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What's the best Android phone?

F

FireBeaver

Banned
After several years of sticking with the iphone 5s, it's finally beginning to die on me. After doing a bit of research, I've decided to go with an android phone because I love having a 3.5mm jack and the iPhone X is a little too rich for my blood. So GAF, what are some of the best Android phones? My only requirement is that they have a headphone jack and preferbly a micro sd slot.

Edit: Forgot to mention, size doesn't matter.
 
N

Noema

Member
FireBeaver said:
After several years of sticking with the iphone 5s, it's finally beginning to die on me. After doing a bit of research, I've decided to go with an android phone because I love having a 3.5mm jack and the iPhone X is a little too rich for my blood. So GAF, what are some of the best Android phones? My only requirement is that they have a headphone jack and preferbly a micro sd slot.
Click to expand...

I'd go with the Pixel 2 or the XL 2, specially for a former iOS user. However, it fails to meet your two requirements, as it lacks both a headphone jack and a MicroSD card slot.

In that case, and if money is not an issue, the best Android phones you can get are, in no particular order:

  • Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+
  • LG V30
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 8

All of them are top of the line, premium flagships with fantastic cameras and performance. The V30s display is not as good as the Samsung phones, but it's got the best DAC in any phone.

You can't go wrong with any of them. If you prefer a smaller phone you can get the regular S8.

If you want something similar in size to your 5S, then your only choice (for a flagship) is the already mentioned Xperia XZ1 Compact. Do keep in mind that in the US, Sony phones have their fingerprint scanner disabled.
 
D

Davide

Member
OnePlus 5 is the best phone for the money and is the most like iPhone. Same processor as the S8 IIRC, dual lens, portrait mode, OLED, best battery of any Android, best fingerprint scanner, AUX port. No SD slot though. OnePlus 5T looks to be coming soon and getting an infinity display like the S8.
 
K

kmfdmpig

Member
It's not as simple as saying "x" is the best.

All phones are a trade off between:
Cost
Battery
Speed
Style
Screen size/resolution/quality
Camera
Headphone jack or not
SD card or not

For me the Note 8 was best based on what mattered to me. For others it may be the Pixel 2 or the V30, etc..

Think about what matters most to you in a phone and then that will help guide you to what is best for you.

The SD card slot, that you want, narrows it down considerably as does the headphone jack. The S8+ or the Note 8 are two good options to consider as is the S8 and (I think) the V30.
 
Z

Zonar

Member
FireBeaver said:
After several years of sticking with the iphone 5s, it's finally beginning to die on me. After doing a bit of research, I've decided to go with an android phone because I love having a 3.5mm jack and the iPhone X is a little too rich for my blood. So GAF, what are some of the best Android phones? My only requirement is that they have a headphone jack and preferbly a micro sd slot.

Edit: Forgot to mention, size doesn't matter.
Click to expand...

I love my note 8. I would recommend that.
 
T

Transistor

Banned
The OnePlus 5T is about to get announced. Don't waste money on a $900+ flagship

No microsd, but with 128gb onboard storage....
 
C

Cipherr

Member
FireBeaver said:
After several years of sticking with the iphone 5s, it's finally beginning to die on me. After doing a bit of research, I've decided to go with an android phone because I love having a 3.5mm jack and the iPhone X is a little too rich for my blood. So GAF, what are some of the best Android phones? My only requirement is that they have a headphone jack and preferbly a micro sd slot.

Edit: Forgot to mention, size doesn't matter.
Click to expand...

Your requirements basically say Galaxy Note. The newest one. If it wasn't for the headphone jack requirement the new Pixel XL would give you the amazing software experience Android can offer. Youll have to sacrifice that for a headphone jack though.
 
J

Javaman

Member
Not the best phone, but the ZTE Max blue is an amazing deal. I just bought one to replace a phone that got busted and for $200 you'd be hard pressed to find a better 6" phone. I thought about going with a S7 but can't imagine spending 2.5x as much for such a small screen.

https://www.zteusa.com/maxblue
 
T

The Argus

Member
Note 8. Given that size isn't a problem why are people picking the S8/S8+?! Better screen, more memory, stylus...

V30 is great too.

Edit: reread, price is an issue. Go with the V30.
 
H

Hickbilly Deluxe

Banned
Im running an S7 Edge, still happy with it. Should be able to upgrade this December though, may hold off. I'm due a factory reset soon and that should give me another year of two of life.
 
R

reKon

Banned
Hickbilly Deluxe said:
Im running an S7 Edge, still happy with it. Should be able to upgrade this December though, may hold off. I'm due a factory reset soon and that should give me another year of two of life.
Click to expand...

I factory reset my phone over a month ago and just because. I had no issues with my phone, but just want to see if there would be a differende from all the software updates. There definitely was a difference so that should help. I've restarted the device maybe twice over the past 4 weeks? Anyways it does feel brand now and the S7 Edge is getting Android O, so it's definitely worth keeping around for the improved software, especially with those notifications and even better battery management.
 
F

Futureman

Member
37 posts and no Pixel?

In the middle of paying off a phone, but I would get Pixel XL 2 right now if I were getting a new phone.
 
K

Klotera

Member
The way it is worded, it's seems that the headphone jack is a requirement, but the micro sd is just preferred. If that's the case, then the Google Pixel is where I'd go. You won't get the micro sd, but you keep the headphone jack (that the new Pixel doesn't have).

