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gamer roomie is 41
May 3, 2020

:)
I've been (over)paying for a ATT unlimited plan for years now, it's a single line for $90 a month with unlimited data/text and 450 minutes. I want to add my gf's phone to my plan and pay one bill.

I'm grandfathered into an old unlimited plan but it looks like there's no benefit to that? Usually I take "grandfathered" to mean that there's some perk that's no longer available but I signed up for it in the 00s when unlimited data was more valuable and talk minutes were more of a thing.

Nation 450 with Rollover
International Roaming - Expanded
Messaging Unlimited with Mobile to Any Mobile Calling
Data Unlimited for iPhone on 4G LTE with VVM

Before I make the switch, is there any reason to not change what I already have? I think it's just that grandfathered word I saw on some forums about upgrading old plans that's making me hesitate. You can't get them back once you change it and I'm afraid there's some fine print somewhere that makes me more likely to have slower speeds or more overage charges when I change it.

Anyhoo, my gf is on Verizon and we both have newer iPhones so don't need device incentives. I just want her phone w/ the same number as always to start saying att at the top and then we're both on the same bill. Do I need to go to the store for a SIM card to switch it? I guess I don't need to stick w/ ATT, what's the best deal for two lines? In the next few years we'll just be in New York and Boston which both seem to have good coverage on all networks, unless I'm unaware of some notable carrier-specific shittiness in one place or the other.

Thank you everyone

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Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer

gamer roomie is 41 posted:

I've been (over)paying for a ATT unlimited plan for years now, it's a single line for $90 a month with unlimited data/text and 450 minutes. I want to add my gf's phone to my plan and pay one bill.

I'm grandfathered into an old unlimited plan but it looks like there's no benefit to that? Usually I take "grandfathered" to mean that there's some perk that's no longer available but I signed up for it in the 00s when unlimited data was more valuable and talk minutes were more of a thing.

Nation 450 with Rollover
International Roaming - Expanded
Messaging Unlimited with Mobile to Any Mobile Calling
Data Unlimited for iPhone on 4G LTE with VVM

Before I make the switch, is there any reason to not change what I already have? I think it's just that grandfathered word I saw on some forums about upgrading old plans that's making me hesitate. You can't get them back once you change it and I'm afraid there's some fine print somewhere that makes me more likely to have slower speeds or more overage charges when I change it.

Anyhoo, my gf is on Verizon and we both have newer iPhones so don't need device incentives. I just want her phone w/ the same number as always to start saying att at the top and then we're both on the same bill. Do I need to go to the store for a SIM card to switch it? I guess I don't need to stick w/ ATT, what's the best deal for two lines? In the next few years we'll just be in New York and Boston which both seem to have good coverage on all networks, unless I'm unaware of some notable carrier-specific shittiness in one place or the other.

Thank you everyone

ATT vs Verizon is just whom has better coverage , which varies area to area. Additionally, plan prices can vary, although they tend to be close.

Both companies tend to offer bigger incentives for switching. In your case , one of you is def switching , so I would def compare 2 things: plans/benefits and switching promotions.

Grandfathered just means you have a plan that is not currently offered. A lot of times that can be a benefit if something was taken away (IE old unlimited plans tended to not have throttling soft caps whereas current unlimited plans have throttling when over data and on a congested tower).

I don’t know ATT’s promos, but for example if you bring your own phone, switching to Verizon they’ll give you a $150-250 gift card. If you need to buy a phone, both carriers usually have either a trade in promo or buy one get one free for switching.

Plan wise, 2 people is probably $120-140 on either carrier depending on what features you need. Here’s an example : for Verizon:

2 people at $120: unlimited data, if you are on a congested tower your internet slows down , no mobile hotspot, requires autopay with checking account (or its $10 a line more)

2 people at $140: unlimited data, no throttling until either individual line uses 50GB, 15GB mobile hotspot each, comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+, requires autopay with checking account (or its $10 a line more).

ATT is probably similar, their plans probably come with HBO Max instead of Disney (it’s the new thing carriers do).

I work for Verizon, both as a disclaimer and why I don’t know ATT’s plans. Either is probably fine , if you’re gonna be in Boston and NYC you’re gonna probably want the plans that don’t have the throttling on either carrier.


