ATAR Notes: Forum

General Discussion => General Discussion Boards => Technology and Gaming => Topic started by: Aaron on December 28, 2017, 10:54:35 pm

Title: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Aaron on December 28, 2017, 10:54:35 pm

A thread dedicated to letting us know what phone you have!

Let us know the phone you're currently using on a daily basis.

Vote in the poll above AND post below a bit about your phone! Things you could include: a rating, likes/dislikes, recommendation to others in terms of buying the same model/brand etc.

Include as much or as little as you want! Completely up to you

If you're a bit more tech-savvy and want to provide specifications, go for it!

I must admit I have a reason for making this thread: I bought a Pixel 2 XL the other day after 3 years on a Samsung Galaxy S5 (rooted, replaced Touchwiz OS with LineageOS - continuation of Cyanogenmod). I received it in the mail today and it's very neat!

Essentially what i'm hoping for is that our community will post a variety of older and newer phones and this thread will also act as a review thread for phones on the market!

Have fun :)


----
My own:

Spoiler

After looking around for a smartphone the past month or so, I had narrowed my selection down to two: the OnePlus 5T and Google Pixel 2 XL. In the end, I chose the Pixel 2 XL given Australian support and the fact the SAR rating was far lower than the OnePlus 5T (I am conscious of these things... radiation iz bad guys!). Anyway, I ended up paying $150 less than the marked price on the Google Store as JB Hi Fi had a sale on. I also got a free Google Home Mini so that sweetened the deal a bit more.

If you're interested in specs: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_pixel_2_xl-8720.php

It's a really nice phone. If you have an interest in Android development and modding, you'd know that stock Android is by far the best option out there as it's unmodified. Most providers add their own UI/layer onto Android which in turn makes things look.. not so great (e.g. Samsung with Touchwiz).

Plus as it's a Google phone, they guarantee 3 years of updates (first), which means that you get to update to the latest version of Android as soon as Google releases it (not having to wait for a manufacturer like Samsung to do their bs and waste time).

For the last 3 years before I bought this Pixel, I was on a Samsung Galaxy S5. I hated Samsung's Touchwiz UI so decided to root my phone and replace the entire OS with Lineage. Rooting your phone and playing around with the internals is not illegal, however it voids your warranty so highly advise against it unless you know what you're doing.

Enjoy :)

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: snowisawesome on December 28, 2017, 11:10:10 pm

I have an apple iphone
rating: 8/10
likes: easiness to fit in pocket, light in weight, good camera, doesn't take too long to charge
dislikes: not much storage space, internet is slow sometimes
I've had it for about 4 years now, and it still works pretty well

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: RuiAce on December 28, 2017, 11:13:39 pm

The camera on my iPhone X is a fucking miracle.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: blasonduo on December 28, 2017, 11:13:54 pm

Nokia Lumia 520 :P

I got it because it was cheap and I really needed one before uni. :))

I like the simplicity of it, not difficult to use, however it uses the Microsoft store which limits certain apps. The initial layout is eh :P

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Calebark on December 28, 2017, 11:25:13 pm

HTC ZTE Blade A110

The good thing is the price didn't even reach triple digits. It's also pretty durable -- not a single crack.

The bad thing is everything else. It's slow, and crashes if you have a few apps open at once. Turning it on takes forever, and then you get a backlog of any notifications from the past 24h, causing the phone to spizz for about 5 minutes.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Aaron on December 28, 2017, 11:32:57 pm

Quote from: MisterNeo

I had an Android before and iPhone is imo better

MrNeo I have great respect for you in general, but THIS IS SO WRONG. *crying in corner*

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: fantasticbeasts3 on December 28, 2017, 11:45:41 pm

i have an iPhone 5! i got it in early 2015, so roughly 2.5 years after it was released. i love it, and i don't think i'll replace it unless it's totally broken down, where in that case, i'll probably upgrade to the iPhone 8+ (or whatever new phone Apple releases when my phone is totally stuffed). prior to my iPhone, i had a HTC and it was awful. it was slow, the battery ran out super fast, it overheated after a few minutes of use, couldn't take screenshots on snapchat...

