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Help First cell phone, recommend me something

Gobtron

Newbie
Jun 14, 2015
33
6
Hello,

So yeah, I decided to get an Android phone. This is the first ever phone i will own. Basicaly, I want a phone that:

- won't be annoying to carry around but yet, has a decent screen size (4.5" to 5" maybe?).
- CPU and RAM enough to have a smooth and durable experience over time.
- GPS (wich is pretty much a standard i guess and don't have to mention it)
- External storage for mp3, movies and stuff
- Decent camera
- Good battery maybe?

Since I never owned a smartphone, I don't know exactly what i want really want. But I have and idea.

I don't want to be frustrated by a laggy and shitty device in one year and buy another phone because of that. I'd like to be happy with it at least two years.

I don't seek the latest, top-of-the-line, modern device or prestige...

I may be a newbie, but i am not a grandma. The time quickly comes where you're not a newb anymore.

So should I buy something like the Moto G at 180$ or should I pay a bit more to get something of better quality? There must be a range of products the have the best bang-for-the-buck over time.
 
I want an unlocked phone. I don't like the idea of some company locking hardware i own for a specific carrier. This is too invasive. I want to control my device the way I want. Probably root it, at least to get rid of the possible bloatware.

As for the carrier, I heard that Koodo (Telus) has good prices and coverage zone (at least, in eastern canada). I like to get lost in remote areas...

I would consider something used, yes.
 
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Moto X seems a bit more powerful than Moto G. Is there a comparable community? Easy to root? Although I think I should get the 64 gb version. I guess with some apps, and a decent collection of mp3, 16 gb is far from enough. I saw a Developper edition, what's up with that? Worth it?
Yeah there is a huge Moto X community, its definitely easy to root and unlock the bootloader. The GPE variant is unlocked and has a AOSP experience.
 
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Yeah there is a huge Moto X community, its definitely easy to root and unlock the bootloader. The GPE variant is unlocked and has a AOSP experience.

Why would I need the GPE variant? Is it worth it? I'm trying to have a minimum of invasive software on the phone.

The Moto X seems to be the perfect size. Although it is 2 years old now, owners still seem to be very satisfied with the product (speed, etc). But what should I expect of this device in 2 years from now? Will it become an outdated piece of crap? I would like to keep it at least 2 years and still have a smooth experience.

i think the phone for you is htc M8 or htc M9..

The m8 is around 500$ CAD. Quite expensive. Of course it is more powerful, but bigger too. Any reasons why you suggested this device? Maybe this will allow me to keep the phone longer than a Moto X and would be cost-effective in the long run?
 
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Why would I need the GPE variant? Is it worth it? I'm trying to have a minimum of invasive software on the phone.

The Moto X seems to be the perfect size. Although it is 2 years old now, owners still seem to be very satisfied with the product (speed, etc). But what should I expect of this device in 2 years from now? Will it become an outdated piece of crap? I would like to keep it at least 2 years and still have a smooth experience.



The m8 is around 500$ CAD. Quite expensive. Of course it is more powerful, but bigger too. Any reasons why you suggested this device? Maybe this will allow me to keep the phone longer than a Moto X and would be cost-effective in the long run?
The Moto X 2014, should see support thru Android M officially or so we all think so given the support record of 2013 models(which are still being officially supported/updated to 5.1.X) its a well made devices with plenty of power. As far as the GPE was just throwing it out there as another option.
 
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The Moto X has 2 GB RAM, 32 GB storage, no sd expansion.

The OnePlus One has 3 GB RAM, has a 64 GB storage version, no sd expansion.

If interested here are some specs, check with your carrier to ensure that the LTE bands match up if you care about 4G LTE.

http://www.engadget.com/products/oneplus/one/specs/

I think that both are good phones (actually better than good) but personally, for a first time user, root friendly and more RAM and storage to help future proof as much as possible, the 1+1 is worth a look.

I have an HTC One M8 - also a good phone - I'm biased so I'd call it great. But - at 2 GB RAM, 32 GB storage, root friendly and has an SD card - I'm not sure that I'd call it $500 great in 2015. Score one on a decent sale, that would be different. Stereo speakers, best battery life, many called it the best phone of 2014 - but again, not at basically full retail a year later, in my opinion.

