Phone Dying

ddrueding

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Got my wife a Samsung Galaxy Note Edge because it supports cards and battery swaps. Nice phone, not too much bigger than an S5.
 

ddrueding

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Just about killed my phone today (it is now discharging continuously, I suspect an internal short. Even with the phone off a new battery runs flat in a couple hours and the phone is always hot)

I think I want the LG G4, but I'm tempted to make the safe decision with the Note 5. Will be buying tomorrow.
 

time

Storage? I am Storage!
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Frankly, I'd be tempted to try a G4 - because it isn't Samsung. I'm unimpressed about the direction that Samsung has taken their product range in the last year.

If it doesn't work out, it's a few hundred bucks down the drain - I could get over that, so Dave wouldn't even notice the speed bump.

FWIW, my youngest daughter is hanging out for an LG G5 - but it's not available for another 9 months ...
 

time

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Lunar: I was never impressed with the S2 reliability wise. I would just bin it and move on.
 

DrunkenBastard

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Just about killed my phone today (it is now discharging continuously, I suspect an internal short. Even with the phone off a new battery runs flat in a couple hours and the phone is always hot)

I think I want the LG G4, but I'm tempted to make the safe decision with the Note 5. Will be buying tomorrow.

Personally I would go with the Note 4 to have the microSD and removable battery.
 

Santilli

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Just bought a Galaxy S3 for my gf from Ting for 122.00 Great phone for that. Rooted it, and battery life is not an issue. Ting does not load a bunch of stuff on it, and I can remove most of the Samsung stuff.

Using the Otter case on my Mega 6.3" screen.

No problem putting it on and off, over and over.

Yes different carriers have different phone designations. When you root your phone, this becomes important, since different instructions are designed for each model of the same phone, and, you may brick your phone if the flash you use is for another model of the same phone.

https://autoroot.chainfire.eu/

Right now I find the prices asked for new phones to be WAY too high for what you are getting.
Samsung seems to be reducing features, like removable SD cards and batteries, and charging more.

The S5 is waterproof, that's cool, but i WONDER ABOUT SWITCHING BATTERIES?

It's got a 5.1" screen, which hopefully will fit your pocket. Supports 128 GB SD card? Very cool.

http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-galaxy-s5/user-reviews/

The review about putting the S5 in a washer for 15 minutes worth reading.
The majority of user reviews are worth reading. Looks like quality control on this phone, and support are terrible.

Considering you want a smaller phone, maybe a new or refurbished S3 might be a better idea?

These were the phones I was looking at recently:
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Samsung Galaxy S4
Samsung Galaxy S 5 cricket
Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime 129. Cricket is GSM
Samsung Galaxy S4 Cricket 250.00
Cricket GSM unlocked phone
Samsung Mega
 

ddrueding

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LG G4 32GB Black ordered through the company this afternoon. Probably Monday. I'm just leaving a huge Anker external battery pack connected constantly, this allows me to only swap to a freshly charged battery twice a day.
 

Handruin

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I'm getting annoyed at how laggy my phone has become where it used to be pretty snappy and responsive. The other day I was in a meeting and I unlocked my phone to check an email. I accidentally pressed the pandora icon but nothing seemed to happen so I second guessed actually touching it. I locked the phone and put it on the table. Some 5-7 seconds later it starts blaring music unexpectedly. That's a typical example of how things go with my phone.

Maybe I should consider the LG G4 also. I'll be curious to hear your impressions. Did you order one through your cell carrier or did you get an unlocked version? The unlocked versions I've seen have zero warranty in the US which makes me cautious.
 

ddrueding

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I'm getting annoyed at how laggy my phone has become where it used to be pretty snappy and responsive. The other day I was in a meeting and I unlocked my phone to check an email. I accidentally pressed the pandora icon but nothing seemed to happen so I second guessed actually touching it. I locked the phone and put it on the table. Some 5-7 seconds later it starts blaring music unexpectedly. That's a typical example of how things go with my phone.

Maybe I should consider the LG G4 also. I'll be curious to hear your impressions. Did you order one through your cell carrier or did you get an unlocked version? The unlocked versions I've seen have zero warranty in the US which makes me cautious.

The order was placed through my corporate rep, should arrive Monday. I have yet to even see a phone that had any issue where a warranty could be applied; they seem to work until broken.
 

LunarMist

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Lunar: I was never impressed with the S2 reliability wise. I would just bin it and move on.

What would you buy that is cheap and relatively small? I already have the G4 for personal use, but this would be for work.
 

Handruin

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I looked at the LG G4 and Note 5 over the weekend. They both seem like nice phones but I still lean toward the LG G4 due to the cheaper price. I didn't find the Note 5 to be that much better for the additional $200. After a little more research it seems as if there may be a LG G4 Pro edition being released some time around October 10th. I'll wait until then to see what that offers and if it's worth considering. At the very least it should drop the price of the G4 so I can pick it up a bit cheaper.

