd like. Her thumb from a locked screen opens Google Maps... 
Tried helping the boss on his samsung whatever and there is so much crap there, or though that may be him.  Why would I use the samsung mail app when gmail is native on Android..  
Saw earlier this week that there were 25 Windows phones sold in AU last year.  That's one for every million people, LOL

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## davegol

> the pain of generations of iPhones, iPods and iPads has turned me off Apple for a lifetime

  yup. me too!  :Biggrin:    

> had a Nokia Lumia 930 (windows) for a few years before that. awesome phonewindows o/s was very good/excellentbut crap app support which got even worse so jumped ship to Android

   the lumias were THAT good, and windows phone was a perfect compromise between flexible android and consistent iOS. but MS did their best to kill it.  :Frown:    

> that's makes two of us.
> who bought the other one?

  me! 
Planning to go out in the next few weeks to buy an S9 if I can take the pain on my credit card.
I have a cheapie Oppo at the moment because my last phone (Nexus) died.
Don't do it. 
Ever. 
Never. 
Oppo is the devil. 
Not even worth the fact that they are dirt cheap.

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## toooldforthis

> .. 
> Planning to go out in the next few weeks to buy an S9 if I can take the pain on my credit card.
> ...

  have a look at the Nokias for build quality and native android. I looked into the Samsungs but all that bloatware - too much for a new android user like me.

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## davegol

yeah I really like the look of the Nokia 8 Sirocco, and the fact that it's running Android One is VERY appealing after being on a Nexus, but how bad is the samsung bloatware these days? I thought they had cleaned up their act and it was much better than it used to be?

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## woodbe

We've had a few iPhones and Androids. 
The issue we have had with the Androids is that the software is not updated by the telecom companies that sell us the Androids once they are 'out of date'. If we're lucky, they might update the software with security issues, but not move to the modern current Androids. We should have bought non-telecom Androids and they would have had more faster and better software updates. Androids from the telecoms are often loaded with rubbish software not wanted or required.  
The iphones always have standard software regardless of the telecom sellers. iPhones below the 6 cannot have the current software though, so if we keep the iPhones for ever, the software will eventually go out of date but will get security updates. That is better than the Android software system. 
Battery systems are variable, but cheap enough to replace them even on an iPhone. 
Androids are generally cheaper, but having had both of them I prefer the iPhone. My current is the 6S and the finger touch ID system works 100%.

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## r3nov8or

> ...
> The issue we have had with the Androids is that the software is not updated by the telecom companies that sell us the Androids once they are 'out of date'. ....

   This is certainly true, and I believe Google is going to get tougher on contracts with telcos to provide updates at least every 6 months, but if you want regular updates on Android (e.g. monthly security updates, and OS upgrades less often) your only reliable choice is the Google Pixel (with similar pricing (gouging) as Apple)

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## davegol

> your only reliable choice is the Google Pixel

  That's what the AndroidOne program is all about (no bloatware, and regular updates delivered for 2 yrs directly from google) and there are more phones coming all the time that use it.

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## woodbe

The other Android issue I didn't say, was that the software system for apps has a lot of fake copy apps that rip the customers. It's not that there have some in the Apple system, but way less in the Apple system. 
One of them I saw with a friend recently was that the WhatsApp had multiple versions and only one real one. People got too much crap if they picked the wrong one, and probably had security issues...

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## toooldforthis

> .... 
> The issue we have had with the Androids is that the software is not updated by the telecom companies that sell us the Androids once they are 'out of date'. If we're lucky, they might update the software with security issues, but not move to the modern current Androids. We should have bought non-telecom Androids and they would have had more faster and better software updates. Androids from the telecoms are often loaded with rubbish software not wanted or required.  
> ... .

  yep. which is why I bought the Nokia unlocked. as davegol says above. 
yeah the numerous android apps is an issue but like anything you buy, do the research. 
whirpool isn't too bad for independent advice unlike all the fanboys on other sites.

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## Bedford



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## phild01

> 

   Excellent keypad.

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## r3nov8or

> That's what the AndroidOne program is all about (no bloatware, and regular updates delivered for 2 yrs directly from google) and there are more phones coming all the time that use it.

