Why Would You Buy A New Smart Phone?

[jyl]

Smartphone hardware has gotten pretty good, at least I think so. I have a iPhone 6, not even the 6S, and I'm hard pressed to think of anything that I find lacking as far as the hardware goes. (Issues with iOS, apps - that's software, and NOT what I am talking about here.)

We plan to get three new phones this year, and will buy them outright rather than through a carrier. Thinking about whether I should get three iPhone 6, three iPhone 6S, or three iPhone 7 when they come out in 4Q. This made me start wondering . . .

. . . What is the point of getting a new smartphone anymore, unless your current one breaks or is lost?

Remember when you really wanted to get a new PC every year or two, because the hardware advanced so fast, and now it doesn't matter, we're all happily using 5 year old Macs or PCs? Interestingly, PC sales started falling and now making PCs is about as much of a growth business as mining coal.

What hardware feature or hardware change would get you to the store and spending $500-$600-$700 for a new high end smartphone?

[Shaun @ Tru6]

speed

[masraum]

When the phone doesn't/can't keep up with the ask, then you may want to upgrade.

These days, with modern hardware, I can't imagine that being an issue until 2-4 years out. At that point, the issue may be battery or wear and tear unless they come up with something really game changing on the net. Memory and/or processor seems to be the thing that's an issue these days.

[id10t]

More importantly than speed is OS updates for security and storage space for music and photos.

I'm happy with my iPhone 4 (not 4s, just 4). I don't use most of the apps it came with and there are only 2 or 3 that I've installed, but I don't have phone space for new OS releases (and iOS9 doesn't support my device), pictures of my kids, or mp3 files.

[john walker's workshop]

Old eyes, big screen in my case. 6S+.

[rattlsnak]

Originally Posted by jyl

Remember when you really wanted to get a new PC every year or two, because the hardware advanced so fast, and now it doesn't matter, we're all happily using 5 year old Macs or PCs?

What hardware feature or hardware change would get you to the store and spending $500-$600-$700 for a new high end smartphone?

Some of us are not happy using 5 year old computers. Especially gamers. I have to buy new $700 video cards every 1 1/2 years at best to keep up with the newer games being developed today as an example and then newer chipsets every 2-3 years at best.

And who pays that much for a phone? Every time a newer version iPhone comes out, I trade mine in and the new costs @$150-200.

[aschen]

I just bought my wife some 325$ Motorola on Amazon. It works well and is current generation, just not one of the top tier ones. I'm not paying 600-700 for a phone and am not signing a contract to essentially hide a phone lease in your bill.

There are good cheap phones but Verizon and att want to sell you the top tier ones

[wdfifteen]

I'm still wondering why we upgraded from iPhone 4 to 5. I never saw a significant improvement.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I'm still wondering why we upgraded from iPhone 4 to 5. I never saw a significant improvement.

I don't think there was too much. The fingerprint sensor on the 5 is very handy, no more typing a number to get past the lock screen. Also Watch capable, which my wife uses. The move from the 5 to the 6 was bigger, more impactful. The extra screen size is really nice, ditto the extra storage that I got this time.

[Rick Lee]

I'm on my fourth iPhone 6 in less than two years. They SUCK and I hate them with a burning passion. Apple took pity on me and only charged me $350 for the latest one when the last one died out of warranty. My phones go in a tough armor case with a tempered glass screen protector before they leave the store and are babied. Still they break with ridiculous frequency. Latest iPhone is a little over a month old and already having issues. Need to replace it before their ridiculous 90 day warranty runs out, but I doubt I'll get it act up when I go the "Genius Bar."

[winders]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I'm on my fourth iPhone 6 in less than two years. They SUCK and I hate them with a burning passion. Apple took pity on me and only charged me $350 for the latest one when the last one died out of warranty. My phones go in a tough armor case with a tempered glass screen protector before they leave the store and are babied. Still they break with ridiculous frequency. Latest iPhone is a little over a month old and already having issues. Need to replace it before their ridiculous 90 day warranty runs out, but I doubt I'll get it act up when I go the "Genius Bar."

You must have the worst luck of anyone on the planet. I know dozens of people with iPhone 6 phones with virtually no issues. Most treat their phones well but some are rather hard on them. Yet virtually all seem to have no issues.

[Chocaholic]

Same here...have had my 6 for 18 mos and it's been perfect.

[Crowbob]

I'm wondering if you have a charging problem, Lee. Maybe a security issue, too. My phones have all been essentially problem-free (knock on plastic).

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Same here. have had a 6 for over a year, have dropped it multiple times with only a thin case and it works perfectly. Maybe don't get the Cactus Edition, that would help.

[Seahawk]

Frankly I don't even know what generation of iPhone I have - and I don't want to take the Otter Box off to look

I have had it two years and don't plan on changing until it becomes problematic or the battery life is compromised in any way.

My son has the most recent iPhne and I like the bigger screen. When I get a new phone it will have the bigger screen.

A hardware initiative that would make me happy:

An integrated tactile keyboard. On newer phones give me the option of bigger screen area or keep the current screen area and put in a keyboard.

I have looked at aftermarket stuff but it looks clumsy.



I know I am in a minority with the keyboard thing, but there has to be a better way.

Software stuff:

Let me delete apps that come with the phone. I know there is a complicated way but really, Facetime?

The ability to download movies to a physical, take it with you, external drive (which I have) and play it on my phone. I have hundreds of DVD's I could pull from to take with me on a stick but I can't make it work.

If there is a way to do it, please help. iPad as well.

