Which Android Smartphone would you suggest getting?

First off, I would like to say that I'm NOT interested in an IPhone....don't care for Apple products, to proprietary and I have no interest in their 500,000 apps ....
One of our friends have one and I'm not impressed

The ones I have been leaning towards, which I'm still unsure of, is along the lines of Samsung Galaxy 4 or the HTC ONE

Right now, we still have the old flip phone, so this is new for me personally although our friends have smartphones so I'm not totally out of the loop, just behind times....LOL


Okay basically for me, this is the main selling points:

1) Call Quality-

Nothing is worse than not being able to understand the person on the other end of the line.
Or they sound like they're in a tunnel
I used one last year briefly when one of our customers had me talk to his spouse on the phone, which I hate to use someone else's phone due to the fact that the call quality isn't all that good and yet I was surprised at how great it was. She sounded like she was right next to me, clear as a bell. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was an HTC

2) Camera -

From what I've read, SG4's camera has better ratings than the HTC
Maybe someone can elaborate more on that part & the ease of use too when it comes to taking pictures

3) Ease of use overall on the phone as a whole -

As far as this goes, I think the HTC had better reviews over the SG4




I know there are many more brands, but the screens that I have seen in stores, these 2 caught my attention
The other one we liked was the Sony Xperia
But like I said, we are still undecided and it will probably be around May before I get one.....[birthday present. LOL]

Also, as far as apps go, the main ones would be Weather apps-- since we work outdoors --
Not so much for games, not for phone that is, so that's not as important



Any way, please let me know what you like or dislike about your phone or past phones
I appreciate any and all input


Much respect~
snarky

Ive always preferred HTC to Samsung.

Samsung always struck me as a cheep feel when its in your hands, HTC tends to feel more weight.
Samsung also strikes me as too reactionary to apple in the first place, look at the galaxy 5, what a surprise finger print scanner on home screen...

Besides Android, Im impressed with Nokias build on their windows phone as well, os aint bad just limited apps.

I have the HTC, hubby has the Galaxy. By far...the galaxy has all the better bells and whistles. I just don't happen to need bells and whistles...

reply to post by snarky412


After 6 years with an iPhone I just switched to an Android phone 2 weeks ago. I picked the Sony Xperia Z1S - it's truly a luxury phone from T-Mobile.

Here are my reasons:

The solid design & luxury feel, 20 MP camera (best on the market), HD screen resolution, nice loud speakers, waterproof, NFC tech, free hot spot tethering, dedicated camera button, strong battery, ability to control other wifi devices as the 'parent' device including TVs and such, and a nod to Android & Google Play store as wide open to innovation. Sony used to dominate electronics, they're back and they're the underdog.

Give it a look. I've been very happy. And no dropped calls like AT&T and much faster data service - but double check the service coverage area for T-Mobile in your location.

Edit: Here's a pic I took last night while cleaning my fish tank to test out the waterproof-ness (it's good for 5 feet underwater for 30 minutes).




Another edit: I work in this industry - software side - and was always sceptical of T-Mobile but after recent changes they're kicking butt in the carrier wars. Check out this story today from the NYTimes: www.nytimes.com...

I have an S3 and while the phone is good it will break the screen anytime it drops and hits a corner. Must have giant case for the Samsung stuff as the glass screen go all the way to the edge. I hate cases as they add bulk so I break it about three times a year. It only costs 25.00 to get an overnight replacement with my warranty so no biggie. They are fragile though.

reply to post by benrl

Samsung always struck me as a cheep feel when its in your hands, HTC tends to feel more weight.
Samsung also strikes me as too reactionary to apple in the first place, look at the galaxy 5, what a surprise finger print scanner on home screen...

Besides Android, Im impressed with Nokias build on their windows phone as well, os aint bad just limited apps.

That's what I've read, the cheap feel -- plastic vs. metal backing

Also they said that the SG4 had so much crap packed into it, that it really doesn't do any one thing great

I'm assuming the call quality for the HTC is good?

And I'm not big on apps, so that's minimal for me
Weather, Yellow pages, Google maps are basically all I would need

We're not into the stupid crap that my friend has on his IPhone....he's got some seriously stupid, not to mention useless apps on his phone

Thanks~
snarky

Google Nexus 5

Nexus 5

Always going to have the most up to date Android version before all other manufacturers devices.
The Spec.for the price is awsome and will be my upgrade of choice this spring.

$350 gets you one off the shelf unbranded.

reply to post by snarky412

Which Android Smartphone would you suggest getting?

Thats easy....NONE!!!
But i still have a landline and hate those weirdo dummy texting zombies walking down the street unaware that other people are almost walking into them.
But wait....there might be an app for alerting you to the zombies almost walking into in real time you so don't worry.

If i didn't need a cellphone for work (that is provided for me) I wouldn't even have one of those.
If i am home...i might answer your call...if i am not home...too bad,call me later.

This deep connection people have with always wanting to be connected all the time is deeply disturbing to me and makes me wonder where our social skills will be in 50 years time.

Smartphones and dumb people...make sense of that for a second.

reply to post by AccessDenied

I have the HTC, hubby has the Galaxy. By far...the galaxy has all the better bells and whistles. I just don't happen to need bells and whistles..

Hmmm, so which one has the best camera quality?
And is there a difference in call quality between the 2?

Yeah, I'm not to sure about the 'bells and whistles' myself
I doubt I would use them all


Thank you~
snarky

reply to post by Jason88

After 6 years with an iPhone I just switched to an Android phone 2 weeks ago. I picked the Sony Xperia Z1S - it's truly a luxury phone from T-Mobile.