  Cheers. Didn't know it had a name, but will certainly look out for these handsets

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## METRIX

[QUOTE=David.Elliott;1073092] 
Tried helping the boss on his samsung whatever and there is so much crap there, or though that may be him.   *Depends on the model, the earlier Samsung were cluttered up with TouchWiz, they got so much flak for it they eventually scaled it right back, the S8 still has touchwiz but only the useful parts the rest is gone, now they call touchwiz, Samsung Experience, currently on V9.0 with OREO 8.0.0 the only thing they introduced is BIXBY and it has a dedicated button, I don't like BIXBY and prefer Google Assistant, so I remap the BIXBY button to open Google Assistant, something that you wouldn't be allowed to do on an iPhone if it had such a thing. 
The  V9 Experience is really nice, it's very scaled back and very quick* 
Why would I use the samsung mail app when gmail is native on Android. *Because it doesn't work properly with external email accounts and the security settings, the Samsung App works fine with IMAP Port 993 and SSL gmail refuses to let you log in*

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## METRIX

> yeah I really like the look of the Nokia 8 Sirocco, and the fact that it's running Android One is VERY appealing after being on a Nexus, but how bad is the samsung bloatware these days? I thought they had cleaned up their act and it was much better than it used to be?

  Yes they have cleaned it up, it's fairly clean now, on my S8 irt runs great. 
My mate bought the cheapest Samsung a J1 at under $100 outright, then was complaining it didn't do this, it didn't do that, blah blah blah, then said Samsung makes crap phones. 
My response was you get what you pay for, what do you expect from a $100 smartphone, of course it's not going to have all the features of a $1000 phone that's why it's $100

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## phild01

> My mate bought the cheapest Samsung a J1 at under $100 outright, then was complaining it didn't do this, it didn't do that, blah blah blah, then said Samsung makes crap phones. 
> My response was you get what you pay for, what do you expect from a $100 smartphone, of course it's not going to have all the features of a $1000 phone that's why it's $100

  Was going to get a J1 but too expensive.  Can't believe people pay so much for their phones, what is it that is worth $900 more!

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## METRIX

> We've had a few iPhones and Androids. 
> The issue we have had with the Androids is that the software is not updated by the telecom companies that sell us the Androids once they are 'out of date'. If we're lucky, they might update the software with security issues, but not move to the modern current Androids. We should have bought non-telecom Androids and they would have had more faster and better software updates. Androids from the telecoms are often loaded with rubbish software not wanted or required.  
> .

  Agree, they do update the flagship models, and send out the patches as they are released at least that's what has happened with my one through Optus, Samsung is a bit slow at releasing the updates as they tend to err on the side of caution and want to know the device is going to function reliably with the update, I just got the OREO update 2 days ago. 
This is unlike Apple who keep releasing buggy iOS updates quite regularly, then have to release another revision to fix the bugs they introduced, and again and again, each update progressively slows the phone down, if they would simply test the release properly it would save the end users a lot of pain, because they stop signing the older version very quicky after release of the new version so you can't roll it back until they work out the problems they introduce, this was a very annoying part of owning an Apple device. 
I have an iPad Mini, it was running beautiful under iOS 9, and even really good under iOS 10, it's now on 11.2.6 and it runs like a piece of crap, so much so that I am now looking for an Android based Tablet because the Mini is so crap to use. 
Apple sell these on Apple certified refurbished for over $350, IMO i't unacceptable that a refurbished iPAD that costs over $350 and runs like crap, and it's not because I have filled it up with crappy Apps, I recently scrapped the entire thing and loaded a fresh iOS on it, and only installed 6 apps.   
You can always reflash a carrier based android off the carrier's version of Android and load stock onto it, it's easily done, you would only lose such features such as WiFi calling as this is a carrier specific option not something that Stock Android supports out of the box.

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## METRIX

> Was going to get a J1 but too expensive.  Can't believe people pay so much for their phones, what is it that is worth $900 more!

