mobile phones - seeking input on Samsung options

[chiver78]

I'm going to be replacing my phone this year, hopefully later rather than sooner. but, last night, the thing sailed off my bed and got its first crack. so I should probably start researching so I don't go in blind. 

current - Samsung S6 Active, 3y old and very out of memory. 

considering - Samsung Android phones, I'm on AT&T. 

the thought of paying over $1k for a new phone over the course of a contract is nauseating and horrifying, and for the things I'm going to use a phone for, completely unnecessary. I noticed there is a "minor league" tier of phones in the Samsung portfolio now. do any of you have experience with the A series? it looks like those are coming in at $350ish, instead of $1500 for the latest and greatest. that's insane. 

insight welcome, please and thank you! 

[Deleted]

I buy new in box older models off of ebay.  You can get a brand new S7 for $200, S8 for $350.

[andi9899]

I've owned Samsung phones forever. I've had all different levels and have never had a problem with any of them. One went down and wouldn't turn on anymore, but it was old if I can remember right. My current one is the S7 and I've had it for 2 years without a problem. I was thinking about getting another one just to have a newer phone, but the cost is too much. The new ones were in the $700 range. I can't imagine paying $1,500 for one. I have T Mobile though. Have you looked at Amazon?

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2019 9:21:17 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

I bought a new unlocked Moto G6 from Target for $200 last year after dropping my Iphone 6 in the toilet.   So far it calls, texts, mails, maps, apps, internets and does everything else my old Iphone did, just as well as the iphone did.   I couldn't justify spending $1000 on a phone, either.   


The one thing that is not great is the camera.  My wife has the Iphone X and the pictures she takes really are great.  The picture I take are meh. 

My son has a Moto G as well.  He's had it for about a year and a half now with no issues and it came with 64GB of memory which is huge compared to what the Galaxies normally come with. 

[steph08]

I have a Galaxy S9. Prior to this one, I had an S6 Edge for 3.5 years with no issues. Not true - I kept running out of memory because I wouldn't delete my old photos and videos, even after I transferred them. That one also didn't have the option to add more memory. That's not an issue with the S9.

I bought mine on Black Friday, and DH got one as well. I think they were $400/each or something like that. Definitely not $1500! 

I love Android. I'm not sure I could ever go back to Apple (had an iPhone 4s ages ago). 

[chiver78]

Apr 8, 2019 9:17:56 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I buy new in box older models off of ebay.  You can get a brand new S7 for $200, S8 for $350.

unlocked? or branded? hmm..... tell me more

[chiver78]

Apr 8, 2019 9:38:36 GMT -5 steph08 said:

I have a Galaxy S9. Prior to this one, I had an S6 Edge for 3.5 years with no issues. Not true - I kept running out of memory because I wouldn't delete my old photos and videos, even after I transferred them. That one also didn't have the option to add more memory. That's not an issue with the S9.

I bought mine on Black Friday, and DH got one as well. I think they were $400/each or something like that. Definitely not $1500! 

I love Android. I'm not sure I could ever go back to Apple (had an iPhone 4s ages ago). 

yup, that's my major complaint about my S6. I've basically uninstalled everything I haven't been using lately, and have transferred a ton of pics off. I need to move more though. I actually went back and deleted a bunch of old text threads that hadn't been updated in over a year, and all of the various 2-step verification texts I hadn't ever deleted. that helped some, but I think I'm still hovering around 1GB/32GB free. not okay. wait, I got 1GB back by basically defragging it just now. 
 

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2019 10:03:44 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Apr 8, 2019 9:17:56 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I buy new in box older models off of ebay.  You can get a brand new S7 for $200, S8 for $350.

unlocked? or branded? hmm..... tell me more

Either or.  There's a ton of them out there, but I'd stick with the big sellers.  I think even if they're unlocked it's just unlocked to all GSM or all CDMA so you have to make sure you get the right one...I think...but if you ask the seller they'd know.

This is just one of many.

www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Galaxy-S8-G950U1-G950U-64GB-Factory-Unlocked-T-Mobile-AT-T-Verizon-Boost/382876220705?epid=16025638316&hash=item5925337d21%3Am%3AmB30ATfNW9fqycECFt9HsVg&LH_ItemCondition=1000

[chiver78]

nice, thank you. I actually just pulled up ebay while I'm sitting here in this conference call meeting. looks like a lot of options for sure. 

