tips on buying a new Iphone.

[holyjohnson]

i am forced to buy a new phone and i am looking at the iPhone 12 mini.

i`m currently using Verizon as my provider and would like to hear the Advice of all the BS Tech people on the best deals and plan recommendations and Phones i am way out of my comfort zone and trying to not talk myself out of a phone completely...

lets hear all your advice and Criticisms .

Thanks in advance..

[LostinTexas]

Do you have to have an I phone? If you already love it, go to the last two paragraphs.

I ask because despite all the love the interwebs has for the brand, I have found more people trying to avoid it or leave it. Apple will own your soul and all the advertising of their effort to keep your privacy top priority is just that.

I hate the Iphone platform. My folks use them and it is something that is just foreign to me. You get one brand to be comfortable with, not all the rest.

If you like Verizon, keep it. If you are looking for an alternative, check out Straight Talk or Total Wireless.  Straight Talk, Total, Trac Phone, and a host of others fall under Trac Phone company. If you have better AT&T coverage in your area, ST will do that too, or just go AT&T prepaid. I don't know how your area is, but in ours and just about everywhere we go, it is best to avoid T-Mobile. Things may have changed after acquiring Sprint and it's infrastructure, but that is still new and not a lot to go on right now.

Most depends on the amount of data you need. Plenty out there to bend your mind, and these prepaids are pretty solid.

Happy shopping

Edited May 17, 2021 by LostinTexas

[crockett]

Buy the newest iPhone. The S21 Ultra. Makes nice photos.

 

 

[railfancwb]

Really comes down to what is important to you - talk, text, data, photo. I have iPhone 11 with two lens and 250gb. It is my primary camera as well as my primary internet access. 

[Swampfox762]

I'm too stupid to use an I phone.  Long time ago... I chose alternatives to Mac/apple. I didn't like em even back then.  81 or 82. I'm straight Android. Just depends on what you brought up with.

[Swampfox762]

51 minutes ago, crockett said:

Buy the newest iPhone. The S21 Ultra. Makes nice photos.

 

 

Of Course!!!  You're a geek my man!!!  Abso ******  lootly!!! 

[holyjohnson]

@LostinTexas Do you have to have an I phone? If you already love it, go to the last two paragraphs.

 

no i have a 14 year old flip phone, but i have an iPad and have used them as tablets at home not as a mobile device.

i have no Exp. with androids, that's the main reason for an iphone

and the mini because i don't want a huge ass phone that wont fit in a pocket.

i just plan on talking and texting for the most part.

camera, interweb outside of here and Email, maybe navigation i don't care much about.

if its better to buy it outright or payments and the like i know nothing about and for the most part Verizon has been good around here.

this is the Limit of my Knowledge on the damn things.

Edited May 17, 2021 by holyjohnson

[holyjohnson]

55 minutes ago, railfancwb said:

Really comes down to what is important to you - talk, text, data, photo. I have iPhone 11 with two lens and 250gb. It is my primary camera as well as my primary internet access. 

yes, mostly just talking and texting as much as i despise texting.

and this is about the only Forum or interweb activity i do anymore.

as far as the camera i have no eye for photography, if i have to photograph something it is a need not a hobby.

[crockett]

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs iPhone 12 Pro Max

The S21 Ultra has:

- 24% higher maximum brightness (1011 over 817 nits, this alone makes it worth)

- twice the RAM

- twice the refresh rate

- display has higher resolution

- larger screen

- HDR10+

- 4 times optical zoom (10x over 2.5x)

- 8 times digital zoom (100x over 12x)

- has 8k recorder (iPhone only 4k)

- longer battery life

- MUCH better image quality

- bigger battery (5000mA over 3687 mA)

- reverse wireless charging (iPhone does not)

- supports a SPen (iPhone does not)

- Newer Bluetooth version (5.2)

- Modern USB Type-C port

- Slow-motion recording at 960FPS

- No ******* forced update pop-us.

 

I used to buy Apply until I got the Samsung. Night and day. Will never buy an iPhone again. They are made for fanbois.

Edited May 17, 2021 by crockett

[LostinTexas]

26 minutes ago, holyjohnson said:

@LostinTexas Do you have to have an I phone? If you already love it, go to the last two paragraphs.

 

no i have a 14 year old flip phone, but i have an iPad and have used them as tablets at home not as a mobile device.

i have no Exp. with androids, that's the main reason for an iphone

and the mini because i don't want a huge ass phone that wont fit in a pocket.

i just plan on talking and texting for the most part.

camera, interweb outside of here and Email, maybe navigation i don't care much about.

if its better to buy it outright or payments and the like i know nothing about and for the most part Verizon has been good around here.

this is the Limit of my Knowledge on the damn things.