While I wait I'm going to tinker with my current phone to see if I can improve the performance via rooting and custom ROMs. If that works I may just hold out until the SnapDragon 820 is released in a decent phone to get something based on one of those.
 

Handruin

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I like the looks of the specs on the recently-announced LG V10 (Which I'm guessing replaces their Pro line of phones). They're still offering a removable battery and SD card support which I like. Not to forget that their default internal storage is now a decent-sized 64GB. There are a few hands-on reviews of the phone and it looks good so far. They seemed to play it safe going with the SnapDragon 808 vs messing with the questionable 810. I would have liked to see this phone or maybe their G5 with the SnapDragon 820 once it's available but that might not be for some time.
 

LunarMist

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Now the phone indicates 60% when fully charged. Is there a way to recalibrate it?
 

LunarMist

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The S2. I'm running the LED now and it is getting quite warm.
 

Handruin

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There is probably an app you can download to burn through the battery if you don't want to leave the LED on for hours.
 

LunarMist

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There is probably an app you can download to burn through the battery if you don't want to leave the LED on for hours.

It's dead now, but the other battery does read 99%. I really need to buy a new phone, but am not happy with any. I'm also considering getting another phone for a family member on the plan.
However, that would be something like the Nota 7 incendiary model that was recalled.

What is your feeling about the upcoming V20?
 

Handruin

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It's dead now, but the other battery does read 99%. I really need to buy a new phone, but am not happy with any. I'm also considering getting another phone for a family member on the plan.
However, that would be something like the Nota 7 incendiary model that was recalled.

What is your feeling about the upcoming V20?

My impression is the V20 will be another underdog phone that people may not notice but it's actually offering a lot for a mobile device. The V20 has more of what I'd like in my current V10 phone but not enough for me to warrant switching to it right now. It's an evolution of the phone offering increased refinement over the V10 but nothing revolutionary. I feel like with the Note 7 out of the picture and the boring and over-priced Pixel offering from Google, the V20 really has a unique offering that the other phone manufacturers don't have. The Galaxy S7 is still a good phone but it's slowly becoming dated and the S8 won't be out for a while. LG still has the removable battery and expandable memory with the V20 which is disappearing in almost every other phone. The base storage starts at 64GB and with minimal investment you can double or triple that space easily. LG usually runs a special deal when they release phones so if you keep an eye out you may be able to snag a free extra battery, cradle, and a large micro SD memory card. The camera on it should be better than the V10 which is one of the best on a mobile phone. The V10 and now the V20 offer far better audio playback than most phones I've read about with their extra DAC. The second screen on top of the phone is different than most phones. I find it useful on the V10 and it should be better on the V20 with a larger screen and more refinement. I'd have no problem recommending this phone to people who were looking at a Note 7 but that's also without it being released yet.

Downsides might be the smaller battery capacity than others. LG has has had some troubles with bootloop issues (google it for more info) in the past several generations of mobile devices which require warranty work or replacement in order to fix the issue. I hope they try to solve this issue with the V20. The new aluminum casing might not appeal to everyone but it's supposed to be high quality. I like the rugged rubber backing on my V10 but that's a matter of opinion. Price could be a concern with this phone reaching close to the mid $800 range. This will also be one of the first to be released with Android 7.0 Nougat if it comes out before Pixel so who knows if users will be chasing issues. Speculation suggests availability near the end of this month.
 

LunarMist

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My impression is the V20 will be another underdog phone that people may not notice but it's actually offering a lot for a mobile device. The V20 has more of what I'd like in my current V10 phone but not enough for me to warrant switching to it right now. It's an evolution of the phone offering increased refinement over the V10 but nothing revolutionary. I feel like with the Note 7 out of the picture and the boring and over-priced Pixel offering from Google, the V20 really has a unique offering that the other phone manufacturers don't have. The Galaxy S7 is still a good phone but it's slowly becoming dated and the S8 won't be out for a while. LG still has the removable battery and expandable memory with the V20 which is disappearing in almost every other phone. The base storage starts at 64GB and with minimal investment you can double or triple that space easily. LG usually runs a special deal when they release phones so if you keep an eye out you may be able to snag a free extra battery, cradle, and a large micro SD memory card. The camera on it should be better than the V10 which is one of the best on a mobile phone. The V10 and now the V20 offer far better audio playback than most phones I've read about with their extra DAC. The second screen on top of the phone is different than most phones. I find it useful on the V10 and it should be better on the V20 with a larger screen and more refinement. I'd have no problem recommending this phone to people who were looking at a Note 7 but that's also without it being released yet.