Other than that, the past few generations of smart phones and the current crop are really amazing devices. The form factor, human interfaces are excellent.

[id10t]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I know I am in a minority with the keyboard thing, but there has to be a better way.

Software stuff:

Let me delete apps that come with the phone. I know there is a complicated way but really, Facetime?

The ability to download movies to a physical, take it with you, external drive (which I have) and play it on my phone. I have hundreds of DVD's I could pull from to take with me on a stick but I can't make it work.

If there is a way to do it, please help. iPad as well.

Other than that, the past few generations of smart phones and the current crop are really amazing devices. The form factor, human interfaces are excellent.

You don't want an i-Device, you want an Android device that you can unlock, root, install whatever and uninstall whatever.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by id10t

You don't want an i-Device, you want an Android device that you can unlock, root, install whatever and uninstall whatever.

I am not a Luddite, but I am like many folks my age: I am a dedicated user that seeks the path of least perceived technical resistance.

Can y recommend (I will search) a website that hits all the questions folks like me have: Compatibility with MacBook, emails, Windows apps, access to my ipotos, etc., etc.?

Thanks.

Sorry to hijack!

[GH85Carrera]

The only reason I update to a new phone is for the new features.

I usually wait two or sometimes three years before I update. I still have my iPhone original in the closet. I don't really know why I am keeping it.

The iPhone 6S I have now was an upgrade from a iPhone 5, so it was a three model year update. The camera is just amazing, I always have it with me and I shot some photos on vacation that I could not have done without a ton of very expensive film based camera equipment just 15 years ago.

I used an app called Booking.com for the vacation. It is super easy to find a motel, book it and check in. I had to cancel one motel because of the flooding in the state were were going to. We changed our route to avoid driving into a disaster area and it was a breeze to change the booking.

One of the features that pushed me over the top to update to this phone was the fingerprint reader. I just push the home button and the phone opens up. Otherwise it takes a 6 digit code to get in. If the phone is stolen or lost, they will never see my data. That make me feel much better.



I shot this with my iPhone just as we left Jay Peak, VT. It was 44 degrees and the car was covered in dew. It was just after sun up.

Hand held, point and shoot in low light.



This is the unedited (except to re-size down the 8.2 MB original image) photo that would be a challenge to do with film.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Frankly I don't even know what generation of iPhone I have - and I don't want to take the Otter Box off to look

I have had it two years and don't plan on changing until it becomes problematic or the battery life is compromised in any way.

My son has the most recent iPhne and I like the bigger screen. When I get a new phone it will have the bigger screen.

A hardware initiative that would make me happy:

An integrated tactile keyboard. On newer phones give me the option of bigger screen area or keep the current screen area and put in a keyboard.

I have looked at aftermarket stuff but it looks clumsy.



I know I am in a minority with the keyboard thing, but there has to be a better way.

Software stuff:

Let me delete apps that come with the phone. I know there is a complicated way but really, Facetime?

The ability to download movies to a physical, take it with you, external drive (which I have) and play it on my phone. I have hundreds of DVD's I could pull from to take with me on a stick but I can't make it work.

If there is a way to do it, please help. iPad as well.

Other than that, the past few generations of smart phones and the current crop are really amazing devices. The form factor, human interfaces are excellent.

For the keyboard there really is no great solution on either platform, iOS or Android.

They are typically constructed cheaply, have poor tactile feedback. The closer to full size they get the more cumbersome they can become to use. You can get an impression of this by picking up any standard desktop keyboard and trying to use it while holding it.

I think the smaller keyboards that are more like old style Blackberry "thumb" keyboards are the easiest to use but for me personally they aren't that much more useful than the onscreen keyboard to bother.

iOS10 will let you uninstall the default Apple apps.
iOS 10 will let you uninstall the Apple apps you never use | The Verge

As far as accessing additional media there are two approaches.

Portable WIFI enabled drives. One nice thing they do is backup which can be handy but it's another device you need to carry / keep charged.
Wireless: Mobile Storage For All of Your Devices| Seagate

The other option is basically intelligent thumb drives.
Pros, small, portable, no charging necessary, lightning on one end and standard USB on the other. Cons, smaller storage capacity than a wifi drive, cost per MB is higher.
Leef iBridge Mobile Memory This one may have case interference issues but if not does not add bulk to the iPhone profile

A bit bulkier option. Review: iXpand Flash Drive adds easy-to-use extra storage to your iPad and iPhone | Macworld

If you are going to rip dvds for use on a portable device, iOS or Android, get Handbrake, https://handbrake.fr/ Free, open source, stable, been around forever. Use the built in device profiles to generate files appropriate for the target device. The profile for an iPhone will yield a file smaller than the profile for an AppleTV but the picture will still be quality.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by id10t

You don't want an i-Device, you want an Android device that you can unlock, root, install whatever and uninstall whatever.

I respectfully disagree.

iOS 10 will address the ability to delete the stock apps so that one is no longer an issue.

Say what you will about Apples walled garden approach, love it, hate it, the reality is you are far more secure and less vulnerable to malware, trojans, which are found regularly on every android app outlet including googles own Play store.

Fragmentation still exists. The only Android device I will use are the google Nexus devices as they are the only ones (that I'm aware of) that consistently receive regular updates.

Other manufacturers are hit or mis.

One may provide all or some updates while another may never update beyond what the device was shipped with. It's certainly something that should researched as part of the decision making process.

Even if you don't care about the OS version updates you still want security patches.

Rooting is fine for guys like you, power users who posses a high technical skill set but can be disastrous for the average Joe who just needs email, web surfing, and texting.