Please, pick me a phone!

[araxxis]

Ok so i simply cannot decide, but 2014 flagships are out of the question due to price.

Im just gonna list things i like in a phone:

1. Good call quality. This should be a given right? But ive owned phones where voices sound terrible.
2. Loud speaker! I dont really care if the music sounds "good" you cant expect amazing quality from a phone, but loud is very important!
3. Good brightness from angle! Everyone always talks about "good viewing angles" but when they say this they are referencing color values, which i dont find as near as important as how BRIGHT the screen stays at an angle.
4. I really dont like stock android. I mean sure its fine, but to me its so plain and just blegh. I actually prefer skins on android, not sure which one i like the best cause ive only owned HTC.
5. Screen size. I have a 4.5" screen now and i think i would like a 5" screen, 5.5 i think would be too big.
6. I want "close all" buttons for app screen and notification bar! I know i know this is a picky one but why dont all phones have these?
7. Good build quality. I probably should have put this higher but just thought of it. My desire 601 is pretty good at this but there are creeks from the back case that do bug me at times.
8. Must have a bezel at the bottom of the phone. I find phones with capacitive buttons on the bottom without a bezel unusable because you always hit a button you arent trying to hit.
9. I want a dedicated app button! I know picky again but one thing i hate about my phone is you have to double tap the home button to bring up recent apps page.
10. 4g LTE. This one im not so sure on because ive only used virgins network. What i KNOW i need is 4gb's to stream HD video (tested it). I am going to be switching to cricket soon and have heard their normal 4g (HSPA+) can stream HD video just fine, so maybe 4g LTE isnt a major concern? (they use AT+T's network).


So that is my ten, if anyone is bored enough to suggest me a phone with this criteria for ~300 bucks ish id appreciate it! I would be willing to buy used on craigslist etc.

 

[chanchan05]

Don't know for any that can support all, although there are apps that can accomplish some. For example, using Nova Prime launcher, you can make the home button launch app drawer on one press, and search on long press and other stuff.

Closest is last year's HTC One.

 

[trophynuts]

Yeah that is hard to find something that supports all of those. I suggest you flip a coin between the GS4 or the HTC One (M8).

 

[kate]

10. 4g LTE. This one im not so sure on because ive only used virgins network. What i KNOW i need is 4gb's to stream HD video (tested it). I am going to be switching to cricket soon and have heard their normal 4g (HSPA+) can stream HD video just fine, so maybe 4g LTE isnt a major concern? (they use AT+T's network).

Yes, any phone with HSPA+ can get 4Mbps on AT&T/Cricket assuming you have a decent signal and the tower isn't overloaded.

I would be willing to buy used on craigslist etc.

Meet your seller at the phone store and have them verify it's not stolen. Then have the phone transferred into your name while the seller is still there, after that they can't report it stolen.

 

[312city]

I would say Moto X or the new Moto G but you don't like pure android. Seems like to me your itching for a reason to get a Samsung...

 

[araxxis]

I would say Moto X or the new Moto G but you don't like pure android. Seems like to me your itching for a reason to get a Samsung...

Actually ive already ruled out samsung cause they dont have bezels on the bottom to hold the phone lol. My top contender so far is the LG g2 but there are a few things i dont like about it as well (speaker placement, no dedicated app button, and the screen does not have good brightness at an angle). Ive considered the moto g but stock android is just so unappealing to me lol, it would feel like a phone downgrade.

 

[312city]

Not a LG fan but I'd prefer them over Samsuck anyday. With that said, I personally think LG UI skin is the most atrocious of them all and just has too much going on. G2 also has the same washed out screen as the Nexus 5. There is absolutely nothing boring about my Moto X. I have a lot of fun with this phone and its actual USEFUL features. Clean look internally and externally. Will never go with another phone that has its name branded on the front either.

Not sure what to say to you man, you are pretty picky. U don't like the speaker placement on the G2, yet the Moto G 2014 has front speakers and a 5 inch screen. You may want to look at the Xperia Z1S and or Z2 or HTC One M7.

 

[araxxis]

Not a LG fan but I'd prefer them over Samsuck anyday. With that said, I personally think LG UI skin is the most atrocious of them all and just has too much going on. G2 also has the same washed out screen as the Nexus 5. There is absolutely nothing boring about my Moto X. I have a lot of fun with this phone and its actual USEFUL features. Clean look internally and externally. Will never go with another phone that has its name branded on the front either.

Not sure what to say to you man, you are pretty picky. U don't like the speaker placement on the G2, yet the Moto G 2014 has front speakers and a 5 inch screen. You may want to look at the Xperia Z1S and or Z2 or HTC One M7.

Hmm most reviews i saw on the g2 said its pretty much the best looking screen on the market, even today (most g3 reviews said they prefer the 1080p screen of the g2 to the 1440p screen of the g3). And yes clearly i am picky lol. I ruled the m7 out because it has the same stupid home/multitasking button as my desire 601 and the double tap is really annoying to bring up recent apps. 2014 moto g most people say even tho it has stereo speakers they dont get very loud, and the 5 inch screen looks worse than the 4.5" on the original.

What do you consider the best looking screen on a phone? Or rather, what is the general consensus on who makes the best looking screen?

 

[312city]

The whole "best screen on the market" thing is really subjective and depends on which type of screen technology is superior to you. I prefer sharp AMOLED screens. I absolutely HATE the LCD screen on the G2 and Nexus 5. Its very washed out. I know because I had a N5 and got rid of it for the Moto X. I just like my blacks deep and a lot of contrast. As much as I don't like Samsung, the S5 and Note 3 have outstanding screens. I do like the retina screens on the iPhone. Super LCD 3 on the HTC M8 is also impressive. Xperia Z3 is supposed to have the best screen on the market to rival AMOLED. But idk, that's all on you. But I do know you don't need 2K resolution tho. That's overkill

 

[araxxis]

Ya ive never seen an amoled in person maybe id really like it. Does amoled keep its brightness at an angle better than IPS? Does anyone other than samsung use amoled?

 

[312city]

Motorola has Super AMOLED screens on the Moto X and their DROID phones.

LG G Flex has a OLED screen as well.

Of course Samsung Galaxy flagships have Super AMOLED screens as well.

The OLED technology are brighter than LCD screens with deeper blacks, popping oversaturated colors, and high contrast and excellent viewing angles. AMOLED screens are also more battery efficient than LCD screens because the screen is deep black and only light up the pixels it needs to unlike LCD where the backlight is under the screen and always have to light up everything to display anything. This is why the Moto X had the best battery performance last year at only 2200mah because its stock android using a OLED screen. However some ppl don't like AMOLED because it may not be a realistic or proper color representation for some.