Phone upgrading advice

[lilrayray69]

Hey all,

I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, which I've had over two years now. I'm about eligible for a upgrade via AT&T and am wondering what to go with...

I believe with a renewed 2yr contract I can get AT&T certified refurbished Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8 for $0.00...I got this S2 Skyrocket refurbished from AT&T and had no real problems with it.
Those are the only 2 current phones I know much about, both having got pretty good reviews across the board.

I'm wondering if it might not be best to wait a while to upgrade with the upcoming likely release of the iPhone 6...I am open to getting an iPhone, I haven't had one since the 3GS. With the 6 release I imagine I could get the 5 relatively cheaply, or possibly even a good deal on the 6 with the AT&T upgrade. The iMessage feature is one of the main attractions for me.

One of the most important things for me is battery life - the main problem I've had with my S2 is pretty poor battery life. I'll be gone from home a lot this semester and may or may not have access to outlets to charge, so it's definitely one of my main concerns.
I'd also like something without much bloatware - the S2 came with a good bit of it and I had to do a lot to get the battery life as good as it even is. I'm not stuck on the Samsung android layout either, it's OK but I wouldn't mind something else either.

I don't think I have much interest in a Windows phone.

Just looking for opinions on phones and best time to upgrade.

Also, I do not have a Mac of any sort to go along with the iPhone, so there is that. I do have a Samsung Galaxy Note 2014 Edition, but I don't use it a whole lot and may sell it.

 

[thedosbox]

I believe with a renewed 2yr contract I can get AT&T certified refurbished Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8 for $0.00...I got this S2 Skyrocket refurbished from AT&T and had no real problems with it.
Those are the only 2 current phones I know much about, both having got pretty good reviews across the board.

Does AT&T offer a discount off your monthly rate if you bring your own device? If so, buying something like a Nexus 5 outright could work out better for you.

 

[Commodus]

I'm wondering if it might not be best to wait a while to upgrade with the upcoming likely release of the iPhone 6...I am open to getting an iPhone, I haven't had one since the 3GS. With the 6 release I imagine I could get the 5 relatively cheaply, or possibly even a good deal on the 6 with the AT&T upgrade. The iMessage feature is one of the main attractions for me.

One of the most important things for me is battery life - the main problem I've had with my S2 is pretty poor battery life. I'll be gone from home a lot this semester and may or may not have access to outlets to charge, so it's definitely one of my main concerns.
I'd also like something without much bloatware - the S2 came with a good bit of it and I had to do a lot to get the battery life as good as it even is. I'm not stuck on the Samsung android layout either, it's OK but I wouldn't mind something else either.

I don't think I have much interest in a Windows phone.

Just looking for opinions on phones and best time to upgrade.

Also, I do not have a Mac of any sort to go along with the iPhone, so there is that. I do have a Samsung Galaxy Note 2014 Edition, but I don't use it a whole lot and may sell it.

You're definitely best waiting until at least the iPhone unveiling on September 9th (if not actually trying it yourself around 10 days later) to see what your options are. That'll also give you a preview of the Galaxy Note 4 and Moto X+1 (unveiled on the 3rd and 4th).

Just remember: you don't really need a Mac to make good use of an iPhone -- you'll just get a few nice perks (seamless hand-over for certain apps, taking calls from the Mac). Thankfully, Apple stopped requiring that you use iTunes to set up and sync seemingly everything -- you only really need it for local media syncing.

 

[dawheat]

Are you on an older AT&T plan (no discount once your subsidy period is over) or on the newer ones where it's $40/mo per line vs. $15.

If you're on the older plan and don't plan on switching, then certainly wait for the phones being introduced in September.

If you're on the newer plan, consider the OnePlus One, Nexus 5, Moto X, or other phones you can buy full price for $350 or lower.

 

[isekii]

wait for the iphone 6 get it sell it and get whatever else you want and pocket the rest.

 

[lilrayray69]

I'm on an older AT&T plan.

