Looking for input on new phone choices...

338375 said:
I looked at the LG G4 and it is nice, but it is bigger than I really want. I'm still getting use to the fact that almost everything is bigger than my Droid Mini,
but I'm trying to stay as small as possible...

I think I have it narrowed down to the Pure or the X Gen 2. I checked out the custom build site for the first time, and I really like all the options available.
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Sadly you may not like the MotoX Pure either then as I'm pretty sure the G4 is almost the same size and the Pure may even be a tad bigger as it has a 5.7" screen compared to the G4's 5.5". The MotoX 2014 edition is considered outdated to some at this point but they can be bought pretty cheap and it's a great phone. If you aren't into playing lots of graphic intense games you probably wouldn't even notice that the processor isn't as fast as some of the newest phones on the market. I still use my original MotoX for looking at the internet, mostly this forum :), at night before bed and it works just as good as my S6 for simple tasks like that.

If you enjoy patina then check out these pictures with the natural leather back on a MotoX 2nd Gen. First picture is of a new one and the rest of the pictures are after 3 to 4 months of use. I love the aged look it starts to take on.

 
jkulysses said:
Sadly you may not like the MotoX Pure either then as I'm pretty sure the G4 is almost the same size and the Pure may even be a tad bigger as it has a 5.7" screen compared to the G4's 5.5". The MotoX 2014 edition is considered outdated to some at this point but they can be bought pretty cheap and it's a great phone. If you aren't into playing lots of graphic intense games you probably wouldn't even notice that the processor isn't as fast as some of the newest phones on the market. I still use my original MotoX for looking at the internet, mostly this forum :), at night before bed and it works just as good as my S6 for simple tasks like that.

If you enjoy patina then check out these pictures with the natural leather back on a MotoX 2nd Gen. First picture is of a new one and the rest of the pictures are after 3 to 4 months of use. I love the aged look it starts to take on.

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That is true. I forgot the Pure is bigger than the X. My list of notes I have made, is getting rather messy :D
I do occasionally go on the internet on my phone, but it isn't very often, and who knows, I may start playing games on the phone eventually. The wife keeps trying to get me started on them, but I don't even play them on the computer when I am home...

The leather definitely takes on character very quickly.
 
If you're looking for something smaller, unfortunately some compromises will have to be made, as smaller Androids that aren't crap are extremely few. Your Droid Mini happens to be one of those few, but it is aging. You say it's time to upgrade, and that you've had it for over 2 years, but are you upgrading simply because you have the option, or because your Droid Mini doesn't cut the mustard anymore?

If you just want something newer/better, but don't want to go huge, it might actually behoove you to get a used/refurbished phone from a generation (or 2) earlier for cheap and save your upgrade/contract renewal for when the ideal phone comes out. A Galaxy S4, HTC M7, or LG G2, for example. Top choice would be the G2, for its camera and more powerful processor. These will outperform your Droid Mini, have more than enough power to play today's most intensive games despite their age, and should remain competent for a good while longer.

Regarding the 2014 Moto X, it's a great phone, but unfortunately neutered a bit by its tiny battery. You said you're not a "power user", so it should probably suffice for a full day's use, but if you start playing games, you'll definitely find it lacking.

Getting back to the Droid Turbo, and its "successor", the Droid Turbo 2 is actually a rebranded Moto X Play, which is a mid-range device, with a mid-range Snapdragon 615 and FHD screen. Which kinda betrays the "turbo" aspect of the first one, which had a then-top-of-the-line SD 805 and QHD resolution screen. Frankly, I'd rather have the older Turbo.

There are rumors of another Droid, called either the Force (presumably to continue the Star Wars connection) or the Bounce (seriously), which is supposedly a "rugged" phone that is practically indestructible.

If you want to upgrade because your Droid Mini is giving you problems, a simple factory reset might resolve any software or OS issues you might be having. If it's not holding a charge anymore, your battery is fried, and it's apparently not too difficult to replace it with a new one. https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Motorola+Droid+Mini+Battery+Replacement/33889
 
In all honesty I am upgrading just because I can. The Mini is still working fine, and the battery seems to be holding up very well, and it still looks like new.

I gotta be honest, I am not very sharp when it comes to electronic devices, and all of the phone info is somewhat overwhelming.
I truly do appreciate all of the help everyone has given me, and I decided to go with the Moto X Gen 2. I ordered it this afternoon...

Black frame, black leather back, blue accents and 32 GB. I think it will be fine for what I will do with it. If I find myself liking games, and needing more, I will pick up a phone more suitable for that use.
 
I think you're going to love it! I really miss having a MotoX and love the Motorola software they do add. I really miss how the Motorola will display the time and notifications without actually having to push a button and I could just talk to it without having to push anything and it would send somebody a text or call them. The first generation MotoX was awesome and yours is even better.
 
jkulysses said:
I think you're going to love it! I really miss having a MotoX and love the Motorola software they do add. I really miss how the Motorola will display the time and notifications without actually having to push a button and I could just talk to it without having to push anything and it would send somebody a text or call them. The first generation MotoX was awesome and yours is even better.
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They do have some cool features. I've never gotten very excited about new phones in the past, but I'm looking forward to this one.
 