It'll be cheaper, since the new one is coming out, but will still get supported for a while (unlike non-Google phones). Still performs well and has a great camera. The free full res cloud photo storage may offset the lack of SD, depending on what you use your space on.

I have been switching phones yearly for a long time and, as a Pixel owner, this will be the first year in a long time that I don't feel the need to get something new.
 
R

Rodney McKay

Member
If you want a cheaper option ($350ish) with amazing battery life you can get a Moto Z Play.

It came out last year and has a great 2 day battery life. Performance is very good still even being not the most top of the line chip. I also like some of Motorola's tweaks to Android like a chopping gesture to turn the light on and a twisting gesture to shortcut to the camera.

And you can plug on Moto Mods to get even better battery life, a projector, better camera zoom, etc.

Negatives are it is a bit on the heavier side, has kinda large top+bottom bezels, it's not water proof, and it doesn't have a notification light (which I miss coming off of my S7).

I'm probably going to sell my S7 and keep my Z Play for a while, I can play games, use the GPS for an hour or more, browse the web for quite a while, listen to podcasts, and still have like 60% battery or more.

Even if I do decide to get a higher end phone (like a iPhone or a Samsung), I'll probably keep it as a great backup/vacation phone.
 
L

leng jai

Member
Am I the only one who cares about stereo speakers? I watch a lot of videos on my phone without headphones and the mono speaker on my S7 Edge is horrible. Seems like there are no new phones that have stereo speakers and a headphones jack.
 
D

Davide

Member
Klotera said:
The way it is worded, it's seems that the headphone jack is a requirement, but the micro sd is just preferred. If that's the case, then the Google Pixel is where I'd go. You won't get the micro sd, but you keep the headphone jack (that the new Pixel doesn't have).

It'll be cheaper, since the new one is coming out, but will still get supported for a while (unlike non-Google phones). Still performs well and has a great camera. The free full res cloud photo storage may offset the lack of SD, depending on what you use your space on.

I have been switching phones yearly for a long time and, as a Pixel owner, this will be the first year in a long time that I don't feel the need to get something new.
Click to expand...

Appreciate that you're happy with your phone still but for someone buying a new phone I'd absolutely recommend the OnePlus 5 (or 5T) over the Pixel 1. For a much lower cost, you get smaller bezels, a better phone design, a better camera, dual lenses, better battery, better fingerprint sensor at the front, touch buttons on the side of the home button, a better Snapdragon chip, more RAM, and more storage, while still having a "pure" Google OS like Pixel without the clutter of Samsung. And the incoming OP5T will be even better and presumably much cheaper than the first Pixel.
 
R

reKon

Banned
leng jai said:
Am I the only one who cares about stereo speakers? I watch a lot of videos on my phone without headphones and the mono speaker on my S7 Edge is horrible. Seems like there are no new phones that have stereo speakers and a headphones jack.
Click to expand...

Wow, there really isn't is there.
 
The Faceless Master

The Faceless Master

Member
Drewton said:
Appreciate that you're happy with your phone still but for someone buying a new phone I'd absolutely recommend the OnePlus 5 (or 5T) over the Pixel 1. For a much lower cost, you get smaller bezels, a better phone design, a better camera, dual lenses, better battery, better fingerprint sensor at the front, touch buttons on the side of the home button, a better Snapdragon chip, more RAM, and more storage, while still having a "pure" Google OS like Pixel without the clutter of Samsung. And the incoming OP5T will be even better and presumably much cheaper than the first Pixel.
Click to expand...

and they'll update it for a year.

while Google, Sony, LG, Samsung, etc offer 2 years of OS updates and 3 for security.
 
D

Davide

Member
The Faceless Master said:
and they'll update it for a year.

while Google, Sony, LG, Samsung, etc offer 2 years of OS updates and 3 for security.
Click to expand...

And nothing on the Android side is nearly as well supported for years as iPhones.

The OP is still using a 2013 phone, which has just gotten iOS 11, so if he's looking for a phone that will last him four years of good OS updates Google, Samsung, etc. probably wouldn't satisfy him much more than a OnePlus in that regard. The pattern for OnePlus phones seems to be two major OS updates. It doesn't bother me too much myself since I've begun selling my OnePlus phones and upgrading cheaply every year.
 
K

Klotera

Member
Drewton said:
Appreciate that you're happy with your phone still but for someone buying a new phone I'd absolutely recommend the OnePlus 5 (or 5T) over the Pixel 1. For a much lower cost, you get more smaller bezels/screen space, a better phone design, a better camera, dual lenses, better battery, better fingerprint sensor at the front, touch buttons on the side of the home button, a better Snapdragon chip, more RAM, and more storage.
Click to expand...


Better camera? General consensus is that the Pixel had the best camera on the market until iPhone 8 and Pixel 2 showed up (even against the dual lens iPhone 7+).

Fingerprint sensor placement is a matter of taste, but quality can't be questioned. Pixel is instant.

As far as battery and processor, are you going by spec or actual performance? Battery lasts all day without issue and there's no hitch in performance. Again, general consensus, not just me.

The biggest factor, though, is support. Anyone other than Google is going to be unreliable for updates. You'll be lucky to get them at all, never mind on a reasonable schedule.

Not saying the OnePlus is bad. In a world where it was still just Samsung and LG, it would be a much better sell. But, it's hard to suggest it over a phone that will get better support for a longer time.
 
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