I hadn't thought about getting the iphone 6 at discount then selling it...not a bad idea.

 

[s44]

The S5 probably has the longest real-world battery of any current major device. It also allows for battery swap or ZeroLemon super-sized replacement. If you're OK with Samsung (and the current skin is cleaner than the ones from the Skyrocket days), it's a top option. Since Jelly Bean, all the bloat has been uninstall/disableable straight from the stock launcher's app drawer.

I'm sure the new iPhones will have very good battery out of the box, but boosting beyond one charge is a much bigger pain. I think the 5 is too limited... does it even have AWS LTE?

 

[s44]

If so, buying something like a Nexus 5 outright could work out better for you.

Nexus 5 has decidedly average battery life.

I hadn't thought about getting the iphone 6 at discount then selling it...not a bad idea.

Definitely opens up options.

 

[lilrayray69]

Although if I get the 6 and sold it...I'd get it for like $200 I guess, and sell for what? Maybe $650? Depending what the off-contract price ends up being..

So that'd be like a $450 difference, but if I want something like the S5 they still go around ~$500 on Ebay, though that price may drop with the iphone 6 release.

Unless I get a markedly cheaper phone I'm not sure it'd be much profit

 

[s44]

It would let you get Swappa stuff like the Note 3 (likely to be $350 or even less on Swappa immediately after Note 4 release), or non-AT&T things like the OPO or Nexus devices.

Or buy a G2 now (super cheap, official refurb was like $240 the other day) and pocket a lot of money when the iPhone drops.

 

[lilrayray69]

Oh, I see. I'd never heard of Swappa before.

If I were to do that I think I'd look between the HTC One M7, Galaxy S4, iPhone 5 or 5C, maybe even the 5S if the price drops...

By the way, I still don't really know the difference between the 5, 5C, and 5S. Does it go 5 < 5C < 5S ??

The 5 and 5C seem to be around the same price.

 

[Commodus]

Oh, I see. I'd never heard of Swappa before.

If I were to do that I think I'd look between the HTC One M7, Galaxy S4, iPhone 5 or 5C, maybe even the 5S if the price drops...

By the way, I still don't really know the difference between the 5, 5C, and 5S. Does it go 5 < 5C < 5S ??

The 5 and 5C seem to be around the same price.

The 5 and 5c are basically the same device -- the difference is that the 5c has a slightly larger battery and, of course, that colorful plastic back. The 5s is the current high-end model with a faster processor, the fingerprint reader and an improved camera.

 

[s44]

Oh, I see. I'd never heard of Swappa before.

If I were to do that I think I'd look between the HTC One M7, Galaxy S4, iPhone 5 or 5C, maybe even the 5S if the price drops...

On the Android side, there was a significant jump in battery life between mid 2013 - the phones you list there - and late 2013, with the G2 and Note 3. There was another smaller jump with the 2014 flagships, though the G3 doesn't live up to that. So I wouldn't buy anything released before the G2.

On the iOS side, battery life tends to stay the same, but the 5 has older radio hardware that makes it a not so great option vs the 5S. The 5C has the same radio as the 5S but the 5 processor and a body bulkier than either.

 

[lilrayray69]

What android options would that leave for nothing released before the G2? Basically the HTC One M8, Note 3 and S5? Those are still expensive so I'm not sure if it'd make sense to do the iPhone 6 sell thing for those.

I don't believe I want a Note, I don't need something that big. I don't know much about the G2, but I've heard good things about the HTC One and of course I have an S2..

 

[Red Storm]

On a subsidized plan, the better/newer the phone the more bang for your buck. If you're using upgrades on older phones, then you're effectively wasting money. If it were me and I was only looking at "$0 on contract" phones, I would first take a look at the plan itself and see if I'm spending too much there.

 

[s44]

What android options would that leave for nothing released before the G2? Basically the HTC One M8, Note 3 and S5?

And the G2 itself. I'd say the best Swappa values now are the G2 and the Note 3 (which will drop even further in a week).

