Need a new cell phone

[ranger58sb]

With the release of the S6, I bet the S4 goes on sale for cheap...if it hasn't already.

The water-resistant/replaceable-battery S5 became free at AT&T and cheap at Verizon (with new contract at each) when the not-water-resistant/not-replaceable-battery S6 was introduced.

One nice thing about an iPhone is that you can walk into any Apple Store and get a problem resolved or a repair made. Even if you bought it from a retailer like Verizon etc. try that with any other brand.

Haven't ever had to resolve a problem or find a repair on Nokia, Motorola, or Samsung phones. (Not counting eventual battery replacements, so far always available at the local battery store.) Had a problem with a Siemens phone in approx. 2005-ish, and the local AT&T store replaced it on the spot.

-Chris

 

[Capecodder]

IMHO, go for an iPhone, 5 or newer plus any cellular ready IPad. Just buy once (iCloud sharing) Garmin Blue Charts or your favorite chart program add Active Captain for free. Then you have 2 Backup GPS's and Entertainment when not cruising. Oh yea you can make a phone call too. I just purchased a newer IPad and within hours all my saved planning routes, log book, years of photos, etc just showed up on it.

 

[CPseudonym]

To any and everybody talking about battery replacements(all android users I noticed) has an Apple battery needed replacement yet? I haven't heard of any including my 8+ year old iPod touch.

 

[FlyWright]

Both of our ipods require a constant charge to operate. Unplug them for a minute and they die. My buddy's iphone battery died and he had to take it to a repair shop to get it replaced.

 

[fstbttms]

I love my iPhone 6+. Best phone I've ever owned.

 

[N4712]

Never had a battery problem with my I devices.

 

[Jeffrey S]

To any and everybody talking about battery replacements(all android users I noticed) has an Apple battery needed replacement yet? I haven't heard of any including my 8+ year old iPod touch.

I have 6 iPhones. None of them has ever needed a battery replacement. None of my Android devices has needed a replacement either. In the Bahamas, I use a pretty old iPhone 4 with a BTC SIM. We just spent the winter in the Bahamas and it worked perfectly without any sign of battery issue.

From my experience, the feature of having a replaceable battery in a phone is imagined with no real benefit.

 

[dhmeissner]

iPhone 6+ 32gb

Looking in the "Navigation" folder:

iSailor
Blue Chart
Marine Traffic
Buoy Data
Active Captain
Spyglass
NOAA Radar Pro
Ocean Watch
Tide Chart

I also have a "Sailing" folder...

 

[ranger58sb]

From my experience, the feature of having a replaceable battery in a phone is imagined with no real benefit.

I tend to use a given cell phone over several generations of newer versions... so we've replaced batteries at least once in several of our last two phone styles. The first pair were Motorola flip phones, and the other was a Motorola Android. I think each phone was probably 4 years old when I replaced batteries, and I think we used them each for another 3-4 years after that. Can't remember if I had to replace the battery in the other Motorola 'droid...

I don't plan on replacing either of our new S5s until approx. 2025... but won't be surprised if I have to replace batteries before that.



-Chris

 

[caltexflanc]

Average battery life before replacement is usually targeted to about 90% of the user population upgrade cycle. So I'd agree that user-replaceable or not is almost always a non-issue, and the advantage of non user replaceable is typically you can cram more battery into the housing, as well as having a more sealed enclosure and structural integrity. With the advent of small universal external charging packs, the need to carry an extra model-specific battery around is lessened for those who are away from a charging source for long periods of time.

By the nature of my business, I have about every type of phone from all major carriers. What phone is best for who is a personal decision. Kind of like walk around decks vs wide body, or galley up vs galley down. Me, personally, I've never liked iOS in all its versions. I write this on a MacBook Pro, by the way, and across the room is our iMac, so its not like we are necessarily anti-Apple, though I do think their stuff is tremendously over-hyped. My daily driver has become an LG G3; I really like the way they skinned it on the Android platform. I have not liked the big Samsungs in comparison. (Some of the small, simpler low cost Samsungs are pretty nice little phones) One of the only phones I didn't swear at vociferously in the first few days of ownership; it just fit me. The G4 is even sweeter, especially the camera functionality, and if you are an Android type person, wait for it to come out and check it out for yourself.

