I need a new phone, any suggestions?

[Dirty Hipsters]

I've had my current phone for a little under 6 years now. It's an old HTC Droid Eris and I always vowed that I would keep using it until it stops working.

Well, it's beginning to stop working. 6 years in, the various applications that I use are no longer being supported or have stopped working because of memory issues. As of right now I can no longer use verizon navigator, google maps, gmail, or the camera and quite a few of my applications are no longer able to update, so I've decided that I really need a new phone.

So, here's what I want out of my phone:

1. I want it to run android. None of that iphone or windows mobile crap. I want an open platform where I can shove whatever I want on my phone.

2. I want a good battery life. I don't want to have to recharge my phone in the middle of the day ever. The battery life needs to last at least 16 hours of moderate usage (the charge on my droid eris lasts multiple days, up to a week if I have my 3G turned off).

3. I want it to actually fit in my pocket. I've used the samsung galaxy S5 that came out last year and I fucking hated it because it was uncomfortable to sit with it in my jeans.

I don't know a whole lot about the newest smart phones because I haven't needed a new phone in half a decade so I need your help escapists. Please recommend me something that fits my criteria.

Thanks a lot for any suggestions.

UPDATE:

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I decided to get a Motorola Droid Turbo. It's a hell of a lot bigger than I wanted, but it has a great UI and a ton of features that I like, as well as a fantastic battery (or so I'm told), so I guess 2 out of 3 points isn't so bad. At least it's fairly thin and because it's built sturdily I probably won't need a case for it so that keeps it a bit smaller.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Just a couple questions before I make any recommendations:

1. I want it to run android. None of that iphone or windows mobile crap. I want an open platform where I can shove whatever I want on my phone.

Is there anything you intend to do on Android that you can't do on iOS? The reason I ask is because I know far too many people who like criticizing iOS for being too closed and praising Android for being open only to never do anything with Android that you can't do with iOS. And now with iOS 8 supporting widgets (though I don't know what kind of support those have yet), the number of people like that has only gone up tremendously.

Really, I would probably check around what iOS offers. If you don't find things you can do on Android, then fair enough, discount iOS (I'm in the same position), but I wouldn't discount iOS if you never plan on really taking advantage of Android's openness. In fact, I'd say that if you don't plan on taking advantage of Android and can afford it, iOS is the better option.

That said, if you've made a significant monetary investment on Android or plan on rooting the phone, then yeah, stick with Android.

3. I want it to actually fit in my pocket. I've used new samsung galaxy that came out last year and I fucking hated it because it was uncomfortable to sit with it in my jeans.

Sorry, but "Galaxy" really don't tell us anything. That could mean the S5 or the Note 4, and in terms of making recommendations that are restricted by size, that is a huge difference, and I don't want to discount standard-sized smartphones because there was a confusion on exactly which Samsung phone you were talking about.

With that said, if you are talking about the S5, then I'd seriously consider spending more time with a phone that size. Yeah, making the switch will feel awkward for a few days, but unless you are really small or wear really skinny jeans, I can't imagine that a smartphone the size of the S5 will give you a lot of trouble once you get used to it.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Just a couple questions before I make any recommendations:

1. I want it to run android. None of that iphone or windows mobile crap. I want an open platform where I can shove whatever I want on my phone.

Is there anything you intend to do on Android that you can't do on iOS? The reason I ask is because I know far too many people who like criticizing iOS for being too closed and praising Android for being open only to never do anything with Android that you can't do with iOS. And now with iOS 8 supporting widgets (though I don't know what kind of support those have yet), the number of people like that has only gone up tremendously.

Really, I would probably check around what iOS offers. If you don't find things you can do on Android, then fair enough, discount iOS (I'm in the same position), but I wouldn't discount iOS if you never plan on really taking advantage of Android's openness. In fact, I'd say that if you don't plan on taking advantage of Android and can afford it, iOS is the better option.

That said, if you've made a significant monetary investment on Android or plan on rooting the phone, then yeah, stick with Android.

3. I want it to actually fit in my pocket. I've used new samsung galaxy that came out last year and I fucking hated it because it was uncomfortable to sit with it in my jeans.

Sorry, but "Galaxy" really don't tell us anything. That could mean the S5 or the Note 4, and in terms of making recommendations that are restricted by size, that is a huge difference, and I don't want to discount standard-sized smartphones because there was a confusion on exactly which Samsung phone you were talking about.