I don't need the latest and greatest, and I would probably be better off with an 8 anyway, since that's the last model of "active" that I would love to continue with. 

[justme]

I got the S9 soon after it came out. Not a super deal, but it's 24 payments of $33. So about $800 at the end of the day. And with the S10 out now you can probably get it for even cheaper. I went up from the S6 too. This phone is soooo much better on pretty much all accounts. 

[Deleted]

The last one I got off ebay was a refurbed 7 about a year ago.  It's been fine, but the battery sucks, so when I buy again, I'm going back to getting new in box. 

[Blonde Granny]

My provider is Verizon, it offers a 24 month payment plan on their device options. Check  to see if ATT does also. It makes paying for them easier.

[justme]

Apr 8, 2019 10:19:40 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

nice, thank you. I actually just pulled up ebay while I'm sitting here in this conference call meeting. looks like a lot of options for sure. 

I don't need the latest and greatest, and I would probably be better off with an 8 anyway, since that's the last model of "active" that I would love to continue with. 

I believe it's the last "active" model because Samsung made all their phones waterproof now. I believe they all have the up to 3 meters for 30 minutes now, or something like that. I've taken underwater photos with my S9 no problem. 

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2019 10:22:41 GMT -5 justme said:

I got the S9 soon after it came out. Not a super deal, but it's 24 payments of $33. So about $800 at the end of the day. And with the S10 out now you can probably get it for even cheaper. I went up from the S6 too. This phone is soooo much better on pretty much all accounts. 

If you look at the comparison reviews though there's almost no difference between the 8 and the 9. 

[chiver78]

Apr 8, 2019 10:24:29 GMT -5 justme said:

Apr 8, 2019 10:19:40 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

nice, thank you. I actually just pulled up ebay while I'm sitting here in this conference call meeting. looks like a lot of options for sure. 

I don't need the latest and greatest, and I would probably be better off with an 8 anyway, since that's the last model of "active" that I would love to continue with. 

I believe it's the last "active" model because Samsung made all their phones waterproof now. I believe they all have the up to 3 meters for 30 minutes now, or something like that. I've taken underwater photos with my S9 no problem. 

yup, the guy in-store said that the 8 was the last active when I stopped to ask questions a few weeks back. I don't necessarily need the waterproof, but I like that it's a bit thicker and hardier than the base model. given how awful I am to my phones, I'm actually shocked that it took over 3y to get its first crack.      

[bean29]

My Mom has a Samsung Galaxy S7, she got it b/c when we upgraded she was using an old Samsung that my Son had used, and they gave us a $15/month bill credit. DH and I had a similar offer on I-phones, but they would only give her a Samsung Phone. I wish she was on an I-Phone, b/c DS is the only Android user in the family, everyone else uses I-Phones.  As a result, I have had to fool around with it a bit to figure out how she can do some things. It is a nice phone. I don't pay attention to Mom's pics too much, but I do know that the pictures DS takes on his Samsung phones are usually a lot better than what the rest of the family takes with their I-phones.

DS just switched from our sprint plan and went to Verizon on DD's plan.  Sprint says we don't owe anything, but they sent us a package to return the phone.  DS gave it to Verizon.    Which was why I logged it to check if we owed $$ on his phone.  IDK why they sent the package to return the phone, but it looks like Verizon took care of paying it off.

I have to follow up and see if we can get a better (cheaper) plan now.  We used to have 7 users and we are now down to 5.

DH and I both want new phones.  We have to check if we want to stay with sprint or switch plans.

[justme]

Apr 8, 2019 10:24:45 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Apr 8, 2019 10:22:41 GMT -5 justme said:

I got the S9 soon after it came out. Not a super deal, but it's 24 payments of $33. So about $800 at the end of the day. And with the S10 out now you can probably get it for even cheaper. I went up from the S6 too. This phone is soooo much better on pretty much all accounts. 

If you look at the comparison reviews though there's almost no difference between the 8 and the 9. 

It's not a huge difference, no. When I bought mine it was less than $100 price difference between the two - so it wasn't worth the savings to buy a one year old phone. 