 

[No Mast]

None of my iPhones have had any battery issues needing replacement. We also have at least 30 iPhones at work and I don't recall of any battery incident.

My old iPod, yes, the battery on it wouldn't hold a charge eventually.

I guess if i was planning on having the same phone for 7-8 years I see the case for battery replacement as ranger said; but is that how long everyone else keeps their cell phones?

 

[way_out_west]

If you don't mind the size (it has its benefits) go with a samsung galaxy note (latest). They're unbelievable pieces of computational genius. I'm not going to start a apple/samsung debate, but seriously man - They're great. Throw some active captain, or other NOAA chart mapping/system on it and you've got a very formidable GPS/charting backup device. (I* will do this as well I'm sure) which may very well make it worth the extra cost

Not to mention that snuggling down watching netflix on the thing anywhere is quite convenient.

To the original question, I've always thought that HTC made good stuff. Had a few of their devices in the past. No knowledge of the others.

My .02c

 

[Heron]

To any and everybody talking about battery replacements(all android users I noticed) has an Apple battery needed replacement yet? I haven't heard of any including my 8+ year old iPod touch.

Both of our ipods require a constant charge to operate. Unplug them for a minute and they die. My buddy's iphone battery died and he had to take it to a repair shop to get it replaced.

It can be done! I had an Ipod that needed constant power to be operable.... $15 later and a little effort on my part it's good as new. Check these guys for parts and easy instructions to fix...

https://www.ifixit.com/

 

[fstbttms]

To any and everybody talking about battery replacements(all android users I noticed) has an Apple battery needed replacement yet? I haven't heard of any including my 8+ year old iPod touch.

I have had many iPhones, two iPads and several iPods. Never had battery issues with any of them.

 

[Rogerh]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. It is clear that we have the Apple fans and non Apple fans. I definately am not trying to start an "anchor debate". I see that the iphone will run nav programs integrated with Active Captain. To the the folks that do not have the Iphone and maybe an HTC will they run a Nav program with Active Captain?

 

[dhmeissner]

Here is a list from AC:

https://activecaptain.com/navProducts.php

 

[Jeffrey S]

To the the folks that do not have the Iphone and maybe an HTC will they run a Nav program with Active Captain?

I'm pretty qualified to answer that question.

There are currently 8 nav products for iOS with ActiveCaptain integrated. There are currently 3 nav products for Android with ActiveCaptain integrated.

The ActiveCaptain Companion app and the upcoming ActiveCaptain Locations app work equally well on iOS and Android (and Windows, and Mac OSX). For what it's worth, DragQueen is also available for both iOS and Android.

There will be more coming for both platforms - multiple new products are in development by other navigation companies for both platforms with ActiveCaptain support.

There's support coming for the new Apple Watch (you'll want one if you cruise along the ICW - it's very slick!).

In general, the navigation apps with ActiveCaptain integrated are higher quality on the iOS platform than the Android one. People who buy the Garmin BlueChart Mobile app absolutely love it. Chesapeake Bay Magazine just rated the Garmin app (available for iOS only) as the #2 best boating app in their June 2015 Best of the Bay issue (ActiveCaptain was #1):
http://www.chesapeakeboating.net/Pages/Best-of-the-Bay-2015-Winners-Results/winners-results-5.aspx

If you've gotten to 2015 and haven't bought a smartphone yet, you should get an iPhone. It'll be easier to use and you'll have many more choices for apps. I'm not saying that Android is inferior. I love Android and develop all these app for that platform first because it's better for developers. But the market today leans heavily toward better apps for iOS for a variety of reasons. That will surely change in another 5 years but it's true today.

If for some reason you've avoided this higher-end mobile device world but consider yourself a more technical guy, then you might be happier with Android.

