Looking for Android purchase advice...

[Sounds Good]

Hi guys.

I posted this question to another member in a different thread but thought I'd make a new thread to get added input.

I've only owned iPhones since the original iPhone so I've never owned an Android phone or any Android device. I'm now ready to try an Android phone. I currently own an iPhone 6 which I have promised to a family member.

I'm not sure how I'll feel about Android vs iOS and it will take more than a typical return period for me to really know for sure. Therefore, I don't wanna pay top dollar for my very first Android phone. I was ready to order the upcoming OnePlus 5... but now I'm wondering if I should just get a Moto G5 Plus so I can test the waters on a cheap (but decent) Android phone. If I like it, I can always upgrade to a better Android down the road. If I don't like it, I can go back to iPhone without having wasted too much money.

Does getting the Moto G5 Plus sound like good logic for my first ever Android? -- or am I better off spending more money to get the OnePlus 5? Curious to hear thoughts on this. Again, it will be my first Android phone ever.

Thanks!

 

[bufffilm]

The Motos are decent phones. Test drive Android and see if it works for you.

 

[hallux]

The Moto is an EXCELLENT choice as a test-drive device. It's not super expensive and it's about as "pure" of an Android experience as you'll get without buying a Nexus or Pixel. Motorola does VERY little to change the core OS.

 

[Sounds Good]

...it's about as "pure" of an Android experience as you'll get without buying a Nexus or Pixel. Motorola does VERY little to change the core OS.

Between Moto and OnePlus, which would be closest to pure Android?

 

[epicrayban]

Between Moto and OnePlus, which would be closest to pure Android?

Moto is probably "purer" but I'm not confident that's an advantage when comparing to the OnePlus OS. The OnePlus OS, from my experience, also felt lean, but had just a hair more useful features and customizations.

Think of the OnePlus OS as "Stock Android Plus."

I guess one could make the same argument of Moto's OS, but I'd argue it's not "plus" very much.

 

[Sounds Good]

Gotcha. Thanks.

 

[Sounds Good]

If the Moto G5 Plus had USB-C (instead of micro-USB) I'd buy it today. I really dislike micro-USB so it makes this a tougher decision for me. Sorry, just thinking outloud here!

 

[bufffilm]

If the Moto G5 Plus had USB-C (instead of micro-USB) I'd buy it today. I really dislike micro-USB so it makes this a tougher decision for me. Sorry, just thinking outloud here!

You're over-thinking this.

It's a minor detail.

 

[vikingjunior]

I wouldn't count out other Android devices with whistles and bells. Some of us like the added features, maybe you would like a ir blaster or voice shutter, maybe a dedicated button to pull down notification shade. Heck the stellar Samsung browser is worth buying a Samsung itself. The always on lock screen is nice for a quick glance at the time. Point being is Android is very different than a vanilla iPhone, it comes with so many different variances, that is the cool thing about Android. Pure Android although nice doesn't always exemplify Android capabilities.
Good luck with your choice.

 

[bufffilm]

I wouldn't count out other Android devices with whistles and bells. Some of us like the added features, maybe you would like a ir blaster or voice shutter, maybe a dedicated button to pull down notification shade. Heck the stellar Samsung browser is worth buying a Samsung itself. The always on lock screen is nice for a quick glance at the time. Point being is Android is very different than a vanilla iPhone, it comes with so many different variances, that is the cool thing about Android. Pure Android although nice doesn't always exemplify Android capabilities.
Good luck with your choice.

All true...but since he's not even sure if Android can do (as a replacement)...just get a reasonably capable phone and use it.

Then if Android really works for the OP...he can fine-tune his preferences like the USB-c, etc.

 

[Sounds Good]

I just took a look at the Moto at Best Buy. I liked it a lot. My only gripe was that the camera seemed just "so so", but it's hard to do a true test in the store.

 

[Channan]

I just took a look at the Moto at Best Buy. I liked it a lot. My only gripe was that the camera seemed just "so so", but it's hard to do a true test in the store.

Remember that you're looking for a cheap phone to check out Android. You aren't going to get high end specs. If the camera wasn't very good, that's probably because it's a cheap phone.

The Moto phones are a good stepping stone if you want to see if Android will work for you, but don't blame the performance of the phone, the cameras, and overall quality on Android. If you find all your apps are available on Android and maybe features that aren't available on iOS that you'd like to have, then you might want to consider getting something like a Galaxy S8, Pixel, OnePlus 5, etc.

 

[Sounds Good]

Remember that you're looking for a cheap phone to check out Android. You aren't going to get high end specs. If the camera wasn't very good, that's probably because it's a cheap phone.

The Moto phones are a good stepping stone if you want to see if Android will work for you, but don't blame the performance of the phone, the cameras, and overall quality on Android.

Oh, I certainly wasn't blaming Android for the camera performance. I guess I should have said that I heard the camera on the G5 Plus was pretty good, so I was expecting it to be a tad better. It wasn't really THAT bad, though, just not quite as good as I had hoped.

