What's a good Android phone?

L-boy

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We have always had iphones. I still have a 5, my daughter has a 6. I am going to upgrade her (she only has 16g memory) and I'm going to take her 6. Now she is saying she wants a android phone, probably Samsung. She likes her friend's Galaxy 6. I have no problem going that route, but I am not too familiar with it and hate to invest in something ultimately she might not like. Having said that, she will probably be more flexible than I would learning a new OS. I am used to ios and am not a super power user anyway so the Apple products are fine. She goes through all kinds of apps and may prefer the Android.

Looking at Androids, I was kind of surprised they are just as expensive as iphones.

My younger son has had a couple of android based cheap starter phones. I wasn't to thrilled with them because they are totally different, but he seems to have adapted to them pretty well.

I have never had any wifi issues on the ios that I can recall.
 

URGatorBait

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Just a heads up, because the Samsung Note 7 is out now, the Note 5 has dropped in price. The Note 5 is a very good and very capable phone. Good enough that I won't be upgrading to the Note 7, and will likely wait until the next one. G2 can attest to the Note 5 as well.
At Best Buy you can get the Note 5, 32GB for just $1 through Verizon, the 64GB one is selling for $99. Both will require a 2 year contract.
32GB on AT&T will cost you $24.67 per month, but they also give you a $250 gift card. $28.00 per month for the 64 GB but they also give you a $250 gift card again.
With Sprint it is $49.99, w/ 2 year contract for the 32GB, though they also do lease and installment plans. $99.99 for the 64GB.
They don't appear to have them for T-Mobile at Best Buy.

This is a very good smart phone. Just something to consider if you want to make the switch and do it on the cheap, and still have a quality item.
I would recommend looking at the 64GB though. Unfortunately the Note 5 does not have expandable Micro SD storage.
 

G 2

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Just a heads up, because the Samsung Note 7 is out now, the Note 5 has dropped in price. The Note 5 is a very good and very capable phone. Good enough that I won't be upgrading to the Note 7, and will likely wait until the next one. G2 can attest to the Note 5 as well.
At Best Buy you can get the Note 5, 32GB for just $1 through Verizon, the 64GB one is selling for $99. Both will require a 2 year contract.
32GB on AT&T will cost you $24.67 per month, but they also give you a $250 gift card. $28.00 per month for the 64 GB but they also give you a $250 gift card again.
With Sprint it is $49.99, w/ 2 year contract for the 32GB, though they also do lease and installment plans. $99.99 for the 64GB.
They don't appear to have them for T-Mobile at Best Buy.

This is a very good smart phone. Just something to consider if you want to make the switch and do it on the cheap, and still have a quality item.
I would recommend looking at the 64GB though. Unfortunately the Note 5 does not have expandable Micro SD storage.
I agree. The Note 5 is a great phone but you have to get the 64gb version because you'll never be able to upgrade the memory. However it is entirely cost possible since prices have dropped so much with the release of the Note 7.
 

Bernardo de la Paz

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I have the s7 and my wife has the iphone 6s. It used to be that there was a trade off in picking between iphone and Android. That's no longer the case. The s7 is superior in every way.
 

Swamp Donkey

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It was a busy DNS server problem.

I've spent about 50 years in the electrical/electronic maintenance field, you have to think "outside the box".
Trying to wrap my head around this. I always thought it was an aggressive power saving function. My (work) Iphone is terrible about dropping the wifi, but it happens MOSTLY, or perhaps MORE OFTEN is the right wording, when I'm toggling it to another device as a hotspot.
 

Swamp Donkey

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Looking at Androids, I was kind of surprised they are just as expensive as iphones.
I'm always surprised that the Iphones are just as expensive as the top Androids. So many limitations with an Iphone, no ability to add microsd, so few apps, your data is basically held hostage, and very limited lifespan.

However, I guess in certain circles you must be seen carrying an Iphone and preferably the latest.
 
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GR8 2B

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An iPhone 4, which I ditched in September 2013 for a Motorola Droid MAXX. I've had Galaxy S5 and S6 phones since.

It wasn't that I didn't like the iPhone; it's a well made device. I just prefer Android to iOS. I'm esp curious about the S7 because I've read so many good things.
I've got an S7 Edge. Love it.
 

grengadgy

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I'm always surprised that the Iphones are just as expensive as the top Androids. So many limitations with an Iphone, no ability to add microsd, so few apps, your data is basically held hostage, and very limited lifespan.

However, I guess in certain circles you must be seen carrying an Iphone and preferably the latest.
:lmao2:
 

grengadgy

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Trying to wrap my head around this. I always thought it was an aggressive power saving function. My (work) Iphone is terrible about dropping the wifi, but it happens MOSTLY, or perhaps MORE OFTEN is the right wording, when I'm toggling it to another device as a hotspot.
That sounds like another problem.
 