  ?? J1 expensive ?, t's the cheapest Samsung out there.  Attachment 119979  Attachment 119980

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## David.Elliott

Why would I use the samsung mail app when gmail is native on Android. *Because it doesn't work properly with external email accounts and the security settings, the Samsung App works fine with IMAP Port 993 and SSL gmail refuses to let you log in * I have a hotmail account connected fine through gmail and it is also using IMAP port 993 and SSL.There is a manual setup button you can use to change force it to use IMAP or POP3 as preferred, although it doesn't seem to initially permit port numbers and SSL options, if the connection fails or the account is sucessfully setup you can edit the settings to 993 and SSL or whatever as required.

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## r3nov8or

> Was going to get a J1 but too expensive.  Can't believe people pay so much for their phones, what is it that is worth $900 more!

  Phil, there are cheapies. They do the basics but are rather ordinary https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-ph...lstra-4gx-plus

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## phild01

> Phil, there are cheapies. They do the basics but are rather ordinary https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-ph...lstra-4gx-plus

  I did consider that one too but reviews were poor.  Basically I would like a good camera and available memory. But I don't think those features are worth $900 more. I don't use phone apps but now have 20Gb available on the phone and thought I might explore some.  Any new phone should at least be able to take a quality pic. My Galaxy Tab A takes good pics but unsuitable as a phone.

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## r3nov8or

Yep, decent cameras only really come with decent to higher end phones, which obviously cost more.

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## Bros

Last year I went to Hong Kong and as well as our Ipad I took a borrowed Iphone 5. I loaded it with an app called Moovit which gives public transport times and stops in real time. In addition I would get some cheap tour tickets there via a company called klook and used Paypal to pay for it and these came immediately to both my phone and Ipad. The tickets had a bar code that we used for entry to various sites. 
We found this to be very handy and I waited until Telstra had Iphone 6 on prepaid cheap and I succumbed and bought one as my old Ericsson was getting to the end of its life. I also wanted a better camera and I now use it quite a bit if I see something I am interested it I take a pic of the label and URL and look it up when I come home. 
I don't like the Samsungs that are equivalent to Iphone as they are to big however my son has one and other than the size he thinks it is good. 
Any internet use when travelling I use an Ipad (wifi only) as I find it is much better to use than the small screen phones.

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## JB1

> Got an S7 last year as a work phone (replacing an S3 - it was the last remaining one in the wild on the work plan).  I'd looked after it, which is why it was so old, but it finally died (electronic faults).  Had 3 batteries in the 6 or so years I had it.  Other colleagues had been through 3 or 4 Samsung phones in that time.
> I have "recoded" my fingerprints the S7 many times, and it's still unreliable.  Yet the iPhone, since I had the 6 with it, has never been an issue for me. 
> I preferred the S3's android system to the S7.  I know when people started getting S4 & S5s they lost some of the handy apps & widgets I used on the S3 - that, in combination witht he fact I had a car cradle for it, is why I held onto it for so long.  The S5 & S6 also had that funny USB+1 plug under them, which all my colleagues complained about.  The S7 has gone back to the single USB, which I like. 
> Setting up the new S7 was so easy with the included adapter & lead - plug one phone into the other & everything transferred.  The iPhone is much more cumbersome, and you have to do things manually a lot.   I don't have an issue with itunes, but I only use my home laptop for it.  I can't do anything with it from the work laptop, but I do like that I can copy music onto the Samsung from any laptop or PC I plug it into, and authorise access from the phone. 
> For my personal phone, I thing I'd still stick with an iPhone over the Samsung.  Each has pros & cons, but neither stands out dramatically over the other (like for like).

  Doesn't sound right. S7 was only released March 2016.  
Currently using the S7 for 2 years now.  
No plans to replace it as it does everything I need, plus I don't like the curved screen of the S8 or S9. Camera is still excellent. 
I may replace the battery rather than phone.  
Prior to that I had a Nexus 5 which was a great phone at the time. Pure vanilla Android with no bloatware. 
Prior to that 2 Apple phones. 
The S7 is the first phone I've kept for more than 2 years. I think smartphones  have matured like PCs. 2-3 year old ones aren't obsolete anymore. 
Edit. I re-read your post. My bad. You had the S3 for 6 years.  
====