With that said, if you are talking about the S5, then I'd seriously consider spending more time with a phone that size. Yeah, making the switch will feel awkward for a few days, but unless you are really small or wear really skinny jeans, I can't imagine that a smartphone the size of the S5 will give you a lot of trouble once you get used to it.

Yes, there are things that I intend on doing with the phone which cannot be done on iOS, but I'd rather not get into specifics. Also, I just don't like iPhones in general. They feel and look nice but I don't like their construction.

As far as size, my buddy has a Samsung Galaxy S5 and I have spent time with it and don't like it. It doesn't fit in the inside jacket pocket of any of my suits, and I find the whole thing more awkward and cumbersome than it needs to be. It's not so much that using it gave me trouble, it's just that I didn't like it. I'd much prefer something the size of like an iphone 4s or 5 (but you know, without the iPhoneness). Size isn't a deal-breaker for me, but I would much rather have a smaller phone.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Yes, there are things that I intend on doing with the phone which cannot be done on iOS, but I'd rather not get into specifics. Also, I just don't like iPhones in general. They feel and look nice but I don't like their construction.

As far as size, my buddy has a Samsung Galaxy S5 and I have spent time with it and don't like it. It doesn't fit in the inside jacket pocket of any of my suits, and I find the whole thing more awkward and cumbersome than it needs to be. It's not so much that using it gave me trouble, it's just that I didn't like it. I'd much prefer something the size of like an iphone 4s or 5 (but you know, without the iPhoneness).

OK, then, I'm not especially familiar with the smaller smartphones, but I guess a few I've heard some good things about would include:

-Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini: I'm not a huge fan of Samsung myself, but I know that a lot of people do like them, and the Galaxy S4 Mini should satisfy your size and battery requirements. This would probably be the first you look into based on your carrier (I'm guessing Verizon).
-Motorola Droid Mini: Along with the S4 Mini, this is undoubtedly your best bet at meeting all of your requirements. I don't have anything to say about Motorola myself, though, besides the fact that some guy with one of their phones kept bugging people on a plane I was on by constantly setting of the "Droid" sound.
-LG Enact: Might not meet your desired battery amount, but LG is generally a good smartphone manufacturer.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Yes, there are things that I intend on doing with the phone which cannot be done on iOS, but I'd rather not get into specifics. Also, I just don't like iPhones in general. They feel and look nice but I don't like their construction.

As far as size, my buddy has a Samsung Galaxy S5 and I have spent time with it and don't like it. It doesn't fit in the inside jacket pocket of any of my suits, and I find the whole thing more awkward and cumbersome than it needs to be. It's not so much that using it gave me trouble, it's just that I didn't like it. I'd much prefer something the size of like an iphone 4s or 5 (but you know, without the iPhoneness).

OK, then, I'm not especially familiar with the smaller smartphones, but I guess a few I've heard some good things about would include:

-Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini: I'm not a huge fan of Samsung myself, but I know that a lot of people do like them, and the Galaxy S4 Mini should satisfy your size and battery requirements. This would probably be the first you look into based on your carrier (I'm guessing Verizon).
-Motorola Droid Mini: Along with the S4 Mini, this is undoubtedly your best bet at meeting all of your requirements. I don't have anything to say about Motorola myself, though, besides the fact that some guy with one of their phones kept bugging people on a plane I was on by constantly setting of the "Droid" sound.
-LG Enact: Might not meet your desired battery amount, but LG is generally a good smartphone manufacturer.

I've looked at the LG enact and it doesn't quite cut it for me. The battery life just doesn't seem to be there, and it only has 8gigs of memory.

I've looked into the Motorola Droid mini before and I rather liked it, but I liked the Droid Maxx better. The Maxx is huge (too big for my liking), but I thought it had a better feature set, and the mini doesn't have turbo charging which I think is a rather nice feature. Also I'm kind of weary of any "mini" phone. I've found that they don't get to be as well built as their full-size counterparts and are more likely to break. The size of the phone is really attractive though. Would have to go to a verizon store and feel both in hand. I do really like the materials both the droid mini and droid maxx are made of though.

