So I have had the Samsung Galaxy S3 for the past three years and it is just now start to open its mouth. So I am now looking for a new phone. While I go through reviews I would like to here what the Tek Syndicate community may have to say on phones.
For my preferences I would say that I want something that is:
1. Not Samsung (I know there is bloatware on a lot of phones but after seeing some reviews there seem to be relatively less on non-samsung phones)
2. Replaceable Battery
3. SD card slot
4. Has a monolithic/minimalist appeal to it aesthetically.
5. Not an iPhone (Sorry just really don't like using iOS, tis' awkward for me)
6. Can stand the test of time physically.
Kinda looking for opinions on phones that you think may align with my preferences.
If I was extremely broad just through a bunch up and I'll definitely have a look, If you wanna put them in order of most recommended vs least, that'd be stellar.
EDIT:
After looking around, I am realising that removable batteries are becoming more rare. Taking into consideration that I have managed to make my S3 with its 2100 mAh battery last a full day (with very strict monitoring) I think the combination of a 3000+ mAh battery and more modern technology will be better (or atleast just as good).
Current Phones that I have my eyes on:
LG G4
Asus Zenfone 2
Nexus 5/6
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
Sony Experia Z5
(Friend of mine just got an HTC phone so gonna be pestering him for info)
HTC One M8
I can't say for ones that meet your exact requirements but
The Nexus 6 is freakn awesome, it however does not have a removable battery nor an sd slot but you can get it in 64GB and a new one is set to launch soon which may have larger storage.
I use mine not heavily but regularly and get at least a full day and a half if i were to use it more probably looking at a day of use with the quick charger that comes with it it charges so fast it is kinda unbelievable
also I believe if your battery starts flaking out you can contact motorola and they will replace it. (this would need to be verified)
When you do get new phone,revive your S3 with some custom ROM. I myself have an S3 and runing custom rom is a must.
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Good luck on finding a nice phone with a replaceable battery, I really hope you can find something with those requirements. I'm not a phone reviewer so I can't weigh in as one, but I did do a fair amount of research before choosing my phone and I picked up an HTC One M9. HTC is definitely losing the fight in the mobile market and this phone doesn't necessarily meet the needs of the average consumer, but as someone who NEEDED the expandable storage and as much power as I could fit in my pocket, I have been very satisfied with my purchase of this device unlocked. The one big complaint I have is the battery life, which you can watch drain while doing intensive activities so if you can't compromise battery life, go ahead and remove this one from your list.
I'm in the same boat - my S3 is still going strong, it's been reliable for a long time now. Custom ROMS always help - what ROM do you run?
QS.But it started to act strange,not the latest rom tho,only problem is RAM managment,i think that is fixed in the newest release. 5.1.1 ROMs only if you want performance,battery life is crap.That is why I am on a QS.
I see, I mostly just use Cyanogen, but I haven't tried many others
How's your battery life? @nocturnesr
Well I know I won't be able to get everything I want but I will add Nexus 9 to my list. Right now the SO and I are shopping around so it has to pass the "SO approval" test as well.
Will certainly look into that. I'm big fan of holding on to my old tech and re-purposing until it becomes useless. I really want to do something a long the lines of an arduino rover and somehow incorporate the s3 somehow as I have seen on the web.
Yea I'm moving around a lot throughout the day and seldom have moments where I can sit down and plug in to charge. Thank you for the information.
Zenfone 2? Probably the best unless you want a good camera on it. I forget if it has a removable battery and SD slot though
Zenfone 2 is on my radar. SD slot (up to 128 GB which is more than enough) and a non-removable battery. What brings it up to the top of my interest list would be its price being in the $200-$300 range.
I don't see much point in a removable battery, isn't a USB battery bank good enough for most use cases?
Well after looking around I think I am going to take that off the preference list. Me wanting that stems from my experience from how quickly my batteries have lasted in terms of both time to depletion and the entire lifetime of the battery. But after thinking about it, my S3 has a 2100 mAh battery. If these newer batteries are 3000+ and are (reasonably) and the tech in these phones are becoming more efficient, I should be able to just deal with it like everyone else does.
overall you're probably going to replace your phone within 2 years anyways aren't you?
If my phone has to be replaced then yes. I don't replace phones just because I want a new one, only if I need a new one.
I'm replacing my S3 for many reasons with the primary one being that it will short out unexpectedly.
tl;dr- to answer your question, no. I've made the S3 last 3+ years, if these newer phones are better in any sense then I will be making them last 3+ years as well until they are a hazard to be trusted as a phone.
It's more that a better phone is bound to come along within the next 2-3 years that might warrant a replacement.
Well I would wait if I could, but the reason that I am searching now is because I am getting closer everyday to owning a brick as a phone. I'll do my best to keep it alive, but the end if nigh for this little guy.
Well the zenfone 2 is probably your best bet then, one plus 2 doesn't seem too good overall atm, it doesn't even really utilize it's USB 3 Type C