Can't hurt to go to the carrier store or Costco to play with these in hand. Btw, I know two people who went straight from the Skyrocket to the Note 3...

 

[lilrayray69]

The G2 does seem nice as well, but the G3 isn't much worth the extra $$? Guess I'll have to wait and see the price of the G2, iPhone 5C/5S, Galaxy S5, Note 3, and HTC One M8 after the iPhone 6 drops..

I was wondering about doing the whole upgrade discount and sell thing -

Does AT&T not automatically list the iPhone6 (or whatever phone u buy) as the one on ur line and activate it? Would it be better to get it online unboxed and everything rather than in-store? I've never sold a phone I got via upgrade before

 

[RossMAN]

Oh, I see. I'd never heard of Swappa before.

If I were to do that I think I'd look between the HTC One M7, Galaxy S4, iPhone 5 or 5C, maybe even the 5S if the price drops...

Have you also considered the For Sale/For Trade forum here? I recently saw an unlocked iPhone 5c for $370 shipped but I'm not sure if it's AT&T frendly or not.

I was wondering about doing the whole upgrade discount and sell thing -

Assuming you can get your hands on an iPhone 6 shortly after launch, I would go this route and sell on Craigslist/Swappa/eBay. There's enormous pent up demand for this phone, the sooner you sell it., the more you'll $$$.

I'm still kicking myself for not taking advantage of this T-Mo deal brand new LG G2 for $240. Oh well.

 

[CA19100]

I think the 5 is too limited... does it even have AWS LTE?

Yes, the iPhone 5, 5c, and 5s all have AWS LTE.

 

[lilrayray69]

So I'm thinking I'll probably get the iPhone 6 via upgrade discount and sell it if I can. However I still don't know what phone to get to actually use.

The main things I want are good battery life - just handle checking email, internet, texts, etc. throughout the day and actually lasting all day. I doubt I'll ever really watch movies or anything like that on it. I may play a casual game on it every now and then, not often though. I'll take pictures/videos of stuff but I'm no photographer it's just basic stuff so I really don't give a crap about a fancy camera. I usually carry it in my pocket so nothing huge...The iPhone's look small but a lot of people use them so it may be ok.

I am considering an iPhone 5S or 5C but I haven't used one since my 3GS which was iOS 4, I think? Mostly I like the iPhone for it's iMessage, but I don't know how much that really gets utilized.

Mainly I just want it to respond quickly in your basic apps...I really want it to last like 2 years probably. I've had this Skyrocket 2 years but it's getting pretty slow and battery life is awful. I'm kind of 'meh' with Samsung's android version, this one came relatively bloated with crap. I'm also on 4.1.2 which I guess is JellyBean so I'm not sure what newer versions are like.

I'm also not sure where to look to buy it - are eBay and Swappa relatively safe? I'm on AT&T so I guess I either need an AT&T phone or factory unlocked. Also not sure what to spend on one...It'd be at least $200 for the iPhone 6, depending on the amount of Gb it has. I'm guessing I could sell it for over $600, leaving a $400 profit to work with for a new phone.

 

[gmaster456]

The new Moto X is due out this week. If you want a good phone on contract I would pick that that up. The the HTC one M8 is a GREAT choice and will serve you well. Everyone I know with One M7/M8 loves theirs.

 

[cmdrdredd]

At least wait to see what the new iphone and Nexus 6 is like. Then you can compare the S5, Note 4, Moto X+1, Nexus, and everything else and make the best choice for you.

 

[Jetasis]

Agreed, don't do anything until the iPhone 6 unveil on SEPT 9th.

Jet

 

[lilrayray69]

I didn't think the Nexus 6 would be out til late October..

They did announce the S5 and Note 4 but I think those also release in late October.

Can't say I know much about the Moto X

I'll definitely wait til past the iPhone 6 announcement, and likely it's release.

 

[lilrayray69]

So with the preorder of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus up, do you think it matters which I get to try and sell?