[chiver78]

looks like a $100 difference between 8 and 9 now. and then another $150 down between 8 and A6. 

[wvugurl26]

If you can hold out till November I got a S9 for $400 through Verizon at Thanksgiving. I sure AT&T would have similar deals.

Verizon basically ruined my 1 year old Motorola Droid Turbo 2 with their updates and I was way over dealing with it.

I hate that the screen is smaller on the S9 than the Droid but I'm surviving.

[andi9899]

Apr 8, 2019 10:14:46 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Apr 8, 2019 10:03:44 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

unlocked? or branded? hmm..... tell me more

Either or.  There's a ton of them out there, but I'd stick with the big sellers.  I think even if they're unlocked it's just unlocked to all GSM or all CDMA so you have to make sure you get the right one...I think...but if you ask the seller they'd know.

This is just one of many.

www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Galaxy-S8-G950U1-G950U-64GB-Factory-Unlocked-T-Mobile-AT-T-Verizon-Boost/382876220705?epid=16025638316&hash=item5925337d21%3Am%3AmB30ATfNW9fqycECFt9HsVg&LH_ItemCondition=1000

Great. Now I'm going to buy a new phone and I don't need one.

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2019 12:19:15 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Apr 8, 2019 10:14:46 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Either or.  There's a ton of them out there, but I'd stick with the big sellers.  I think even if they're unlocked it's just unlocked to all GSM or all CDMA so you have to make sure you get the right one...I think...but if you ask the seller they'd know.

This is just one of many.

www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Galaxy-S8-G950U1-G950U-64GB-Factory-Unlocked-T-Mobile-AT-T-Verizon-Boost/382876220705?epid=16025638316&hash=item5925337d21%3Am%3AmB30ATfNW9fqycECFt9HsVg&LH_ItemCondition=1000

Great. Now I'm going to buy a new phone and I don't need one.

[Cookies Galore]

I wanted to eventually replace my S7 with a Pixel but old phoney got stuck in a boot loop and I needed a replacement ASAP so S9 it was! I like the S9.

[Happy prose]

Apr 8, 2019 9:17:56 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I buy new in box older models off of ebay.  You can get a brand new S7 for $200, S8 for $350.

How do you activate it? Same number? Also, can you transfer your contacts? I've always bought in the store, and they did it for me. I currently have the Gallaxy 7, no problems so far. 

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2019 12:30:32 GMT -5 Happy prose said:

Apr 8, 2019 9:17:56 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I buy new in box older models off of ebay.  You can get a brand new S7 for $200, S8 for $350.

How do you activate it? Same number? Also, can you transfer your contacts? I've always bought in the store, and they did it for me. I currently have the Gallaxy 7, no problems so far. 

I'm on Ting, so I just go online and activate a new phone and it ports the number over.  Takes me like 2 minutes.  I've mostly just had Samsung phones, so everything is backed up to either my Samsung or Google account and all my contacts transfer over when I log back into the accounts on the new phone.

When I was with Sprint you could change phones online, but I imagine otherwise, you can just take it to whatever store you work with and they'll transfer you number to the new phone. 

[Blonde Granny]

How about going to Verizon and asking them what deal you can get if you transfer from ATT to Verizon.

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

I currently have a Galaxy S5. I have been using it for 3-1/2 years. I bought a new (not refurbished)  Galaxy S7 off Amazon about 6 months ago in anticipation of my S5 quitting. My S5 has been getting glitchy, so I suspect I will have to make the switch fairly soon. Once the Galaxy S9 price comes way down, I will get one at a much lower price to wait in the wings for my S7 to kick the bucket.

[chiver78]

no to Verizon. it doesn't work well here, and they pissed me off royally when I left them 3y ago. I have no complaints with AT&T.

I hopped on chat earlier and got a bunch of questions answered. I think what I will do is just watch prices on s8 active and s9*, both through AT&T and eBay, and anywhere else with good deals and reputable business practices. I don't need a phone yet, and I found some screen protectors in a drawer here at home to keep this crack at bay. I can pull the trigger later. thanks for the insight!

*in reviewing the full specs, I didn't like that the A6 had less memory, that's a complaint I have now with my S6. so that's off the table, I think. idk, I have time.