Basically, check promos and plans for ATT, Verizon and T-Mobile , go with what works best for you.

gamer roomie is 41
May 3, 2020

:)
Thank you very much! I haven't looked into phone plans since I got my current line over a decade ago so thanks for getting me up to speed. I'm gonna look around for some promos.

gamer roomie is 41
May 3, 2020

:)

Duckman2008 posted:

I don’t know ATT’s promos, but for example if you bring your own phone, switching to Verizon they’ll give you a $150-250 gift card. If you need to buy a phone, both carriers usually have either a trade in promo or buy one get one free for switching.

Just curious, what determines what amount you'll get? If you're not trading it in why is it a variable amount?

Impotence
Nov 8, 2010
Lipstick Apathy
- account type
- plan type (highest tier? lowest tier?)
- what phone you are buying from them that's locked for years
- online only promo or in store
- number of lines you are bringing over

etc

PerniciousKnid
Sep 13, 2006
I'm afraid my phone might be crapping out on me. I have a Moto G6, preceded by a Google Nexus, so I'm looking for another phone in the 5.5", $2-300 range with a decent camera and as close to native Android as possible. ATT 4G plan.

PerniciousKnid fucked around with this message at 16:11 on Aug 27, 2020

sourdough
Apr 30, 2012

PerniciousKnid posted:

I'm afraid my phone might be crapping out on me. I have a Moto G6, preceded by a Google Nexus, so I'm looking for another phone in the 5.5", $2-300 range with a decent camera and as close to native Android as possible. ATT 4G plan.

Good news, Pixel 4a just came out. Buy direct from Google for $349, or if there's some deal on it from your carrier or Best Buy or somewhere, that's good too. Also keep in mind the aspect ratio of phones has changed and bezels are a lot smaller, so the 5.8" display Pixel 4a is significantly smaller than your 5.7" display Moto G6.

PerniciousKnid
Sep 13, 2006

sourdough posted:

Good news, Pixel 4a just came out. Buy direct from Google for $349, or if there's some deal on it from your carrier or Best Buy or somewhere, that's good too. Also keep in mind the aspect ratio of phones has changed and bezels are a lot smaller, so the 5.8" display Pixel 4a is significantly smaller than your 5.7" display Moto G6.

Great!

I may also need to replace my wife's Moto e4, what's a good phone in the $150 range?

thechosenone
Mar 21, 2009
I bought my dad and me a coupleo Nokia 6 phones a while back, and now the charge port has become persnickity on both his and mine (which I gave to him when I switched to a pixel 3a). To replace it, I intend to either give him my current phone and move to a pixel 4a, or buy him a Moto g Power for the battery, screen size, etc. Are there any other candidate android phones in a similar situation? He's just gonna use it for browsing, though he might appreciate screen real estate since it can be hard for him to read stuff. Would like to keep it between 150 and 400 dollars since he doesn't like me spending too much on him. Would prefer ones that won't have their charging port crap out quick.

Edit:mainly just posting to make sure I don't buy something stupid. Using TMobile btw.

Uthor
Jul 9, 2006

Gummy Bear Heaven ... It's where I go when the world is too mean.

PerniciousKnid posted:

Great!

I may also need to replace my wife's Moto e4, what's a good phone in the $150 range?

Dunno what her needs are, but I got my mom a G7 Play and it's a pretty nice device for the price.
https://www.motorola.com/us/smartphones-moto-g7-play/p

She only uses it for calling and texting and YouTube, so I don't know how it holds up to more intense usage; it doesn't exactly have the most RAM or storage (it does take an SD card). The camera is kinda poo poo, though.

DaveSauce
Feb 15, 2004

Oh, how awkward.
Can anyone recommend me a way to NOT buy a new phone?

Not sure where to ask this, but I just cracked the glass on my Pixel 2 XL. Was originally just a crack, but has since developed in to a hole with jagged edges that snag my pockets, so I'm going to start inadvertently tearing bits off (of the glass or my pants) in not too long here. Screen looks fine, so it's just a matter of replacing the glass.

Looks like a replacement kit can be had for around $40, but I have no idea how to navigate what sites/manufacturers are reliable or not.

Any recommendations?

regulargonzalez
Aug 18, 2006
UNGH LET ME LICK THOSE BOOTS DADDY HULU ;-* ;-* ;-* YES YES GIVE ME ALL THE CORPORATE CUMMIES :shepspends: :shepspends: :shepspends: ADBLOCK USERS DESERVE THE DEATH PENALTY, DON'T THEY DADDY?
WHEN THE RICH GET RICHER I GET HORNIER :a2m::a2m::a2m::a2m:

DaveSauce posted:

Can anyone recommend me a way to NOT buy a new phone?

