Need advice on new cell phone - Maybe complicated? (Motorola, Verizon, computer)

[Global Friend]

I posted last year needing a new phone and still haven't purchased one. I have an old Android and over it. It's not doing all that I need and freezes up a lot.

I need more memory, at least 64 gb, more options - voice dialing, larger screen 5.5? seems to be popular and capable of having more than one Twitter, Instagram, FB and other social media. I run a medical awareness campaign, a small business and have personal pages on all or most social media. Update or post mostly from bed and like to do it on a phone, not a computer.

I have been doing this from my phone but it's too small, too slow and doesn't have the most updated features. Sometimes people will post to me on Instagram and I see they posted but I can't see the post. I'm guessing it's because they have an iphone or maybe just a newer phone? It's important I see all posts. some of them are asking for my help.

I'm not really that tech savvy and looking up cell phones makes my head spin. I went to Best Buy just to look at them and it seems the iphone 6s plus is the best one out these days but with 64gb it's $1000!

I really can't afford a phone that expensive so open to ideas, suggestions....
Also, I get mixed up easy. I need to buy from a place that will walk me through setting up. A friend was very kind and bought me an iphone on Amazon as a surprise but it was an older refurbished and smaller with not enough memory. Very generous but it wasn't really something I could use so I returned it. It didn't come with any instruction either so I had no clue what to do with it.

Also, is buying refurbished ok? Or is that taking a chance of trouble? I see on Groupon iphones with savings but they say refurbished.

If I have to pay $500 to $700 I guess I have to bite the bullet because it's important I have a really good phone with these features, its just I have a ton of medical expense so trying to save however I can.
Appreciate any advice on this.

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by Rapture

I posted last year needing a new phone and still haven't purchased one. I have an old Android and over it. It's not doing all that I need and freezes up a lot.

I'm not really that tech savvy and looking up cell phones makes my head spin. I went to Best Buy just to look at them and it seems the iphone 6s plus is the best one out these days but with 64gb it's $1000!
*******************
If I have to pay $500 to $700 I guess I have to bite the bullet because it's important I have a really good phone with these features, its just I have a ton of medical expense so trying to save however I can.
Appreciate any advice on this.

Seems Best Buy is ripping you off if they are charging $1000 for a 64gb 6s.

The honest price for said 6s is $750. For a 6 with 64gigs is $650, a phone I bought three months ago. Great phone and camera. If you are OK with a four inch phone the iPhone SE with 64 gigs is $500. A steal! Has all the power of a 6s in a smaller format.

You could get a 64GB 6 Plus for $750 brand new; you can probably find a gently used one for a decent price.

I had a 6 and upgraded to the 6S. The two are really pretty comparable. By going with the 6 you'll be missing out on the faster fingerprint sensor (sometimes it's annoyingly fast) and force touch screen, but that doesn't really seem like a big deal. Internals are better on the 6S but the 6 is still a strong performer.

Originally Posted by Mr5150

Seems Best Buy is ripping you off if they are charging $1000 for a 64gb 6s.

The honest price for said 6s is $750. For a 6 with 64gigs is $650, a phone I bought three months ago. Great phone and camera. If you are OK with a four inch phone the iPhone SE with 64 gigs is $500. A steal! Has all the power of a 6s in a smaller format.

*Plus* being the keyword...

Although it's only $850 direct from Apple. I'm guessing that Best Buy price tacks on a bunch of accessories, perhaps an extended warranty, etc to drive the profit margin up.

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by JasonF

*Plus* being the keyword...

Although it's only $850 direct from Apple. I'm guessing that Best Buy price tacks on a bunch of accessories, perhaps an extended warranty, etc to drive the profit margin up.

Maybe I missed it in the first post, but I did not notice the word Plus. Also getting a 6 or SE is a real option for a high performance phone. OP, please note.

[Mr_Geek]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

Maybe I missed it in the first post, but I did not notice the word Plus. Also getting a 6 or SE is a real option for a high performance phone. OP, please note.

Said 5.5" screen so plus it is.

[Peregrine]

I wouldn't be so quick to give up on Android. That's the thing about talking to sales guys: you're going to get one that is partial to one brand or the other. Few are truly neutral.

The Galaxy S7, The LG G5 and LG V10 (and even the older model G4) are SUPERB Android phones. ALL of them feature expandable memory so you can add 64GB...128GB...heck up to 200GB if you want to pay that much for a card.
The LG's have replaceable batteries so if you hold on to the phone for another 4 years, you can replace the battery.
The V10 camera smokes every other phone on the market.
The Droid Turbo on Verizon only has a shatterproof screen.
All these phones have wireless charging.

