Questions about buying Samsung Galaxy phone

I was thinking of getting a Galaxy S21 Ultra from Verizon, but I just saw that the new S22 series is set to potentially be released in January. I have a few questions based on Verizon's previous practices:

1. How soon after the S22 series is officially released would Verizon stores be expected to have the S22 Ultra in stock? Is it typically right away, or does it still take a few months until it's available in store?

2. When the S22 series is released and available with Verizon, would Verizon be expected to still be carrying and selling the S21 Ultra for a few months, or would the S21 series disappear to encourage people to buy the new ones?

3. When Verizon starts selling the S22 series, will the price of the S21 series be expected to go down or stay the same? As in, if I want an S21 Ultra, should I wait a few months to get one and save some money instead of getting one now?

a reply to: trollz

I've been using Galaxy for ever.

I usually get an older generation when I get a new one.

Started with a 5
Got an 8 when the 10s were coming out.
Just got an 18 I think

The only real difference I can tell is better cameras for the higher end ones, and I don't care about that.

a reply to: trollz

Be careful buying any newer model samsung. They're following apple.

ie; if you unlock the bootloader, say goodbye to using the camera.

a reply to: trollz

If you want the newer model I'd wait. Most contracts require you to have the phone 2 years before you can upgrade without paying full price.

Samsung makes good phones. Started with an s5 and now on s20. Only upgraded two or three times. Faster phones and camera quality.

My only complaint I'd Samsung puts too much bloatware on their phones and it is difficult to remove or disable completely.

Good grief! I'm a dinosaur!

I think mine is an S10. It makes phone calls and gets my email. Can't really imagine what else I'd ever need. In fact, I'd still be using my S3 (or was it an S5), but it belonged to the company and the company switched how they do phones so I ditched it.

Question: What is the reason (generally speaking) for updating a phone to a newer model? Is there really a compelling technical reason to do this, or is it more just bragging rights / status thing? Nothing wrong with either, I'm just curious.

I mean, I could understand if it was a camera resolution thing, but even my S10 takes pictures in higher resolution than I want to send over my data plan. I'm constantly downsizing them so I don't blow up people's inboxes. This phone probably has 10,000 features I don't even use...and probably even more that I'm not even aware of. Personally, I'd probably light the thing on fire if I wasn't required to carry it.

I know with the whole iPhone craze it was almost exclusively a status thing.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Mine, I cannot ever remember the model, is the only one to have a ToF camera. So I can actually barely use it for 3D scanning using an app that barely works.

it's mainly for depth of focus for photos, but someone wrote an app, and then samsung canned the idea. I still like it though. I can see, in 320x200 resolution, in complete darkness... haha

funny how little things grab me..

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Good grief! I'm a dinosaur!


Question: What is the reason (generally speaking) for updating a phone to a newer model? Is there really a compelling technical reason to do this, or is it more just bragging rights / status thing? Nothing wrong with either, I'm just curious.

Typically a reason would be similar to a desktop computer...the manufacturer or Google isn't supporting the version of Android anymore so no more security patches are available, etc.

Another big reason could be the battery. Most phones are sealed and the battery isn't easy to replace.

For REALLY old phones, the carriers are also starting to switch off the old 3G services.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Good grief! I'm a dinosaur!

I think mine is an S10.

Surprised you don't have a Motorola bag phone you nostalgic bastid.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Mine is a Halo, came out around the same time as the 8, in 2017. Took it from my brother's junk drawer. He updates every year.

I hold on to mine until it disintegrates in hand, or until the black mirror remains ever present.

It has taken a licken, but it is still ticking. It gets a little glitchy every now and again, but I don't blame the phone, we don't have a very reliable single out here in the woods.

I too would dump it glady, if my job did not require it. Well maybe not just dump it. I would probably keep it for the cryptograms app. Solving the cryptograms keep me sane and mellow.

A better way of killing time than T.V.. For me anyway.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Question: What is the reason (generally speaking) for updating a phone to a newer model? Is there really a compelling technical reason to do this, or is it more just bragging rights / status thing? Nothing wrong with either, I'm just curious.

Personally, I have two main motivations. First, my current phone is about 3 or 4 years old now. It works perfectly fine, but as with any technology, the older it gets the more likely it'll be to die or something. Cell batteries also only last so many charges before they start losing the ability to hold as much of a charge (or stay charged as long). I want to make sure I always have a working phone just for peace of mind, so I figured getting a new one and keeping my current one as an emergency backup phone (while it still works fine) in case the new one got lost or destroyed or something would be a solid plan. Considering the specs of the S21 Ultra, I don't imagine I wouldn't just keep it until it died before upgrading again since I'd have my (current) emergency phone to fall back on.
Secondly, the S21 Ultra has significantly better cameras than the ones on my current phone. I'd enjoy having the nicer cameras to take pictures while hiking and whatnot.

So, peace of mind and camera quality.