If you use an Ipad, you should be pretty easily transitioned. I understand about carrying an Etch-A-Sketch around in your pocket. The trend is bigger and bigger. It wasn't too long ago it was smaller and smaller, but we talked on them then.

I have a great camera, so don't care. I have a computer, so I would much rather look at a 17 inch screen than a 5 inch one. It is convenient when away from home, and a lot of phone carriers allow for hot spotting the phone for a mobile internet carrier. LostWife enjoys this feature when working out of the office and away from home.

I tend to gravitate to unlocked devices when possible, so just buy it. The payments do make it convenient, and if you plan to stay with the carrier the contract isn't a huge deal.

It would seem Crockett has the same love for Apple products as I do. Android is a solid user friendly platform, and many transition from I products pretty readily. I can operate android, so the interest in it. I find it very suitable, but Iproducts are supposed to be good as well.

Side note, I get a kick out of my step dad bragging about the "new" features that his Iphone just loaded, that my androids even the low end ones I use, had had for years often times. Just let him gloat, it doesn't do any good to tell him.

Edited May 17, 2021 by LostinTexas

[holyjohnson]

2 hours ago, crockett said:

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs iPhone 12 Pro Max

The S21 Ultra has:

- 24% higher maximum brightness (1011 over 817 nits, this alone makes it worth)

- twice the RAM

- twice the refresh rate

- display has higher resolution

- larger screen

- HDR10+

- 4 times optical zoom (10x over 2.5x)

- 8 times digital zoom (100x over 12x)

- has 8k recorder (iPhone only 4k)

- longer battery life

- MUCH better image quality

- bigger battery (5000mA over 3687 mA)

- reverse wireless charging (iPhone does not)

- supports a SPen (iPhone does not)

- Newer Bluetooth version (5.2)

- Modern USB Type-C port

- Slow-motion recording at 960FPS

- No ******* forced update pop-us.

 

I used to buy Apply until I got the Samsung. Night and day. Will never buy an iPhone again. They are made for fanbois.

selling me on it..

[holyjohnson]

keep it coming guys this is really helpful!

 

Thanks!

[crockett]

By the way: I used to like the smaller phones, always bought the smallest iPhone from the lineup. Until I almost caused a crash, trying to read the navigation while driving.

Ever since I rolled over the hill my eyes don't like reading anything up-close, and I can't drive with reading glasses. I hate having to take my reading glasses anywhere. My solution was that big screen on the Samsung. I increased the text size, and no more issues reading texts etc.

[LostinTexas]

The kid (30something) next door has a S21 Plus?, and he loves it. It takes great pics and can zoom to amazing power, but it is also $1K phone. I'm sure you can shop colors and places and get a little better. Seems a pink one will only set you back $800 from the quick web search I just did. Prices are coming down some. LOL

It uses 5G and all the latest whistles. My $150 phone uses 4G and 2.4 on the router. It reaches further, and quite frankly outruns the device. I can get 125ish Mbs off it. 5G on the router runs 400Mbs, but the phone can only handle the 125ish speeds. No worry, that is more than enough to do just about anything one would do on a phone. You know, watch a 4K movie, download docs, a few albums, order supper, make a date with your best girl. All at the same time. The 25Mps I get off 4G data will probably do all of that, at the same time but might be pushing the limit depending on the occasion. Pretty doubtful though, and would probably have plenty to spare.

The hype over the super fast download speeds is kinda over dramatic, but people like their things to brag about.

Have fun bending your mind over all of this. In the end, you will probably realize how easily drawn to overthinking we really are.

 

 

Edited May 17, 2021 by LostinTexas

[holyjohnson]

i`m on the fence still but this is really helpful folks, Thanks!

iPhone 12 mini is still on top because of its usable size and i don't need a monolith trying to fall out of my pocket all day.

the s21 is catching up although the price and size are holding it back, its big and expensive and full of things i probably wont use.

i don't know yet about buying unlocked or going monthly seems whichever is easier, dunno yet.

i do think i`ll keep Verizon.

i have to pull the trigger by the weekend or i will talk myself out of it.

anything else you can think of is not wasted, i have no knowledge of these damn things.

Thanks all, really helpful.

[crockett]

One more note: the size of my Samsung is no issue at all. I too was concerned after buying phones like the iPhone 5S for its small size. The pockets on male clothing are huge. My phone never made it out of a pocket. If they would offer the S21 Ultra with a larger screen, I'd even go for that.

The much higher brightness in combination with a much bigger battery is the biggest advantage for me. I spend so much time on the beach with bright white sand and can still read the display without any issues. When I take my old iPhone X to the beach, I end up with a headache.