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## commodorenut

Yes, that's right - 6 years out of the S3, which I think is pretty good reliability for a modern phone (although my iPhone4, which I also got around the same time, is still going strong, and has only had one battery change just recently). 
I went with the 8+ for my last upgrade for the larger screen.  It makes reading web pages & emails just that little bit easier, without resorting to larger fonts that you have to scroll all the time.  I used to use the iPad a lot for email & browsing, and considered getting an iPad mini, but the 8+ worked out well - I haven't used the iPad since. 
The S7 is also sealed like an iPhone, so a battery change isn't a simple swap like the S3.  Being a work phone, it will be interesting how long it lasts before it needs it.  The only problem with them is they are so slippery to hang onto, that you need a case to keep a good grip on it, and then when I go to put it in the car cradle (which also charges), I have to take it out of the case.  However, it is a good size, and compared to the 8+, feels like a small phone.  It feels just about right, and I think Samsung did well with it.    
Mind you, the kids still play with my old Nokia collection, and I'm constantly reminded how small the 8250 and 6111 were compared to the monsters we have for phones today.

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## InsaneAsylum

Up until a month ago, I was running an old Galaxy S4 with Lineage OS and I loved it. Love a good Android OS with all the crap stripped out and only what I need. minimalist for the win. 
The sad thing is, Lineage OS trips Knox and my company requires Knox to access email via MDM so I had to grab another old S4 running Samsung's bloated Android which sucks but I have no choice. 
I will upgrade soon and I'm looking at the Nokia or Oppo. Basic requirements are a cheap Android handset without all the junk pre-installed.

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## davegol

> Nokia or Oppo. Basic requirements are a cheap Android handset without all the junk pre-installed.

  Be careful with Oppo in that case.  
They have all their junk pre-installed but worse than that, they have their own flavour of Android called ColorOS (it should have been called PieceOS!) which is an absolute disaster.
Firstly, it's heavily locked down. You can't change the default messages app (even though Google's one is available and much better), the default launcher (theirs is horrible), or the notifications display. It severely restricts what you can change, and if you do download an app that changes something, it will just change it back to ColorOS's horrid version. They seem to suggest that it's all in the name of security, but it just feels very unusable. It is designed primarily for the Chinese market where they use their phones a little differently. 
If you don't want ANY junk then you need to go with a phone that runs AndroidOne (Nokia), or one of the Google branded devices.

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## Bros

I am amazed at how some people treat smart phones. I see girls at the shopping centres with tight shorts with a smart phone poking out of the pocket. If you gave them $500 I wonder if they would have that poking out of their back pocket. Maybe the plan buying makes them complacent and they ignore the handset cost until it gets lost or pinched.

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## InsaneAsylum

> Be careful with Oppo in that case.  
> They have all their junk pre-installed but worse than that, they have their own flavour of Android called ColorOS (it should have been called PieceOS!) which is an absolute disaster.
> Firstly, it's heavily locked down. You can't change the default messages app (even though Google's one is available and much better), the default launcher (theirs is horrible), or the notifications display. It severely restricts what you can change, and if you do download an app that changes something, it will just change it back to ColorOS's horrid version. They seem to suggest that it's all in the name of security, but it just feels very unusable. It is designed primarily for the Chinese market where they use their phones a little differently. 
> If you don't want ANY junk then you need to go with a phone that runs AndroidOne (Nokia), or one of the Google branded devices.

  Thanks for the heads up on this! I was aware that Oppo had their own flavour of Android but didn't realise it was that restrictive! 
I really like Lineage OS - I would have kept it if my work hadn't made it difficult. essentially to get work email on my phone, I need Knox and Lineage OS trips Knox. I don't have access to other handsets at this point in time but there are some non Samsung that will work with Lineage OS and Microsoft MDM so I'd get the best of both worlds.

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## JB1

> Thanks for the heads up on this! I was aware that Oppo had their own flavour of Android but didn't realise it was that restrictive! 
> I really like Lineage OS - I would have kept it if my work hadn't made it difficult. essentially to get work email on my phone, I need Knox and Lineage OS trips Knox. I don't have access to other handsets at this point in time but there are some non Samsung that will work with Lineage OS and Microsoft MDM so I'd get the best of both worlds.

