Sticker shock on new phones

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I had my iPhone 6 for almost 3 years when the battery control system started screwing up. It would randomly power off showing no battery, I would plug it in and restart it, only to have it show 50% power! I just got an iPhone 8 Plus that I like. Bigger screen for when I use the apps and lots of memory to keep my music. They keep advertising better cameras, but I only use the phone camera for quick snapshots so I really don?t care about that. I got the phone with a significant rebate which made it not so painful.
 
[quote author=Larry N.]... have trouble holding them steady, they don't have a viewfinder, and the zoom leaves a lot to be desired[/quote]


Those are all big issues for me Larry. My hat is off to Tom S for the results he's able to achieve.
 
SeilerBird said:
It is not me, it is the Pixel 2. Almost impossible to get a bad shot with it.

To the first part.. yeah, a lot of it is you Tom. No need to tell you that there's a lot more to a good/great pic than just tripping the shutter, and your pics prove that. :)
On the second part... I can most likely prove you wrong on that. ;D
 
Its funny, no one mentioned the year end deals VZW and ATT usually offer.  Both DW and I got new phones with a 50% discount last year. 
 
I've been reading up on the Pixel2 XL.  Amazing the technology they are building into these new cameras.  Got one coming from Verizon, next week.
Tom, did you happen to get the add-on lens for the Pixel?  Just wondering if they are worth the bother.
 
Tom, does the Pixel 2 have really good stabilization?
 
phil-t said:
I've been reading up on the Pixel2 XL.  Amazing the technology they are building into these new cameras.  Got one coming from Verizon, next week.
Tom, did you happen to get the add-on lens for the Pixel?  Just wondering if they are worth the bother.
I don't know anything about an add on lens. And if I did I would not buy one or use one. They degrade the image too much for me.
 
Tom said:
Tom, does the Pixel 2 have really good stabilization?
No, it has exceptional stabilization. Both optical and digital stabilization are included and video uses both at once. Check out this video that I shot hand held:

https://youtu.be/duWzRiN-mu0
 
Ah yes, I recall you posted that link previously.
 
Roy M said:
I would be scared to leave the house with it. ;D Sarge, I strongly suggest staying away from LG products after my experience with two tv's and a fridge. Customer support is non existent. My iphone 5 still does everything I need but I notice it getting slower at times.
We had to replace Karen's old flip phone in 2016 when Telus 'upgraded' the system and it would no longer work. Great way to sell phones. ::) It went missing in the hospital, probably went through the laundry, so I got her another one. Now I have a brand new hardly used phone I have no need for.

I have had the same BAD experience with LG prodjunks. I had a DVD recorder go bad (found thousands of people who had the same problem as mine on the net), a fridge kept going out, and a TV that went bad just after a year. LG customer support is the worse I have ever had. Some people have had a good experience, but I have talked to others who have had troubles as well.
 
Sun2Retire said:
I?m worried enough carrying a $600 phone. Paying $1000+ would virtually guarantee I?d lose or drop it

That's why I pay Verizon for "device protection."  IMHO it's worth a few dollars a month to know that I'm covered pretty much regardless of what happens to it.

As for all the talk about paying such high prices for these phone, am I the only one who chooses to pay them out on a monthly basis?  Both my wife and I have S7's that are being purchased through Verizon.  The contract and purchase prices are the same--there are no interest charges.  And I plan on having Verizon as a carrier anyway, so I don't see the 2-year commitment as a big deal.  When my S7 is paid for in March I'll probably trade it in on an S9. JMO

As for cameras, I love the improved cameras on all the newer phone, but I'm enough of a dinosaur that I won't give up my DSLR.  My Xmas gift to myself this year is an 18-400mm zoom to replace my 18-270mm.  That's an amazing 22:1 ratio.  I can't wait to getting some wildlife closeups.  I like using my phone's camera because it's always with me, but I really like the photos I can take with the "big camera!"
 
docj said:
am I the only one who chooses to pay them out on a monthly basis? 


Nope, I did the same. Made sense since there was no ?finance charge?. But I still payed for it.


The device protection is a good idea considering the cost of these things.
 
Hmmm ... I'm rocking an Alcatel Onetouch Pixi Glory LTE smartphone I bought from Walmart's StraightTalk for $35 a couple of years ago.  You can buy refill cards at Wal-mart or auto-bill to a credit card, which is what I chose.  I'm paying $34 a month for unlimited nationwide calling and texts, and 4GB a month of 4G data.  No surcharge after 4GB, the data just slows to a crawl (or so I'm told, as I haven't hit that yet).

Android Lollipop, 5.5" touchscreen and a so-so 5MP camera.  It was short on memory when I got it, so I added a 32GB micro flash card and it's fine now.  It's a GSM phone with service through TracFone.  For phones purchased in Pahrump, the primary carrier is T-Mobile with fallback to AT&T, and I've had pretty good coverage wherever I've traveled.  I'll probably replace it with another phone when I go through Livingston, TX this summer.  I'm told StraightTalk provides Verizon/Sprint CDMA phones there.
 
Sun2Retire said:
The device protection is a good idea considering the cost of these things.

In addition to device protection both of us have our phone in OtterBox cases with Zagg tempered glass screen protectors.  No way this klutz (me) can carry such an expensive device around without additional protection!  8)  Over the past couple of years my screen has been saved several times by the Zagg screen protector.
 
Hi Terry. I hadn't thought of a refurbished phone.
 
Diane's phone, a Galaxy S5 is on it's last legs. I have toyed with the idea of jumping to T-mobile for the phone carrier. They have some smokin deals, especially if I jump on my son's plan since he has multiple lines already.  Verizon is just costing a bunch of money for two phones and a hotspot SIM card.
 
Lou Schneider said:
Hmmm ... I'm rocking an Alcatel Onetouch Pixi Glory LTE smartphone I bought from Walmart's StraightTalk for $35 a couple of years ago.  You can buy refill cards at Wal-mart or auto-bill to a credit card, which is what I chose.  I'm paying $34 a month for unlimited nationwide calling and texts, and 4GB a month of 4G data.  No surcharge after 4GB, the data just slows to a crawl (or so I'm told, as I haven't hit that yet).

Android Lollipop, 5.5" touchscreen and a so-so 5MP camera.  It was short on memory when I got it, so I added a 32GB micro flash card and it's fine now.  It's a GSM phone with service through TracFone.  For phones purchased in Pahrump, the primary carrier is T-Mobile with fallback to AT&T, and I've had pretty good coverage wherever I've traveled.  I'll probably replace it with another phone when I go through Livingston, TX this summer.  I'm told StraightTalk provides Verizon/Sprint CDMA phones there.

Lou, if you buy your Tracfone or Straight Talk phone online, you can get the carrier you want no matter where you are. None of the Tracfone brands have used Sprint in quite awhile, although Verizon may still be using their towers in some areas under a roaming agreement. Our Tracfone/Verizon phones have worked everywhere we've been so far, although our Max Amp RV "whole RV" cell booster may be responsible for some of that. We do have an AT&T hotspot we use for VOIP service if needed though.
 
The image stabilization on my Galaxy S6 Edge works excellently, and the later models supposedly improve it further. It's 14 megapixel at the rear and 5 MP front, so the resolution is darn good as well.

You can get certified & warranteed re-furbs for around $200-$225 and there are even a few new ones available at about $299. Ebay, Amazon, etc.
 

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