Smartphones

[CGI_Ram]

I have a little passion with mobile technology and tend to follow trends with things like smartphones.

Devices are looking more and more alike... I mean, once we’ve reached the ability to have a fully rectangular piece of glass... how will we tell them apart? I’m not sure that’s a place the manufacturers find appealing... no visual differentiation?

I saw this today... it’s one of the more unique designs and an example of being one step closer to fully rectangular glass design.


View: https://youtu.be/cV5TjZCJkuA

 

[LesBaker]

Specs:

• 6.4-inch OLED screen
• 16-megapixel and 20-megapixel dual camera
• 25-megapixel front-facing camera (with face unlock)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor
• 8GB RAM
• Up to 256GB of storage
• Color OS 5.1 on top of Android
• VOOC fast charging

It's very cool and very powerful, but will cost a grand. So I won't be getting one, but I do like the camera feature.

I'm finally used to my S9, and I plan to keep it for awhile but if that phone hit the market I would check it out though probably not buy it. I'm a big Samsung fan, and have used their phones going back to the S3.

I think I agree with you that they are all kind of the same these days.

 

[Akrasian]

I guess I'm just weird. I want a smartphone with a shock absorbing case, so I don't have to keep replacing the glass. I will drop ultraslim, glass coated phones otherwise. So these increasingly thin phones that have glass on both sides are things I do not want. I don't mind some bezel, since the case style I insist on uses it anyway.

I want functionality. Is it a good phone for talking on? Can I read on it? When I inevitably drop it, will it survive the vast majority of the time? Is battery life enough that I'm not focused on making it last?

I have found that much cheaper phones that aren't trying to be fashion accessories do a better job for my tastes - and that's before factoring in that I can buy 4 of those for the price of one of these ultimate phones.

 

[LesBaker]

I guess I'm just weird. I want a smartphone with a shock absorbing case, so I don't have to keep replacing the glass. I will drop ultraslim, glass coated phones otherwise. So these increasingly thin phones that have glass on both sides are things I do not want. I don't mind some bezel, since the case style I insist on uses it anyway.

I want functionality. Is it a good phone for talking on? Can I read on it? When I inevitably drop it, will it survive the vast majority of the time? Is battery life enough that I'm not focused on making it last?

I have found that much cheaper phones that aren't trying to be fashion accessories do a better job for my tastes - and that's before factoring in that I can buy 4 of those for the price of one of these ultimate phones.

I stopped into Staples the other day and there was a display for a liquid that gets applied to the phone that creates an invisible barrier. I can literally rake a key back and forth now and not a mark. They apply it for you right on the spot and I just went for a bite to eat and came back a little later to pick it up. I had the guy coat the entire phone, you can't even tell anything is on it.

It may not help it survive a drop though.

I'm a big fan of Otterbox products, though not the huge cases that seem to make a phone the size of a brick. I use the style they call Commuter. It's one piece. I recommend their products very highly.

 

[Akrasian]

I stopped into Staples the other day and there was a display for a liquid that gets applied to the phone that creates an invisible barrier. I can literally rake a key back and forth now and not a mark. They apply it for you right on the spot and I just went for a bite to eat and came back a little later to pick it up. I had the guy coat the entire phone, you can't even tell anything is on it.

It may not help it survive a drop though.

I'm a big fan of Otterbox products, though not the huge cases that seem to make a phone the size of a brick. I use the style they call Commuter. It's one piece. I recommend their products very highly.

I've used something similar before. Great for preventing scratches, but does nothing for resistance against shattering. It may actually make it slightly more prone to shatter - my understanding is that glass that doesn't scratch shatters more because it has no give. Don't know if that coating has the same effect.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I guess I'm just weird. I want a smartphone with a shock absorbing case, so I don't have to keep replacing the glass.

I am a member of a tech forum and made the same suggestion. I was surprised how few agreed with me.

Remember the Blackberry Curve or Bold? Never had to put a case on those phones. Got a scratch... nothing a little sandpaper couldn’t clean up. Drop it. Kick it. Those phones could take it all.

So...I am with you... I’d gladly give away some thinness for more durable design built natively into the device.

Likely I am putting on a bulkier case than this design would be. It just makes sense to me.

Maybe we’re just to practical?

 

[LesBaker]

You could always do this:

(the product is called Sugru I got a bunch of it in many different colors for my nephew several years ago)

 

[dieterbrock]

Best phone I ever had was a Blackberry. Hands down more efficient than any other "smartphone" I've owned.
Didn't have the bells and whistles of an iphone or the like, but when it came to business functionality, nothing comes close.
Oh, and that was the blackberry with the actual trackball NOT the touch screen

 

[Dodgersrf]

I stopped into Staples the other day and there was a display for a liquid that gets applied to the phone that creates an invisible barrier. I can literally rake a key back and forth now and not a mark. They apply it for you right on the spot and I just went for a bite to eat and came back a little later to pick it up. I had the guy coat the entire phone, you can't even tell anything is on it.

