What smart phone to get?

JumBie

Golden Member
May 2, 2011
1,645
1
71
LG 4x HD, LG Optimus G, Galaxy S3, Sony Xperia, Note 2....so many damn phones...it never use to be like this, I am so lost, I want the best phone for the money, any advice would be great.
 

boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
81
How soon do you need it? I'm really liking the new 1080P 5" phones like the DNA. Not sure if there is a GSM version out though. I imagine MWC will be eat up with them.
 

Barpanda

Member
Jan 3, 2013
43
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Best phone for the money huh? This may sound like a broken record, but have you considered an iPhone? IMO, there is a reason the Android GUI is similar to that of the iOS ;) Just saying.
 

ImDonly1

Platinum Member
Dec 17, 2004
2,357
0
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Anything AWS, i get ulimited everything.

Nexus 4 if buying outright, Optimus G if on contract. Both are same depends if you want to buy outright or contract and if you want Nexus (no skin) or LG skin.

Or Galaxy S3 or Note 2. Galaxy S3 if you prefer Samsung and Touchwiz and Note 2 if you want a huge phone/tablet.

If you include the Xperia Z in the mix then I would only consider the Xperia Z since it is the only 1080p device.

Really depends on preference for brands, skins, etc. Go to store and play with each.
 
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JumBie

Golden Member
May 2, 2011
1,645
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71
I can buy the phone outright, no contract going with a provider where I bring them any AWS phone, and I get unlimited data, unlimited text calls etc...

Are any of them comparable to the note 2 in terms of size and software wise.
 

pantsaregood

Senior member
Feb 13, 2011
993
37
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The Note 2 and SGS3 run TouchWiz over Android. If you're buying outright, you should look into the Nexus 4 as well.

Lumia 920 and HTC 8X are also nice high end phones, but they're not as cheap as the Nexus 4.

The iPhone 5 is in a league of its own in expense.
 

Skurge

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2009
5,195
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Optimus G Pro was just launched in Japan. Should be out in other places soon.
 

jacktesterson

Diamond Member
Sep 28, 2001
5,493
3
81
Best phone for the money huh? This may sound like a broken record, but have you considered an iPhone? IMO, there is a reason the Android GUI is similar to that of the iOS ;) Just saying.

iOS sucks for power users in my opinion.

Its simple and easy to use, but lacks so much. iTunes sucks. Multi-tasking sucks. You can't even play a MKV or any popular format without screwing around with so many things like jailbreaking, etc. My opinion anyways.

OP:

Jelly Bean is so smooth and fluid and offers so much more with customizing, tweaks, etc out of the box. Much more codec support. 720p and 1080p Screens.

If your like me, Custom Roms then add so much more to an already great base. I'm using the Viper 2.0 JB rom on my One S (A great phone on its own) and its awesome.

I think you should add the HTC One X (S4 version) or X+ (Tegra 3 1.7 GHz) on your list too. (The One X+ Tegra 3 outperforms the One X Tegra 3 1.5Ghz but quite a bit so I'd take it out of the mix) Latter has 64GB storage built in, runs Jelly Bean, and both have the nicest 720p screen on the market. The One X and One S also have super nice cameras (better than Nexus 4/Optimus G for sure). There are hacks to allow 1080p 40Mbit video and uncompressed JPEG images too. (both built into Viper Roms) HTC also has a good track record recently for updates. HTC sense (4 or 4+) is also very fluid and easily the best skin on a phone in my opinion. The S4 version has excellent battery life and feels equally snappy, but has 16GB storage rather than 64GB. The Tegra 3 version's battery life is not as good as the S4 version though.

The Optimus G is a beast. It has a really nice screen too (still think the One X is better) but comes with ICS out of the box. Still, its probably the snappiest phone currently available even on ICS. LG did a WONDERFUL job optimizing that Rom. I believe JB is already available too. The Camera's are not as good as Samsungs or HTC's top tier phones. (Even the 13MP is worse than the HTC/Samsung 8MP Camera. Sony's 13MP Camera is also worse than HTC/Samsungs 8MP Camera, so MP isn't everything).

