Author Topic: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)  (Read 5673 times)

fullpampers

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phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« on: May 06, 2015, 08:16:37 AM »
I need to change my phone, and would need some advice.

Mainly because I use Fongo, and I ask here because everywhere i ask, people just tell me, "Just get a new one with a contract, their free!"

I used to have an iphone 4s, which my GF uses now, on Fongo. No complaints there.

I switched to a nexus 4. Worst choice ever. With fongo this phone specifically doesn't let the app use the second mic for acoustic cancellation, so i sound like I am speaking in a toilet when I call people. I could still live with that thought...

But recently a chip on the main board crapped out, and now the phone drains even when completely turned off ( I have tried everything to fix this in the last month, and the battery is new). So i have to constantly charge it, and if it drops to 0% for too long, i have to boost the battery directly with a charger for the phone to start charging again.

So my options are:

Get another iphone 4s, which i know works well with fongo. I can get this for 200$ refurbished, with a 30 day warranty. Is the 4s still a good choice for a phone I plan on keeping a long time?

Get an iphone 5c, 330$ refurbished, 30 day warranty. The price is turning me off a little, but if 4s is not a good long term option, I'll bite the bullet.

get a moto g 2nd gen (250$ new, 200$ used, maybe negociable, from what i can see on kijiji). I have never used Fongo on a moto G and would hate to buy one, only to realize that i have the same problems with the moto g than the nexus. Also, and this is secondary, it seem a little big for my taste.

Without turning this into a apple vs android debate, everything was complicated with my android phone, and although it worked well when it worked (except the Fongo thing). I have had nothing but problems with it. I seem to spend an awful amount of time fixing the damned thing.

I went on the moto g forums, and people seem to have random problems with the phone, and I am sick and tired of this piece of technology taking so much time/research/fixing.

So does anyone use the moto g 2nd gen? how do you like it? do you have any problems with it? Does anyone use Fongo with it? do you get Echo/crap call quality? If you have one, do you mind trying out Fongo to see if you have echo/crap call problems?

I don't use the phone a lot. I use it for calling (not often), texting (3-4 people), taking pics of my kid. Anything else is extra. So basically I just want it to work well with Fongo, and have a decent camera.

Any phone recommendations besides these ones is welcome.

Thanks for any help
J-S

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2015, 08:37:39 AM »
I'd go 5s but I'm a heavy smartphone user and sold to the Apple ecosystem. Depends on what you value. 4s definitely is not a good long term buy if you use apps a lot

alsoknownasDean

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2015, 09:13:09 AM »
If you go iPhone, I'd say go for at least a 5/5C. The 4S is close to EOL these days, I doubt it will get the next iOS update.

Otherwise, any Android phone with a decent camera should be OK. There's heaps of cheap Android phones around. Finding one that's cheap and has a good camera shouldn't be too hard. I've got a first gen G as my spare phone, excellent ergonomics, but the camera is shit.

Here's an idea, do any of your iPhone using friends (ie: those who have recently bought a new iPhone 6) have an old functional 4S kicking around they'd be prepared to part with for a few bucks?

Daley

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2015, 09:18:47 AM »
It sounds like you're trying to fix a crappy proprietary software problem with hardware.

Perhaps the solution isn't so much trying to buy an overpriced Apple smartyphone to make Fongo's proprietary software work better, but to ditch the crappy proprietary VoIP provider. To those ends, have you given the guide (unabridged) a read yet?

With the Fongo mention, something tells me you're up in Canada. Though the mobile phone selection for up North isn't detailed in the guide currently, there are still plenty of VoIP options that work up there. If you're effectively after a cheap WiFi only call and SMS option, look into other proprietary options such as netTALK, TextNow, Line2, and Rebtel, or open standard providers like VOIP.ms or Anveo.

Just remember, it's not that you can't get cheap communications services, but you do also get what you pay for and sometimes "free" can cost you more than a better quality paid solution.

Lastly, if you're reliant on WiFi VoIP calling and don't actually have a mobile plan, consider the possibility of bypassing the cost of an Android or iOS based device that has the hardware for mobile network connectivity included to begin with. Some used iPod Touch or a cheap Android-based MP3 player with microphone would probably work just as well.

waffle

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2015, 09:27:30 AM »
I would go with at least the 5c. The 4s doesn't have LTE capability (don't know if that is available in your area, but its sure nice to have). Plus unless they replaced the battery on the 4s when they refurbished it then it probably wont last long on a charge being that old.

fullpampers

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #5 on: May 06, 2015, 10:30:59 AM »
It sounds like you're trying to fix a crappy proprietary software problem with hardware.

