Recommend me Android alternative please...

[mattiasnyc]

At some point I'll need to switch. What's a good alternative?

I've been looking lately and I just can't seem to find something that impresses me more than the 950. I compare the specs and I find it's always some sort of concession I have to make.

What I'd like:

Iris scan
Removable battery
Expandable memory
Dual Sim
Equal or better camera
Equal or better CPU/GPU
Equal or better screen
Flat screen
Wireless charging
Headphone jack
USB-C charging/data
Roughly same size

I swear to god it's impossible to find. I mean, add Continuum to the above and it's mind boggling to me that the phone got so little attention and traction... I'd like to give up as little as possible. I've looked at;

s10e
s9
Pixels..
Motorolas..

Won't do LG because LG burned me with the g2x.

Anyway - recommendations?

 

[RTGent]

I started sniffing last year and picked up a Sony XZ1 Compact. It features, for me, small size, and for you only some of y/our boxes. My requirements were a headphone jack and expandability because Music is one my main passions. The Sony also features AptX (for my integrated amp's AptX BT), as well as LDAC, for enhanced Bluetooth listening. Photography is another passion, and Sony, which makes cameras, has strong photo and video features: The XZ1 also has a dedicated shutter button. Then, early this year, I picked up an LG V20, your no-no, but it does tick the rarest of our 950 boxes: a replaceable battery. It is also expandable, and you probably know that LG's V series is among the strongest in both music (built-in DAC -unique, to my knowledge; AptX; audio jack; etc.) and photo properties (dual lenses inc. wide angle, top video with audio recording, etc.). I also grabbed these phones, BTW, because their successors were losing one or more required features. I'll add that Sony is the best when it comes to updating both Android and its own software. whereas LG is not very good in this regard -no big things to me at all, but they may be to you and others.

I still have those only on reserve because my 950 still easily bests them overall, as your list illustrates. I hope to keep the angroid tools where they belong because these options are mere pretenders. By the way, I've also installed the Microsoft Launcher (also tops in updating itself) on the Sony and several Microsoft apps on the V20 to smooth the transition for if and when the time comes. Not in denial; I'm just convinced after almost 4 years, that there is nothing better out there, and hopeful only updates and support will seize. We shall see, but I am prepared regardless.

 

[mattiasnyc]

Thanks for your response. Lack of updates is exactly where I felt LG let me down. My g2x got few updates, and once the last one showed up it slowed the phone down to a miserable crawl. So, not having a lot of faith in LG...

But again - appreciated!

 

[N_LaRUE]

If you're going to compare a 2015 phone to a 2019 phone you're going to keep coming up SOL.

Removable batteries are long gone as is the 3.5mm jack on anything that's considered flagship. Samsung seems to be the only one currently.

All glass bodies and curved screens are the norm. Though some are flatter than others.

Along with that the Iris scanner is not that common anymore and no one does a continuum type product aside from Samsung and it's not the same.

The rest of your specification can easily be accomplished though most flagships are large these days. The newer CPUs are significantly better than previous ones. Most unlocked phones can be found with dual SIMs.

It's rare to find a dual SIM and expandable memory. So you're going to have to comprise there. Most newer flagships are hitting 128GB or more so you can look at that as a compromise unless you like to swap SD cards all the time.

USB-C fast charge is standard these days. What isn't is wireless. I personally don't care about wireless charging.

Most screens and cameras have gotten pretty good on flagships.

So if I were to pick a phone for you it would be the Samsung S10 as it covers the majority of your criteria.

Second would be the new Pixel 4 as it has a size closer to the Lumia 950.

After that all the latest flagships are in the 6"+ range.

I personally own the Sony Xperia 1 that just came out. It's my first large phone and I like it a lot. However it falls short a number of your criteria.

 

[N_LaRUE]

The reason why Windoas Phones failed is due to the lack luster Store. Apps, especially the latest and greatest are important to those who want them. Also lack of banking apps, etc.

MS tried but didn't do a great job at advertising and the reviewers were never kind to the WP OS.

As for Continuum. Nice idea but most people would ask why not just have a laptop or now a Surface.

You can put it simply WP died because of mob rule if you wish.

 

[Drael646464]

I got the xiaomi mi 9 se. It's about the same size, even slightly narrower, but the screen takes up the whole device front so it's a larger screen.

Camera is in fact better. It's got 2x optical zoon, and a widescreen mode, the former of which is actually dope. Was very important to me, I take a lot of snaps. I researched and researched before I settled on this. Which is hard to get in something at its price, as is a smaller sized device (something else essential to me, again, I looked and looked). The CPU is very snappy, I've been gaming on it, and the whole thing is very fluid.

Doesn't have SD, but comes in 128GB which seems to be plenty (And I LOAD stuff on there, I treat every device as if there will be an entertainment apocalypse any day). There's no headphone jack, but there is a usb adapter for a headphone jack included.

IDK about wireless charging, because I've lost my wireless charger. But it fastcharges via usb c, and boy does it charge fast. Surprises me. I plug it in, check a bit later, bang charged.

Obviously no phones have removeable batteries anymore. It's 2.5D screen but with a wrap around case you wouldn't know. It does also have a dual sim.

Of course it does have the stupid glass back so many flagships etc have these days, but I always use a case, so it doesn't matter.

All in all, feels like a suitable replacement, even though android is a bit more fiddly, there's a lot more apps. To help with said fiddliness setting up gestures on the microsoft launcher helps a lot, as does using 'blackberry inbox', which saves you screwing with androids messy notification shade (it shows messenger, whatsapp, and any emails you want, so between that and your text app you rarely look at the shade; major bonus for me I HATE androids notification system).

Microsoft and/or blackberry apps, here maps, along with some open source stuff from fdroid, and as much as one can get from amazons app store rather than G play, helps avoid much interaction with google. Google apps on my device are neglected. Indeed this was the first thing I did with my device, install all the MS apps, some BB apps, and some other stores. I also replaced gpay, the browser, and 1.1.1.1 for privacy.

The ad riddled and freemium state of android apps still bugs me, as it did when I left, but I just uninstall/avoid anything remotely like that. Unless it's bonus features I don't need, but can opt into. Thats tolerable. Want money from me? Either have a paid thing as a trial/demo, or ask for money, then give me the thing with no ads or add ons. I'll never support the other stuff.

I might have gone whole hog and installed a custom rom, but didn't want to mess it up.

Anyway, this device is a good sub. It's thinner than the 950, (both depth and screen width), making it even more portable. Mega bonus? It's cheaper than any of the flagships you mentioned. In fact, it's about half the price.

 

[mattiasnyc]

Thanks so much for the input!

I'll definitely take a look.

 

[RTGent]

FWIW, the Pixel 3A and 3A XL also have audio jacks, which had been dropped (or never had?) on prior models. Still not for me without SD-card slot, etc. Samsung, being the top world seller, will always be influential.

 

[mattiasnyc]

Thanks. I ended up with the Samsung s10e which I reviewed somewhere around here. I like it.

 

[HerronScott]

I moved from the 950 to an LG V35 and have been happy with it (other than I miss the UI of the Windows Phone and a few things that just don't work as seamlessly with Windows Phone primarily calendar integration with my work email and personal Outlook mail). And it has been receiving security updates every 2 months from AT&T (my wife and son's old V20 was also updated to Android 9 as well so they are doing better with updates.

It was nice they added wireless charging on the V35 and I'm still using the Microsoft wireless chargers.

Scott