Not sure where to ask this, but I just cracked the glass on my Pixel 2 XL. Was originally just a crack, but has since developed in to a hole with jagged edges that snag my pockets, so I'm going to start inadvertently tearing bits off (of the glass or my pants) in not too long here. Screen looks fine, so it's just a matter of replacing the glass.

Looks like a replacement kit can be had for around $40, but I have no idea how to navigate what sites/manufacturers are reliable or not.

Any recommendations?

Any city of decent size (say, 25,000+) will have a place that replaces phone screens. Whether they can do your phone I'm not sure, but Google for "(your city) phone repair" and call them to see.

BonHair
Apr 28, 2007

Not sure if it will work, but maybe get one of those screen protector overlays?

Oysters Autobio
Mar 13, 2017
I got my Pixel 1 back in early 2016, and unfortunately now with a full charge the battery completely dies after a few minutes of use, so it looks like I'm in need of a new phone.

I really liked the Pixel because I liked the Google environment and integration without any stupid bloat like other phones at the time had (Samsung and the like were filled with uninstallable apps that were just garbage) and the fact that back then, Google phones would receive instant security and OS updates while certain Androids like Samsung sometimes had a delay. Finally, I thought the camera was fantastic (honestly, it still holds up very well today) and I liked the fingerprint reader because I'm lazy but don't like the idea of the face unlock thing. I also appreciated the water proofing, and the construction on it was rock solid despite many drops without any scratches. My only critique was I guess the fact that the battery is now draining and completely dies, but I'm assuming nowadays 4 years is an unreasonable amount of time to expect a phone to last unfortunately.

My first thoughts were just to get whatever the latest Pixel was, but after some initial reading I'm hearing some critiques of the current iterations and am curious what I should consider knowing what I liked before and what should I know about the current Pixel offerings and how they stack up with the other Android competitors.

DaveSauce
Feb 15, 2004

Oh, how awkward.

regulargonzalez posted:

Any city of decent size (say, 25,000+) will have a place that replaces phone screens. Whether they can do your phone I'm not sure, but Google for "(your city) phone repair" and call them to see.

Oh yeah there are plenty around, but I had just assumed that there was a "go to" option for aftermarket repair parts/kits. I have no problem attempting the work myself, I just want to make sure I don't buy a piece of garbage that either won't fit or won't work.

sourdough
Apr 30, 2012

Oysters Autobio posted:

I got my Pixel 1 back in early 2016, and unfortunately now with a full charge the battery completely dies after a few minutes of use, so it looks like I'm in need of a new phone.

I really liked the Pixel because I liked the Google environment and integration without any stupid bloat like other phones at the time had (Samsung and the like were filled with uninstallable apps that were just garbage) and the fact that back then, Google phones would receive instant security and OS updates while certain Androids like Samsung sometimes had a delay. Finally, I thought the camera was fantastic (honestly, it still holds up very well today) and I liked the fingerprint reader because I'm lazy but don't like the idea of the face unlock thing. I also appreciated the water proofing, and the construction on it was rock solid despite many drops without any scratches. My only critique was I guess the fact that the battery is now draining and completely dies, but I'm assuming nowadays 4 years is an unreasonable amount of time to expect a phone to last unfortunately.

My first thoughts were just to get whatever the latest Pixel was, but after some initial reading I'm hearing some critiques of the current iterations and am curious what I should consider knowing what I liked before and what should I know about the current Pixel offerings and how they stack up with the other Android competitors.

Get a Pixel 4a, it doesn't have the downsides of the 4 (very expensive for what you get + not great battery life). Unless you want to spend like $1000 on a flagship, the 4a will do everything you want for $350.

Captain France
Aug 3, 2013
US, Indiana.
My Mom's about to be out of the house a lot (taking care of grandma, at my uncle's house in a rural area for no good reason, it's a whole thing), and where she's going doesn't have internet.
So we're looking into switching her from a fairly old phone on an emergency-amount USMobile plan to something with more data. Right now we're thinking of either getting her something through Xfinity Mobile, my carrier because we get three free unlimited talk and text lines for having cable there, or just buying a bigger data plan through USMobile. Comcast comes with a discount on the phone, but it'll be an extra $18 a month over the current plan to get 3.5GB. USMobile has 5GB for $20, no help upgrading her phone. The current plan is to check reception out before we pick, leaning towards USMobile if they both work, but also if there's any good plans to get a decent amount of data for a good price that I'm missing, it'd be nice to know about?

