Happydad wants a smartphone. We plan to purchase rather than finance. Recommendations for specific devices/brands? Service experience with devices/brands?
Happykid bought her iPhone at the Apple Store, and has been very happy with their response whenever she has had challenges with it. Where do people take a Samsung or LG if it develops a problem? Can the carrier’s shop be counted on to sort the phone out two or three years down the line, or is the user forced to just get a new phone?
Our current carrier is Sprint, but we could move on if need be. We keep our phones basically until they die of old age. Our current flip phones are about five years old.
Apple assumes about a 4 year life cycle on smartphones. After 4 years, more or less, you won’t be able to upgrade to the latest iOS or run the latest apps.
My vote is for an iPhone. I love it and hate it at the same time. Love how easy it is to work/hate all the constant updates. BUT it’s durable as all get out. I accidentally dropped it off an overpass, and it’s still working. Battery died instantly, but all I had to do was plug it in and wait over night, and it’s working just fine. It’s held together with duct tape, but it’s working.
Android phones provide better value for your dollar. Apple, with the exception of the SE model, tries to position itself at the luxury/premium end of the smartphone market.
I’m a reluctant fan of the iPhone as well. I have a 6s and prefer it over the newer models that are more fragile with more glass. It has tons of apps and I love that you can easily get servicing st the Apple store.
We bought the phone directly from the Apple store so it can be used with any carrier and has all the systems in case we decide we don’t like our current carrier (T-mobile) and can seamlessly switch. S has upgraded to the iPhone 8 and likes that it has cordless charging.
If you want T-Mobile and buy from Costco you can buy outright and get a discount.
By the way, if one or both of you are 55 or older, you can get 2 lines unlimited text, voice and data with T-Mobile autopay for $60/month including all fees and taxes. I have a line with D and H has a line with D for $60. There is no throttling of data, free data and text for most international.
H has a oneplus, as does D. His is version 3t and hers is version 3. They like the Android system. I found it more difficult and less intuitive.
I bought an unlocked Motorola (Android) online from Motorola for about $150 and run it on T-Mobile. Honestly it has everything I could possibly need. I can’t imagine why I would spend more than that.
I just upgraded my 5 to a 7. I lived perfectly fine thankyouverymuch on iOS 6 for several years. I plan on using this iPhone with whatever iOS it came until my battery runs dry. I have no apps other than Google maps. I see no need on installing what is pretty much as spyware when I can access Nordstrom and other sites via my browser directly.
We are an iPhone family, but daughter went with a Samsung a few years ago. That’s when we learned an Android has lots of bells and whistles, but doesn’t hold up. It basically died before she even had it paid off and had to buy a cheap iPhone off eBay until her Samsung contract was up. She is now a happy owner of the iPhone 8.
Our family has two iPhone 7s and two Google Pixel 2s.
The Google phones have a far superior OS compared to Apple iOS. But if you run into a problem, it is convenient to take the Apple phone to a store and get their help.
So the Apple phones are for my wife, who is flummoxed by technology, and my daughter who is away at college. My son and I enjoy the superior Google phones.
I just upgraded from a 5S to the SE. I was determined to forego an Apple given the prices but I also switched from Sprint to Cricket and the SE was $99 after discounts. It uses all the same hardware so that was a savings too. $35/month for 3 GB with autopay, no monthly telephone lease payments. The selling point in the end for me (other than price) is size. I generally only carry a wristlet and wanted my new phone to fit. All the other phones looked at would have required me to carry a pocketbook.
I have the IPhone 6. Love it. I’ve had no problem with any updating at all. Whenever I’ve had any problem with my phone or IPad I just call Apple Help. They are terrific. If Happykid has an IPhone and you and H have an Android you won’t be able FaceTime with kid. I don’t use it often but, for example, S moved into new apt and took me on a FaceTime tour as I haven’t seen it in person yet.
If you have an ipad the sharing of apps and music and photos between the two is pretty seamless. One reason I like iphone. I have a 6S and thinking about upgrade but hasven’t seen the need yet. Although newer ones have a better camera. I got mine from the Apple Store but there have been some deals this holiday season from other places.
I always go to an Apple store for help. I was there yesterday to reset health settings that I disabled it a while ago. I forgot how to undo and stopped by at Apple store while I was shopping for xmas. The guy at the reception took it and reset on the spot in less than two seconds. My carrier at&t is no good. They help but it takes a long time and find ways to make you pay. My info may be dated since the last time I went to at&t for help was 2013. I have just upgraded from 5S to X. Love X. I didn’t have any trouble updating to newer software except to the new Apple Watch with the built in cellular. it still works with the new Apple Watch without cellular. It helps to stay with a same smartphone in family. If anyone is traveling overseas, you get free taxes and FaceTime with iPhone.
@happymomof1 We can take our Samsung or LG to our local Verizon store if we have a problem. No big deal and they support older phones. So DS3 who was just allowed to get a phone at 14 has a Samsung that only cost maybe $150.
And size was an issue for us too. The boys wanted pocket size not the tabletesque ones that are now coming out.
I have had iPhones for work (three of them over 10 years) and Samsungs for personal (two for 7 years for myself and one for my daughter which has since been gifted to grandma). The Samsungs are far and away the better quality phone in my experience. I don’t know where people take them if something happens to them - I’ve never had anything wrong with mine and have always upgraded because I wanted to. I’ve always had to replace the iPhones because the operating system would no longer support newer apps.
There are several phone repair shops popping up in my area - they typically replace screens when cracked, or they can replace the charging port - many of these shops handle extended warranty work, etc.
I still have a dumb phone, while the pups have Samsungs, and love them.
I’ve had great experiences with Android and Samsung. For help, I have used the Verizon store or, more often, the Samsung desk at Best Buy. Many Best Buy locations have a Samsung center within the store that is staffed by Samsung employees. They even have a calendar of free classes they offer. I’ve gone to a fair number of the classes and have several times been the only attendee so I got about 45 minutes of private instruction and help getting the device set up exactly as I want.
My Samsung phone is going on 3 years and is working fine. I like the greater flexibility and battery life of android phones (or at least some android phones) but security is definitely worse.