Getting my first SmartPhone -- suggestions?

dont do it...

Oh moto

my samsung s7 active....semi water proof...large screen. great battery.

its a computer phone.

My response was not a suggestion, I just love hearing that commercial

I suggest the next to most recent iPhone- 6s or if u like smaller, the SE, if still available. 

I like Google pure Android devices, like my Nexus 5X, but their new Pixel line is really pricey.

Gary still on a flip phone at $31 dolls a mo - when i step up smart ph it will be a 110 a Mo - holding out - good luck !

iPhone wait till the 8 comes out

I like my samsung s7.  

If you get an android phone, get the app vibe vault.  Access to the archive.  can DL shows or stream them. Samsung s7 will read FLAC. If you are amazon prime member (free shipping!) you get a lot of free music to play on amazon app. be careful of the new iphone,  It does not have a headphone jack, which means you can only use bluetooth speakers or headphones with it unless you get their special dongle adapter.

If possible, go somewhere to handle the phones since size is an issue. That can either be at your carrier's store or at Best Buy os some other big box. Typically you will find some last years model that is much cheaper than thew newest thing.  I know for verizon you can see what phones they have and how much on line.  Then you can do a little search for reviews.  But in the end handling the thing is important to me.  

The warranty (lost phone, dropped phone, phone got wet, etc) is worth it, at least at my carrier.

If you like music on your iPhone6 don't get 14gb

Fuck the cloud.

I hear some Samsungs come with a built-in floor-show.

jonny is too heady to own a smart phone. Lol. 

Gary don't be talked int a large amount of GIGS for your plan. Out here you won't use any at all, Lois and and I share 2 gigs and never go over. But we don't stream anything with our phones. I hated throwing away 8gigs a month away. We got the next to smallest plan at US Cellular.........Make sure verizon works at your house before you go with them.

>>  there is no reliable cell service out where I live in the boonies of NorCal's Lost Coast

With that sort of connectivity problems, you should get Google's project fi as a carrier. It meshes cellular and wifi networks owned by Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Three, so you'll have more reliable service. It can switch to the best network on the fly.

You can only use a Nexus 5x, Nexus 6P or Pixel phone. But at least those phones have zero bloatware. 

It's $20/month and a flat $10/GB for data. The data charges are prorated to the dollar too. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Fi

https://fi.google.com/about/

I've been using Project Fi for about a year and a half and I'm sold on their fusion of wifi and cellular and my monthly bill for service is usually about $25 a month.

I don't stream a lot of stuff but I do enjoy convenience of music when I travel plus just portability and headphones. Walking to the store and tunes. For this reason, I download a fair amount or just load shit via computer. Vibe vault is great because you can dl flac and phone reads it no prob. I know at this point you have no plans to listen to phone music but if you think you might consider whether the phone allows for you to also buy a microsd card to expand memory. Music and photos should go on sdcard. Some phones have very limited memory and no sd slot. Oddly enough, these may be newer phones. In any case, ask about battery life, headphone jack, microsd card slot. Accept that you're gonna have to google up a few "how do I" things.

>> I'm a bit conflicted here

You can return your phone for a full refund and get a prorated bill within 15 days, if it doesn't work.

https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6183893?hl=en

(No, I don't work for them. Just considering it for my next phone.)

If you choose iphone get an S, they put out the 5 then fix the bugs and upgrade it and call it 5s, my 6 flaked out and i wanted the 6s with better coverage, denied. Personally i think the 7 is too big and more like a tablet imo. I have heard good things about Samsung. I'd find out which carrier gets the best reception in your area and see what they offer then check the reviews. I'd get an iphone 6S if they offer it.

https://fi.google.com/about/

So what's the skinny on those exploding batterys? That story just kind o' went away.

I believe "skinny" is the operative word.  The thinner they slice those batteries, the more likely they are to 'splode.

I was in a checkout line today and saw a 4 - 5 yr old girl working a smartphone ...I need to upgrade, too.

>>That story just kind o' went away.

that's because the reporter who broke that story just kind o' went away

Capiche?

I bought an LG android device a few months ago, # LGL52VL or "Treasure". It was 35-40 bucks on sale at Dollar General or Family Dollar, one of those low-budget stores.