The Nexus 4 is basically an Optimus G with less storage and Jelly Bean 4.2. It's a very nice phone. It's camera is disappointing but definitely does the trick for most people. I bought one from Google and had for 3-4 days, but decided to Ebay it for the money. I liked the phone overall.

The Note II is probably the best all around phone if you like big screens, although I'm not a fan of Samsung's build quality. (Plastics are flimsy). I also generally prefer LCD screens over AMOLED even though my current phone has the AMOLED (which I consider its weak point). Some people love them though. It's fast, has good developer support, LTE and a good camera. Has SD support with exFat out of the box. It also has excellent battery life.

I agree, there is a lot to chose from. The 4X is a nice phone too. The Video has been fixed, and its also very snappy. I think the Camera on the 4x takes better pics than the Optimus G for some reason. LG's screens are underated. They use IPS LCD's with very nice quality. They are bright as well. Only negative is no JB update announced yet, which is LG's flaw. They are late on upgrades but promise the Optimus G will have quicker turnarounds.

Lots to chose from. The Motorola Razr HD Maxx is a very nice phone too. It's camera is not as good as HTC or Samsung, but it has top tier battery life and top tier build quality. Motorola is owned by Google so expect faster upgrades now. (it's already on Jelly bean). Motorola's new phones are very close to stock Android too if thats your thing.

Quad cores are nice, but any phone with the S4/Adreno 225 is going to feel just as snappy.

The One S is a very nice phone too, but I'm biased. I repair phones and flip them on the side, so I've hand my hands on almost any phone out there. If you can live with qHD and 16GB, I think its the most comfortable in hand phone I've ever used, and it's flawless and fast.
 
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Pia

Golden Member
Feb 28, 2008
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Pretty sure you can't beat Nexus 4's value for money when buying new.

I have a first-gen Note. Bought it used a few months from launch, got it for about 60% of new price. As far as I'm concerned, it is as strong as a phone needs to be. There are strong signs of 4.1 OS update landing this month, and when it does, Note should also gain most of Note 2's features.
 

MrX8503

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2005
4,529
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There's the droid DNA. Looks like 1080p 5" will be the norm.

If you don't like messing with your phone, I'd avoid Roms
 

zsdersw

Lifer
Oct 29, 2003
10,505
2
0
Best phone for the money huh? This may sound like a broken record, but have you considered an iPhone? IMO, there is a reason the Android GUI is similar to that of the iOS ;) Just saying.

There's also a reason iOS essentially copied Android's notification UI.
 

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
106
If you're looking for a phone that's Note sized, then get the Note 2. On top of having stuff like the S Pen, it has a lot of baked in features that take advantage of the screen size. It's the one phone where I actually don't want stock Android.

Oh and the battery life is amazing:

ivipfk.jpg
 

Face2Face

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2001
4,100
215
106
Get a Nexus 4.

I would buy a Nexus 4 if I was you. There is something to be said about getting all of the Android updates when they are available. I am kinda stuck on Verizon, so I just got a DNA in November. The DNA is an awesome phone and the new HTC Sense isn't bad - I just wish I could have stock Android. Next go round I am getting a Nexus Phone.
 

s44

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 2006
9,427
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Are we in some fantasy world where the Nexus 4 is actually for sale?
 

smitbret

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2006
3,382
17
81
Wait a couple of weeks and see what Blackberry does when their new OS and phones come out. It may be nothing special, but there are enough rumors running around that it would probably be worth the wait just to see if it fits.
 

jacktesterson

Diamond Member
Sep 28, 2001
5,493
3
81
Wait a couple of weeks and see what Blackberry does when their new OS and phones come out. It may be nothing special, but there are enough rumors running around that it would probably be worth the wait just to see if it fits.

Its nothing special. save you two weeks.
 

MrX8503

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2005
4,529
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0
Wait a couple of weeks and see what Blackberry does when their new OS and phones come out. It may be nothing special, but there are enough rumors running around that it would probably be worth the wait just to see if it fits.

Its not going to be worth owning until its at least 2 years in mature.