anyway, my iPhone 5 is a little bit slow, as it's running iOS 10, but i reckon as long as the phone can call and text it's okay. the one thing that annoys me most is the camera, where the quality isn't crap, but it doesn't fare well when taking photos in darker places and there's this random dot that always pops up in my photos. a lot of the time it's way more convenient to take photos with my phone than taking my DSLR everywhere but i guess i'm grateful i have a phone. :-)

iPhone > android soz

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: HasibA on December 28, 2017, 11:55:07 pm

hate to say it too but went and copped an iphone 8 plus after nearly 8 years with android and frustrating update timings mixed with random bugs and differences between OEMs forced the decision to switch and despite the egregious price tag ive never been happier : P not worth the money, in temrs of value, but no other device exists catered to my wants so i guess ill settle : P
iOS apps seem to have like 300% more time dedicated to them and frankly its kinda ridiculous how little developers care about android and its ecosystem vs iOS guess thats what market share does to you lol

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: sweetiepi on December 29, 2017, 12:01:28 am

Samsung Galaxy A3, been with Samsung for at least 3-4 years now, before that I was in the HTC camp.

The phone does the job it is intended too, but it isn't the best phone in the world.

I got this one halfway through year 12 (so 2016), and the main complaints with it are:
- the battery drains entirely too quickly, even when I'm not using it, I still have to carry my powerbank with me if I'm out.
- the quality of the camera isn't that flash.

(This is also my 8th phone since 2011- given that a few were either broken/fried or hand-me-downs/2G network only :) )

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Aaron on December 29, 2017, 12:06:12 am

Quote from: insanipi

- the battery drains entirely too quickly, even when I'm not using it

That could just be apps running in the background without your knowledge :) (it happens).

Alternatively, communications such as Bluetooth, NFC and WiFi drain the battery. Disable them if you don't need them. I know on my Samsung (this could be on my custom rom, worth looking into), there was an option to only enable WiFi when the phone was awake (e.g. screen on). Because they constantly search for a signal, it eats the battery.

Alternatively Alternatively, it could just be a crappy battery. Your phone has 1900 mAh battery which is quite.. small for a phone so that (in combination with others above) could be contributing to battery drain.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: zhen on December 29, 2017, 12:10:57 am

Had my Samsung Galaxy S3 since about late year 8. So, I’ve had it for about 4 years. It still calls, texts and goes on the internet just fine (well from the very rare occasions I use my phone to go on the internet). It’s a bit slow, but as long as I can call people, I’m fine cause I don’t use my phone for anything else. The bad thing was that the battery died (I think it was some time last year). But, instead of getting a brand new phone, I decided to just replace the battery. The battery life isn’t the best (before and after the replacement), but it lasts an entire day with a decent amount of charge left (probably cause I use it like only a few minutes a day). I’m overall content with my phone as it serves its purpose. I’ll probably stick with it until it finally stops working.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: K888 on December 29, 2017, 12:15:29 am

Moto G4 Plus. Great phone considering its price. No gross bloat-y UI like you get with Samsung, just a few cool things that have been added by Lenovo.
Pretty great battery life, good storage, pretty durable, and a nice and big touch screen (admittedly perhaps a smidgeon too big, makes one-handed use difficult but I don't mind it).

Only thing is I've found the battery sometimes randomly drains. I seem to have stopped that problem by stopping using the turbo charger you're provided with, but it's annoying nonetheless. It also sometimes gets quite warm, but turning it off and on and giving it a few minutes of no use seems to sort that problem out :)

Tempted to go iPhone for my next phone because of the extra attention paid to developing iOS apps...like I just want a really nice photo in Snapchat, and I can't get that with Android. But I'll probably stick with Android just because it's more customisable, cheaper, and I like the range of apps on the Google Play Store.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: sweetiepi on December 29, 2017, 12:15:57 am

Quote from: Aaron on December 29, 2017, 12:06:12 am

Alternatively, communications such as Bluetooth, NFC and WiFi drain the battery. Disable them if you don't need them. I know on my Samsung (this could be on my custom rom, worth looking into), there was an option to only enable WiFi when the phone was awake (e.g. screen on). Because they constantly search for a signal, it eats the battery.