Half considering springing for $40 for an unlimited data line, is there any better price on that anywhere?

Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer

Captain France posted:

US, Indiana.
My Mom's about to be out of the house a lot (taking care of grandma, at my uncle's house in a rural area for no good reason, it's a whole thing), and where she's going doesn't have internet.
So we're looking into switching her from a fairly old phone on an emergency-amount USMobile plan to something with more data. Right now we're thinking of either getting her something through Xfinity Mobile, my carrier because we get three free unlimited talk and text lines for having cable there, or just buying a bigger data plan through USMobile. Comcast comes with a discount on the phone, but it'll be an extra $18 a month over the current plan to get 3.5GB. USMobile has 5GB for $20, no help upgrading her phone. The current plan is to check reception out before we pick, leaning towards USMobile if they both work, but also if there's any good plans to get a decent amount of data for a good price that I'm missing, it'd be nice to know about?

Half considering springing for $40 for an unlimited data line, is there any better price on that anywhere?

No, it’ll be very hard to beat $40 a month for unlimited data.

Otherwise , sounds like rural Indiana, I haven’t heard of US Mobile (unless you mean US Cellular). When you get to those areas , def check the coverage. There are still areas that is mostly the rural carrier and that’s the only option that works well. Comcast uses Verizon FYI, so you can check a Verizon coverage map (although nothing beats actually physically testing it if possible).

Impotence
Nov 8, 2010
Lipstick Apathy

Duckman2008 posted:

No, it’ll be very hard to beat $40 a month for unlimited data.

Otherwise , sounds like rural Indiana, I haven’t heard of US Mobile (unless you mean US Cellular). When you get to those areas , def check the coverage. There are still areas that is mostly the rural carrier and that’s the only option that works well. Comcast uses Verizon FYI, so you can check a Verizon coverage map (although nothing beats actually physically testing it if possible).

There's always visible for $20 first month, $25 recurring for unlimited data at basically the same MVNO prioritization level, unmetered hotspot allowed, if your phone is supported (they are picky)

Xachariah
Jul 26, 2004

DaveSauce posted:

Can anyone recommend me a way to NOT buy a new phone?

Not sure where to ask this, but I just cracked the glass on my Pixel 2 XL. Was originally just a crack, but has since developed in to a hole with jagged edges that snag my pockets, so I'm going to start inadvertently tearing bits off (of the glass or my pants) in not too long here. Screen looks fine, so it's just a matter of replacing the glass.

Looks like a replacement kit can be had for around $40, but I have no idea how to navigate what sites/manufacturers are reliable or not.

Any recommendations?


BonHair posted:

Not sure if it will work, but maybe get one of those screen protector overlays?

I cracked the screen of my Pixel 2 XL a couple of weeks ago too. Since I'm intending to replace the phone in a month or so I did what BonHair suggested there and just put a tempered glass screen protector on top of it. Works great if you're looking for a cheap short term solution.

One thing to note, that 2.5D edge thing they got going on the phone makes the tempered glass edge kind of noticeable without a case.

Fuck You And Diebold
Sep 15, 2004

by Athanatos
located in the US
I/my boss have no idea where to go for this, and one of you might be able to point me in the right direction. The company I work for has a 24h emergency (cell) phone that clients can call when they are in crisis and right now we physically hand it over each shift. It works for now, but COVID has made meeting up to hand it over more annoying and I figure there has to be a better way to do it as that service grows. Ideally we'd have backup of texts and continuity so when someone starts their shift they can see what what just going on even if it isn't the same physical phone, and all on the same phone number so the clients don't have to keep multiple numbers and know which one to call. Our current IT department is someone's husband who is clearly working very hard but also way overburdened and also knows less about cell phones than I do which is why I'm asking here

Its for work and I don't want goons to be my work consultants for free so my only question is if anyone knows where or whom I can take this scenario to as I don't even know where to start or how to fit that all into a google search

Endless Mike
Aug 13, 2003



Can you just set up a Google Voice account and let everyone who uses the system log in on their work computer? Google Apps might facilitate this, but IDK.