S22? Man, I didn't realize how old my S4 is. No wonder is works like crap.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Dinosaur with an s10? Lol, I recently upgraded from an s7 to an s8!

All you kids with your new fangled phones!

a reply to: trollz

I gave up on flagship phones years ago.
My last one was a Samsung S6.

Using a Motorola G6 stylus now.
$150 with no contracts so Im free to roam.

The gap between the top of the line and everyone else isn't all that big anymore.

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn
I would probably keep it for the cryptograms app. Solving the cryptograms keep me sane and mellow.

I play a cryptogram game too (just called "Cryptogram")! Other ones I like are "Classic Words Free", "Block Puzzle & Conquer", "Ball Sort Puzzle", "I Love Hue", "KenKen", and "Atomas". Check those out

a reply to: trollz

S22 already? I just got the S21 about 6 months ago! Sheesh..

My stance is similar to 'watchitburn' whereas I would never buy new when it comes out and I've been upgrading several models behind the newest releases because the phones are still really good, or at the least good enough for me and what I do.

However, my friends fiance bought into a S21 BOGO deal with T-Mobile and ended up with an extra S21 that she gave me for free! I went from a S7 Edge to the S21 and the difference was night and day, I'll admit.

Anyway, from my experience:

1. Verizon has the newly released devices within the same month of the announced date. Prepare to be sticker shocked. (You can actually buy the same device, unlocked from eBay for a slight discount if you wait a month or two. Then take the phone to Verizon and go "Pre-paid" and you can avoid the unnecessary contract. Believe me, it's totally unnecessary to be in a contract. I pay $50 a month on Verizon, no contact, unlimited everything.)

2. Verizon stores will still have Samsung models that are a few levels behind their newest release. If you can't find the model you want at their store, just go on ebay or a similar site and find a reputable dealer with good reviews to purchase the model you want outright. Make sure it's UNLOCKED and take it to Verizon for activation.

3. If your current device is only a couple models behind a new release, I'd wait. The price of a new release is always going to be more than the previous one.....for about a month or two until the fever dies down, then you'll find better deals IF YOU CAN WAIT.

Those that can get the newest device as soon as it's released I say, good for them. They pay more and usually it's a status driven purchase. Doesn't make sense to me, but to each their own.

Hope you land on your feet.




⭐+🇺🇲

a reply to: trollz

I have the S21 for my wife. It's got the same screen size as my S71 5G and really works well for her - this is her first "real" higher end smartphone after her LG debacle.

What I can tell you is that out of all the Android phones, Samsung has gotten the most right. However, I would steer away from the S71 5G - it's got some pretty serious issues related to it's 5G performance.

I have an S20+ which replaced an S8 ( That I still use like a small tablet for a social media account and for a few apps ).

In regard to your three questions? It's hard to say. Verizon, I assume, will have the new models as soon as they're available ( release day ) but at a premium. As for discounts on the previous gen - in my experience the carriers tend to offer the deep discounts just before the new generation hits and then, for awhile, keep the previous gen priced higher than their earlier discount prices but for a couple of hundred less than the new gen. I think this strategy is designed to clear inventory before a new release but then to make it easy to upsell after that release.

As for reasons to upgrade? Usually the improvements from gen to gen are fairly modest - a bit faster processor, a few more cores, maybe a couple of extra gigs of RAM... Which leads into the best reason, IMO, for upgrading after a few gens have passed... The increased RAM - which apps are using more and more of as time goes on. If you use the phone for social media and some streaming apps they 're getting to the point where they use about as much RAM as a desktop PC does.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I'd still have my original Motorola trapezoidal flip phone if it still worked! Never had a brick or bag phone. Cellular hadn't even made it out to my part of the world when those phones were a thing.

Heck, I'd still have my pager and just use that if it worked.

My first mobile phone was a phone in my truck, but it wasn't really a "phone". It was a VHF radio w.ith about a 100 mile range. To make a call you had to go through a local dispatcher. The radio listened for subaudible tones, so when you had an incoming call it would honk the horn. You'd be sitting eating breakfast at Denny's and people's horns would be honking every 5 minutes. Or better yet, you'd be driving behind someone and all of a sudden your horn would start honking like mad and people would get all bent out of shape...until they saw it was an oilfield truck and then they'd get all docile!

I remember when the very first cellular "phone" units came out. Our local mall put on some kind of a technology show inside the mall. They had this pickup with the very first cellular phone in it. Looked like a fancy CB radio. I remember the Motorola guy explaining to me how "cellular" worked, and thinking to myself...'This will never catch on, they'd have to build towers everywhere!" LOL!

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Never had a brick or bag phone.

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a reply to: EternalShadow

You don't have to go with "pre-paid" to not have a contract. When I got my AT&T phone (because I needed a phone which would work internationally, and Verizon and T-mobile don't), I just bought the phone outright from the AT&T store and then signed up for service. They bill me monthly. It's unlimited everything, including international calling, for $67/month.