Actually this one was 3rd on my list
It looks good and it's suppose to be waterproof

Since we work outdoors and it rains a lot down here, it's a plus as far as I'm concerned


Appreciate it~
snarky

reply to post by snarky412


I did a lot of homework since switching away from iPhones and out of iTunes was a big deal logistically (vendor lock-in and all) - I'm shocked that the Sony is such high quality but basically is the underdog compared to SamSung and Apple marketing dollars. My wife has a Samsung Galaxy and it does feel plastic cheap, the Sony on the other hand feels expensive, real glass and metal quality.

And yes, it is waterproof. No worries talking in the rain or texting, even dropping it in a puddle or shallow pond and it will be safe. I too live in a wet area so the peace of mind in knowing the phone is waterproof is huge.

Side note - Like wristwatches, I believe all phones will follow the waterproof model - it just makes sense.

Edit: I'm not really this much of a phone geek, but after so long with an iPhone I was happily surprised to find something I consider better in look and feel with an excellent OS.

reply to post by Mamatus

I have an S3 and while the phone is good it will break the screen anytime it drops and hits a corner. Must have giant case for the Samsung stuff as the glass screen go all the way to the edge. I hate cases as they add bulk so I break it about three times a year. It only costs 25.00 to get an overnight replacement with my warranty so no biggie. They are fragile though.

That is one reason why my husband has been hesitant to get one, they are fragile and we see so many cracked screens
Of course, a lot of times it's because they cram them in their tight jean back pockets and then sit on them....LOL

He's intimidated by tech stuff so it is mainly for me
He still hasn't learned to use this simple flip phone other than pressing the 'talk' button...*sigh*



Much respect~
snarky

i wish i could help i got a smart phone for x-mas but i an 2 dumb to use it after 2 days it went back in its box i did not like the touchscreen it took me 5 minutes to figure out how to call

god i feel old

I work in this industry - software side - and was always sceptical of T-Mobile but after recent changes they're kicking butt in the carrier wars.

this
I went from Android to an iPhone, because I don't like the Android OS.
Call me fanboy or whatever, but the reason Im posting is to say that I switched back to Tmobile after being with Verizon for 4 years, and they truly kick ass now.

reply to post by snarky412


Ill tell you what I tell people about computers (I sell them)

You will find what you want from every manufacturer, its android, it doesn't matter.

Just find the specs you want, for a price you can afford, from a company you trust.


Ive been lucky enough to use every phone out there as a requirement of work, I change them almost monthly, from Samsung, HTC, LG, Black Berry, Nokia, Apple, etc.

Find something that makes you happy, look at reviews but don't rely on them, some people get tied up on specs, some on form factor.

For the most part Samsung and HTC are reliable, so no worries really there.

Htc does seem to use metal, so thats a plus.

As its android the first things Id do is root and overclock, get rid of all the bloat ware, if not go Nexus to minimize as it tends to be the most "open" of them.

IF you get an android, the only concerns are Build quality and specs, apps and software are universal.

reply to post by rangerdanger


I am so with you on this. Verizon, AT&T - they've sat on their laurels for too long. I felt stupid when I talked to T-Mobile (they only carry the Sony) and discovered how much they changed to be customer-centric. In only 2 weeks with them, everything is better. Phone calls, data speed, lower bill, no contract, on and on and on. Check out the NY Times article I linked to above - it's an eye opener for people who haven't considered T-Mobile as their carrier.

AccessDenied
I have the HTC, hubby has the Galaxy. By far...the galaxy has all the better bells and whistles. I just don't happen to need bells and whistles...

everything pertinent is contained in this post.

Galaxy is for "power user" type folks. HTC is for casual users.

My wife has a Galaxy and her eyes crossed when I first handed it to her. It took 2 full months for her to stop begging me to give her old phone back to her before she finally just adapted and moved forward.

reply to post by DrumsRfun

Thats easy....NONE!!!
But i still have a landline and hate those weirdo dummy texting zombies walking down the street unaware that other people are almost walking into them.
But wait....there might be an app for alerting you to the zombies almost walking into in real time you so don't worry.

HA!
Funny you should mention this
I did a thread called the The Real 'Zombie' Apocalypse a while back

But I'm not so much into texting, mainly it's more of convenience when I need to look something up and don't want to hook up my computer or we are on the road and need to use the yellow pages for a mechanic or an RV park, etc.
Or when a storm is coming, I can look on the radar to see where it is and where it is headed

And we DO NOT do facebook nor twitter

Jason88
reply to post by rangerdanger

 

I am so with you on this. Verizon, AT&T - they've sat on their laurels for too long. I felt stupid when I talked to T-Mobile (they only carry the Sony) and discovered how much they changed to be customer-centric. In only 2 weeks with them, everything is better. Phone calls, data speed, lower bill, no contract, on and on and on. Check out the NY Times article I linked to above - it's an eye opener for people who haven't considered T-Mobile as their carrier.

I used to work for T-Mobile when i was running call centers. They are a great company. For the most part, they have always been customer centric. We used to have all sorts of T-Mobile collateral hanging around our call center showing off their JD Power awards for "Best In Class Service". The quality standards were tough when dealing with their customers. They really cater to the latin community in particular.

Jason88
reply to post by rangerdanger

 

I am so with you on this. Verizon, AT&T - they've sat on their laurels for too long. I felt stupid when I talked to T-Mobile (they only carry the Sony) and discovered how much they changed to be customer-centric. In only 2 weeks with them, everything is better. Phone calls, data speed, lower bill, no contract, on and on and on. Check out the NY Times article I linked to above - it's an eye opener for people who haven't considered T-Mobile as their carrier.

This.
The fact that there is no contract is what sealed the deal for me.
Their new business model works well enough that the other carriers are bound to fall in line.