Fuck You And Diebold
Sep 15, 2004

by Athanatos

Endless Mike posted:

Can you just set up a Google Voice account and let everyone who uses the system log in on their work computer? Google Apps might facilitate this, but IDK.

I was thinking about something like that but I dont know how it would handle text messages. Does it show text messages sent to other devices while they were logged in or only ones sent to your device while you are logged in? It's an option to look into at least!

Impotence
Nov 8, 2010
Lipstick Apathy

gently caress You And Diebold posted:

I was thinking about something like that but I dont know how it would handle text messages. Does it show text messages sent to other devices while they were logged in or only ones sent to your device while you are logged in? It's an option to look into at least!

Texts are on the web interface. You can reply to them threaded. It looks like a messenger-equivalent.

The only thing is you should probably ensure you're not sending any form of PII, internal, etc data to a free zero-SLA cloud service.

berzerkmonkey
Jul 23, 2003
It looks like I'm in the market for a new Android phone - I found out last night that my Moto z2 Force gets to 24% battery, then straight up dies. I'd try a battery swap, but it appears to be wildly difficult to pull off without damaging the plastic screen, and it's stuck on Android 8 anyway.

I know the Pixel 4A just came out, but I don't care for the lack of an SD slot (I put a lot of audiobooks and music on the external card) and the battery doesn't seem all that great. However, three OS upgrades is definitely enticing. I'm really on the fence about it though.

Are there any phones in the same class as the 4A coming out in the next month or two that I should be on the lookout for? I don't need a $1000 flagship - I'm looking for reliability and a good battery in a phone that will last me a few years.

sourdough
Apr 30, 2012

berzerkmonkey posted:

It looks like I'm in the market for a new Android phone - I found out last night that my Moto z2 Force gets to 24% battery, then straight up dies. I'd try a battery swap, but it appears to be wildly difficult to pull off without damaging the plastic screen, and it's stuck on Android 8 anyway.

I know the Pixel 4A just came out, but I don't care for the lack of an SD slot (I put a lot of audiobooks and music on the external card) and the battery doesn't seem all that great. However, three OS upgrades is definitely enticing. I'm really on the fence about it though.

Are there any phones in the same class as the 4A coming out in the next month or two that I should be on the lookout for? I don't need a $1000 flagship - I'm looking for reliability and a good battery in a phone that will last me a few years.

If you want a bigger phone, the Pixel 4a 5G is almost certainly going to be the XL version of the 4a, so very similar except bigger and likely better battery for $500. Battery test results have seemed kind of all over the place on the 4a, though, with some reviews having it just a bit better than the new iPhone SE and others having it pushing 6 hours screen on time in real use or 9+ hours in a video streaming test at full brightness. The most pessimistic battery test results (gsmarena) have the 4a beating the Z2 Force (when it was new), so if you've been happy enough with it, you should be happy enough with the 4a. If you primarily care about battery life, the Moto G Power is another budget option, but you'll be sacrificing camera, updates, performance.

Celexi
Nov 25, 2006

Slava Ukraini!

Endless Mike posted:

Can you just set up a Google Voice account and let everyone who uses the system log in on their work computer? Google Apps might facilitate this, but IDK.

You can create a shared google voice number on gsuite, but google voice is not free on gsuite anymore

PerniciousKnid
Sep 13, 2006

gently caress You And Diebold posted:


Its for work and I don't want goons to be my work consultants for free so my only question is if anyone knows where or whom I can take this scenario to as I don't even know where to start or how to fit that all into a google search

I would call the phone company and ask about their relevant services, assuming you have some kind of business account with them.

berzerkmonkey
Jul 23, 2003

sourdough posted:

If you want a bigger phone, the Pixel 4a 5G is almost certainly going to be the XL version of the 4a, so very similar except bigger and likely better battery for $500. Battery test results have seemed kind of all over the place on the 4a, though, with some reviews having it just a bit better than the new iPhone SE and others having it pushing 6 hours screen on time in real use or 9+ hours in a video streaming test at full brightness. The most pessimistic battery test results (gsmarena) have the 4a beating the Z2 Force (when it was new), so if you've been happy enough with it, you should be happy enough with the 4a. If you primarily care about battery life, the Moto G Power is another budget option, but you'll be sacrificing camera, updates, performance.

Thanks for the info. The Moto G was definitely on the list, but Motorola's lack of updates annoys the piss out of me. That, and their insistence that 64GB is acceptable storage on a modern smartphone (they aren't the only ones guilty of this though.)