L-boy

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I'm always surprised that the Iphones are just as expensive as the top Androids. So many limitations with an Iphone, no ability to add microsd, so few apps, your data is basically held hostage, and very limited lifespan.

However, I guess in certain circles you must be seen carrying an Iphone and preferably the latest.

Maybe with some, but with me it is just familiarity. I have always had iphones for quite a few years, going back to my daughters first IPod. I'm not a super user of phones, just use basic functions and a few common apps. If my daughter makes the switch to an android, I'll probably take her Iphone6 (I currently have an iphone5). If she really likes it and I become familiar with it, maybe my next phone will be an android (or maybe it will be her android when she upgrades down the road)

We have AT&T, so you basically pay for your phone. No more of this contract stuff (for better or for worse)
 

Swamp Donkey

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Lboy, IME the Iphone6 is a much better phone than the Iphone5 in both battery life and radio reception.
 
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NVGator

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Obviously Galaxy S7. Anything else. My last 3 iPhones have SUCKED with wifi. My 5s drops wifi at least 20 times a day at home. I ran speed test and I get anywhere from 3-25 Mbps with the 5a while my laptop gets 80-90. My brother in law can over with his android and got 80-90.

I've done restore multiple times as well as network resets. This has been a problem with the 5c, 5s, and 6 plus. My wife has a 6s and doesn't have quite as many wifi issues but I'm done with Apple.

 

NVGator

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Nope. Just drops.
In all seriousness, I had an issue with my phone randomly, but regularly dropping the WiFi in my house. Long story short, and Internet Tech on site, I had a bad cable hooked up to my router causing interference. Weirded thing but it fixed the problem.
 

GatorJ

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In all seriousness, I had an issue with my phone randomly, but regularly dropping the WiFi in my house. Long story short, and Internet Tech on site, I had a bad cable hooked up to my router causing interference. Weirded thing but it fixed the problem.

I would look into something like that if I didn't do that with every Wi-Fi connection. Even other people's homes. Or you can try replacing the home router prior to my discovery that it was happening at other locations.
 

grengadgy

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Assuming you turned off your "WiFi Assistant " and this didn't work..

Finally – if your wifi connection is still sluggish it might be time to change your DNS settings.

Domain Name System, or DNS, is the internet server which translates domain names like express.co.uk to IP addresses – the numerical sequence of digits that locates servers across the web.

Your Internet Service Provider, or ISP, will have its own DNS server that will be used by default by all of the devices connected to your network.

However these can sometimes be slow and clogged with the thousands of DNS lookups being requested.

Fortunately there are some alternatives to your DNS.

US technology firm Google operates a complimentary DNS service that promises speed, security and performance.

Another alternative is Open DNS.

To change your DNS settings navigate to Settings > Wi-Fi and then tap the "i" next to your current connection.

Scroll down until you see the DNS form in the chosen connection's setting and tap on the numbers to the right.

Your iOS 9 keyboard of choice will then appear and allow you to change the numbers.

Enter the alternative DNS server you want to use.

To use Google’s DNS use either of these addresses in the field, 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4

For Open DNS, type in 208.67.222.222 or 208.67.222.220
 

NVGator

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I would look into something like that if I didn't do that with every Wi-Fi connection. Even other people's homes. Or you can try replacing the home router prior to my discovery that it was happening at other locations.
Yeah, that will rule out that possibility. Have you had a technician look at it? Taken it to a store?
 

L-boy

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Lboy, IME the Iphone6 is a much better phone than the Iphone5 in both battery life and radio reception.

Yeah I know. I can tell just from the difference in processing speed between my 5 and my daughters 6. I just wish I had bought more space on her 6 two years ago when I got it for her. It is only 16 gig. She is running out of space constantly. It's less of an issue for me.
 

chferg

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Doing speedtests with android vs iOS is stupid; the ecosystems are completely different and in real world performance show really no different.

In 2016 it's about features; pure specs on a phone mean jack these days. A9, 820, Kirin 955...all these chips are capable of much more than we can stress a phone. Right now the Galaxy offers much better features than any iPhone although that will likely change with the 7 and then change again with the Galaxy S8
 

Swamp Donkey

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Yeah I know. I can tell just from the difference in processing speed between my 5 and my daughters 6. I just wish I had bought more space on her 6 two years ago when I got it for her. It is only 16 gig. She is running out of space constantly. It's less of an issue for me.
Oh, no problem. Just put in a microsD card. They are so cheap now! 64g if you want for like $30.
 

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