 

[duwenbasden]

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact [http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/phones/xperia-z3-compact/]

Size comparison (PhoneArena) [http://www.phonearena.com/phones/size/Samsung-Galaxy-S5,HTC-DROID-ERIS,Sony-Xperia-Z3-Compact/phones/8202,4174,8744]

1. Yes.

2. Last very, very long.

3. 5 x 2.55 x 0.34in


Otherwise, you're not going to find a smartphone that small and that powerful.

 

[asinann]

Honestly, even though it's one of the largest phones (5.76" x 2.94") on the market I would still suggest the LG G3. It comes with an internal 32GB of storage and can take an SD card to get 128GB, has over twenty hours of talk time and has a quad HD screen. It's also 650USD so it's a touch on the spendy side for a phone and it's delicate so you're going to want to put an otterbox and some gorilla glass on it.

 

[Gladion]

I would suggest the new Fairphone, just because it's Fairphone. It ships with SU/root access, has Dual SIM support and is generally designed to be more customer-friendly than the competition in addition to the fairer working conditions of its suppliers. A friend of mine has one and I found it to be surprisingly heavy for its size, though I consider that a plus. However, it's sold out currently and the second batch won't be released before summer. So if it's urgent, you will probably have to get another. Maybe one that runs Firefox OS? Haven't researched that, though.

 

[somecrazyfellow]

I'm honestly surprised nobody has brought up the Moto G. It's a cheap and cheerful phone, one that won't break the bank, and that can actually do things that require half decent specs. It all depends what level of the market you're looking at, really. There's so many phones out there, especially android ones. But anyway, my friend has got a Moto G and it doesn't look too out of place in the company of iPhones and higher end android devices. With moderate usage and such, most phones should make it through the day just fine, and motorola seem to be pretty good with battery life generally, so that shouldn't be too much of a concern, especially if you turn off 3g and such. Obviously you could also go for some flagship phones from a couple of years ago which tend to be on the smaller side compared to what they are now, like the older HTC one. The Sony Z3 compact would also be a good phone to look at without compromising on specs as somebody else said; there's so many phones out there.

Watch some youtube videos, try some phones out in shops, it's all personal preference in the end. Good luck finding a phone that suits your needs.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact [http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/phones/xperia-z3-compact/]

Size comparison (PhoneArena) [http://www.phonearena.com/phones/size/Samsung-Galaxy-S5,HTC-DROID-ERIS,Sony-Xperia-Z3-Compact/phones/8202,4174,8744]

1. Yes.

2. Last very, very long.

3. 5 x 2.55 x 0.34in


Otherwise, you're not going to find a smartphone that small and that powerful.

That's a nice phone, I really like it. Problem is it seems to only be sold by sony, not by verizon, and I'd rather get the phone directly from verizon because I have a lot of credit stored up from not having upgraded phones in nearly 6 years which would make any phone I get really cheap.

I'll have to go to a verizon store and check if they sell that phone because I don't see it in their online store, just the full size sony xperia z3v.

Also, I recently heard that sony has gotten out of the phone market. Do you think that'll have an effect on how well this phone would be supported into the future?

 

[visiblenoise]

I was recently shopping for my first smartphone. Coming from a feature phone, I also really hated how all the new phones seem to be intentionally unwieldy. I narrowed it down to two options: Moto X (2013, first gen), or Sony Xperia Z1/Z3 Compact.

I ended up going with the Moto X - I've been using it for a few weeks, and I'm pretty happy with it. Battery life is good for a comfortable 1.5 days on light to moderate use (I mostly read on it, I don't play games or watch videos). Sits in the pocket well. It's relatively underpowered, but I've never noticed.

You should know that the Xperia Z series seems to have an issue with its glass casing cracking really easily (google it and see). I was buying unlocked, so that, along with Sony's subpar customer service, put me off. I really, really wanted it though.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I was recently shopping for my first smartphone. Coming from a feature phone, I also really hated how all the new phones seem to be intentionally unwieldy. I narrowed it down to two options: Moto X (2013, first gen), or Sony Xperia Z1/Z3 Compact.

I ended up going with the Moto X - I've been using it for a few weeks, and I'm pretty happy with it. Battery life is good for a comfortable 1.5 days on light to moderate use (I mostly read on it, I don't play games or watch videos). Sits in the pocket well. It's relatively underpowered, but I've never noticed.

