6 minutes ago, SamSpade said:

S21 Ultra? Is this post from 50 minutes or 5 years ago?
 

I’m in the Apple camp (can’t be bothered to move everything I have there to the other side) but if I wasn’t, I’d go Oppo

I say Nope-O on Oppo. 

Whatever you decide, I'd say do NOT get a Samsung S22 Ultra. I have never hated a phone as much as I do the one I have (which will get replaced my next visit to the states). It weighs a ton, is VERY slow reacting to any input, and you have to hold down TWO buttons simultaneously to turn it off, which, if you do it wrong, merely turns off the volume. To say it sucks is a giant understatement.

1 minute ago, BKKKevin said:

Check out the Samsung website to see if you can trade your old phone in?... 

I just bought an S25+ on sale and they gave me an additional 6k off for trading in my 5 yo S20...

 

You might look at the S24FE... The new S25FE will be  released next week and my bet if you can get a great clearance price for the S24FE... 

Good suggestion.

5 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Sorry. Correct -- number outdated.

But you know what I mean.

The current S XX Ultra model.

Expensive.

Hard to justify.

I agree with you, buying any "Ultra Model" is hard to justify for us retirees... 

 

I did buy my parents the A52 and they loved it, bought the GF the same phone & she hated it so 18 months later I bought her the Oppo8 which she loves.

 

Well worth a peak at Oppo I'd say :)

 

Edit: Just seen you're Nope-O to Oppo, as always too each his own...

7 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

 

Any opinions on Google Pixels?

 

Better than Samsung.

 

Pixel is pure Android  - Google writes it 

 

Do you use gmail ?  - Google / Pixel 

 

Do you use Google Maps ?  - Pixel is Google

 

Do you use Google translate ? - Pixel is Google

 

 

Only downside is there is no support for Google Pixel in TH as they do not officially sell them here  - so if you're a Noob who breaks his phone often because not using an Otterbox case or decent high quality screen protector than buy a Samsung A56 which is a good deal for the price .

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

A56 is a latest Galaxy.

Perhaps you mean go for the flagship S21 Ultra (Galaxy).

 

Isn't the S25 Ultra the current flagship?

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

Isn't the S25 Ultra the current flagship?

Corrected already. Read topic.

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

I tried Chinese off brands three times before I graduated to Samsung. No thank you.

Take a look at current Xiaomi models...and reviews online about them, you may be surprised.

Xaiomi do not run Android as its operating system...

 

I would shy away from any Chinese brands as they could be locked out of the US ecosystem (Google.. etc...) in the event of a world conflict or a Trump brain fart... 

Is replacing the screen not an option ?

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

It's got to be a Samsung for me.

I bought the girlfriend a Vivo V29 a while ago. 

 

High Specs, slim, light weight and she loves the 50MP selfie camera. 

 

 

 

https://m.gsmarena.com/vivo_v29-12461.php

9 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

9 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Isn't the S25 Ultra the current flagship?

Corrected already. Read topic.

Just asked a question...read post.   

3 minutes ago, BKKKevin said:

Xaiomi do not run Android as its operating system...

 

I would shy away from any Chinese brands as they could be locked out of the US ecosystem (Google.. etc...) in the event of a world conflict or a Trump brain fart... 

No Chinese phones for me. Period. 

5 minutes ago, BKKKevin said:

Xaiomi do not run Android as its operating system...

My 14 uses Android 15 according to the phone's specs.

Can't herd cats but reminder this is a Samsung phone topic with a bit of Google Pixel curiosity.

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Can't herd cats but reminder this is a Samsung phone topic with a bit of Google Pixel curiosity.

Many apologies for making a suggestion but remember this topic is on  a forum.  

Bought an A56 a few months ago, after exhaustive research looking at best options for mid range Samsung. Reviews pointed to A56. Been great. No complaints. Excellent camera. Good battery life. Solid phone, for the price. 