Perhaps the solution isn't so much trying to buy an overpriced Apple smartyphone to make Fongo's proprietary software work better, but to ditch the crappy proprietary VoIP provider. To those ends, have you given the guide (unabridged) a read yet?

With the Fongo mention, something tells me you're up in Canada. Though the mobile phone selection for up North isn't detailed in the guide currently, there are still plenty of VoIP options that work up there. If you're effectively after a cheap WiFi only call and SMS option, look into other proprietary options such as netTALK, TextNow, Line2, and Rebtel, or open standard providers like VOIP.ms or Anveo.

Just remember, it's not that you can't get cheap communications services, but you do also get what you pay for and sometimes "free" can cost you more than a better quality paid solution.

Lastly, if you're reliant on WiFi VoIP calling and don't actually have a mobile plan, consider the possibility of bypassing the cost of an Android or iOS based device that has the hardware for mobile network connectivity included to begin with. Some used iPod Touch or a cheap Android-based MP3 player with microphone would probably work just as well.

Thanks, I did read the guide a while back, before going "all data", thanks for your work by the way, it helped a lot. I will read it again with my actual situation in mind.

I don't have a Voip provider, i use my home wifi, or work wifi, or free wifi. I do have a tablet plan with Bell. Which i keep data closed on the phone unless i need to text or call. And yes I am in Canada. Everything works fine, except with the nexus 4.

I tested Fongo on my Iphone 4s and it worked great. When i switched my GF to Fongo I gave her my 4s because she did not have a smartphone to run Fongo. I bought the nexus 4 because it seemed like the most repairable, cost effective phone i could get. The phone is good, but now the battery drain/logic board problems are too much of a pain.

On the Fongo forums it says that they have echo/audio problems with certain LG phones (including nexus 4) and certain samsung phones. which i read AFTER buying the phone...

I have tested fongo on other Android phones  and it worked fine except for a nexus 5. The problem with the nexus is that the phone won't let Fongo use the second microphone to do acoustic cancellation. So when i talk, it's like the whole phone is like an omni-directional microphone.

I had considered using a ipod, but hadn't given it much thought, I'll reflect on that

As for switching apps, I'll look into the ones you have mentioned, but I already paid for my number transfer to Fongo and if you exclude my poor choice of a phone for this app, it works flawlessly. I have been using it for a year now and do not regret it. If I had just gotten another iphone instead of the nexus, I wouldn't be having these problems. I have tried textNow but free unlimited calling and paying 20$ a year for unlimited texts worked better for me (Fongo)

Thanks!

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #6 on: May 06, 2015, 10:34:16 AM »
And this is why I have Apple products at home. One single platform to test on so less problems than you will have on windows/android. I solve enough IT issues at work

jmusic

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #7 on: May 06, 2015, 12:16:18 PM »
...if you exclude my poor choice of a phone for this app, it works flawlessly. I have been using it for a year now and do not regret it. If I had just gotten another iphone instead of the nexus, I wouldn't be having these problems.

Sounds like you know what you should do then. 

fullpampers

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2015, 01:18:52 PM »
...if you exclude my poor choice of a phone for this app, it works flawlessly. I have been using it for a year now and do not regret it. If I had just gotten another iphone instead of the nexus, I wouldn't be having these problems.

Sounds like you know what you should do then.

yeah but I just wanted to be sure I had considered all the options. And I was kind of hoping someone would bring up a phone I hadn't considered that was a cheaper option...

ketchup

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #9 on: May 06, 2015, 01:28:55 PM »
All your iPhone options seem overpriced.  My girlfriend bought a 5S including fancy Otterbox case on eBay for $200 a few months ago.

Someone already mentioned it, but if you go Apple, an older one may have a bad battery simply due to age.  Replacing the battery isn't a colossal amount of work, but it's time and something you might not be willing to do.  Apple doesn't want you to replace the battery because they (and an increasing number of other phone manufacturers) want to help prop up the illusion that a new $700 smartphone every two years is just a cost of life.