I know I'm going to take a hit if I go for a $300-ish phone, but I'm tired of spending $500+ on something that is intentionally designed to last 2 years and the option to repair is so fraught with ways to inadvertently destroy the hardware that it makes it a useless endeavor.

C-Euro
Mar 20, 2010

:science:
Soiled Meat
My wife is gung-ho to replace her phone, and I might as well start thinking about replacing my three year old Pixel XL, so it's off the Verizon Store on Friday. What we're looking for:

1. I like this Pixel a lot and just want to get something like it. However, the only Google phone that the Verizon website lists is something called a 4a? Do they not sell the current Pixel models anymore?

2. Wife wants to go from a Pixel 2 XL to some sort of iPhone for whatever reason, mostly for business reasons rather than anything like its camera. Can we narrow down her iPhone choices based on that?

Duckman2008
Jan 6, 2010

TFW you see Flyers goaltending.
Grimey Drawer

C-Euro posted:

My wife is gung-ho to replace her phone, and I might as well start thinking about replacing my three year old Pixel XL, so it's off the Verizon Store on Friday. What we're looking for:

1. I like this Pixel a lot and just want to get something like it. However, the only Google phone that the Verizon website lists is something called a 4a? Do they not sell the current Pixel models anymore?

2. Wife wants to go from a Pixel 2 XL to some sort of iPhone for whatever reason, mostly for business reasons rather than anything like its camera. Can we narrow down her iPhone choices based on that?

Ok let’s see.

-pixel: google’s pixel 4 was a flop. They’re replacing it with the 4a and 5, but the 5 (higher end one) isn’t slated until like, October. 4a is a good budget phone, but I don’t know how many Verizon stores have it in stock, mine doesn’t. And if you want more than a budget phone, it may not be for you.

-iPhone : so....is her phone broken? Is she ok with waiting a month to see what the new iPhones are ? Because it would potentially be win win: she either gets the new iPhone or the current iPhone is a bit cheaper C , and it’s later so you can get the new pixel.

In terms of current iPhones , it depends on budget. The iPhone SE is great for its price, the 11 is bigger screen and better/dual camera, and the Pro/Max is even better screen and camera. There’s more to it, but that’s the simple answer. If it’s for business reasons but camera isn’t important, I guess the 11 ?

ClassActionFursuit
Mar 15, 2006

Duckman2008 posted:

Ok let’s see.

-pixel: google’s pixel 4 was a flop. They’re replacing it with the 4a and 5, but the 5 (higher end one) isn’t slated until like, October. 4a is a good budget phone, but I don’t know how many Verizon stores have it in stock, mine doesn’t. And if you want more than a budget phone, it may not be for you.

The 4a compared to the original XL is more or less equivalent or better. If you liked the Pixel XL it's hard to imagine you wouldn't like the 4a.

C-Euro
Mar 20, 2010

:science:
Soiled Meat
Yeah I wouldn't be in any rush to replace my phone if the battery wasn't starting to noticeably wear out. Half the time I'm using it is just to gently caress around on the internet so if a 4a will give me that then I'm interested. It's a similar story with her Pixel 2 (small chip in one corner of the screen, headphone adapter doesn't work, phone is fine otherwise), she's just less patient with aging tech than I am. Thanks for the heads-up on the newer phones coming out next month, I'll see if I can talk her into waiting until then.

Silly Burrito
Nov 27, 2007

The Note 20s are already $200 off at Amazon, B&H, and Best Buy.

berzerkmonkey
Jul 23, 2003

LastInLine posted:

The 4a compared to the original XL is more or less equivalent or better. If you liked the Pixel XL it's hard to imagine you wouldn't like the 4a.

Just throwing this out, but people are already saying the 4a has mediocre battery life, even if you're not a power user. I imagine after a couple of updates and years, the battery on this phone will be frustratingly bad.

sourdough
Apr 30, 2012

berzerkmonkey posted:

Just throwing this out, but people are already saying the 4a has mediocre battery life, even if you're not a power user. I imagine after a couple of updates and years, the battery on this phone will be frustratingly bad.

Fwiw most of the hand wringing about battery that I've seen has been people reading the specs and assuming it's bad because the battery capacity isn't the same as other physically larger phones, or people thinking like 5-6 hours sot is mediocre.

