Smartphone recommendation

[frostfire]

Finally moving on to smartphone this year.
I welcome your recommendations or perspective adjustment

Criteria:
- Not seeking the latest/greatest
- No contract
- Use for at least 100hrs call/mo, text, and stock market check
- Word processing package and other productivity highly desirable
- Good speaker/mic for shot timer softwares
- Take decent picture?

In my research so far, it boils down to Moto-G and Nokia 635
I'm partial to the Nokia. I'm using a Nokia "dumb phone" I've had since 2008. It's been dropped, drowned, and yes, ran over by my car twice! Scratches all over but it still works with the original battery. Call, text, no problem. Needless to say, I'm looking for the same resilient product.

[DIYPatriot]

The Moto-G is a good phone at a pretty decent price. I feel that you could get a little more bang for your buck, though. This is a pretty slick deal. One of the guys on my team just ordered one and he's been searching for a good bit for a phone to replace his 2 year old Droid. It features lots of good tech at a pretty good price for an unlocked phone. It isn't a rugged smartphone, though. However, otterboxes and other protective cases from companies such as LifeProof could help you reach that requirement.

Which network are you trying to utilize as this could dictate things for you.

ETA: Be mindful of data storage options. I prefer phones that allow me to save data/backup to a physical SD card as opposed to only the cloud. Newer phones are moving away from this in an effort to offer online storage at monthly fees (screw that) while others are offering free backups on the cloud, but are capping their data limits. Aside from having to pay extra fees for access to MY data, I live in fear that my selfies could end up on 4chan or twitter and that the FBI would be forced to get involved.

[trinity]

My family and I prefer Samsung smart phones, and have for years. We've tried others, and keep coming back to Samsung. They "take a lickin' and keep on tickin'", and once you get used to a smart phone, it's easy to transition from one Samsung to another.

I agree with DIYPatriot regarding storage. You want your stored data in your own hot little hands, not on a cloud somewhere with unknown security. The only stuff I put on a cloud is stuff I *want* other people to be able to access, and it's NOT my primary storage, even for those files.

[NF_NYC]

As someone who's had 2 Samsung devices and 2 Google devices, I'm sticking with Google phones which are Motorola Moto G/X and Nexus devices. I bought a Moto G for my father and a Nexus 5 for me. I recommend those because they're stripped down. They don't have custom interfaces, apps, motion control, and other crap you don't need. It's "pure Android" as the nerds call them, as minimalist as it gets. It just works.

The Moto Gs are great bang for your buck but you never get a great camera at $150-220 range. The Nexus 5 is $280-350 depending on internal memory and color and it's a great mid-range phone.

Also, with Nexus phones you get Google Now. It's a separate screen where Google experiments with new ways of sending you info. You get news and other information related to your previous searches. If you looked up something on a sports team, a few days later you might see game scores on there. You might see Ferguson info if you've been Googling that. See pictures. The best part is you don't have to waste time customizing anything. It's all done for you.

Please, get anything but an iPhone!

[(1VB)compforce]

Originally Posted by NF_NYC

Also, with Nexus phones you get Google Now. It's a separate screen where Google experiments with new ways of sending you info. You get news and other information related to your previous searches. If you looked up something on a sports team, a few days later you might see game scores on there. You might see Ferguson info if you've been Googling that. See pictures. The best part is you don't have to waste time customizing anything. It's all done for you.

Please, get anything but an iPhone!

And you think it's a good thing having google track everything you do? Remember there is an email (@gmail.com) and corresponding google+ account tied to that phone...

[NF_NYC]

Originally Posted by (1VB)compforce

And you think it's a good thing having google track everything you do? Remember there is an email (@gmail.com) and corresponding google+ account tied to that phone...

I'm sure there are some options for you to opt out of being tracked in some cases when using Google. But realize that most companies are gathering info on you anyway. You might as well get nice services out of it. For example, one day I was visiting my grandmother's house and my phone told me where the car I arrived in was parked. I never asked for this but I was amazed. The phone noticed I got out of my home and moved through a highway at high speed and stopped on the side of a street. That usually means I left a parked car. This is smart info and I guess this is meant for drunks to find their cars.

If you still have concerns about companies snooping on your activities then I'm not sure even a dumb phone is good for you.

Anyway, Moto and Nexus are unlocked no-contract phones and they work on almost all carriers.

[MtnGoat]

IMO stay far away from Nokia 635, everyone that has gone with these window based phones hate them. I say Moto-G.

[trinity]

Originally Posted by MtnGoat

IMO stay far away from Nokia 635, everyone that has gone with these window based phones hate them.

DEFINITELY no Windows phones!! I had ONE, and I'll never have another! I was trying to do what was supposed to be a routine software upgrade (following Windows instructions), and about halfway through, the upgrade halted, and my phone was bricked.

[letinsh]

I've had both Moto (Droid) and Samsung (Stratosphere and S3) devices. Thumbs up on both of them. As stated by everyone else, the Nokia you're looking at is not the Nokia you have. They are from 2 different eras.
Just to throw another option out there, if you're concerned about privacy, here is an option (slightly more expensive, though).
https://www.blackphone.ch/index.html

[Kyobanim]

have a look at the HTC M8. You can get it with android or windows. I've had HTC windows phones for 5 years. Recently got the HTC M8 with windows and it is a freaking dream.

durable, good battery life in standby and talk modes, MicroSD slot and all the other crap that comes with a smart phone now. I use it to manage my work systems when I'm away from the office, eliminating the need to carry a tablet or laptop. Cortana in the windows phone is pretty cool too. I am finding that you can do a lot more with voice commands than the commercials tell you.

Now that windows servers are using the tiled desktop, all of my screens operate the same way and they are all synced.

Whatever you get, get it with the extra warranty.

[frostfire]

aw, shoot...those are strong arguments all around. Analysis paralysis now, but thanks a lot for the feedback, folks

Originally Posted by Kyobanim

I use it to manage my work systems when I'm away from the office, eliminating the need to carry a tablet or laptop. Cortana in the windows phone is pretty cool too. I am finding that you can do a lot more with voice commands than the commercials tell you.

Now that windows servers are using the tiled desktop, all of my screens operate the same way and they are all synced.

These stood out. Kyobanim, have you used windows phone effectively to type using voice command software? Can Cortana do it?

My tablet is android but my laptop is on Windows 8. So the laptop will sync effectively (and easily) with mobile windows 8.1 for file transfer, etc. through USB? Wifi? Bluetooth? or like iphone where it requires itunes.

[DIYPatriot]

Check out the app, DoubleTwist, for syncing your files on mixed platforms. I love it.

[Javadrinker]

get a Samsung, root it, install custom ROM of your choice.

[Kyobanim]

These stood out. Kyobanim, have you used windows phone effectively to type using voice command software? Can Cortana do it?

So far Cortana is doing it. I'm still playing with options, only had this one a couple weeks.

My tablet is android but my laptop is on Windows 8. So the laptop will sync effectively (and easily) with mobile windows 8.1 for file transfer, etc. through USB? Wifi? Bluetooth? or like iphone where it requires itunes.

USB or wifi will work. I haven't tried Bluetooth. In addition to the phone I use a Surface 2 and desktop with 8.1, there is an option to sync all your desktops in the Settings. this mostly helps to keep your user settings available on all synced devices.

[lindy]

Originally Posted by Javadrinker

get a Samsung, root it, install custom ROM of your choice.

x2!