Steve Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 So I've recently been considering upgrading to a smartphone. I've had an older "dumb phone" for some time now and I've been looking at a few models, but I figured I'd ask for some opinions before making the purchase. Currently the Galaxy S6 is at the top of my list, with the iPhone being the other possibility at the moment. I don't really know much about smartphones and what to look for since this will be my first one, so please let me know if you guys have suggestions! tk421beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseykins Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 I currently have an iPhone 5 and LOVE it! It syncs beautifully with my imac and does everything I need it to do. No matter what phone you choose, make sure you have a good plan that covers your data needs. Shop around for the best plans. My husband and I didn't shop around and went with one of the big companies here in Canada. We are regretting our decision so much right now! Originally we were paying $65/per phone/month now it's $75/per phone each month. That adds up and for the amount that we use our phones, it's quite expensive. We signed a 3-year contract and thankfully it's up in February. Afterwards we won't be renewing and will be taking our phones to a different company. Try not to sign a contract so you can leave anytime without penalty and shop around for the best rates. :) rntracy1 and tk421beth 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeyrCat Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 When I went from "dumb phone" to "smartphone" I decided on Androids. Everything I go is through Google, gmail, picasa, the works, and it all integrates perfectly. My photos get backed up, so I can't lose them. My contacts are automatically updated to my gmail (if put into the phone) or put on my phone (if put in through gmail). It's been great. Also, my Samsungs seem to be a bit more durable than the iPhones. It seems the cameras aren't as good though. I'm happy with my decision! :D tk421beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spritzie Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 I can't speak for iPhones, because I've always had Android phones. I've always loved them though. My friend has a Samsung Galaxy S5 or S6, I don't remember which. She really likes it and uses it constantly. She doesn't have a computer right now, so she uses it for everything from email, to websites, banking. Personally, I'm a fan of LG phones. I've had only LG phones for the last 8 years, both smartphones and regular. I've never had any issues and loved every one I've had. I currently have the LG G3 and not only have I not had any problems with it, but I love all of the features and the flexibility it allows with customization, which I'm big on with my phones. It's also a lot of phone. It has a lot of built in storage space and plays some really graphic intensive games easily. tk421beth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk421beth Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 I love my iPhone 6!! :wub_anim: I talk to everyone about their phones, and the reason I loooove my iPhone so much, is that I do purchase TV shows and movies with the iTunes store...also all my music is through the iTunes store. I have a lot invested in my stuff, and I like how I can easily connect my iTunes stuff to my iPhone. I've had 3 iPhones in the past several years. I tend to get the newest iPhone every 2 years. If I didn't love my iPhone so much, I'd totally get the Samsung Galaxy. This sounds horrible, but I have no idea how much the phone is per month. My hubby pays for my phone, his phone, our sons, and his brother and daughter. Hubby and I are the only 2 with smart phones in the family. Good luck on your choice and let us know which one you get! How exciting!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petalpear Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 My husband and I both upgraded our Galaxy S4 to S6 and love it! My mother-in-law still has her S4 and really enjoys it and my mother has the S5 Active and loves it as well. The only thing I dislike about the S6 is they removed the hover viewing function with it so if you want to read a text an iPhone user has sent you but don't feel like replying right away you can't read it without them knowing anymore lol. Personally I love the Samsung Galaxy line. The battery life lasts a very long time, they're rugged, completely customizable. If you're really into customizing your UI I would recommend Samsung but if you're more into simplistic ease (few needs- messaging, email, phone calls, web browsing) then I suppose iPhone would do the job. I've never had an iPhone but I've been hearing a lot of compaints about battery always draining quickly and now with the whole constant restarting with them that's been going on. It's all up to your personal needs and preference! You can always go to Best Buy and play with the phones on display. We considered getting the S6 Edge but it feels really weird to me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted July 7, 2015 Author Share Posted July 7, 2015 I'll definitely look at plans before making the decision, it's hard to determine what I'll need when I don't yet know how much data I'll be using. The only gripe I have with the S6 is that it appears you cannot replace the battery, which to me seems like a huge design flaw (gee, it's like they want you to continue spending money on their phones in the future or something :shiftyeyes_anim:) for people that tend to spend their lives on the phone. I wasn't aware LG had phones so that's something I'll check out. Thanks for the feedback guys :laughingsmiley: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kute Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 I have the iphone 5s. And im perfectly content with it, its a decent phone. Actually I've always used iphone. Its just really simple and flows... and i dont know if i can explain the meaning behind FLOW unless you pick one up yourself and take a look at it. I dont get that with other phones. its like.. mac just knows how to make peoples lives a whole lot simpler. which is cool if youre not tech savy, or whatever. I actually have been thinking about trying out the galaxy s6 but im just afraid that the novelty will wear off and ill miss my iphone. My whole family uses iphones. SO its easier for us, to use certain features etc. Plus my iphone syncs up to my macbook pro- so i can text and call off my laptop :D ( as well as ipad and other apple devices. ) It just depends- how much are you going to get out of your phone??? Obviously iphone works for me cause of family/ my other mac devices. And like i said i like the flow of it. but theres other things to take into account depending on who you are, factors surrounding you. Good luck :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertRose Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Since everyone is supporting iPhone and the Galaxy 6, I'm going to take it in another direction. TracFone offers a really good smartphone for around $80-$90. They can do apps, text, video, and anything else a pricey smartphone can do. While there aren't any contracts, you will have to buy the occasional minutes card. A minutes card adds airtime and extends your service for a certain amount of time. I I know it sounds like a pain, but I have cut my celluar bill by 2/3 with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseykins Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 The plan we have has 1GB of data for each of us and we rarely use the data. I'm at home all the time so everything I do on my phone goes through wifi anyways. But when we're out visiting family I tend to use my phone a lot and have never gone over my 1GB of data. That would be a good place to start. Most plans have a notification or something that will be sent to you when you're about to reach your cap for the month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
life_eclectic Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 I have an Android phone, but it is one of the less popular brands called Kyocera, but I love it. It is waterproof and the phone I had before, if I just got a little water on it, I couldn't even press buttons until it was dry and I had to take the battery out and dry out the phone so many times, now the most I have to do is wipe it with a cloth and it's good to go. I really don't know much about smart phones though, maybe they are all waterproof at this point. Anyway, this phone meets my data needs and I have a 60 dollar completely unlimited 4G plan with MetroPCS. I binge watch Episodes of Family Guy and American Dad on Netflix with no extra data charges, so that's pretty awesome. I also like that it is really easy to access my google account and download stuff on google play. There are two things I don't like about this phone. One, the camera is terrible, it is really bad quality and I do like taking pictures, but it's mostly for my own amusement. The other thing is the call quality is not that great, apparently people on the other end can hear me, but I have to ask them to repeat themselves a lot because their voice is muffled. However, this is not a major problem for me as I mostly send texts or emails. I'm sure there are phones that are better, but this one works great for my overall needs :yes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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