I'm not the norm, as I've carried (and will continue to carry) Apple Music to a very happy extreme
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One of the great things about LG, although...IMO...not enough people cared, was deciding to have and the attention they paid to having an onboard DACs on some of their phone models.
There were three different 'DAC versions' that LG had on different models over the years...an internal DAC where Bang & Olufsen did the tuning, an internal DAC where Meridian did the tuning, and an internal DAC where LG did their own tuning.
IMO, from listening, and from reviews I read, the Meridian tuned version = the best, and it could be argued that it produced the best phone alone/sans
external DAC, with the right wired headphones sound of any Android ever and only equaled...maybe...by a few high end iPhones.
IIRC, only two LG phones had the Meridian tuned DACs, the G8x ThinQ Dual Screen definitely and, IIRC, the other one was the V50.
I kept my eyes open and when, while traveling in December of 2020, I noticed an incredible sale on the factory unlocked version (and new....not refurbished or open box) of the G8x ThinQ Dual Screen. I swooped in and bought one. At the time, the price on LG's website (with the 2nd/Dual Screen case) was $950.00 or $960.00 plus tax. I paid $420.00 or $430.00 plus tax (second/Dual Screen included).
In 2021 I also added a new, locked to Tracfone's Straight Talk brand, LG Stylo 5 for $99.00 to use with the stylus for notes, use for Apple Music, etc. but not as a phone.
Apple Music has a 100,000 song/item limit for the library on their subscriptions. I wanted to go beyond that, so I ended up getting a second Apple Music subscription (that is on a second/separate Apple ID). My first subscription has a full 100,000 item library, and the library on my second subscription (I pay yearly for each subscription....it's cheaper and less hassle) is currently just under 40,000 items.
It's important to me that my Android phones have microSD card slots so I could download the whole libraries and listen offline, and the LG phones I have fill the bill on that score.
I compiled my libraries by looking through what I have here in Texas, going from memory re what I have stored in California (which doesn't the music I have stored that I inherited, as I don't have that cataloged in my mind), and going through a number of 'best' lists (including by fans) and reading reviews. Overall, a number of different types of music, and includes favorites of my parents and grandparents that they introduced (to me) way back when.
It also ended up being important to me that I have 'two of each'. If I'm somewhere where I don't have access to plug in AC power (camping, hiking, a beach, etc) and I'm listening to a library, I don't want to have to stop re lack of battery power (even if I brought a power brick, that might run out before i desire), and I also don't want to be without the downloaded music from a library on the phone, which would be the case if I only had one of each library on a phone and the phone was damaged.
My 100,000 song/item Apple Music Subscription #1 (all from Apple...never ripped/converted my own from my original CDs, LPs, etc) has over 95,000 songs and over 4,000 videos in it (I know the totals because I have the library...not downloaded at all...on an iPad, and iPad (but not iPhone) gives the separate totals within the interface. It's well over 1 TB if downloaded, so all of it won't fit on one phone. I have no idea how the second/around 40,000 subscription breaks down (= not on any iPad).
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So I have things set up like this:
*****Apple Music subscription #1 (has a full/filled 100,000 item library):
- Downloaded to HP Spectre 15.6" Windows (10) laptop...to have it fit I have a 1 TB microSD card in an SD card adapter that the HP 'swallows' (it 'swallows' probably 99+% of the adapter). 900+GB of the library is on the microSD card and the other 200+GB is on the HP's internal SSD. It's all seamless. All I do is click on a selection after clicking on what Windows still refers to as iTunes.
- Downloaded 'to' a MacBook Air (the downloads, the whole 1.1TB+, = on a 4 TB external drive)
- Downloaded to the factory unlocked LG G8x Dual Screen (with an added 1 TB microSD card inside) with the downloads being all of the songs in the library and only the videos that Apple puts on the end/as part of audio albums and videos where Apple created 'an album of just videos'. Altogether that = about 900 GB.
- Downloaded to the LG Stylo 5 (with an added 1 TB microSD card inside) the same content as is downloaded to the unlocked LG G8x....altogether = about 900 GB.
- Downloaded to a Samsung AO3s (locked to Tracfone, purchased 2022 for $49.99 new) with an added 500 GB microSD card that I already had...All of the Apple Music videos (altogether 262 GB) from Apple Music subscription #1.
- Downloaded to a second Samsung AO3s (also locked to Tracfone, also purchased in 2022, also new and also $49.99, and also with a 500 GB microSD card inside that I already had)....a second copy/set of all of the Apple Music videos (altogether 262 GB) from Apple Music subscription #1
- Downloaded to my 2020 iPhone SE...a bit over 3,500 (the other 900 were less preferred and wouldn't fit) of the 4,400 plus Apple Music videos (a bit over 3,500 = just under 210 GB) from Apple Music subscription #1.
- On....but no downloads for offline listening.....my iPad Pro (3rd Gen 12.9" cellular capable).
*****Apple Music subscription #2 (has a library that = just under 40,000 items...also all from Apple...zero of my CDs, LPs, etc. converted/ripped):
-Downloaded (on a 1 TB microSD card) to a Samsung AO2s................(that I bought new in 2022 before the two AO3s...60 some odd dollars for the AO2s which....along with the Stylo 5...I activated for 60 days and got unlocked (doing both unlockings before I bought the two AO3s ) by Tracfone in case I ever want to use them as phones)...............all of that subscription #2/almost 40,000 unit library (over 300 GB).
-Downloaded (on a 1 TB microSD card) to a second LG G8x (a 9 out of 10 rated (condition) that to me is 10 of 10) that I got off of eBay for under $150. It's locked to AT&T, but I don't plan on using the phone aspect of the phone....................all of that subscription #2/almost 40,000 unit library (over 300 GB).
-On.....but no downloads to....my old 1st Gen iPhone SE.
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I have an LG V20 case that I got at a local vendor ($10 ?) that I'm using for the second G8x, but it's a bit too loose, and the Dual Screen case has gone down in price so much on eBay (now about $60 in new or great condition), that I may order a Dual Screen case for that today.
Eventually, I'll get a newer iPad (with a better camera, etc.) and move my current iPad to be, among other things, 'the iPad for Apple music Subscription #2' with the new iPad replacing the old iPad as my main iPad.
At some point, if I decide I want to make a deep dive into the camera settings to make it worth it, I may get a Sony Xperia PRO-1. I've recently seen some new ones from the high 900s to 1,198 (rather than the initial 1700-1800) on eBay and some used ones (not damaged) in the 600s. In addtition to the capabilities of the camera, the PRO-1 has a microSD card slot and that top iteration also has 512GB of internal storage.
I currently use two of my current 'Apple Music affiliated' phones from above as actual phones with phone lines/service.....my unlocked 2020 iPhone SE and my unlocked LG G8x Dual Screen.
If any of my 3 LGs needed repair, I'd probably go that route first (knock on wood, I hope to keep them not needing repair for years).
If that didn't work out, then I would attempt replacement via eBay, Swappa, etc.
If that availability turned to zero, my next plan would be for a different brand, but also
with a microSD card slot.
Perhaps I should be worried about updates, but I'm not (especially on the ones I'm not using as phones/not using the phone part).
Re the two I'm using as phones, my iPhone 2020 SE is on iOS 15.7, and the unlocked LG G8x is on Android 11 (some of the 'alerts' I get from reddit on my iPad indicate that people are having trouble with Android 12 on the G8x).
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