Smartphones

Jysin · Mar 2, 2015

Dropbox offers that on a few manufacturers' phones. They lure you in with that, hoping you pony up when it expires.

Ritley · Mar 2, 2015

I think Samsung really messed up by removing some of the key features that differentiated it from some other high end smartphones. No removable battery, no microSD slot, not water resistant.

BrutulTM · Mar 2, 2015

I think Google doesn't really like the removable SD cards because for some reason they make android not work as well. Non-removable batteries though, are just a way to make sure that you change phones every couple years IMO.

Adebisi · Mar 2, 2015

Remove all the SD cards you want, just stop making sub 32gig phones ffs.

Vaclav · Mar 2, 2015

jeydax_sl said:
I loved the M8. I wish I could have the same phone with a larger screen. It is SO much fucking snappier than my Note 4. And you can root it. Unfortunately it also has a horseshit camera unless you're dealing in low-light.

Yep, it and battery are the only real changes for the M9 - but honestly, it's the only real changes it needed as well.

Vaclav · Mar 2, 2015

BrutulTM_sl said:
Isn't it supposed to be the first phone to break $1000?

They refuse to announce pricing on it yet. Honestly, I'm pretty sure the basic won't, maybe the S6 Edge will though - since it's the Premium edition of the two.

Mythas 5thboardnow · Mar 2, 2015

Yeah i spoke with a google rep in a best buy ( i dunno if he was a google employee, but had shirt, badge, etc all with google logo ) and said Android 5.0 really tried to kill SD support in favor of just onboard memory.

Poor samsung just cant win with people. They complain about "design and plastic, cheap feeling" so they get rid of it. " WHY U NO PLASTIC BAK 4 MY BATTERI n SD KARD "

I mean don't get me wrong will I miss being able to put a 64 gb card in the phone...sure. But thats why they offer a 128 gb phone now.

Ritley · Mar 2, 2015

Mythas_sl said:
Yeah i spoke with a google rep in a best buy ( i dunno if he was a google employee, but had shirt, badge, etc all with google logo ) and said Android 5.0 really tried to kill SD support in favor of just onboard memory.

Poor samsung just cant win with people. They complain about "design and plastic, cheap feeling" so they get rid of it. " WHY U NO PLASTIC BAK 4 MY BATTERI n SD KARD "

I mean don't get me wrong will I miss being able to put a 64 gb card in the phone...sure. But thats why they offer a 128 gb phone now.

That's all fine and dandy if they aren't raping you with no lube on the storage pricing.

Ameraves · Mar 2, 2015

Barraco Bisi_sl said:
Remove all the SD cards you want, just stop making sub 32gig phones ffs.

No shit. Storage is so damn cheap at this point there really isn't a good reason not to have 32gb be the absolute lowest starting point, with 64gb being an extremely minor upgrade in price.

Jysin · Mar 2, 2015

Ritley_sl said:
That's all fine and dandy if they aren't raping you with no lube on the storage pricing.

Exactly. 128GB microSD card is <$100 easily.

You can buy the minimum memory spec version phone and add your own card cheap. If you buy the manufacturer's version of that, it's usually 3x the price.

Heian · Mar 2, 2015

Well I had the 2 year 30 gig free for my first HTC one and it's about to expire in april. If i get another 2 years free with the new one I would be happy.

Ritley · Mar 2, 2015

Ameraves_sl said:
No shit. Storage is so damn cheap at this point there really isn't a good reason not to have 32gb be the absolute lowest starting point, with 64gb being an extremely minor upgrade in price.

It frequently costs $100 more for consumers to go up from one storage capacity to the next

Vaclav · Mar 2, 2015

heian_sl said:
The M9 has a sim card and a better camera and to me that's all i really wants. I also think the M9 come with 2 year of 100 gig dropbox free storage.(not sure)

Whatever the Google variant is came with 100GB on the M8. Looks like Google Drive fromHTC Customer Advantage | HTC United States

The free screen replacement is the best part of the Advantage program though.

Vaclav · Mar 2, 2015

Mythas_sl said:
Yeah i spoke with a google rep in a best buy ( i dunno if he was a google employee, but had shirt, badge, etc all with google logo ) and said Android 5.0 really tried to kill SD support in favor of just onboard memory.

Poor samsung just cant win with people. They complain about "design and plastic, cheap feeling" so they get rid of it. " WHY U NO PLASTIC BAK 4 MY BATTERI n SD KARD "

I mean don't get me wrong will I miss being able to put a 64 gb card in the phone...sure. But thats why they offer a 128 gb phone now.