At this point it makes sense to wait and see the final specs and price of the OnePlus 5 first since there seems to be so much hype over that phone. But I still might get the G5 Plus. We'll see.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Oh, I certainly wasn't blaming Android for the camera performance. I guess I should have said that I heard the camera on the G5 Plus was pretty good, so I was expecting it to be a tad better. It wasn't really THAT bad, though, just not quite as good as I had hoped.

At this point it makes sense to wait and see the final specs and price of the OnePlus 5 first since there seems to be so much hype over that phone. But I still might get the G5 Plus. We'll see.

The G5 Plus camera is only bad in comparison to the premium smartphone cameras, but it's still a good smartphone camera.

 

[Sounds Good]

The G5 Plus camera is only bad in comparison to the premium smartphone cameras, but it's still a good smartphone camera.

Thanks, that's kinda what I figured. I have an iPhone 6 (which is no longer "premium") so that's the camera I'm accustomed to. How do you think the camera on the G5 Plus compares to the camera on my old iPhone 6? It's really hard to compare the two inside a Best Buy store (I tried).

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Thanks, that's kinda what I figured. I have an iPhone 6 (which is no longer "premium") so that's the camera I'm accustomed to. How do you think the camera on the G5 Plus compares to the camera on my old iPhone 6? It's really hard to compare the two inside a Best Buy store (I tried).

The iP6 is slightly better in good lighting, based on color accuracy. But the G5 Plus is noticeably better in low light than the iP6. The auto focus is slightly better on the iP6, but the difference is barley noticeable. Both have pretty slow auto focus compared to today's top smartphones. I personally would give it a tie. But if the G5 Plus didn't have better low light shots, then the iP6 would be the winner.

This is based on using the G5 Plus only for several days.

 

[Channan]

Oh, I certainly wasn't blaming Android for the camera performance. I guess I should have said that I heard the camera on the G5 Plus was pretty good, so I was expecting it to be a tad better. It wasn't really THAT bad, though, just not quite as good as I had hoped.

At this point it makes sense to wait and see the final specs and price of the OnePlus 5 first since there seems to be so much hype over that phone. But I still might get the G5 Plus. We'll see.

And I wasn't saying you were. I've just seen too many people dismiss Android because of something exclusive to the particular phone they used. I've even had people tell me things like Snapchats from Android phones look like garbage.

One of my friends told me that the other day after talking about the camera quality on my Galaxy S8, so I downloaded Snapchat and sent him a picture and a video. He was surprised to find out the quality was actually really good and his exact words were "I guess not all Android phones are bad."

 

[sk1wbw]

You're over-thinking this.

It's a minor detail.

Micro USB sucks ass. I freaking HATE that cable. Trust me, he is not over thinking this. Micro USB sucks balls.

 

[bufffilm]

Micro USB sucks ass. I freaking HATE that cable. Trust me, he is not over thinking this. Micro USB sucks balls.

The OP wants to evaluate Android as a possible replacement...there's no guarantee that it can for him.

Spending more to get a phone w/USB-c right now is premature IMO when he's just evaluating. He just needs a good basic Android phone which the Moto delivers.

Get it?!

 

[sk1wbw]

The OP wants to evaluate Android as a possible replacement...there's no guarantee that it can for him.

Spending more to get a phone w/USB-c right now is premature IMO when he's just evaluating. He just needs a good basic Android phone which the Moto delivers.

Get it?!

And if he actually likes the phone with the ****** micro USB? Then he's wasted his money in my opinion.

Get it?

 

[bufffilm]

And if he actually likes the phone with the ****** micro USB? Then he's wasted his money in my opinion.

Get it?

So what do you recommend then as a suitable phone w/USB-c, genius?

 

[sk1wbw]

So what do you recommend then as a suitable phone w/USB-c, genius?

Blackberry Keyone. $550 unlocked brand new. It's what I'm using right now. Best phone I've ever had. Genius.

 

[bufffilm]

Blackberry Keyone. $550 unlocked brand new. It's what I'm using right now. Best phone I've ever had. Genius.

Double the price of the Moto.

Way to spend other people's money. For an evaluation no less.

I rest my case.

 

[macfacts]

... his exact words were "I guess not all Android phones are bad."

This. This needs to be quoted for being the truth.

Also, not all iPhones are equal/the best. Come September, Apple is going to have 6 phones for sale: iPhone SE, 7, 7+, 7s, 7s+, X.

To the thread creator, I recommend the following for low, mid, and high spec android: Samsung j3 (2016), a5, s8+ (all have amoled screens).

 

[bufffilm]

And I wasn't saying you were. I've just seen too many people dismiss Android because of something exclusive to the particular phone they used. I've even had people tell me things like Snapchats from Android phones look like garbage.

One of my friends told me that the other day after talking about the camera quality on my Galaxy S8, so I downloaded Snapchat and sent him a picture and a video. He was surprised to find out the quality was actually really good and his exact words were "I guess not all Android phones are bad."

I'm half amazed that you tried the S8 given the way Samsung has treated you in the past.