Downsides might be the smaller battery capacity than others. LG has has had some troubles with bootloop issues (google it for more info) in the past several generations of mobile devices which require warranty work or replacement in order to fix the issue. I hope they try to solve this issue with the V20. The new aluminum casing might not appeal to everyone but it's supposed to be high quality. I like the rugged rubber backing on my V10 but that's a matter of opinion. Price could be a concern with this phone reaching close to the mid $800 range. This will also be one of the first to be released with Android 7.0 Nougat if it comes out before Pixel so who knows if users will be chasing issues. Speculation suggests availability near the end of this month.

Oh, I was thinking of the V20 as a phone, but I see it is larger than the G4. Does it fit in the front pocket and also in the car?
 

Mercutio

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The V20 is a phablet. I regularly carry an 8" tablet in my back pocket, but the LG G4 is just a TINY bit too wide for me to use right handed. My right thumb (not my dominant hand, but still) can't reach all the keys if I hold the phone in portrait mode, so I really see that as a physical limit to how large I need my phone to be. And yes, LG's removable battery could be better but at least they're removable.
 

Handruin

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The V20 is a phablet. I regularly carry an 8" tablet in my back pocket, but the LG G4 is just a TINY bit too wide for me to use right handed. My right thumb (not my dominant hand, but still) can't reach all the keys if I hold the phone in portrait mode, so I really see that as a physical limit to how large I need my phone to be. And yes, LG's removable battery could be better but at least they're removable.

Not really a phablet but to each their on on that view point. The phone is easily stored in my front pants pocket. The V10 has an easy to access mini mode if you need to use it single handed. Lunar mentioned getting a phone similar to a Note 7 and I'd say the V20 is in the same physical size range.
 

LunarMist

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Does the V20 need a case? Maybe it will in my front pocket without one. Back pocket does not work since I am sitting most of the time. ;)
 

ddrueding

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I'm really happy with my G5. The two things that break on my phones most are the battery (can't hold charge) and the connector (gets loose). Both of those parts are easily swapped without tools on this phone.
 

LunarMist

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I want to replace the batteries often, but is the power connector expected to be user serviceable? Isn't the G5 old by now?
 

Handruin

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The power connector is not typically user-serviceable. I believe ddrueding's point is that the LG G5 uses a cartridge-like system for changing the battery which means you're also changing the power connector when swapping batteries. If it happens to break, replacing the battery is a simple fix. This cartridge mechanism is not common for most phones and specific to the G5.

By phone-release timelines I would say the G5 is getting up there in age at roughly 7 months old but it's still a very viable and top-end phone with top of the line specs. It's using the snapdragon 820, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage (expandable with MicroSD), QHD display (2560 x 1440), 16MP camera like many of the top-tier smart phones.
 

Handruin

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Does the V20 need a case? Maybe it will in my front pocket without one. Back pocket does not work since I am sitting most of the time. ;)

I don't know if the V20 will need a case and that typically depends on user preference. The V20 is advertised as military-grade impact resistance (MIL-STD-810G transit drop compliance rating) whatever that means. They are trying to make a point that they designed the phone to be tougher and resist impacts more. Adding a case may even extend this protection more than a typical phone if you happen to be one who drops a phone regularly.
 

LunarMist

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I did not understand about the G5 power. I guess the question is for the primary phone use, would an LG V20 without a case be about the same size as the G5 with a case and about as durable for small drops?
I'm mostly concerned about the pants issue. I hold the camera in the left hand and finger it with the right.
 

Handruin

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Probably not but cases are very subjective to personal taste and style. If you'll be primary using the phone single handed then take Mercutio's advise and go with a smaller phone such as the G5.

LG G5: 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm
LG V20: 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6 mm


This is the G5 battery:

LG-G5-14-840x560.jpg


This is the V20 battery:

lg-v20-black-01.jpg
 

LunarMist

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By old you mean out less than a year right?

To me old is well past halfway between the release of the product and the release of the next version. ;)
The G5 is not so highly rated by the carrier as some. :( The G4 has been fine with me, though it's mainly wirelessly charged at home.
On a typical day the G4 charge drops to 75-80% if that gives an idea of my usage. I don't make calls on the phone except a few times a month.
 

LunarMist

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What can I do with the old phone? Even with the full reset I don't trust it not to contain data. I don't have any destructive machinery like the CougTek. :)
 

Chewy509

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What can I do with the old phone? Even with the full reset I don't trust it not to contain data. I don't have any destructive machinery like the CougTek. :)
So you don't own a set of screwdrivers and a power drill?

Simply remove the main board from the case, and drill a hole in each chip. That's enough to stop anyone (except a few national states) from getting your data...
 

Stereodude

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What can I do with the old phone? Even with the full reset I don't trust it not to contain data. I don't have any destructive machinery like the CougTek. :)
Given the general paranoia and secrecy level you display I'm very surprised you don't have an incinerator at your house.

Try this instead:
 

Mercutio

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A non-destructive starting point is to encrypt and then reset the device. Having a spare phone around isn't a terrible thing.
 
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