ClassActionFursuit
Mar 15, 2006

berzerkmonkey posted:

Just throwing this out, but people are already saying the 4a has mediocre battery life, even if you're not a power user. I imagine after a couple of updates and years, the battery on this phone will be frustratingly bad.

The Pixel XL had a 3450mAh battery. The Pixel 4a has a 3140mAh battery. It took three years for my Pixel XL to get to the point where the battery started to be an issue, I'd expect the 4a to perform about the same.

Twerk from Home
Jan 17, 2009

This avatar brought to you by the 'save our dead gay forums' foundation.
Country: USA
Carrier: T-Mobile
Budget: $400 or less

Priorities: Better battery life than a Pixel 3a, camera equivalent to or better than Pixel 3a. Prefer a bigger phone if it's an option.

Long story:
My Mom uses her phone for two things: Playing Pokemon Go and taking photos of grandkids. Problem is, she plays a lot of Pokemon Go, and is rough on her phones. They go through at least 2 full discharge/recharge cycles every day, get quick charged, and the batteries are shredded by 1 year old. Also sometimes they get dropped or water damaged. She's been running a ~1 year and change upgrade cycle for a long time now, with a parade of <$250 Moto Gs and Honor / Huawei phones. Where did those go? She had both an Honor 6x then Honor 7x that she liked.

Last year I talked her into a Pixel 3a, which she absolutely loved for the camera. Now, that Pixel 3a seems to have had a water damage incident and will only charge if restarted while plugged into the charger. She's been talking about wanting a new phone for a couple weeks anyway because the battery is shot.

Is there any option other than a Pixel 4a? Anybody have a Moto G Power / Stylus? She'd prefer the size of them for sure, bigger than the 4a.

berzerkmonkey
Jul 23, 2003
The Stylus is definitely on my short list - I've seen tons of good reviews about both battery life and the camera. The Motorola One Fusion+ is also on the list, but I'm really wary of the motorized selfie camera - I know the one time I drop the phone, that thing will be up and it will snap clean off.

My one gripe with Motorola is the "one and done" OS upgrade cycle for their phones. Running a near pure Android experience should allow them to continue updating the OS at least twice. This policy has me leaning toward the Stylus rather than spending an additional $100-ish on the Fusion+.

AFAIK, the Stylus has a better camera, and twice as much memory as the Power for only a $50 difference (less if you can get the Stylus on sale.) I like the Power's battery, but I also like having a decent camera and not running out of local storage. Both lack NFC, but I never use it, so it's not a big deal for me personally.

I notice that the Power is not currently available on Motorola's website, so they might be coming out with an update soon? I know their anniversary is at the end of the month, and they normally do some sales at that time.

berzerkmonkey fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Sep 10, 2020

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sourdough
Apr 30, 2012

Twerk from Home posted:

Country: USA
Carrier: T-Mobile
Budget: $400 or less

Priorities: Better battery life than a Pixel 3a, camera equivalent to or better than Pixel 3a. Prefer a bigger phone if it's an option.

Long story:
My Mom uses her phone for two things: Playing Pokemon Go and taking photos of grandkids. Problem is, she plays a lot of Pokemon Go, and is rough on her phones. They go through at least 2 full discharge/recharge cycles every day, get quick charged, and the batteries are shredded by 1 year old. Also sometimes they get dropped or water damaged. She's been running a ~1 year and change upgrade cycle for a long time now, with a parade of <$250 Moto Gs and Honor / Huawei phones. Where did those go? She had both an Honor 6x then Honor 7x that she liked.

Last year I talked her into a Pixel 3a, which she absolutely loved for the camera. Now, that Pixel 3a seems to have had a water damage incident and will only charge if restarted while plugged into the charger. She's been talking about wanting a new phone for a couple weeks anyway because the battery is shot.

Is there any option other than a Pixel 4a? Anybody have a Moto G Power / Stylus? She'd prefer the size of them for sure, bigger than the 4a.

I don't think you're going to approach the Pixel 4a camera without spending significantly more than that, unless perhaps waiting til whenever the Pixel 4a 5G hits (it's likely to basically be a Pixel 4a XL). For battery, who the hell knows when everyone uses their phones differently, but fwiw on my 4a, I'm at 18 hours off charger, 4.5 hours screen time (mostly reading ebook, SA, and random browsing news/sports), and 53% left. Can't do much about the size being smaller than she'd like, though.

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