Help What to upgrade to from a Nexus 5?

[Techno79]

I've had the Nexus 5 for quite a while and it's been a really good phone but it's getting long in the tooth. I was feeling this before the release of the Nexus 5X but decided to hold out until the release but the 5X has been very disappointing (the increased size over the Nexus 5 is an instant deal breaker).

My preferences and thoughts on the phone:

1. Quick Android updates is extremely preferable (Nexus device is the obvious choice but manufacturers that are also quick to update are considered. Manufacturers who take their time, skip updates or prematurely stop support are extremely off putting).
2. No phablets. I am not keen on the phablet trend. The phone must be a one handed device, this means the height and width of the phone must be no more than the Nexus 5 (ideally with thin bezels so it can pack in around a 5" display).
3. Must be from a manufacturer who has a proven track record for great customer service and warranty support.

I'm not sure I can stretch to keep my Nexus 5 until the Nexus 2016 variant. And even then, there's no guarantee the Nexus 2016 release will be worthy.

Manufacturers/Phones I've discarded:

• OnePlus: poor after sales support is extremely off-putting
• Motorola: They were a strong contender but the new owner Lenovo has put a question mark over this as I'm not sure if the things good about Motorola will stay true. They've already made some very questionable decisions (e.g. sacking all the Motorola staff). Also, Lenovo is more aggressive about short term profits so providing decent software support for phones they release is not in line with that.
• [Update] Samsung: because their software support for new phones is only good for about 6 months after the release of the phone. They very quickly forget and drag their feet with updates. It's like they are doing it to force people to upgrade handsets to get the latest OS version which is not what I'm interested in. I've had the original S1, S2 and the S4 and have been burnt by Samsung already and therefore not interested in Samsung.

Is there anything that fits the bill?

 

[chanchan05]

What country are you from? The Galaxy S series should fit the bill. Although after sales support varies by country.

The HTC Ones should also do nicely.

 

[Techno79]

What country are you from? The Galaxy S series should fit the bill. Although after sales support varies by country.

The HTC Ones should also do nicely.

Sorry, I'm from the UK. However, I'd be looking to get an officially unlocked handset (i.e. unlocked out of the box). I'm not sure how Samsung fit the bill but they are ones I've discarded so I forgot to add them to the list. Samsung have been discarded because they do not provide great software support. I had the Original Galaxy S, S2 and the S4. Each of the phones were the top end phone for it's time and each one very quickly got dropped in software support. I waited ages for Lollipop to come out on the S4 and eventually sold it. It only came out after I sold it but this was already far longer than I was keen on waiting. I do not buy into the manufacturers thought of "those who want the latest software update can upgrade their handset". I feel manufacturers should provide at least 18 months (possibly 2 years) of timely software updates especially for top end phones. During this 18 months, it is not acceptable to me to skip Android versions nor bring out the update months after it's release. While I do think Samsung hardware is great, I have been burnt by their software support.

(updated the list of discarded manufacturers)

 

[Hadron]

I thought the S2 had a pretty impressive support history (launched with 2.3, official updates went up to 4.1.2), but Samsung have been less good lately.

HTC One series get 2 years' support, no such promise with the Desire models.

Sony have been doing ok with support for their Xperia Z models. I'm not sure how fast, but they seem to be providing about 2 years of updates for them. The Z Compact models are definitely one-handed.

But if you also care about speed of update over 1.5-2 years I don't know whether anything but a Nexus will satisfy you. Few 2015 flagships have Marshmallow yet, so if "months after release" is unacceptable then you may be disappointed whoever you choose.

 

[chanchan05]

What Hadron says is true. All non-Nexus phones should expect the latest update to be received at a MINIMUM of 3mos after Google releases it for their Nexus devices. Basically, that's why I said Samsung fits the bill, because they support the flagship phones for two years with updates.

 

[Techno79]

I thought the S2 had a pretty impressive support history (launched with 2.3, official updates went up to 4.1.2), but Samsung have been less good lately.

HTC One series get 2 years' support, no such promise with the Desire models.

Sony have been doing ok with support for their Xperia Z models. I'm not sure how fast, but they seem to be providing about 2 years of updates for them. The Z Compact models are definitely one-handed.

But if you also care about speed of update over 1.5-2 years I don't know whether anything but a Nexus will satisfy you. Few 2015 flagships have Marshmallow yet, so if "months after release" is unacceptable then you may be disappointed whoever you choose.

I don't recall the S2 being that great, they may have really dragged their feet. I used to root my phone but then got put off with the faff of it all. I'm wondering whether I should consider Samsung again and then use a custom ROM (that's more like a stock Nexus feel). I'd lose things like Samsung Pay if I did root but I'm not fussed about that.