Buying any unlocked, not carrier branded, phone usually means that you're already choosing a low to no bloatware phone. (Although, Samsung, LG, and HTC in that order are going to be larger software stacks - stay away from them if you're not interested in the additional software, rush to the one you like if you are.)
 
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I hate the fact that the Moto X 2nd gen is 5.2"... I don't like to have things in my pockets, so since we carry a phone everywhere, i think that will bother me to have a large phone.

The OnePlus One is too large...

What about the Xperia z3 compact? It is a 500$, but maybe if the z4 get released this summer, we would see price drop.
 
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^ Hmmm... Pretty small storage, plus LG lists that as a Tracfone branded device. That's true isn't it?

What about the Xperia z3 compact? It is a 500$, but maybe if the z4 get released this summer, we would see price drop.
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z3_compact-6538.php

16 GB of storage, and probably only around 9 or 10 GB available to you - that's very small (especially for the price) if you want to explore apps and start to need space for them - especially games.

Android M is supposed to relieve the pain by extending the use of the sd card but we don't really know what that's going to entail or if that phone will get that update.
 
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Indeed it has very small internal storage space for the price. But what about the external storage? Should I think of it only as extra space for files (movies, music, etc) or also as extended space for apps too?
Files only is your best bet.

There are root methods to move apps to the sd card but 1) without root they don't really work, and 2) no idea what will happen to those in the future.
I thought that I could upgrade Android version whenever I want with a rooted phone. Am I wrong?
You can only upgrade so long as either the maker or the independent development community is providing updates. In the case of the latter, you'll only see support so long as a developer owns the phone and is interested. In some cases you can expect to lose access to premium hardware features with independently developed roms. For example, I don't think I've ever seen a Cyanogenmod rom provide MHL output when it was available with the stock rom.

On the other hand, if you like programming you can always join in with developers and build your own updated rom for as long as you own your phone if no one else does and that suits you.
 
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Hello,


I don't want to be frustrated by a laggy and shitty device in one year and buy another phone because of that. I'd like to be happy with it at least two years.
.

Well if you are going in the low end market, careful what you buy because they tend to be a bit underspec'd if not outdated on the OS version.

Moto G would probably be decent...though it is a bit old and the camera sucks.

Here's what I did...my mom recently got the HTC Desire 610 which is a surprisingly nice phone, decent camera for its price and it's pretty attractive. She likes it.

I also recommend checking out Blu Phones...they have some attractive hardware at a reasonable price.

My grandfather has a Blu vivo something and it was less than 200 dollars and it is absolutely beautiful.

On the other hand, my grandma just got her first smartphone and she has a Lumia Windows Phone. She had an android phone and she found it complicated to use it not to mention the phone kept slowing down and her battery life was awful because she had to keep closing apps. She has a windows phone and it works great for her(plus the resizing of tiles, makes it easier for to see even better vs a bunch of static icons).
 
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I thought that I could upgrade Android version whenever I want with a rooted phone. Am I wrong?

And why would I want a bigger screen? I have no intention to game on my phone, and I may watch videos once in a while, but not when I have my laptop near.

Just as @EarlyMon said...if your looking for something that will have official support for future versions and don't want to spend "flagship" money then the 1+1, newer Moto series devices and or a Nexus(excluding the N6 price point) line device is the way to go.
Also I've mentioned it before that people who are interested in keeping a phone updated via root and roms etc need to do their research and see what development looks like for the device.
I say this a cautionary statement because there are some really well speced mid to upper range devices that have no development community so do your due diligence.
The M8 is a good choice as it has a big development community as well as the Moto Series and of course the Nexus series goes without saying.
Basically it's like buying a car these days when it comes to phones...you'll not find anything that has the perfect everything. So get what you can for what you want to spend and compromise where you must.
 
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I am searching for a Moto X 2013, 32gb version, unlocked, unbranded, in Canada. This hard to find! I saw a couple of Verizon version...

How much should I pay for the 32gb version?

What is the downside of buying used? Performance loss, warranty, etc? How do I know if the device is permanently unlocked?
 
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