What Should my next phone be?

[ShawnC13]

Ok not in need of a new phone yet,but with the innevitale downfall of W10M I need to start to do some research and looking around.  I have only had iPhone before my Windows phone and want to look at Android.  I don't see paying huge dollars $1500 for a phone or even what it would cost to get an iPhone 2 or 3 years old.  My wife has ventured into Android and seems ok with it, but I am comin to you all for advice as there are so many choices. Dollar value doesn't really matter as long as it isn't iPhone prices LOL.  Also how do you all feel about the security of Android?  So looking for mid to high end procesor 32gb internal  storage with micro sd or higher gb without. Camera should be at least 12mp.  4GB of Ram . As for dual sim I don't travel enuogh to require it but if it is in there bonus.  So what are the thoughts, what brands to look at or to avoid!!

[will13am]

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@Mana wrote:

I agree with @will13am suggestion of xiaomi note 4. The battery life is great on those phones and the features are pretty good for the price. 

 The only downside is if anything happens to the phone like if the screen breaks, it's hard to get it replaced. 

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When these phones cost 25% of the cost of a shamsung flagship phone, it's not a bad proposition to take such risks.  These days, the phones are pretty rugged.  The wife dropped her phone so many times and there's been no harm other than to the screen protector.  She even bent the chassis slightly and the screen and digitizer still works.  There's plenty of choice beyond the carrier brands.

[Mana]

I agree with @will13am suggestion of xiaomi note 4. The battery life is great on those phones and the features are pretty good for the price. 

 The only downside is if anything happens to the phone like if the screen breaks, it's hard to get it replaced. 

[will13am]

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@ShawnC13 wrote:

Thanks @will13am, what are your thoughts for a next phone?  Acer Liquid Zest?? LOL  Come on I have never known you to not give your opinion on something!!  Help me out lol.

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Where do I start.  5 inches = too small, 8 gigs internal storage = useless unless you want to install two apps at a time, 1 gig ram = about the same memory as a pocket calculator, 720 resolution = flip phone like screen.  I have a Nexus 4 in my shoe box.  If you are really hard up, contact me.  

BTW, your wife is really forgiving.  I would never get away with getting something like that.  

[ShawnC13]

Thanks @will13am, what are your thoughts for a next phone?  Acer Liquid Zest?? LOL  Come on I have never known you to not give your opinion on something!!  Help me out lol.

ETA. oh you did I was on page 2i should have known better

[Someone_here]

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@ShawnC13 wrote:

Thank you all.  It is stuff like thist that scares me http://www.zdnet.com/article/this-nasty-new-android-ransomware-encrypts-your-phone-and-changes-your-...

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As they say, "the ransomware is spread as a fake Adobe Flash update via compromised websites." Don't install updates from website, use the google play store 😉

I have a Moto G5 plus (US version), like it and does what I want it to do. I have the 32gb/2gb ram version, looking back I should have chosen the 64gb/4gb ram instead.

It's stock Android, and I love the "Moto moves" (twist twice for camera, chop twice for flashlight, without ever using the screen) that I use all the time and couldn't see how to do without them now...

The only times I find it a bit slow (I think it might be because I got a medium quality memory card and chose to share storage with internal storage... I guess should change it...):

- When taking a picture sometimes there is a delay after pressing the button before the picture is taken

- Launching the app "Here" is slow, works great once started.

- I usually don't play games on my phone but I installed 2 or 3 recently and they were slow to launch, but once started everything was normal speed.

[will13am]

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@ShawnC13 wrote:

Thank you all.  It is stuff like thist that scares me http://www.zdnet.com/article/this-nasty-new-android-ransomware-encrypts-your-phone-and-changes-your-...

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Security is 10% software and 90% user habits.  I use a hosts file to block all the click bait, firewall to give access to apps of my choosing.  

[will13am]

How about a xiaomi note 4.  It's got good specs and won't dent the wallet.  How do you say no to a 4100 mAh battery?

https://m.geekbuying.com/ItemDescription/379094

The global edition has all the right bands for use in Canada.

https://m.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_note_4-8531.php

There's XDA support which is very important for android phones.

 https://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-4/xiaomi-redmi-note-4-snapdragon-roms-kernels-recoveries...

[youbme]

@ShawnC13, this is a great example of targetting users who assume everything that pops up on their phone is safe. First, if a pop-up asking you to install something happens on your phone while you are on a website, exit everything! This is not how updates ever happen through the Google Play store. Second, to continue and give permissions to something that should already have permissions (assuming you are updating an app you previously had installed) is a big red flag.