  I think the cheap Chinese phones seem great value for money at first, but have issues that people just can't resolve.  
My first Android was fantastic- the Nexus 5 (Google) pure vanilla android. The Samsung 5 at the time had lots of bloatware.  
My S7 has very minimal bloatware. Check it out if you haven't already done so.

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## METRIX

> I don't like the Samsungs that are equivalent to Iphone as they are to big however my son has one and other than the size he thinks it is good.

  Below is my IP6s Vs Galaxy S8, the S8 is only 10mm longer then the 6s, below that you will see how much more screen real estate you get on an S8 vs 6s, which is the same as a 7 and 8, this is due to Apple having such huge bezels on the top and bottom of their phones except the 10, which has already been discontinued. 
You might be referring to the Plus models, yes these are too big for my liking, same as the iPhone Plus models they are unnecessarily large, the regular S8 is perfect size, does not need to be any bigger or smaller.

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## Bros

Yes it could be the + model my son has. 
I'm never going to send you an email.

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## InsaneAsylum

the above mentioned galaxy s4 I was stringing along decided to slip out of my hand while waiting for a tram the other night. landed flat on it's back, screen went black with criss cross lines  :Mad: . I managed to get it running using another broken galaxy s4 screen (last of the samsungs that weren't glued together) so I could get my data off it, but I was resigned to the fact that it's a 6 year old phone, and it's going to cost $100+ to get a 2nd hand screen so took the plunge and spent a few hours researching. 
I wanted a Nokia 6 but still just under $400, not interested in a flagship model. put together a matrix and shortlisted 3 phones, Moto G5S, Nokia 5 and Samsung J5 Pro. 
Ended up going the Moto as it had 32GB mem and 1080p display, the others were a lower res. anyway, I expected to pay $325 and when I got to JB, to my surprise it was $279. so not a bad steal if you ask me  :Biggrin:  
I love it, it's a nice clean Android OS without any junk on it like Samsung, long lasting battery. would definitely recommend it as a phone.

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## phild01

I'm just getting a cheap nougat 5" 4GX for $100.  About the only app I might have is the Uber one.  Mobiles are so overpriced!

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## r3nov8or

> Mobiles are so overpriced!

   Especially the expensive ones  :Cool:

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## doovalacky

I've mostly stuck with Motorola phones over the years. First smartphone was a Motorola RAZR. Finally broke the screen and replaced it with a Motorola XT1550 brought unlocked. 
As an industrial electrician my phones cop a hammering with metal filings, dirt,coal dust and moisture. So the sealed moisture resistant design was a big plus.
Basic android OS without extras. 
 Dual sim is handy so can have personal/work calls from one phone.
Bigger battery than the basic Iphones and it last me 2-4 days depending on use. 
Best of all I paid somewhere around $350 in 2015 for it so a fraction of the cost.

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## fredgassit

+++++++1.

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## METRIX

The cameras on the latest Smart Phones do a very good job, considering the size of the sensor / lens, this night scene was a good example of how they handle difficult lighting.

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## JB1

You're correct Metrix, the camera on the latest phones are very good. The low light shots of my Samsung puts my older SLR to shame.    

> Currently using the S7 for 2 years now.  
> No plans to replace it as it does everything I need, plus I don't like the curved screen of the S8 or S9.

  What a difference a month makes! 
My Samsung S7 battery expanded, which then crack the screen. Phone is 1 month out of warranty.  
After reviewing the phones available, I ended up buying a Samsung S9+.  I'm still not a huge fan of the curved screen but am getting use to it. 
Having a dispute with Samsung over the cracked screen. Samsung have indicated they may replace the battery but they won't cover the cracked screen because the screen is aftermarket (I repaired the screen 6 months ago). They are claiming the screen shouldn't crack due to the battery. I advised the screen cracked in the same spot as the battery.  
The screen will cost about $220 to repair, so I said don't fix it and return it to me with just the battery replaced. I'll get an aftermarket company to replace the screen because I'm not spending $220 on a 2 year old phone. Samsung said they can't repair just the battery without repairing the screen. So now, I'm waiting to hear back from them if they will replace both the screen and battery under goodwill warranty.  
If they refuse, I'll contact and ACCC to lodge a dispute to have both the battery and screen replaced under Australian Consumer Law. I will have to lodge a dispute with the retailer rather than manufacturer. 
Samsung may try to emulate Apple, but I wish they tried harder to emulate Apple's customer service. I make a booking at a Samsung 'store' to repair my phone. Unbeknownst to me, Samsung won't repair it on the spot, they have to send it away to get it repaired/assessed, yet you need to make a booking at the store for them to take your phone away for assessment! Furthermore, in the Chadstone store, you can only making a booking between 10-2pm Monday to Friday!

