What's the next hotness in mobile? Upgrading iPhone 5

Mar 15, 2003
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My iPhone 5's a bit long in the tooth and it's time for an upgrade. Bendgate's having me worry a bit about the long term reliability of an iPhone 6/6+ and Android's app ecosystem's decent enough, maybe I'll give this round of android phones a chance before heading back for the 6S. Suggestions?

A great camera would be my top priority. The lg g3 seems inconsistent - outdoor pics look fine but indoor worse than my iphone 5. The One M8 seems mediocre all around, and I Just don't like samsung's designs... Any hot phones on the horizon?
 

Strk

Lifer
Nov 23, 2003
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The rumored new Nexus sounds pretty nice, at least what is included in the rumor.
 

maxi007

Banned
Sep 8, 2014
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You have said "i dont like samsung designs" . it should be "i dont like samsung design" . because smasung knows only one design :p lol
 

s44

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 2006
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The rumored new Nexus sounds pretty nice
It's a Nexus. He mentioned the camera. Not happening.

Big: i6+, Note 4
(Both have excellent cameras with OIS.)

Smaller: i6, Galaxy Alpha, Z3c if it ever gets released here but it won't.
 

blairharrington

Senior member
Jan 1, 2009
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It's a Nexus. He mentioned the camera. Not happening.

Big: i6+, Note 4
(Both have excellent cameras with OIS.)

Smaller: i6, Galaxy Alpha, Z3c if it ever gets released here but it won't.

I'm not so sure. Sony has an event in NYC October 9th. Rumors are pointing to a Z3 and Z3C release in America.
 

ImDonly1

Platinum Member
Dec 17, 2004
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It's a Nexus. He mentioned the camera. Not happening.

Big: i6+, Note 4
(Both have excellent cameras with OIS.)

Smaller: i6, Galaxy Alpha, Z3c if it ever gets released here but it won't.

Pretty sure T-mobile is expecting the Z3 or Z3c.
 
Mar 15, 2003
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Pretty sure T-mobile is expecting the Z3 or Z3c.

Might have to wait for that then. Anyone own the G3? Looks like a really solid phone, but are the indoor / low-light pictures as bad as they seem in reviews?

I might just get the regular 6, I think the 6+ is just too big for me and will snap in my pocket.
 

Commodus

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 2004
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Might have to wait for that then. Anyone own the G3? Looks like a really solid phone, but are the indoor / low-light pictures as bad as they seem in reviews?

I might just get the regular 6, I think the 6+ is just too big for me and will snap in my pocket.

I've used the G3. The camera isn't terrible, but there's definitely better. It's not great in low light, and the colours just aren't as vivid as they should be.

I use the regular iPhone 6 and the camera performance is better than I expected. The colours are at once vivid and accurate (something Apple has done well for a while), but it fixes a lot of the weaknesses from the 5/5s -- it focuses quickly in almost every situation, and it's better in low-light conditions. Probably my favourite camera for getting a good shot without much fuss.
 

Strk

Lifer
Nov 23, 2003
10,197
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It's a Nexus. He mentioned the camera. Not happening.

Big: i6+, Note 4
(Both have excellent cameras with OIS.)

Smaller: i6, Galaxy Alpha, Z3c if it ever gets released here but it won't.

My N5 takes a pretty decent picture. I won't say it's the best, but it still does a pretty good job.
 

tvdang7

Platinum Member
Jun 4, 2005
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I dont know about that g3 camera impression. I know the iphone 5 takes pretty grainy pics in low lit areas because a friend always posts pictures and i was pretty shocked my N5 pics looked better ( prob the OIS coming into play). This whole time i thought Iphones were king in the camera dept but I was wrong and the g2 takes better pictures than my N5 IMO so I'm pretty sure the g3 is a notch higher than the g2.
 