Lastly, the best advice for this type of ransomware (which can hit any of us, no matter how tech savvy), is don't store data only on your phone - ALWAYS have a backup, in the cloud and on your computer ideally.

[ShawnC13]

Thank you all.  It is stuff like thist that scares me http://www.zdnet.com/article/this-nasty-new-android-ransomware-encrypts-your-phone-and-changes-your-...

[ScrapIron]

Android does release security updates periodically but it is up to the handset manufacturer to push them out. If a phone was bought from a specific carrier, they may have final control of when they release it. Android is typically customized for each phone which makes it annoying sometimes because not everyone gets updates.

If you're looking for security and regular updates then I recommend Google phones. They just launched their Google Pixel 2 $899, 32gb internal, 4gb ram, 12mp. Since Google owns Android, you'll be the first to get updates. 

I would avoid getting an Asus Zenphone. I've seen one with barely any usage (was a spare) just die. Might be an odd one off but personally I wouldnt go for it.

I own a motorola phone, they make decent phones for decent prices but they take forever to release updates (at least for my phone anyways).

LG and Samsung make a few good phones too but they are also pretty expensive. 

[youbme]

Yes, I don't want to take security too lightly - it is a serious concern.

But as @NDesai mentioned - most of the issues that come with security are related to rogue apps (not verified by the Play Store) and visiting shady websites. If you are using your phone in a 'normal' day to day manner, I think the risks are relatively small. Software updates help significantly as well, which is why I would recommend the Pixel...If you don't need the latest/greatest, then you could pick up the Pixel XL used for a good deal, just make sure it is still under warranty in case there are issues with the hardware.

[ShawnC13]

@youbme, thanks for taking the time for that lengthy reply it is very much apprecaited.  Comingfroma WIndows phone the vat world of apps that Android will expose me to will be overwhelming.  I really do like a a solid camera.  As for screen size I Should have said I would like 5.5" at least.  Really like hte XLsize phone.  As for apps I am not worried about finding what I want it will be taking hte time to go through them all.  Not a huge app user (maybe due to the limit of them on W10M)  My thing is still about securiy and have read so much about the vulnerability of Android.  That worries me.

[NDesai]

If you want the best out of a phone including batter camera, day to day battery juice or steady performance for long period, you will have to spend around $1k for android phones like Pixel 2 or Huawei Mate 10 (likely not available in Canada yet). There are some budget android phones out there, but i believe you will get what you pay for as they will likely won't have new specs. You would want the fastet device now a days as pretty much all websites/social medias are all filled with images/videos and they require fast processing. I still have Nexus 5 with custom ROM and it works fine for normal browsing, but i often see a sign of dieing due to the load of content on webs and social media. 

Security wise, i would say they are as secured as any other phones as long as you know what you are doing. Years ago, i head that there is a risk of getting virus on android phone, but the key here is that it would be up to things you do on the phone. If you are looking to install random apps from a website, just don't. 

I am sure there are way more things to tell you, but i cannot really think right now 

[youbme]

Oh, and regarding security...I don't have much faith in anything in this regard, but I do believe that Google's monthly security updates are a step in the right direction since threats are changing so quickly. Of course, this means you will have to trust Google...which I still struggle with

[youbme]

So many options these days, and from what I can tell the differences are starting to be fewer than before. I've had experience with iPhone 3G, Nexus 4, Nexus 5, OnePlus2, Samsung S7 and Google Pixel XL. My current phone is the Pixel, and honestly, as much as I wanted to like the OP2, my Nexus 5 performed better. I only admitted this when my OP2 died on me (it was randomly bricked, I'm still trying to resuscitate it) and I had to go back to my Nexus 5 - this convinced me that my next phone would either be the current Pixel at the time or the next gen Pixel. I opted for a second-hand Pixel, the person I bought it from had upgraded to a OnePlus5 (great reviews, but I don't think I'm ready to trust OnePlus again after the OP2). We chatted a bit, and he said that he was going to miss the Pixel's camera - which is phenomenal.

My wife has an S7, and she loves it. Great hardware and water proof, but the software isn't the greatest. There are workarounds, but for me, I enjoy the pure Google Android experience - and the quick updates are a sweet bonus.

I was also considering the ZTE Axon 7, which I've heard great things about from a friend who came from a Nexus 5. It has awesome speakers, dual-sim (with upgradeable storage), and an excellent camera. In the future I might consider looking at their offerings, since I'm not too impressed with the recently announced Pixel 2...

Really it comes down to your priorities. Are you more concerned about camera? Audio? Storage? Screen size? Software flexibility? These things will certainly change your options. Coming from W10, I imagine a device that works well out of the box is ideal, in terms of software, which is where I can recommend the Google Pixel (either size depending on your needs).