Request advice on my Android purchase

[Reverend Conehead]

When my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 croaked about 6 months ago, I switched to an iPhone 6, which I've now realized I hate. I have a collection of thousands of ogg files for my French language lessons, which it won't play. Plus, any time I play chess on it, the battery runs down really fast. I can't complain too much since I got it for free, but it's time to switch back to Android.

I can't drop down a huge amount of cash on a phone, so I want to keep it between $200 to $300. It should also be unlocked, not tied to any specific carrier. A friend recommended an LG Stylo 5, and those are really affordable. They've got 32 GB of storage, a stylus, and a micro SD expansion slot. However, that slot can only be used for storage, not apps. For a long time this Stylo 5 was at about $200, but I've been finding it on Amazon for $160. Super affordable. However, I've found also the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 for $267. It's got 64 GB of storage, a stylus, a big screen like I had on the Note 4, but I can't find confirmation that it has the micro SD expansion slot like the Note 4 had. It's also a "renewed" phone, meaning it was used and then inspected for resale by Samsung.

My phone needs are modest. I make calls and send maybe 10 to 15 texts a month. I play chess and study foreign languages on the phone. When I'm out of town, I use it to find restaurants and hotels. I like having a stylus to use, but could probably live without it if I had to. On my Note 8, I stored photos on the microSD card, but I haven't been taking any photos or storing any on this iPhone.

It would be nice to have good battery life. The iPhone 6's battery life is awful at this point, but was probably better when the phone was new. This one is a hand-me-down from a family member. I'm annoyed that Androids no longer let you just open up the back and put another battery in, but them's the breaks, I guess. I liked my Note 4's big screen, but that's not critically important. I could live with smaller. The iPhone 6's smaller screen didn't bother me. Its inability to play ogg files REALLY bothered me though.

So do you think I should go for the Stylo 5 or the Note 8? Or something else?

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Get the Note 8. Still a very good phone and it does have an sd card slot.
I still use my Note 8 and have a 128 gb sd card in it. Still runs good.
I will probably wait until the new note (20?) comes out and the note 10plus drops before I get a new one.

 

[Dunks3001]

If you've already narrowed it down to the Note 8 or the LG Stylo then I would go with the Note 8. It will have

A better Processor
WAAAY better screen
More RAM (6GB compared to 3GB)
Water and dust resistant
Bluetooth 5.0


All those specs are better than the Stylo 5. You're probably thinking specs don't really matter for what you do with the phone, and maybe you're right. But, if it's all the same price then just get the one that has more bang for your buck. Also, it'll include the stylus which you're already use to. Plus it has the expandable storage. Also, I know you wanted it to be unlocked but it might be worth it to see what deals your carrier has. They may accept your iphone 6 as a trade in which could bring a brand new Galaxy note 10 into your price range.


https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-Smartphone-Refurbished/dp/B07HFHX6HX/



yes, it's refurbished but it's still a fantastic price.


https://swappa.com/listing/view/LUCP55744

Used with small wear and tear. But, comes in on the lower side of your budget.




Also, it's probably a moot point now but you can download the VLC app from the Apple store for free and it will play your ogg files on your iphone

 

[Reverend Conehead]

If you've already narrowed it down to the Note 8 or the LG Stylo then I would go with the Note 8. It will have

A better Processor
WAAAY better screen
More RAM (6GB compared to 3GB)
Water and dust resistant
Bluetooth 5.0


All those specs are better than the Stylo 5. You're probably thinking specs don't really matter for what you do with the phone, and maybe you're right. But, if it's all the same price then just get the one that has more bang for your buck. Also, it'll include the stylus which you're already use to. Plus it has the expandable storage. Also, I know you wanted it to be unlocked but it might be worth it to see what deals your carrier has. They may accept your iphone 6 as a trade in which could bring a brand new Galaxy note 10 into your price range.


https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-Smartphone-Refurbished/dp/B07HFHX6HX/



yes, it's refurbished but it's still a fantastic price.


https://swappa.com/listing/view/LUCP55744

Used with small wear and tear. But, comes in on the lower side of your budget.




Also, it's probably a moot point now but you can download the VLC app from the Apple store for free and it will play your ogg files on your iphone

It's not just a matter of playing the OGG files on a phone. It's playing them within the Anki flash card program. I'm sure I could find a Linux- or Windows-based program to convert them all to MP3 to make them playable, but then I would still have to go into thousands of flash card entries in Anki and re-associate them. Or I could just get an Android.

In any event, thanks for your advice. It would seem that Note 8 is more of a phone and should thus be useful longer. It does cost more than the Stylo 5, but it's in my budget.

 

[CyberB0b]

Note 8 had a lot of battery life issues. The 9 is worth the increase in cost.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I've been buying Google phones for the last several phones. All except the Pixel 2 ended up with issues and I can only guess my Pixel 2 didn't have issues is because I only used it for two months before replacing it with a Pixel 3.

I'm looking at buying a Samsung s10/s10+ now that they are discounting them. The camera issue on my Pixel 3 is testing my patience.

While Google phones have been really nice feature / quality wise, (by quality, I mean the the materials it's constructed of) I'm going to avoid them until they are no longer prone to ending up with hardware glitches long term.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I've been buying Google phones for the last several phones. All except the Pixel 2 ended up with issues and I can only guess my Pixel 2 didn't have issues is because I only used it for two months before replacing it with a Pixel 3.

I'm looking at buying a Samsung s10/s10+ now that they are discounting them. The camera issue on my Pixel 3 is testing my patience.

While Google phones have been really nice feature / quality wise, (by quality, I mean the the materials it's constructed of) I'm going to avoid them until they are no longer prone to ending up with hardware glitches long term.

Thanks for the heads up. I have helped some customers who own Google phones and had wondered about their quality. I'll steer clear of them because I don't like the unwelcome surprises that result from low construction quality. I had that with a Saturn Ion car I used to own. Drove me nuts. I will check out that Samsung s10 to see if it's a fit for me. I've also ruled out phones by the Chinese company hoo-wah-way (however the bleep you spell it) because I don't trust them on security.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

Just went from a pixel 2 XL (LOVE) to a pixel 4 XL (LOVE)....so, Pixel 3 would be right up your alley imo

 

[Dunks3001]

I liked my Pixel 3 for the camera quality but the rest was kind of meh. I mean I didn't have any issues with performance. But, I hated the bezels and it had a short battery. Mind you I only had the standard, not the XL. What about the OnePlus? Best phones I ever owned where the Oneplus 3, and the Oneplus 6T. Currently on an Iphone11 which does does everything I need but I wouldn't mind going back to OnePlus for my next phone

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I've made my choice. First, many thanks to everyone who offered advice. It was a tough choice, but I went with a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 9. I went a little above my original budget, but it seemed worth a bit more to get the 9 over the 8. I think it will be a useful phone longer. I got it, plus ordered a protection case and an extra charger and was right at about $400 for everything. I think I did all right. Looking forward to getting it. I can't wait to rejoin the Android world. It's nothing against iPhone. They have some nice phones with really good interfaces, but IMO you can just get more bang for your buck with Android. Now it's just a waiting game till it arrives.