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## phild01

Thought the 7 the phone with exploding batteries and got killed off!? Maybe the note7! https://www.smh.com.au/technology/sa...16-grhink.html

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## Bros

> My Samsung S7 battery expanded, which then crack the screen. Phone is 1 month out of warranty.

  What is considered life of a smart phone?

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## Bros

> The cameras on the latest Smart Phones do a very good job, considering the size of the sensor / lens, this night scene was a good example of how they handle difficult lighting.

  That is the only reason I got a smart phone.

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## METRIX

Yes, I would be letting them know if the OEM battery caused the problem then they should be replacing it at least, ok if it's an aftermarket screen then they are probably in their right to not replace that. 
At least they're not like Apple, Linus Tech Tips accidentally broke the screen of their $10,000 iMac PRO while they were reviewing it, they took the machine to Apple saying we accidentally broke it, can you fix it and charge us for the repair, after a lot of stuffing around Apple said No we won't fix it, they weren't trying for a Warranty claim they were prepared to pay whatever exorbitant price Apple would charge to fix it, this is a company gone mad.

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## phild01

If that is Sydney then hope no one is waiting for a tram. 
Thing is, to get that quality needs lots of $.

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## METRIX

> If that is Sydney then hope no one is waiting for a tram. 
> Thing is, to get that quality needs lots of $.

  Yes it is Sydney, notice no ugly overhead wires for the Tram, the parts through the CBD transmits it's power some other way so you don't ruin the look of the street. 
This part of the track was just finished a few weeks ago, looking at what they had to dig up to put it in it looked like a nightmare.

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## JB1

> Thought the 7 the phone with exploding batteries and got killed off!? Maybe the note7! https://www.smh.com.au/technology/sa...16-grhink.html

  Note 7. 
Lots of examples of S7's with expanding batteries but not exploding batteries.  

> What is considered life of a smart phone?

  Under Australian Consumer Laws, I'd say a reasonable life of the top of the line phone (it was 2 years ago) is 3 years.  
ACL can override the manufacturer's warranty period because it's based on reasonableness. A $1,000 phone (or drill) should last longer than a $49 phone (or drill). 
====

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## METRIX

I would say it should last at least three to four years, they warrant the device for two years, I have iPhone 4 original phone still works, iPhone 5 it was replaced at some stage but it still operates, both have had non OEM batteries in them at some stage as the original ones died, no broken screens, not sure how they all survived. 
I know a phone cops a lot of abuse, in pockets all day getting hot and sat on, dirt / dust, charging every day, randomly dropped, I know my ones are always covered in timber dust / dirt they are a fairly robust device. 
IMO they build the newer devices to fail some time after warranty, it's not in their interest $$$ to have them run for many years, below are the 4 / 5 still working, showing up the newer 6S which has had a few replacements under warranty.

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## toooldforthis

interesting report on security updates.   

> Android ranks dead last in terms of expected security updates in the company’s February 2018 updated Smartphone Security Update Availability Report. That’s compared to iOS, Windows, and even PrivatOS – which technically was only used as an operating system between June 2014 and June 2016. Interestingly enough, the report found that Google doesn’t even rank at the top of Android device providers despite that it effectively owns Android.

  https://www.androidheadlines.com/201...y-updates.html

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## METRIX

> interesting report on security updates.    https://www.androidheadlines.com/201...y-updates.html

  That's the advantage Apple will have because they own the OS and it only goes on limited number of devices which they exclusively make. 
Android must be a nightmare, so many manufacturers / customised versions of the OS, then add to that carrier requests / delays, it's a wonder any updates actually make it out at all.