There are some generalizations in my comments, but that's the nature of this type of decision.

 

[Off Duty]

I tend to use a given cell phone over several generations of newer versions...-Chris

That's me as well. Don't have a need for the latest a greatest as long as what I have is still working well and meets my needs.

Only reason I'm thinking of upgrading this time is for the mil-spec and waterproof capabilities of the new one, and possibly a smaller profile.

If it wasn't for the need to quickly take pics on the go, and use some of the other features of the phone for business, I'd probably go back old school.

 

[No Mast]

Not to get off topic, but I agree with Jeffrey S that the Garmin app with active captain is great both on the iPhone and the iPad.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I can't belive there's so much interest in computer phones.
I thought it was kids stuff.
I'm inclined to say go get a life but someone would probably say "just a minute let me check my i-phone".
When my relatives come over (mostly kids) I think I'll put them all in a suitcase in the back bedroom.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. mb. "...I think I'll put them all in a suitcase in the back bedroom..." Be sure to leave some ventilation so they can breath.

 

[Jeffrey S]

I can't belive there's so much interest in computer phones.

Yes. Welcome to 2009.

 

[BruceK]

I don`t have the umbilical connection to my phone many do. And dammit, they have a 6th sense, walking towards me, head down, screen engrossed, that prevents a collision. No matter how hard I try to facilitate one. Maybe it`s a phone app. I hear there is an app to measure unused bladder capacity, useful for older guys.
Then there`s the restaurant table, 4 diners,no conversation, all looking at their phone, except when using it to photograph their meal to post it, while chanting "For what we are about to photograph, may we be truly grateful".

 

[caltexflanc]

 

[psneeld]

Tradition is great...but new tech isn't anymore the enemy than closed mindedness.

The human brain can usually do about 10 more than what is demanded of it.

Add any additional input that is properly funneled and miracles can happen.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. ps. "...properly funneled...". Problem with me is, I haven't found the proper funnel..

 

[ranger58sb]

To the the folks that do not have the Iphone and maybe an HTC will they run a Nav program with Active Captain?

Both MX Mariner and Plan2Nav work on Android platforms and integrate ActiveCaptain stuff. Must be another, too, since I see Jeff said there are 3.

-Chris

 

[HopCar]

RTF, Are you off your meds again? You've come up with a couple of good ones lately.

 

[ranger58sb]

I guess if i was planning on having the same phone for 7-8 years I see the case for battery replacement as ranger said; but is that how long everyone else keeps their cell phones?

Most of the "improvements" that happen aren't particularly useful, for me. I know there are folks who get a new phone every time Brand X introduces a new model...

And there are likely lots of techie folks, but I stopped being one of those about 20 years ago...

So in the grand scheme of things, I use it as a phone -- got desktops and laptops and tablets to use for other stuff, I don't play games, don't do currently popular social media, don't use a phone for music, no way am I gonna try and watch a movie on the tiny phone -- so I find improvements in the onboard camera or social media and the display resolution and so forth generally useless.

OTOH, improvements in the PHONE can get my attention, as when AT&T started the changeover from straight TDMA to GSM. And improvements in net connectivity -- as for quick weather and buoy checks, which I'll admit I do occasionally -- and will usually cause us to upgrade, but only eventually. As when AT&T and Verizon moved from G2 to G3, AT&T moved to G4, both moved to LTE, etc. But our phone upgrades lagged way behind that, mostly because the improvements in speed aren't particularly noticeable for only casual usage.

-Chris

 

[Lobstah]

My wife and I both went from iPhones over to Androids. She has a Note 3, I have a Note 4. As stated above, it's a purely personal choice...Ford, Chevy, or Toyota?...

But one thing I highly recommend regardless of what direction you go...do NOT get a warranty from the carrier or from Apple.
Go to Squaretrade instead. Very highly rated by everyone, better coverage, and less money. They cover all small electronics, and given the cost of repairs/replacements on these phones, it's well worth the cost.

I have no affiliation with them, but I have used them, and I highly recommend them.