Metal doesn't preclude the ability to have an SD card... the real competition for android smartphones M8/M9 and G3 offer it while having a metal shell.

Crone · Mar 2, 2015

Palum_sl said:
Wut do? My phone is long since out of contract (I managed to get my RAZR MAXX (orig) a few weeks before Verizon killed off contract renewals with unlimited data). I pay ~140/mo for unlimited everything, of which I use 1-2GB data a month typically, but it does spike higher.

Unfortunately mobile devices simply can't keep up 2 years out anymore, with recent updates and apps it breaks the back of my MAXX. It seems like I have to figure out if unlimited data is worth the extra $900/yr give or take figuring $50/extra a month for the plan and $300 every year for annualized replacement phone cost give or take. I don't use that much of it that often, but I like never connecting to wifi when I'm out.

Thinking ahead though, as happened with 3G->4G, I'm kind of expecting Verizon to have a 5 year (or less) plan to kill off 4G unlimited plans as well. When 5G comes out, I would bet many monies that the 4G unlimited plans will not work on 5G phones and you will be forced to capitulate.

So, yea. *shrug*. I think it's more feels that I don't want to give up my grandfathered plan vs. actual logic at this point but...

EDIT: of course I'm thinking in the long term competition will eventually bring back 'effectively' unlimited plans on verizon with rate limits past some arbitrary high point too

There are ways to keep unlimited data, and still get a new phone. Takes some loopholes, and some work, but pretty easy. There's a huge thread on slickdeals about it that details all of it... let me find it...

Upgrade and keep your Unlimited Data with Verizon 05-29-2014 - Slickdeals.net

Read through the post, and then there is a wiki on that page as well. There has been 1100+ pages of replies since with questions, etc etc, but the WIKI post explains everything, and the multiple methods.

Ritley · Mar 2, 2015

Palum_sl said:
Wut do? My phone is long since out of contract (I managed to get my RAZR MAXX (orig) a few weeks before Verizon killed off contract renewals with unlimited data). I pay ~140/mo for unlimited everything, of which I use 1-2GB data a month typically, but it does spike higher.

Unfortunately mobile devices simply can't keep up 2 years out anymore, with recent updates and apps it breaks the back of my MAXX. It seems like I have to figure out if unlimited data is worth the extra $900/yr give or take figuring $50/extra a month for the plan and $300 every year for annualized replacement phone cost give or take. I don't use that much of it that often, but I like never connecting to wifi when I'm out.

Thinking ahead though, as happened with 3G->4G, I'm kind of expecting Verizon to have a 5 year (or less) plan to kill off 4G unlimited plans as well. When 5G comes out, I would bet many monies that the 4G unlimited plans will not work on 5G phones and you will be forced to capitulate.

So, yea. *shrug*. I think it's more feels that I don't want to give up my grandfathered plan vs. actual logic at this point but...

EDIT: of course I'm thinking in the long term competition will eventually bring back 'effectively' unlimited plans on verizon with rate limits past some arbitrary high point too

I would check out T-Mobile/sprint if you aren't dead set on Verizon if they have good coverage in your area. Sprint still has individual unlimited plans for a lot less than you are paying, and T-Mobile has some cheap plans as well

Vaclav · Mar 2, 2015

And I'd suggest for Sprint, checking with friends/family/whatever about RECENT coverage if you had bad coverage in the past - they've been expanding their network a shitload. I had a bad 4G network here right after the move that apparently was on the upgrade cycle a month later. [they'd already upgraded voice or something though, voice was always perfect barring building issues]

Arative · Mar 2, 2015

200GB sd card but no phone to put in!
This tiny card will give your smartphone 200 GB of storage - Mar. 2, 2015

Jysin · Mar 2, 2015

Arative_sl said:
200GB sd card but no phone to put in!
This tiny card will give your smartphone 200 GB of storage - Mar. 2, 2015

High-capacity storage is extremely expensive stuff. SanDisk said it will go on sale sometime in the spring -- and cost $400.

Might as well but the built-in memory at that price! There's certainly a level when the microSD cards start getting expensive. 64G can be found for 30-40, but the 128G jumps to 90-110. Certainly isn't linear!

Siliconemelons · Mar 2, 2015

Vaclav_sl said:
And I'd suggest for Sprint, checking with friends/family/whatever about RECENT coverage if you had bad coverage in the past - they've been expanding their network a shitload. I had a bad 4G network here right after the move that apparently was on the upgrade cycle a month later. [they'd already upgraded voice or something though, voice was always perfect barring building issues]

Coverage has never been an issue with me on Sprint- its building penetration that is terribad

Smartphones

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