Also, I own cameras and Zeiss lenses worth 5 figures, but the 5 cameras in the Samsung phone make me keep all that gear in my safe.

 

Try to make night shots like that with any iPhone:

 

 

[holyjohnson]

i want to thank everyone here i was close to the G21 ultra but they were sold out and it was too big.

i got the Mini12 and its the exact piece of technological annoying crap any phone is to me.

but, it is what i got. unlocked, stayed with Verizon and happy enough so far.

appreciate all the help folks!

Thanks!

[pipedreams]

On 5/17/2021 at 12:35 AM, crockett said:

 I increased the text size, and no more issues reading texts etc.

Perfect solution to not needing a large phone screen.   First thing I do when I get a new phone, bingo no eye strain.

[crockett]

3 minutes ago, pipedreams said:

Perfect solution to not needing a large phone screen.   First thing I do when I get a new phone, bingo no eye strain.

 

I tried that on my old iPhone X. Many apps are not coded for larger text and you can't read **** because it's out of screen. Android apps do better with that.

[Borg warner]

On 5/16/2021 at 3:28 PM, holyjohnson said:

i am forced to buy a new phone and i am looking at the iPhone 12 mini.

i`m currently using Verizon as my provider and would like to hear the Advice of all the BS Tech people on the best deals and plan recommendations and Phones i am way out of my comfort zone and trying to not talk myself out of a phone completely...

lets hear all your advice and Criticisms .

Thanks in advance..

I had a flip phone for ten years with consumer cellular. It did everything I needed it to do which was to make calls and receive calls. It had a lot of other capabilities that i never used and they never got in the way. It even had Bluetooth which I used to pair with my hearing aids which I really liked.

But after ten years the battery wasn't holding  a charge as long even though I was shutting it off every night and then it only had 3G coverage so I got a new flip phone from consumer cellular and it was a peice of crap and was almost as complicated as a smart phone. Consumer cellular only cost 20 bucks a month but customer service was by phone only so I went with Verizon because they have a local office nearby in the small town where I live.

Verizon ordered me a flip phone and while I was waiting for it to arrive they they loaned me a smart phone and showed me how it worked. It was a nightmare and I was at their office every day an sometimes 3-4 times a day to get help with the dumbass "Smart" phone. The settings on the stupid things would change fro seemingly no reason and it was easy to accidentally change them without knowing it. Finally teh flip phone arrived and it was more complicated than my original flip phone from ten years ago, but it only took me a bout a week to learn how to use it and Verizon is only charging me about ten dollars more a month than consumer cellular. and after a year it will be less.

I don't need a phone that is a camera or a portable computer And I don't do text messaging. I'd like to get some kind of tablet or laptop to carry in my car but I want my phone to just be a phone.

Edited May 25, 2021 by Borg warner

[holyjohnson]

22 hours ago, Borg warner said:

I had a flip phone for ten years with consumer cellular. It did everything I needed it to do which was to make calls and receive calls.

i had mine for 14 years and only because my Mom was sick and needed it. was a simple flip phone did what i needed and was cheap.

i`m not a fan of Smart phones too many gimmicks i`m not gonna need, but 5Gis here and i had to adapt.

i do hope a Ghost phone comes out that works with 5G soon and is just a simple Phone that i don`t have to build myself and program.

which was at one point an option for me.

the Carrier is IMHO too expensive but ill adjust it at some point or just live with it.

i`ll be honest i have left this Phone home more times so far than i have carried it, and i was still the last person most people know who didn't keep have a phone.

now i need to buy a G30S to balance out the carry rig with the phone now included.

[LostinTexas]

Jonson, there are dozens of "throw away" phones that are 5G capable. Throw away isn't as cheap as it used to be in most cases, but does things that we never thought of a few years ago.

5G isn't all the advertisement wants you to think. It is not that hot outside metropolitan areas. Fast, but how fast does a phone need. I get 25-50 Mbs depending on location from 4G. More than enough to do anything I care on a phone size screen, and can be hot spotted on a laptop and still do a multitude of heavy tasking, at the same time.

Learn to use your Iphone. You paid enough for it, and it will be more than you probably need in any foreseeable future. There are plenty of carriers other than Verizon that are more than capable as well.

If stuck in a contract, start looking when it is near up. When it is up, contact Verizon and have them unlock it. They can and do, but try to feed you a line. Don't buy what they are shoveling. (not just Verizon) As many great plans as there are today, in 3 years or what ever, there is not telling what could be there. Many come and go, but the ones right now are pretty stable and in a group that is. I was amazed at what companies fall in the Trac Phone umbrella. Many of the better ones. 

Cheers