Mar 15, 2003
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Went to a t-mobile (twice, I'm obsessive) and played with the lg g3, samsung s5, and the iphone 6, and ended up with the 6. the lg g3's qHD screen had a weird haze to it, the iphone's screen pops in an almost 3d way, while the lg's super high resolution but reminds me of the lcd on my cheap acer tablet (just sharper). contrast ratio, maybe? also, the g3 seemed to be trying to mimic good build quality through dressing up cheap material, while the iphone just felt like it'll last me the 2 years. I could easily imagine cracked plastic in my future with the lg.

now that i'm living with the iphone 6, i kinda hate it. it's just doesn't fit my hand like the iphone 5 did. but i'll get used to it. the camera's pretty fine. not going to replace my canon s100 p&s, but good enough. overall underwhelmed, seems l like a step back ergonomically from the near perfect 5 fit. but they had to adapt to the marketplace, I get it. Hope they release an "iphone mini" soon! the 6+ was monstrous beast, I feel bad for the fellow new yorkers dropping them trying to operate them on a moving subway one-handed...
 
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isekii

Lifer
Mar 16, 2001
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Went to a t-mobile (twice, I'm obsessive) and played with the lg g3, samsung s5, and the iphone 6, and ended up with the 6. the lg g3's qHD screen had a weird haze to it, the iphone's screen pops in an almost 3d way, while the lg's super high resolution but reminds me of the lcd on my cheap acer tablet (just sharper). contrast ratio, maybe? also, the g3 seemed to be trying to mimic good build quality through dressing up cheap material, while the iphone just felt like it'll last me the 2 years. I could easily imagine cracked plastic in my future with the lg.

now that i'm living with the iphone 6, i kinda hate it. it's just doesn't fit my hand like the iphone 5 did. but i'll get used to it. the camera's pretty fine. not going to replace my canon s100 p&s, but good enough. overall underwhelmed, seems l like a step back ergonomically from the near perfect 5 fit. but they had to adapt to the marketplace, I get it. Hope they release an "iphone mini" soon! the 6+ was monstrous beast, I feel bad for the fellow new yorkers dropping them trying to operate them on a moving subway one-handed...

I'll have to invest in the apple care+ wife wants the 6+
 

Shamrock

Golden Member
Oct 11, 1999
1,441
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You say you don't like Samsung design, but they are the only one with a curved screen. Samsung Galaxy Edge.
 

jpeyton

Moderator in SFF, Notebooks, Pre-Built/Barebones
Moderator
Aug 23, 2003
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Went to a t-mobile (twice, I'm obsessive) and played with the lg g3, samsung s5, and the iphone 6, and ended up with the 6. the lg g3's qHD screen had a weird haze to it, the iphone's screen pops in an almost 3d way, while the lg's super high resolution but reminds me of the lcd on my cheap acer tablet (just sharper). contrast ratio, maybe? also, the g3 seemed to be trying to mimic good build quality through dressing up cheap material, while the iphone just felt like it'll last me the 2 years. I could easily imagine cracked plastic in my future with the lg.
If there was a haze issue with the G3's screen, it would've been noted already in dozens of reviews. But there isn't. It does lag behind other screens in brightness and contrast ratio, however.

I find the comment about cracked plastic especially absurd considering how shatter/dent prone iPhones are. If you can crack a G3, you can dent an iPhone. Soft aluminum is soft.
 
Mar 15, 2003
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Mar 15, 2003
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If there was a haze issue with the G3's screen, it would've been noted already in dozens of reviews. But there isn't. It does lag behind other screens in brightness and contrast ratio, however.

.

From android police's review:
The screen really is not very good.
The largest proverbial thorn in the G3's side is undoubtedly the QHD display. In the race to be the first major OEM to release a QHD smartphone, LG shipped a panel that is, frankly, not very good. Viewing angles are poor, brightness in sunlight (especially with fingerprint buildup) is lamentable, and colors are flat-out flat.
 

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
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The OP's situation matches my own. I have an iPhone 5. I wouldn't mind a new phone and my key important thing is that it have an excellent camera. But I also want it to be roughly the size of the iPhone 5 but somehow have have a larger screen (so smaller bezel).

I agree with Sable's and Shimpster well. Z3 or Z3 compact. The Z3 Compact is roughly the size of the iPhone 5 with a 4.6" screen and has an excellent camera and the battery life is said to be roughly two days of use. It looks like an all-around excellent phone, although I don't like the software (crapware?) that Sony loads on their phones.

The rumor is that the Z3 will be announced for the US market next week with availability almost immediately after. In the meantime, you could buy one on Ebay overseas and have it shipped here. But I'm waiting.
 
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