It may not help it survive a drop though.

I'm a big fan of Otterbox products, though not the huge cases that seem to make a phone the size of a brick. I use the style they call Commuter. It's one piece. I recommend their products very highly.

I'm not a fan of the otter box cases. They are just too bulky.
I swear by the Spigen cases. They have very durable, yet thin designs. I have been using them for about 5 or more years now. I'm pretty rough on my phones and I havent broken one yet.

 

[LesBaker]

I'm not a fan of the otter box cases. They are just too bulky.
I swear by the Spigen cases. They have very durable, yet thin designs. I have been using them for about 5 or more years now. I'm pretty rough on my phones and I havent broken one yet.

Most of them are I agree.

But this one isn't and that's why I got it. It's also shaped to perfectly fit the curved Infiniti screen of the new Galaxies that have been on the market for a few years.

This isn't the exact case I got, but it's the same thickness and you can see it's not super bulky like some of the behemoths they make which are like carrying a small briefcase LOL.

This is the Spigen for the S9, it's the same thickness. Though I have to say it is a better looking case.

 

[Angry Ram]

I have a little passion with mobile technology and tend to follow trends with things like smartphones.

Devices are looking more and more alike... I mean, once we’ve reached the ability to have a fully rectangular piece of glass... how will we tell them apart? I’m not sure that’s a place the manufacturers find appealing... no visual differentiation?

I saw this today... it’s one of the more unique designs and an example of being one step closer to fully rectangular glass design.


View: https://youtu.be/cV5TjZCJkuA

Yeah, but does it run Pokemon Go, though?

 

[Dodgersrf]

Most of them are I agree.

But this one isn't and that's why I got it. It's also shaped to perfectly fit the curved Infiniti screen of the new Galaxies that have been on the market for a few years.

This isn't the exact case I got, but it's the same thickness and you can see it's not super bulky like some of the behemoths they make which are like carrying a small briefcase LOL.



View attachment 25460

This is the Spigen for the S9, it's the same thickness. Though I have to say it is a better looking case.

View attachment 25461

I have one on my S8. It's a perfect fit. The spigens dont look tough, but they are.

 

[LesBaker]

I have one on my S8. It's a perfect fit. The spigens dont look tough, but they are.

It looks like it is the same type of material which a lot of them are. And it is tough stuff.

Maybe I'll switch out to that one sometime it is a nice looking case.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Best phone I ever had was a Blackberry. Hands down more efficient than any other "smartphone" I've owned.
Didn't have the bells and whistles of an iphone or the like, but when it came to business functionality, nothing comes close.
Oh, and that was the blackberry with the actual trackball NOT the touch screen

I have the Blackberry KeyOne now. Love it. Runs Android.

Key2 just released and I am likely getting it in a couple of months.

 

[LesBaker]

I have be Blackberry KeyOne now. Love it. Runs Android.

Key2 just released and I am likely getting it in a couple of months.

Blackberry used to rule the planet and I was enjoying one before iPhones totally changed the landscape. People were amazed by them back then. I was a big fan.

I stopped using them after the Storm. I got that one as soon as it came out and things seemed to be OK. However they kept sending out updates to the OS, seemingly every month to fix glitches, and each one was loaded with different bugs. I had to return one pretty early on and when I went back to return the second I just dumped it.

Physically the Key2 is IMO better looking than anything else on the market. Even with actual keys which I don't prefer now.

Check out this video comparing the two versions. Running the newest version of Android is a bonus. I have it and it's really fantastic.

 

[IowaRam]

I have be Blackberry KeyOne now. Love it. Runs Android.

Key2 just released and I am likely getting it in a couple of months.

Didn't even know they still made Blackberries

 

[IowaRam]

I have a LG something or other that I've had for like a year and a half that I really like

other then the camera

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I finally gave up my flip phone about 18 months ago. I really only needed a phone, but the things my iPhone can do makes me not want to go back. I love to not have to be at a computer to make an EBay bid. Texting and adding photos from other sites is sweet too. There's much more but you are all familiar with them so I won't get into it.

One very annoying feature of the iPhone is th a you cannot upgrade memory. I took mine back to AT&T and asked them for a new SIM card because I always had to be deleting photos and apps. He said that I can't add storage. When my wife and I switched to AT&T they never told me that you can't upgrade the storage capacity/memory. They also didn't tell me that my wife's phone had a much larger capacity than mine. Amy's has 4x the space that mine does.

 

[RamBall]

The only way I found to damage my old Blackberry was when I ran it over with my forklift at work. It was an accident, after I ran it over twice. I thought oh someones cell phone got smashed, as I picked it up I realized it was mine. Was glad I had insurance, it was a $300 phone about 8 yrs ago, wouldnt get much for $300 today.

I'm lovin my S9 with otterbox commuter case.

Its starting to make me nervous though learning that @LesBaker and I think a lot alike.

 

[IowaRam]

Today's generation will never experience the joy of playing with the phone cord while talking on the phone