Think the normal price is more like 70 dollars. It's a prepaid with unlimited talk, text & data for either 35 or 40 per month. Difference is how much 4G data you get. One Gigabyte for 35, 3 Gig for 40. That might not be the least costly plan out there, but I'm not tied to any long term contract. This one is Net10 wireless. It's one of the many subsidiaries of a Mexican company that also owns TracFone and others. I am using a (weak) Verizon wireless signal when on the farm, but I think the Net10 has deals with other providers also. I get one or two bars out here tops. Tower's 5 miles away.

Even if I switch to something else in the future, I like the digital audio capabilities. It plays FLAC without having to uncompress the files, and many other formats, but the FLACS are all I need. I'm not sure if it does SHN without uncompressing. Because my truck just has an AM/FM radio, it's very handy combined with an FM microtransmitter plugged into the headphone jack. So if I never buy another prepaid card, I'll still use it for audio.

It also functions as a hands-free fone; if a call comes in while I'm driving, the audio pauses and the phone takes over the truck speakers.

With the free app called PdaNet the thing also functions as my modem/router. So I can plug a Mac or PC into it for internet purposes. It is faster than dial-up, but still slow.

Of course it has camera built in, although I prefer an actual camera.

I've been very happy with my 3 y/o Samsung Galaxy S5. I did expand the memory with 128gb microSD when I started commuting on public transportation a year ago. BT sport headphones from JLab.

Sitting on the bus headed for the Lincoln Tunnel listening to Codetalkers and zoning right now.

>I did expand the memory with 128gb microSD

Apple missing the boat again.  I don't think that they'll be getting into the SD card biz anytime soon though.

I just made the switch and had to go with verrizun due to it's superior signal strength compared to anyone else where i live.  Two weeks ago i bought a cheap (relatively) samsung - Galaxy J3V.  They give you two weeks to check out the phone and I am glad they did because at the end of the two weeks - they came out with the Galaxy J7v.  same price.  much better battery and nougat OS.  i am looking forward to samsung's note 8 which comes out at the end of the year.  The Galaxy J7v so far appears to be a good piece of plastic to learn this smart phone stuff before i buy something more expensive.  If you are looking for an economically sound decision for buying a smart phone - stay away from verrizun.  But if you need the signal strength - one ringey dingy, two ringy dingy.  now to learn about VPNs.

The 'sploding one is the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. No probs with the other ones. Samsung is one of the most popular phone brands out there.

>>> been very happy with my 3 y/o Samsung Galaxy S5

same here... I recently looked and you can get them for under $200, which is what I plan to do if/when this one croaks.

also, if you're into that sort of thing, Samsung and iPhone's have 2 of the best cameras (which is why I went for the S5).

iPhone 

Phone Comparisons: Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Google Pixel XL vs LG G6 vs Apple iPhone 7

https://www.androidheadlines.com/2017/03/phone-comparisons-samsung-galax...

iPhone 6s free with my Sprint  business plan. Cool telephone with a nice camera in it. :sleek:

Only issue I would see with a refurbished is that like with computers, phones are subject to planned obsolescence.  I really liked my last motorola, but over time, as updates came out, I began to lose functionality. Lots of updates to phone/app software, and they stop caring if your old ass phone is taken care of. Web pages showing in a super retro almost safe mode, inability to get texts that were sent to more then one person or which contained an image. Some common websites were borderline unreadable. Sounds worse than it was, but was kinda, "eh this sucks now".  Kinda creeps up on you, especially if you are not maxing out utilizing all the bells and whistles, but it stands to reason it may come upon you sooner if you start with an older phone.

Verizon sells a couple of refurb Samsungs as well, S5 and S4.

I should note that if you get a new phone due to misadventure covered by warranty, it is usually refurb.  They work fine.  Also, get a case.  You will drop that thing.

I just ordered the Samsung 8 plus from Best Buy.  $100 off and free VR headset.

Samsung S5 is real old.

If you can't wait til April 21st for the S8 or S8 plus then get the Samsung 7 edge or S7

its funny how everyone forgets that other phones exist once they get a smart phone. 
Its pretty annoying to hear everyone comment that I need a new phone every time they see mine. I tell them that they are the ones that need a new phone... one they dont have to be attached to all day long. but they cant even put the phone down long enough to drive so why would i expect any real comprehension of that concept.