Alternatively Alternatively, it could just be a crappy battery. Your phone has 1900 mAh battery which is quite.. small for a phone so that (in combination with others above) could be contributing to battery drain.

The 1900mAh battery clearly explains all my issues :P
I usually keep everything off, when I don't use/need it anyways :)
However, I was considering going for the custom rom to see if it helps.

(Lowkey keeping this thread bookmarked so I can come back when I get around to getting a new phone 😂I have other devices that need upgrading first)

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Aaron on December 29, 2017, 12:18:20 am

Quote from: K888

just a few cool things that have been added by Lenovo.

Good point, completely slipped my mind that Motorola was acquired by Lenovo. Have edited the Moto option to reflect :)

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: exit on December 29, 2017, 01:09:59 am

I've been using an unlocked Telstra Buzz which is a modified  ZTE Blade Q Lux which was the most ghetto thing ever since it came with free Monster headphones which was worth more than the phone itself. Thus, I was literally PAID to use this phone, and after using a $5 unlock code from the internet, I wasn't forced to use Telstra. Hahahaha. I did use a Kogan Agora phone which was a rebranded BenQ phone for a while as a hand-me-down but I kept it with a power bank that shattered the screen RIP.

Even though spending hundreds upon hundreds on a phone seems quite stupid, I just bought an iPhone 6S Plus 64gb from eBay, which I'm currently waiting to arrive. :P Since this is my first 'high-end' phone I'm actually quite excited although there is nothing breakthrough about it - it still has the headphone jack!

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Sine on December 29, 2017, 01:40:25 am

Have had a Samsung Galaxy S5 for 2-3 years now. No real problems and have no intention of "upgrading" since I dont even know of any new features anyway although I don't really use my phone that much (or use it to it's full capabilities). I only really use it for instagram, messenger/whatsapp, spotify and a tiny bit of youtube.

Only thing stopping me from getting an iphone is that I'd crack the screen on the first day :P .

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Natasha.97 on December 29, 2017, 07:13:58 am

iPhone 5 :P There's nothing wrong with calls/text/data usage and there are no cracks in the screen, but the battery dies out within a day even when I keep it on low power battery mode :( I permanently have a portable power pack in case the battery runs out (most of the time it does).

Previous phone history in no particular order:

Samsung Galaxy S3, Nokia Lumia 800, Nokia 3310, Motorola W375

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: cookiedream on December 29, 2017, 11:05:28 am

Seems like I'm the only one here to have a Sony phone  :'(

I have the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua, bought it on sale, and honestly I love it so much. The camera is really good, the overall appearance is nice, it isn't slow, it uses Android  and the battery life is okay (doesn't drain too fast). The only drawbacks are that it is quite big (have to put it in my bag since half of it always poked out of my pocket) and a little heavy. It also used to overheat every now and then, although I think this was due to 'Subway Surfers' since it stopped overheating when I uninstalled it.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: katie,rinos on December 29, 2017, 11:16:34 am

I got a iPhone 5C (pink back) as a hand-me-down from one of my mum’s friends late 2015. It has 32G of storage which is enough for me (got over 2G spare). It’s only on iOS 10, but it still works fairly well. I use it more for music/internet/camera then for calls/texts. Cameras pretty good for what I want. I’ve dropped it a few times and theres still not a crack yet. Battery’s ok, but I still need to charge it almost every night.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: bimberfairy on December 29, 2017, 12:40:00 pm

Before I had my current phone, I had the Samsung Galaxy S5 (which I dropped and ruined the screen lmao) For me, the biggest difference between my current iPhone 6S and my old phone was the design of the homepage layout. I don't know the official name but basically where the apps and stuff are.
I think the iPhone 6S's camera quality is better than the S5's. I'm pretty simple in terms of what I need in a phone. Something I can use to call people, text people, download social media apps for, easy to transfer photos and videos + easy to download music. Apple's iTunes system where you'd have to plug in your phone to transfer music was so bothersome, but they have Apple Music now so life's a bit easier. I also like the AirDrop function as it allows me to transfer files between my laptop and phone, or my phone and my friends' phones.
For cons, the maintenance costs are pretty scary. If I ever majorly crack my screen, I doubt I'd go to the Apple store to get it fixed tbh. It is SO expensive!!! Also, the battery drains pretty quickly too, even with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned off.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Vaike on December 29, 2017, 01:51:44 pm

I've been using a Nexus 5X for the last year and a half or so.

