RFI: Cell Phone (Verizon)

[LOKNLOD]

I believe the SE is on the list to get updated soon, so it might be a good time to get a deal.

However, the most foolproof thing would be the buy the newest iPhone you can stomach the price of - it’ll be future proof the longest.

They won’t offer much meaningful functional difference for the use you describe, but the hardware will be viable for future updates for longer.

The 11s are cheaper but don’t go 5G.
The 12 and 13 are extremely similar. It didn’t seem like there was huge savings on the 12 over 13, but they aren’t cheaper. Storage size seems to drive price parity a lot - more deals to be had on the smaller hard drive units.

[ccmdfd]

Just don't buy into Verizon's 5G hype.

I've got a Samsung Galaxy 5G and even in big cities like Charlotte and Raleigh (heck even Dallas TX) it doesn't pick up a 5G signal.

I like my Galaxy, but it is a different OS. My wife has an iPhone. Her's does some things better than mine, and vice versa.

[blues]

Thanks, guys. I had a feeling that staying with an iPhone was probably going to be the consensus.

Maybe I'll wait and see what the 2022 SE version price will be compared to the 12 Mini.

Appreciate the info.

[noguns]

Check Costco out if you are a member. They sometimes have wireless deals that won’t be on their website. I bought two iPhone 12s for roughly half off when they were the current model.

[blues]

Check Costco out if you are a member. They sometimes have wireless deals that won’t be on their website. I bought two iPhone 12s for roughly half off when they were the current model.

Not a member...but nice deal.

[MichaelD]

If you don't mind used-but-reconditioned, check Backmarket: https://www.backmarket.com/refurbish...e-se-2020.html

My preference would be for an unlocked model so you could switch carriers as desired.

[RJ]

Just to add, something maybe to look into: For the last five months, we've been paying a $5 "add on" charge to Verizon for an additional blok of data on our account. We have a 2Gb a month shared data pool that we are charged $35 for a month. The "add on" data is 999 Gb, the unused portion of which is carried over each month.

Since we don't use our phones to stream video 24/7, we effectively have an unlimited data account for $40 a month (not looking at payoff fees or line rental or taxes, obviously, which are extra).

I'm not sure how I stumbled on this but it was an option, so I added it last October, and it's been running ever since.

[Casey]

As others have mentioned, stick with an iPhone. I'm using a 12 Pro and I bought my mom an 11 a couple years ago (her first cell phone, ever). The non-Pro versions are perfectly good phones and the differences these days are minimal (screen type and cameras were the only significant differences as I recall). I would get a non-Pro 11 or a 12 over an SE; while a little more pricey (a 128 GB iPhone 11 goes for $549 compared to $449 for a 128 GB SE), you're getting a better camera, FaceID, a much bigger screen, and a larger battery.

Neither the 11 nor the SE have 5G, but... who cares? 5G kills your battery, overall coverage is limited and you need to be very close to a tower to get true 5G speeds, and bottom line, nobody needs that kind of speed on a mobile device yet. 4G LTE provides plenty of bandwidth for streaming HD video. Unless you have some weird need to download 8K video on the go... it's just not a concern yet.

While iOS lacks some of the customization features found on Android phones, as I've gotten older, I've lost the desire to be able to change every single little thing about my devices. I'd prefer that they just work, which iPhones seem to do a little better. And there are still tons of user-adjustable settings in iOS if you want to tweak things.

You mentioned planning on sticking with Verizon, and I also wanted to strongly encourage you to do that. For the past two years I was both an AT&T and Verizon customer (had one line from each on my iPhone, had Verizon coverage on my Apple Watch and iPad, and AT&T U-verse for home internet and TV. Verizon was sooooooooo much easier to deal with when adding or cancelling service, there's just no comparison. The AT&T website is hot garbage, frequently fails to load (this using a variety of browsers), and rarely allows me to accomplish what I want, if I can even find what I'm looking for. Activate cellular coverage on my Apple Watch? Spent dozens of fruitless attempts trying to do so through AT&T's website and through the Watch app on my phone, all to no avail. Decided to use Verizon on the Watch out of frustration, and I had it set up in minutes with zero drama. Almost every transaction I try to do through AT&T's website ends up requiring a call or chat with a customer service rep, which a a task that belongs in its own circle of hell.

[RoyGBiv]

Not a member...but nice deal.

If you find something you like at Costco, I'm happy to help.
Was just there on Saturday. I avoid the mobile phone hucksters like the plague. I'll check in with them next time if you haven't solved this.

My old LG G8 (which I love) is starting to have issues with BT and the fingerprint scanner.... Might be a good time to upgrade for me too. Been looking at the Pixel 5a.

ETA...
If you are open to switching to Google Fi (instead of Verizon), you can get the 5a for $300 today.
Unlimited plan is $30/month for 3 lines (90 total)... 60/month for 1, 45/mo/each for 2 (90 total)...
https://fi.google.com/about/

[blues]

Thanks, B. I'm pretty sure I'm sticking with Verizon which has the best service around these parts. That SE 2022 might be just right for us...we'll see when they're actually available.

I'd be happy to stay with my 5c for all I care about using the phone. My chromebook is my workhorse...but I'm not looking for a google phone to connect up with it.