/planned obsolescence rant

jmusic

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #10 on: May 06, 2015, 03:16:46 PM »
All your iPhone options seem overpriced.  My girlfriend bought a 5S including fancy Otterbox case on eBay for $200 a few months ago.

Someone already mentioned it, but if you go Apple, an older one may have a bad battery simply due to age.  Replacing the battery isn't a colossal amount of work, but it's time and something you might not be willing to do.  Apple doesn't want you to replace the battery because they (and an increasing number of other phone manufacturers) want to help prop up the illusion that a new $700 smartphone every two years is just a cost of life.

/planned obsolescence rant

True that.  While my Galaxy Nexus has a replaceable battery, I'm running into a similar problem.  The constant software updates are not friendly to older phones such as mine.  I don't want to turn them off due to potential security issues, but Chrome, Maps, and other basic apps are running slower and slower, and crashing frequently enough to cause anger management issues. 

I think Maps is worst of all because of the crashes when I'm using navigation to drive!!

anotherAlias

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #11 on: May 06, 2015, 05:37:23 PM »
My galaxy s3 crapped out a couple weeks ago and I replaced it with a moto g 2nd gen.  I love it.  It is so much more responsive than my s3 ever was.  The battery life has been excellent.  According to my parents, who are very critical of call quality from cell phones, said I sounded like I was on a land line. I've only had it a few weeks so I can't speak to over all quality yet but at <$200 I don't have any complaints so far.

ketchup

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #12 on: May 07, 2015, 12:11:29 PM »
Damn, both of you are talking about replacing smartphones that are newer than mine.  I'm still using a Galaxy S (the first one from 2010/early 2011).  I have SlimKat on mine and my main issues are that the Maps app runs crazy slow (navigation is unusable), and I have almost no internal space (because so few apps can be installed on the SD card) left for additional apps and nothing can update anymore (and I have something like 3 non-Google apps installed).  Oh, and I think the cell radio is dying because I get random intermittent issues there.  It's getting pretty maddening but I'm toughing it out for at least a few more months so I can say I've had this phone for two years.  I'll probably replace it with a 2nd generation Moto E or similar.

sisto

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #13 on: May 07, 2015, 04:17:52 PM »
I am perfectly happy still plugging away with my iPhone 4s. I have used Android, but they tend to have issues where the iPhone does not. I had a really nice Android phone luckily it was free, that simply would not link to my blue tooth helmet system, but my old iPhone worked fine so I switched back to using it. I'd love the new iPhone 6+, but there is no way I'm paying $700+ on a phone.

anotherAlias

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2015, 04:58:41 PM »
Damn, both of you are talking about replacing smartphones that are newer than mine.  I'm still using a Galaxy S (the first one from 2010/early 2011).  I have SlimKat on mine and my main issues are that the Maps app runs crazy slow (navigation is unusable), and I have almost no internal space (because so few apps can be installed on the SD card) left for additional apps and nothing can update anymore (and I have something like 3 non-Google apps installed).  Oh, and I think the cell radio is dying because I get random intermittent issues there.  It's getting pretty maddening but I'm toughing it out for at least a few more months so I can say I've had this phone for two years.  I'll probably replace it with a 2nd generation Moto E or similar.
I would have been happy to have kept the S3 for several yrs more but it suddenly stopped getting any signal.  I tried to fix it with no luck.  Since it was useless for actually making phone calls and it is my only phone, replacing it wasn't really optional.  On the plus side, I used credit card points to pay for the moto g so it only cost me $40 out of pocket.

fullpampers

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #15 on: May 09, 2015, 09:56:59 AM »
I would have kept the nexus 4 even with the crap call quality. But with the battery loosing 9-10%/hour even without the phone turned ON, I need another phone.

An I have spend too much time troubleshooting and fixing up this phone. I'm going for a sure shot.

Looking for an Iphone 5s on kijiji, and phone to keep it until it self-destructs.

NICE!

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Re: phone dilema. (iphone vs moto g 2nd gen)
« Reply #16 on: May 09, 2015, 11:59:42 AM »
Cyanogenmod seems to make a bunch of old Android phones feel like new. It did for my EVO 4G (Summer 2010) until it unfortunately died in torrential downpour. I would've used the phone for another year or two.

FYI I did replace the battery once but that was like a $5 purchase on Amazon.