Spoiler

(https://i.imgur.com/4CJA29G.jpg)

Love most things about the phone, such as the screen size, front facing speakers, camera and the stock android experience. However, my first one bootlooped after a year, and I had to get it replaced. The 2GB of RAM also isn't really enough, having a noticeable impact on performance, and I do wish the battery was a bit larger. I think its just a matter of time before it bootloops again, would love to get a Pixel 2 when it happens but I can't justify the price tag (and those thick bezels)!

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Aaron on December 29, 2017, 02:33:18 pm

Quote from: Vaike

I've been using a Nexus 5X for the last year and a half or so.

The first sensible post here (not including mine of course, duh!) :)

Quote from: Vaike

would love to get a Pixel 2 when it happens but I can't justify the price tag (and those thick bezels)!

I bought an XL the other day. The issues described in reviews are overblown and 8.1.0 Oreo fixed quite a number of them. As a tech geek I really like the idea of stock Android and the first to get updates. The performance on this phone is a beast. I have been using this phone all day today and yesterday, i'm still on 55% battery. It's a rough price tag but try to get a bargain somewhere.

IMO the only thing stopping me from getting the OnePlus 5T was the lack of Australian support. I would rather pay a bit more to receive aussie support in the event of warranty concern etc... and making sure it complies with all Australian standards etc (which is a requirement to sell directly in Australia.. OnePlus did have a brief sale event in Aus but this has ceased).

Unless of course you enjoy bloatware on your phone that you can't get rid of (Samsung, LG etc) and closed-source/completely locked down making room for modification quite small (iPhone).

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Vaike on December 29, 2017, 03:23:10 pm

Quote from: Aaron on December 29, 2017, 02:33:18 pm

It's a rough price tag but try to get a bargain somewhere.

Awesome to hear you're enjoying your new Pixel! Getting a grey import first generation Pixel is probably the only way I could afford such a phone. The first generation is not quite as pretty, but honestly should still probably do the job, for just a little bit more than half the cost of the Pixel 2. In any case, I'll be waiting for my Nexus to die first, so who knows, maybe there will be some better deals on the 2 around by then! _{Although I very much doubt it, Google doesn't like dropping its price :-(}

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Aaron on December 29, 2017, 03:40:39 pm

Quote from: Vaike on December 29, 2017, 03:23:10 pm

_{Although I very much doubt it, Google doesn't like dropping its price :-(}

That's where they lost a lot of business. Nexus was reputable for being that budget phone with stock android and high quality builds... unfortunately.. not anymore. I think OnePlus is starting to take over that space. Have you seen the specs on their OnePlus 5/5T? Amazeballs. However a high SAR rating and no aus support means no $$ from me :)

But, what do you expect? High quality stuff isn't cheap.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Glasses on December 29, 2017, 04:08:44 pm

Currently have a Samsung Galaxy S8 - I've had a number of different (Android) phones over the years, but never have had (and never intend on buying) an iPhone.

I've found that TouchWiz has definitely improved over the years, but there is probably still room for improvement.

Pros: Camera is great, has a headphone jack, fantastic display and screen, very fast processing, software is relatively customisable and the battery is still going strong.

Cons: Bixby - I'm not a fan of Bixby or the dedicated Bixby button on the device; I much prefer Google Assistant.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Mada438 on December 29, 2017, 10:18:57 pm

Sorry iphone users, but its the truth...
Can't argue with the facts..  :P :P
(btw i own a samsung galaxy s7-a wonderful phone. I've also had experiences with the iphone 4s and 6s as i owned both for a while and they were rubbish tbh)
Anyway...just gonna leave this here...
(https://imgur.com/D52qvkG.png)

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: sudodds on December 29, 2017, 10:32:45 pm

feel like the odd one out here - 7 years straight of only android phones and I couldn't stand them (two HTC's and one that I can't remember the name of). Found them so difficult to use, and really unsuitable for the stuff I wanted to use them for (I'm a teenage girl, sue me for wanting the ability to take a decent photo for snapchat rather than a weird blurry mess ::) ) My most recent android was a pretty high up there HTC - I found the battery life to be appalling, loading speed rubbish and would also randomly miss call sometimes for no reason? Recently upgraded to an iphone 7 and I have experienced clarity and ease I didn't know was possible with a phone.