The 6S + is a good phone...but "Best one out these days"?
No.

[Ed_RDNC]

Originally Posted by Rapture

I posted last year needing a new phone and still haven't purchased one. I have an old Android and over it. It's not doing all that I need and freezes up a lot. <snip>

I need more memory, at least 64 gb, more options - voice dialing, larger screen 5.5? seems to be popular and capable of having more than one Twitter, Instagram, FB and other social media. I run a medical awareness campaign, a small business and have personal pages on all or most social media. Update or post mostly from bed and like to do it on a phone, not a computer. <snip>

If I have to pay $500 to $700 I guess I have to bite the bullet because it's important I have a really good phone with these features, its just I have a ton of medical expense so trying to save however I can.
Appreciate any advice on this.

+1 on the Samsung Galaxy line. I'm the most power-user I know and my SG4 still meets my needs, with 32g internal and a 32g chip. (Internal at 80%, chip at 10% used). I upgraded from a Motorola that worked fine, just because it was slow, but that was all about internal RAM, and the G4 now is never pushed too much, no matter all the stuff I make it do.

I don't stream or watch much media on it, but I surf a fair amount, so the browser choice and Internet connection method is important to keep track of as you use it, (really good WiFi is so much better than phone carrier connection).

I also keep up with housekeeping. I run several utilities to flush cache, maintain RAM spaces, and I reboot every 2-3 days just to reset everything. When I forget, it noticeably slows down.

You grumble about the pricing, but keep in mind the it's the purchasing models that have changed. Now you pay for the phone provider separate from paying for the phone (cash or installments), the cost of high-end smartphones has stayed around $600-800. I think in the long run it's actually less out of pocket if you can buy a phone outright, as you can pick and choose your phone, and your deal, and then not pay the inevitable installment fees.

If your actions on-line are that varied and that important, you might consider getting a prime phone to use for all your reading and editing, and then get a second phone that's the opposite system (iPhone vs Android) to use to proof your on-line presence, or get a friend to do that for you. Just like web-authors go back and look at their webpages in both IE, and Chrome and Firefox.

Finally, I've found surfing specific forums and joining local interest groups are the best way to learn the Tips 'n Tricks of technology. There are several good Android on-line forums of people talking about how to work their phones. And I use to belong to a local club that met for coffee and chatted, exchanging tips.

[noodlecat]

Remember, you don't have to buy brand new and shell out $500++ unless that's what you want to do. Every cellphone I've owned I bought used off eBay. I buy mainly from private owners with feedback of 99.0% or above, the higher the better, and total feedbacks of at least 100, also the higher the better. Know the specs of the phone you're interested in. Look at all the photos to check condition. Make sure phone has a clean ESN/IMEI so that you know it is not blacklisted by carriers for being lost, stolen, or in arrears. Be skeptical of sellers who show only stock photos and no photos of the actual phone unless they are a high-feedback reseller with generous return policy (even then I would be hesitant). Ask the seller a question to get additional info and to see how responsive he/she is.

[irman]

I suggest you make up a list of all your wants in sequence of *most wanted* first.
Especially with the *APPS* you want. Does the OS support all your desired APPS ?

I have a GPS APP which I use for Flying (I am a pilot) and for driving.
Super APP, I think, but not available for the I-phone !
I do not care for the I-phone anyway.

Then go to Costco and see what they have.
Usually pretty savvy about what they are trying to sell.
Because of Costco, they add some stuff at no cost like chargers, cases etc.

For Phone service I like to stay with Verizon, just best coverage (my opinion !)
Then go a main Verizon store, make an appointment on line first, else you'd be waiting for hours on end ..
Then compare what you get from them.

You like a specific brand, see which providers service those brands.
Then substitute that brand name in the above suggestions.

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Paid off.
There is an updated one, Note 5.
I like the size, not too big, not too small.
It has a pen, which makes writing a lot easier plus my sketches, which I have to make a lot of, easy.
If you happen to walk away without the pen, the bugger buzzes at you to remind you to get the pen into the phone !
I like the wireless charging additions you can opt for.

Keep in mind that you are buying a computer that happens to be able to make a phone call ...
Then keep in mind how much you were willing to pay for a good laptop !

Last but not least, there are a lot of *fakes* on the open market.
When you find one you like, do some research how to recognise fake phones !