I wonder if the USA Tariffs and de minimis exemption, which allowed shipments valued under $800 to enter the USA duty-free, (came to an end globally on Friday) ... will create a supply glut for Samsung and they will dump their phones here and ASEAN at meaningful discounts.  Might it be worth it to wait a week or two to see if there is a "fire sale?"  (PS:  I love Samsung / great company / excellent products)

59 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

My 14 uses Android 15 according to the phone's specs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaomi_HyperOS

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

A56 is a latest Galaxy.

Perhaps you mean go for the flagship S21 Ultra (Galaxy).

 

yes, I have the S21 and it's some years old, think the new one in S25.  Go for it.

6 minutes ago, BKKKevin said:

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

My 14 uses Android 15 according to the phone's specs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaomi_HyperOS

From your link...

"...Xiaomi uses the Android kernel for phones and tablets..."

1 hour ago, HappyExpat57 said:

and you have to hold down TWO buttons simultaneously to turn it off

 

That's not exclusive to the S22. I think all phones with the latest Android OS have this "feature" enabled by default.

 

To put it back to the original behaviour, open up settings and search for the word "power". One of the results that shows up will be "how to power off your phone". Open up that result and you will find the setting that you need to change in order to revert to sensible power button functionality.

1 hour ago, BKKKevin said:

Xaiomi do not run Android as its operating system...

Utter nonsense.

1 hour ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Whatever you decide, I'd say do NOT get a Samsung S22 Ultra. I have never hated a phone as much as I do the one I have (which will get replaced my next visit to the states). It weighs a ton, is VERY slow reacting to any input, and you have to hold down TWO buttons simultaneously to turn it off, which, if you do it wrong, merely turns off the volume. To say it sucks is a giant understatement.

Let me know if you want to sell it

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Isn't the S25 Ultra the current flagship?

Yes, the A56 is the top of the midrange line

18 minutes ago, JayClay said:

 

That's not exclusive to the S22. I think all phones with the latest Android OS have this "feature" enabled by default.

 

To put it back to the original behaviour, open up settings and search for the word "power". One of the results that shows up will be "how to power off your phone". Open up that result and you will find the setting that you need to change in order to revert to sensible power button functionality.

Or just go to settings, accessibility, interaction and dexterity, and turn on the assistant menu. Then you can access all of your power, screenshot, volume, etc settings via software.

21 minutes ago, JayClay said:

 

That's not exclusive to the S22. I think all phones with the latest Android OS have this "feature" enabled by default.

 

To put it back to the original behaviour, open up settings and search for the word "power". One of the results that shows up will be "how to power off your phone". Open up that result and you will find the setting that you need to change in order to revert to sensible power button functionality.

 

You are correct, of course.

The A55 behaves the same way.

Change settings if you want to change the way the phone powers off.

 

For the price, the A55 is a steal, with 12GB RAM, and 256K of storage.

Very low price for what you get.

 

This phone was NOT offered in the USA...because it was too good, maybe, and would interfere with sales of more expensive phones.

 

I am very happy about having 12GB of RAM....I will not run out, even 5 years from now, as apps get more hungry for RAM, and opening 10 apps simultaneously is definitely not a problem.

 

Linux systems use extra RAM well, and Android is Linux, is it not?

 

 

I bought a Galaxy A34 last year.  The only problem with it is that it doesn't take an eSim which I figured out later when I was interested in buying an eSim.
Another thing you may want to investigate is whether the phone can be interfaced with a monitor.  Again, interfacing the A34 with an external monitor is problematic.  One of these live and learn kinda things.  I'd take those into consideration when I buy my next phone, but I generally get 5+ years of use out of a phone and don't upgrade until the OS can't be upgraded which sort of forces you to buy new - ya know, built-in ob$ole$cence.  But as a family we have had Samsungs for years and we all like them.  However, with this phone if it finally runs out of updates, I'll just "root" it and run a custom ROM.

Get the smaller phone. I bought S25 6 months ago and they are so much more comfortable to hold than bigger phones. 

2 hours ago, sometime said:

I have a Samsung Galaxy A14, the latest update is terrible, but I suppose you could say that with most phones. 

I tend to agree.  That last update of the One UI user interface from One UI 6.0 to One UI 7.0 pretty well sucked.  I guess One UI 8.0 is being rolled out now, perhaps to fix the issues they created with the last update.