Maybe for a phone aficionado androids are the better pick, but aside from the price, the iphones gotta do it for me for regular, every day use.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: exit on December 30, 2017, 12:25:05 am

Quote from: Vaike on December 29, 2017, 03:23:10 pm

Google doesn't like dropping its price :-([/sub][/sub]

I'm not so sure about that. It looks like the price is dropping every month. You can currently get a 64gb Pixel 2 for $814 and it was more towards ~$1000+ less than a month ago. 2 months ago it was ~$1100

Wait some months and it will definitely be at a great price.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Jakeybaby on December 30, 2017, 04:53:34 am

I've got an iPhone X and Animoji >.
Great camera and like the portrait mode.
The notch at the top is kinda annoying at first, but you don't even see it after using the phone for a while.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Vaike on December 30, 2017, 03:41:12 pm

Quote from: Aaron on December 29, 2017, 03:40:39 pm

That's where they lost a lot of business. Nexus was reputable for being that budget phone with stock android and high quality builds... unfortunately.. not anymore. I think OnePlus is starting to take over that space. Have you seen the specs on their OnePlus 5/5T? Amazeballs. However a high SAR rating and no aus support means no $$ from me :)

I miss the Nexus line :( I still think the original Nexus 5 was easily one of the best performance/dollar phones ever made. Yeah, the OP5T looks amazing. Love the design and the little notification slider. I honestly have no idea what a SAR rating is (whoops), I'll have to look into it.

Quote from: Glasses on December 29, 2017, 04:08:44 pm

Currently have a Samsung Galaxy S8 - I've had a number of different (Android) phones over the years, but never have had (and never intend on buying) an iPhone.

  So jealous! The S8 is so beautiful. Do you use a case? One of my friends has one, didn't want to cover up it up with a case, before dropping it, shattering both the front and back glass panels. He uses a case now  :'(

Quote from: exit on December 30, 2017, 12:25:05 am

I'm not so sure about that. It looks like the price is dropping every month. You can currently get a 64gb Pixel 2 for $814 and it was more towards ~$1000+ less than a month ago. 2 months ago it was ~$1100

Yeah, you're right. I just wish it dropped significantly like some other companies phones do; you can get an LG G6 for around $500, but I don't see the Pixel 2 dropping that low (and perhaps rightly so). Hope I'm wrong!

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Glasses on January 02, 2018, 04:17:44 pm

Quote from: Vaike on December 30, 2017, 03:41:12 pm

  So jealous! The S8 is so beautiful. Do you use a case? One of my friends has one, didn't want to cover up it up with a case, before dropping it, shattering both the front and back glass panels. He uses a case now  :'(

Yeah I've got a case (although not a super strong one, it's a material fabric but does the trick)! That being said, I've never had a screen protector on the phone and despite dropping it a couple of times, the screen hasn't smashed

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: exit on January 03, 2018, 05:52:34 pm

Quote from: Glasses on January 02, 2018, 04:17:44 pm

Yeah I've got a case (although not a super strong one, it's a material fabric but does the trick)! That being said, I've never had a screen protector on the phone and despite dropping it a couple of times, the screen hasn't smashed

Do you get scratches on the screen though?

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Joseph41 on January 03, 2018, 05:55:46 pm

I have a Motorola and that's pretty much all I know about it.

I'm considering applying for a job as a phone expert.

Title: Re: Let's talk phones!
Post by: Aaron on January 03, 2018, 05:56:45 pm

Quote

I have a Motorola

Quote

I'm considering applying for a job as a phone expert.

I'd hire. Motorola != iPhone

!= means does not equal, fyi