If I dump Samsung phones, who should I go with?

Reverend Conehead

Well-Known Member
Messages
9,938
Reaction score
11,822
I love Samsung phones. I previously had a Galaxy Note 4, and now I've had a Galaxy Note 9 since 2018. I like how they're designed, especially how they give you the option of using a stylus. However, I keep reading that Samsungs have more battery problems than other phones. I have noticed my Note 9 doesn't hold a charge as well as before, and also that it sometimes gets hot. I also just watched a video by a guy who studies a huge numbers of phones, and it's Samsungs that keep having a battery expand so bad that the phone actually breaks open.

Batteries Plus will replace my Note 9's battery for 80 bucks, but maybe that's just kicking the can down the road. But if it bought me another couple years, maybe it would be worth it.

If I don't use a Samsung, what would I use?

Other phones I've used:

Motorola
iPhone

My first Android was a Moto G, which I used from about 2014 to 2016. It was okay. I'm not up on current Motorolas, but they seem to have a decent reputation. One concern of mine is they need different APN settings than other Androids on the AT&T network.

After my Note 4, I used an iPhone 6 for about 6 months. It was a stop-gap. The Note 4's charging port went kaputt, and I needed a phone right away. My dad gave me his old iPhone 6 that he was no longer using. It was okay. There were a few things I preferred about iPhone over Androids, but a huge deal breaker was the iPhone was incapable of playing OGG sound files, and I have a huge collection of OGGs (about 8,000) in my language learning library. I could have converted them all to MP3s on my PC, but I still would have had to re-assign them in the app. It would have been a beast to do -- or I could just buy another Android. I bought my Note 9 at that point, problem solved.

Other possibilities:
Google Pixel 4, 5, or 6. I've heard these are pretty reliable phones, but I've never used one. I imagine they ought to integrate well with Google services like Calendar.

Pine Phone
It's possible to use Android while giving Google the heave-ho for privacy concerns. I would have to quit using Google Calendar in favor of what Pine Phone uses. The plus, is these are Linux phones, and I already use a Linux PC. The minus is they're still in Beta. That makes me a little nervous, but I'm keeping my eye on them.

I'm trying to avoid any Chinese-made phones like Huwawei or Shengui. I think Blu phones are also Chinese. (Trust me that I don't want Chinese-made, though I'd rather not go into detail as to why; we could get into territory that's against CZ rules.)

So Motorola? Google Pixel? Pine Phones? Is there someone good I'm missing?
 

Streifenkarl

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,556
Reaction score
3,642
I just got a Sony Xperia 5 IV and I'm very happy with it.

Other than that you might look at the Asus Zenfone 9, if you don't mind the missing wireless charging and the USB2.0 port.

They do of course have Chinese made parts in them, like everything tech today.
 

nobody

Well-Known Member
Messages
10,481
Reaction score
18,666
I dumped Samsung for Google Pixel and it's insane how much more I like it. The only thing I prefer the Samsung on is the texting app. But you can get a third party like Textra and fix that. If you take photos, Pixel blows other androids out of the water with it's software correction.
 

Runwildboys

Confused about stuff
Messages
50,680
Reaction score
94,935
CowboysZone DIEHARD Fan
I have the Moto g Power. $220 or something like that. Bought it 2 and a half years ago and I still like it... except for moments like this, when Chrome is acting up, but I don't know if that's the phone or Chrome.
 

VaqueroTD

Well-Known Member
Messages
8,354
Reaction score
16,871
6bTF6C2QiWXvhi33fJi3AC-1920-80.jpg.webp
 

John813

Well-Known Member
Messages
22,460
Reaction score
34,435
My 2 cents.
I was with Samsung for almost a decade. Bought the Note lineup for the past 5 years.

Went back to Iphone and honestly don't miss the Note that much.
Battery life is so much better. Can get up to 3 days per charge. And that's with bluetooth music, calls, surfing the web etc. Only big battery drain is if I facetime/video messenger family

May jump back to Samsung but as the years went on they kept taking features like the SD card slot and limiting the sizes of the hard drive. I got a terabyte 13 Max. Got to look up what OGG music files are
 

jrumann59

Well-Known Member
Messages
14,990
Reaction score
8,755
I am huge samsung fan and I am at crossroads since they dropped MicroSD card support, I might go Apple or might go Samsung Z-Fold or maybe a Google Phone.
 

Reverend Conehead

Well-Known Member
Messages
9,938
Reaction score
11,822
I am huge samsung fan and I am at crossroads since they dropped MicroSD card support, I might go Apple or might go Samsung Z-Fold or maybe a Google Phone.

I didn't realize they dropped microSD support. I'm getting more upset with Samsung now. I'll have to see if Google Pixel and Motorola support that. I could kick the can down the road with another battery. The local Batteries Plus here will change out my Note 9's battery for 80 bucks. If I did that, maybe I could get another year or two out of this thing.
 

Cowpolk

Landry Hat
Messages
18,852
Reaction score
28,795
I didn't realize they dropped microSD support. I'm getting more upset with Samsung now. I'll have to see if Google Pixel and Motorola support that. I could kick the can down the road with another battery. The local Batteries Plus here will change out my Note 9's battery for 80 bucks. If I did that, maybe I could get another year or two out of this thing.
If it aint broke keep it my phone is 10 years old and still does everything I want it to
 

DanteEXT

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,030
Reaction score
2,374
My last few phones have been Moto G's. I like them. Only get a few years, but for the price, I don't mind.

I've been eyeing the S22 Ultra. Picked up a Tab S7+ earlier this year. I love the S-Pen. Knowing no SD Card means I need a 256 or 512. Just trying to justify the cost.
 

Runwildboys

Confused about stuff
Messages
50,680
Reaction score
94,935
CowboysZone DIEHARD Fan
My last few phones have been Moto G's. I like them. Only get a few years, but for the price, I don't mind.

I've been eyeing the S22 Ultra. Picked up a Tab S7+ earlier this year. I love the S-Pen. Knowing no SD Card means I need a 256 or 512. Just trying to justify the cost.
I found that I get more use out of my phone when I don't throw it.
 

jrumann59

Well-Known Member
Messages
14,990
Reaction score
8,755
I didn't realize they dropped microSD support. I'm getting more upset with Samsung now. I'll have to see if Google Pixel and Motorola support that. I could kick the can down the road with another battery. The local Batteries Plus here will change out my Note 9's battery for 80 bucks. If I did that, maybe I could get another year or two out of this thing.
it was coming, not to mention Apple has done well without the microSD support.
 
Top