Upgrade phone or Tablet first?

[bbcheese]

I was wondering if it's better to upgrade my phone now or wait til the next quarter when the new line of phones seem to be dropping? Or upgrade my Nexus 2012 tablet to the new one with the Office Depot sale going on?

I currently have a Galaxy S3 from Verizon running Cyanogenmod 11. I would be jumping ship to T-Mobile's Jump service. And thinking about getting the HTC One or Nexus 5.

Any input would be much appreciated, thanks.

 

[Goodspike]

I'd probably wait on both. I have the same tablet and don't recall the new one being all that much better. It certainly didn't entice me. And you're right new phones will be coming out, including the S5.

If I would going to be making any of those moves it would probably be to the Nexus 5 if you think you can handle T-Mobile's network (and not having a microSD card). But word is Sprint is going to be buying out T-Mobile, and having lived through mergers before I'd wait to see how that pans out.

How about neither and buy a 10" tablet?

 

[bbcheese]

Thanks for the advice Goodspike.

I use my tablet for work, carrying clients programs around a gym, so the smaller form factor does make it a bit easier.

But if I were to go bigger, is the the new LG 8.3 tablet any good?

 

[Chex Remix]

I would give it a wait. Generally speaking as long as it works properly and isn't severely underpowered/outdated (to the point of certain apps/games not working on it) there's no real reason to upgrade.

 

[Goodspike]

But if I were to go bigger, is the the new LG 8.3 tablet any good?

I would give it a wait. Generally speaking as long as it works properly and isn't severely underpowered/outdated (to the point of certain apps/games not working on it) there's no real reason to upgrade.

I'm not familiar with the LG 8.3, but my thought was more that if you're going to get a different device it should be different. That's why I suggested a 10" tablet. You might use that for different things and in different places than what you use your N7, but still use your N7.

At to the second comment, part of the reason I suggested not upgrading the S3 is that many/most S3 owners didn't consider the S4 a significant upgrade, and while I never owned an S3 I would tend to agree. At this point I think smartphone technology has matured to the point where you need to go 2 if not 3 generations to get a significant change, unless you're looking for a particular feature (e.g. IR, or fingerprint scanner).

 

[lunatic59]

This is really more of a philosophical question than a practical one.

I always go for the best deal regardless of version. Face it, the technology will be "old" a month or two after you get it. If you are constantly chasing the latest and the greatest without the benefit of deep pockets, you will be constantly living with envy and disappointment.

Of course I tend to keep my devices a bit longer than most. My tablet is one of the original Asus t-101's and I have a Nook Color 1st version that I use quite a bit. I will "upgrade" them only when I have to.

 

[Goodspike]

Of course I tend to keep my devices a bit longer than most. My tablet is one of the original Asus t-101's and I have a Nook Color 1st version that I use quite a bit. I will "upgrade" them only when I have to.

I still use a second generation Kindle--the non-touch screen devices. I think that probably cost over $300. And you probably don't want to know how old my main PC is, but with an SSD it is more than adequate.

I have an S4 mainly because my original Android phone didn't have enough Ram for all the tasks I sometimes run while driving.

 

[lunatic59]

And you probably don't want to know how old my main PC is,...

Sure we do.

The "Should I wait for the new model?" question is never one that is easily answered, if it can be answered at all. It's a conundrum ... an archetypal catch22.

Scenario one. You wait. During the wait you must continue to use your current old and failing phone, frustrating you to no end. Finally the new device is released only to be out of stock due to high demand. Should you be one of the fortunate ones to get the first release you have to weather the bugs and idiosyncrasies of a version 1.0 device. For weeks you deal with the carrier and manufacturer making excuses or sending you down the wrong path, then miraculously they release an update/patch that fixes 47 out of 50 issues, the remaining three are the only ones that effect you. Meanwhile, they've just announced the next model.

Scenario two. You don't wait. You go out and plunk down your gold card for the proven flagship model phone that's been out and had the kinks worked out for the last 8 months. The day after you take it out of the box, the new release is available with that one killer feature you wanted that is NOT available on the phone you just bought. Since it's dependent on hardware, there is no rom or driver that will give it to you.

Scenario three. You wait, and wait again. Okay, so you really REALLY want the new model, but don't want to be the beta tester for it. You follow all the blogs, reviews and forums on the device from day 1 of it's release, watching the travails of all the early adopters while continuing to suffer with your three year old device that's been maxed out on it's limited resources since last summer. Finally, after most of the stuff is fixed, you decide to buy the darned thing, but on your way to the store you hear a commercial for the next newer model and run your car into a utility pole.

Scenario four. You give up, give up all technology, and marry into the Amish community where you happily shovel out the horse barn ... which coincidentally reminds you of what technology put you through.

 

[JnEricsonx]

I got a HTC Thunderbolt in 2011, barely 2-3 months after it had come out. I loved that phone. I upgraded to the Note 2 in October, because it was, after the gift card you got when you bought a Samsung device at BB, 100 bucks. The microsd card+otterbox case I bought for it cost more than that. Great is often the enemy of good, but if you can find great at a good cost-go for it.

 

[HanSolo]

I'd definitely wait on the phone. I love my Nexus 5, but it seems like every rom I try is the same as every other rom I try! Getting kind of bored with it.

Hardware-wise, the Galaxy S5 is going to be much better, and reports indicate it could be out as early as February, or possibly March.