You should know that the Xperia Z series seems to have an issue with its glass casing cracking really easily (google it and see). I was buying unlocked, so that, along with Sony's subpar customer service, put me off. I really, really wanted it though.

Good to know about the weak glass on the sony xperias.

As far as the moto x goes, that's a little more of a budget phone, but I don't really have to worry about the money since I have tons of credit from not upgrading my phone for a really long time. It's a pretty decent phone and I did consider it, but it doesn't really stand out feature wise and the 16 gigs of memory isn't great (is that expandable). Glad you like it though.

 

[Signa]

I've worked with the Galaxy s4 a bit, and I think I will be upgrading to it when it's time for my upgrade. Then again, by the time that happens, the s5 probably will be dirt cheap.

 

[Evil Smurf]

If I were to cross over to android, I'd get a nexus, stock android is best android.

Although, the iPhone 6 plus is a workhorse.

 

[sneakypenguin]

Honestly, even though it's one of the largest phones (5.76" x 2.94") on the market I would still suggest the LG G3. It comes with an internal 32GB of storage and can take an SD card to get 128GB, has over twenty hours of talk time and has a quad HD screen. It's also 650USD so it's a touch on the spendy side for a phone and it's delicate so you're going to want to put an otterbox and some gorilla glass on it.

This I love me some android and the G3 is pretty vanilla android and the hardware is solid all the way around.

OP I know big phones seem awkward and dont fit in your pocket well. Honestly though after a week I can't go back I had a 3.5 inch before then a 4.5 and thought that was perfect but the G3 just carries so small for its size and picking up my wifes older 4.5 in phone jsut feels like a tiny awkward to see phone.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Honestly, even though it's one of the largest phones (5.76" x 2.94") on the market I would still suggest the LG G3. It comes with an internal 32GB of storage and can take an SD card to get 128GB, has over twenty hours of talk time and has a quad HD screen. It's also 650USD so it's a touch on the spendy side for a phone and it's delicate so you're going to want to put an otterbox and some gorilla glass on it.

This I love me some android and the G3 is pretty vanilla android and the hardware is solid all the way around.

OP I know big phones seem awkward and dont fit in your pocket well. Honestly though after a week I can't go back I had a 3.5 inch before then a 4.5 and thought that was perfect but the G3 just carries so small for its size and picking up my wifes older 4.5 in phone jsut feels like a tiny awkward to see phone.

Everyone who says that to me carries their phones in their back pockets, then take them out when they sit down and never put them down until they get back up. I don't do that, I like carrying my phone in either my front pocket or in an inside jacket pocket if I'm wearing a suit, and really large phones tend to make that a problem.

People say "oh, you'll get used to it" but the truth is, they didn't get used to it, they just completely changed how they carried the phone in order to accommodate the size. I'm stubborn though, I don't accommodate my gadgets, they accommodate me.

 

[lacktheknack]

It's a bit out of date now, but I really, really loved my LG Flex before I lost it. It's a really big-but-thing and long-lasting 'Droid phone that has a molded curve (which made it really comfortable to carry in my side pocket, but I have mega thighs that might not translate to yours). You can't buy a case for it, but the sucker was nigh-unbreakable anyways.

 

[HankyPanky]

I bought a Sony Xperia Z3 Compact and I could not be any happier with my phone. Very powerful and not large enough to murder someone. Also compatible with remote play (don't have a ps4 yet so can't test it myself). Absolutely recommend.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I bought a Sony Xperia Z3 Compact and I could not be any happier with my phone. Very powerful and not large enough to murder someone. Also compatible with remote play (don't have a ps4 yet so can't test it myself). Absolutely recommend.

How'd you buy it, directly from sony or through your wireless carrier?

 

[HankyPanky]

I bought a Sony Xperia Z3 Compact and I could not be any happier with my phone. Very powerful and not large enough to murder someone. Also compatible with remote play (don't have a ps4 yet so can't test it myself). Absolutely recommend.

How'd you buy it, directly from sony or through your wireless carrier?

From Amazon, actually,it was cheaper then. Looking at pricing now though, it seems that it's about the same price on the Sony store itself: http://m.store.sony.com/products/27-M~XZ3D5803

I should note that, as far as I know, the phone only covers at&t and t-mobile. I may be wrong though.