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## JB1

Aftermarket batteries are hit and miss because you can't tell if you have a good one or poor quality lithium battery, they all look the same.   
If you own a iPhone 6 or newer (also SE), until the end of the year you can get your battery replaced by Apple for $39!   https://support.apple.com/en-au/ipho.../battery-power 
I'll be changing my wife's iPhone 6 battery in December. It lasts quite a while, but dies quickly below 20%.

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## havabeer

I replaced the battery in my 6s my self, It’s actually quite interesting pulling it apart and seeing all of the ribbon cable connectors and how such tiny things are put together. I did however soil some battery electrolyte and let the magic smoke out by putting the wrong ribbon cable connector into the wrong socket. There was a little black mark on the brass socket but everything works perfectly. Actually quite rugged little devices. Lack of moving parts I think has been the biggest contributor to mobile phones lasting as long as they do now. 
always remember people’s flip phones barely surviving their first trip to the beach.

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## METRIX

I had a Motorolla Microtac, it fell out of the car one rainy day and started washing down the gutter, I thought it was all over, it survived, the red LED display was the best and the pull out antenna. 
It had the slide in charger, which could also charge a spare battery at the back.

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## METRIX

Below are some shots near me I took with the S8, even compressed down to fit on here the quality is outstanding for a phone.

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## Marc

So after reading all that I still don't know what to buy to replace my old yet fully functional IPhone4.
Need to use Whatsapp to contact family members and it does not work anymore with my ancient OS
I have no interest in learning how to customise nor how to rid the phone of unnecessary apps and dodgy software. I suppose I could go to a phone repair shop and get them to do it for me. 
I also feel guilty spending $1000 + on a gadget I will use for phone calls and texting and the occasional picture to upload onto my mac air laptop. May be once in a while to get google map to find something my dodgy after market car navigator cannot find because it is not upgradable.
Friend of mine tells me to buy Samsung. 
The girls went from Iphone to samsung and back to IPhone ...  :Confused:

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## Blocklayer

I wonder how long it will be before the foldables are good enough / affordable. Samsung should have theirs out next year.  Royole | We invent the future

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## commodorenut

Why don't you ask "the girls" what they've done with their old Iphones?
I've run iPhones for 10 years now, and the only one I don't use any more is the original 3.
I still use a couple of iPhone 4s on rotation in the car (they plug into the iPod connector).  Both have had new batteries fitted recently.
Kids have our old iPhone 5s to watch youtube & the like on via wifi.  Both of them also have new batteries, and we've been through a few ($30) screens.
I still use my old iPhone 6 as a video player / catchup TV player, and my wife gave her old 6 to her Mum to use. 
You should be able to get a cheap Iphone 6 which will still run all the latest apps & stuff. 
I've also got an S7, and whilst some things are easier than the iPhone, others are more difficult.  With the in-laws I found they took to an iPhone easier than a Samsung.

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## Bros

> I also feel guilty spending $1000 + on a gadget I will use for phone calls and texting and the occasional picture to upload onto my mac air laptop.

   Have a lay down and that feeling should go away. 
I needed to replace my steam driven phone and I see IPhone 6 on special as prepaid from Telstra and I have always wanted a phone and camera in one package so I bought it for about $400 as the new ones were coming out and they had to offload the old stock. The phone is locked to Telstra and after 6 mths you can get it unlocked and they never charged me. 
If you are well off just buy it as the herse doesn’t stop at the bank. 
If you go into Centrelink you will see all sorts of deadbeats and bumsticks sporting tattoos, metal in various places al equiped with latest and greatest phones.