338375 said:
In all honesty I am upgrading just because I can. The Mini is still working fine, and the battery seems to be holding up very well, and it still looks like new.

I gotta be honest, I am not very sharp when it comes to electronic devices, and all of the phone info is somewhat overwhelming.
I truly do appreciate all of the help everyone has given me, and I decided to go with the Moto X Gen 2. I ordered it this afternoon...

Black frame, black leather back, blue accents and 32 GB. I think it will be fine for what I will do with it. If I find myself liking games, and needing more, I will pick up a phone more suitable for that use.
Click to expand...

The Moto X 2014 will play any game you can download off the Play Store without a hiccup. The only concern is battery; you'll definitely want to be plugged in while playing games (especially 3D ones) for more than a few minutes at a time, or you'll find yourself going from 90% to 50% PDQ.

Your new phone has an AMOLED display. Unlike an LCD screen, in which the entire display is backlit, the AMOLED display has each individual pixel backlit by an LED. This means when a pixel is black, it's essentially "off". The result is that if you use a black, or at least very dark theme (wallpaper, icons, etc), you can squeeze a bit more battery life than if you use a brighter one.

You can ignore most of what you'd read in a "battery saving guide", and don't bother downloading any battery saving apps. Wifi and bluetooth drain practically no energy when idle (although if you don't use bluetooth, might as well turn it off), and apps don't drain juice when idle unless they need to sync or wait for push notifications or update via GPS (like weather apps). DO NOT use a task killer, RAM booster, or anything of that sort.
 
Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. I'm kinda excited to get it. Maybe it is because I got to special order it :D

If I'm not playing any games, and the battery does as well as the battery in my Mini, I will be happy. I'm almost afraid to play any games on the X because if I get hooked, I might be looking for another phone real soon :D
 
As I said earlier I don't think it was the S-4 that was at fault with the up loading pics I think the Apple computer was mostly to blame.I don't think it synchs well other non-apple devices,then again in all fairness it could very well be operator error I not much of an electronics wiz.
 
Scott Hanson said:
As I said earlier I don't think it was the S-4 that was at fault with the up loading pics I think the Apple computer was mostly to blame.I don't think it synchs well other non-apple devices,then again in all fairness it could very well be operator error I not much of an electronics wiz.
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I'm not either Scott. That's why I am a little leery of changing phones lol... My Mini is very simple. Even for an idiot like me :D
 
gadgetgeek said:
One other thing I've been reading recently about the S6 and S6 edge, battery life is a bit of a worry, with the edge being the worse of the two. Androids always get the short end of the battery stick, its the price for so many features. But worth considering if you do stuff away from the AC, and can't "club nap" your phone.
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Galaxy phones have a neat feature called power saving and ULTRA power saving. I could go a week without a charge and still do basic call text and internet under ultra (though black and white) and regular it just slows performance of your apps. Very helpful when camping a week straight.
 
Planterz said:
So how are you liking it Mike?
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jkulysses said:
I came here looking for an update as well. :)
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Sorry for the delayed response guys...

So far I am liking it. I need to spend a little time with it though. I really haven't messed with much it since I got it. I like the look and feel. I went with the black leather back and blue accents...

I have only used it for talking and texting so far, and I'm not real happy with the battery life, considering it doesn't get used a lot right now.
I did set up the visual voice mail on it. I always thought was a stupid idea until I tried it :D
 
338375 said:
I have only used it for talking and texting so far, and I'm not real happy with the battery life, considering it doesn't get used a lot right now.
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IIRC, Verizon does (or at least did) have a return/exchange policy where you can swap it for another within a month. I don't know if that applies to customized Moto X's though, or if the program even exists anymore.

Also, if my memory serves me, you can turn off the Moto Assist features so it's no longer "always listening" to eke out a bit more battery life.
 
The custom ordered versions have 14 days return. I will try turning off the Moto Assist function if I can, and see if that helps...

The one thing I thought was really weird is it came with the NFL Live app installed. That damn thing was using almost as much battery as the Android OS.
The wife said when she calls me, it takes between 5-10 seconds for it to start ringing through. Not sure what that is about.
 
338375 said:
The one thing I thought was really weird is it came with the NFL Live app installed. That damn thing was using almost as much battery as the Android OS.
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Yeah, that's a Verizon nuisance. Disable that crap immediately. Verizon loves to pre-install a bunch of useless crap. Disable any/all that you'll never use (which'll be pretty much all of it).
 
Absolutely. The battery seems to be doing a lot better today now that I killed a few factory installed Apps. I fully charged it late last night, and have used it quite a bit today, talking and texting. I just checked it and it is at 79%... Probably still room for some improvement but it's a lot better...

I do like that I can just swipe my hand near the phone and it will show if I have any texts, missed calls or voice mails. My Mini didn't do that. I had to push the button for the screen to come up.
The speed dial feature and visual voice mail work great.

I think I'm going to really like this phone.
 
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