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## Marc

Ha ha, yes, thought about asking for an offloaded phone to my kids but somehow I can't do it. It was always the other way around, and I am not about to change that, not now. May be from the nursing home?  :Rofl5:  
I am not into plans, so I pay for the phone and then go to whoever I want. Currently with "Think mobile" with two phones for ... hum ... $40 a month or so. 
Yes, well aware of deadbeats and mobile phones. Have a freind who has a couple of takeaway shops and the one doing a roaring trade is the one smack in the middle of housing commission. Nuff said.  
My friend with the Samsung told me "You got your money worth out of that IPhone 4 ... ha ha, We worked together for 20 years and after the Motorola brick and nokia 100 and the orange hutchinson phone I bought the 4 and still using it. 
i understand that apple has declared the iphone 6 an antique and will not provide parts for it anymore. 
Still undecided. 
That Galaxy notes seems nice, but I am not doing any presentations anymore no running classes so what's the point?

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## r3nov8or

If you love your Mac, stick with iPhone, maybe a refurbed 7 is a safe bet. No experience with this mob, just an example... https://refurbiphones.com.au/collect...pple-iphone-7?

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## doovalacky

> I also feel guilty spending $1000 + on a gadget I will use for phone calls and texting and the occasional picture to upload onto my mac air laptop.

  Personally I would go the motorola which I have had a good success with. Officeworks has them for a decent price unlocked so can be used on any carrier and they don't have all the crap telstra etc load on them.
All I did with mine was create a folder on the screen and moved some of the Google apps off the main screen to clear it up a little.
If you don't want to store a lot of data there is a $200 model as well that has smaller memory. 
Both versions are splash proof and dual sim.

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## commodorenut

> i understand that apple has declared the iphone 6 an antique and will not provide parts for it anymore.

   The aftermarket is huge for Apple parts.  Only a few months back I bought decent quality batteries for the 4s that I run in the car, and you can still get batteries for the iPod I have from 2002.
You do have to open them up to change the battery, but Samsungs have been like that for a while now too (at least since the S7). 
Only a month back I got 2 screens off eBay - both aftermarket, but both work great - one for an iphone 5, the other a 5c. 
Parts for the iphone 6 will be around for many years to come.

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## commodorenut

> Ha ha, yes, thought about asking for an offloaded phone to my kids but somehow I can't do it.

  No shame in letting the support flow the other way for a change.  
 My father-in-law (like a father to me) hasn't had to buy a mobile phone in his life..... For the last 20-25 years he's had my old one each time I upgraded - a string of Nokias, and then into the iPhones. 
2 of the best phones I ever had were tiny nokias - the little 6111 slider from around 2005/2006, and one from around the year 2000 - the nokia 8250 with the blue screen (last of the mono LCD Nokias I had).
Batteries would last for days between charges, and they went on for years & years after I updated to newer phones.

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## Marc

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies. 
Commodore ... I am a father in law 4 times over yet I seem to be in the role of Santa Claus all year around in so many ways that I don't think it will ever change in the foreseeable future. May be with the exception of my plumber son in law. He seems to be the one always willing to help. 
Thing is ... I don't really need "help" as such. It's just a matter of feelings. I don't think twice in spending on tools or boats or many other things ... yet some things I am so reluctant to spend on like clothes  ... who knows why. Need to ask a psychologist. 
Meantime ... so far I like the idea of a "refurbished" I phone ... Oh my  :Rofl5:

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## JB1

I'm a big Android fan, had iPhones until 5 years ago. 
Now running a Samsung S9. 
Great phone. 
So are iPhones but they are expensive.  
My wife use an iPhone and refuses to switch to Android. 
She has an iPhone 6 and usually upgrades every 2 years. 
However she got her battery changed ($39 on special until the end of the year) by Apple and upgraded to iOS12 software. It is fast and feels like a new phone... So she actually happy to keep the phone. 
Really for her the new iPhone's improvement is just the camera and  slightly better screen. 
So, if you had iPhones before, I'd get a iPhone 7 or 8, change the battery and it will be good for years.  
Apple's operating system is very smooth for even older  hardware. The same can not be said for Android phones.   
====

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## Marc

That is what I need ... something that is good even for older hardware  :Rofl5:

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## JB1

> That is what I need ... something that is good even for older hardware

  https://www.fastcompany.com/90237242...y-a-new-iphone 
Apple are making older phones faster now, whereas in the past software upgrades made them slower. 
Good strategy on Apple's part, making them a  premium non-throwaway product.

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