Frustrated at phone selections these days. Looking for alternatives.
- So... Loved my Passport. Nice and wide. I deal with documents and PDFs much of the day. Camera was great but slow. Eventually, work apps didn't work, had to move to the Key 2. Absolutely loved the voice assistant from Nuance.
Liked my Priv (which was before the Passport!) - that size was about the tallest I would tolerate for a phone, but the screen width and resolution more than made up for the height. Hated the old voice assistant. Stopped using phone because of that.
Tolerate my Key 2. Screen is too small, but the overall size is adequate. Hate Google Assistant. They recently made a change and now I can't bluetooth call from the phone without unlocking it. Something this tall and 5-8MM wider would be much better. So... Priv or Note 5 dimensions.
All the phones I've been looking at, to get width you have to go big, with the exception of the Samsung Fold which is tall and skinny until you open it.
I use wired headphones constantly, especially for long flights (when they resume for my work).
PKB would be ideal, but adding the Blackberry keyboard and hub are options. At this point, I'm thinking I might not have a choice but to keep the Passport around as my MP3/FM Radio/Wired media player since almost all the phones these days have moved away from the 3.5MM jack.
Battery life is becoming a problem now though, as I have several required apps from work that phone home. The Key 2 can get choppy at times when they are phoning home and I'm doing regular tasks.
Google Assistant - Another reason I'm not happy with the Key 2 is if for some reason I can't hear a text message that comes in (that I just listened to via Blue tooth, which I can't do anymore without unlocking the phone!!!) and I want to replay it, I can't. On the Passport, I could say 'Please play last text message from XYZ" and it would.
I've been bouncing around with the idea of a Titan. Same height as the Key 2, meets all the other needs (width, battery life, FM radio, 3.5mm jack plus has water resistance!) but the reviews from this forum are decidedly mixed.
None of the current crop of phones are as wide as the PRIV unless I go to a 6.5 or bigger screen - which is insane for my needs.
Unfortunately, I need Android to run frequency analytics tools. I don't want to carry two devices all the time, and the Apple devices are now suffering the same issues as Android.
The rumored Blackberry might be 'Classic' sized or it might be 'Key 2' sized. Don't know, but neither of these will suit my needs if the resolution isn't there to display PDFs without rotating the screen or zooming in.
What alternatives do people suggest?
My preferences
Screen 3" wide or better
No taller than 6" high (not diagonal screen measurement)
4000mah battery
3.5MM audio jack strongly preferred
FM Radio preferred
American market, has to support VoLTE (Key 2 isn't going to be supported on AT&T after Feb 2022 because they won't turn this on)
360ppi minimum, hex core min, 4 GB RAM min, 64 GB storage with microSD or 128GB without it, 12MP camera min rear camera, 5MP front camera min.
Needs to run Android OS 10 min and be supported for at least two years after purchase with patches and planned OS updates
I'm really tempted to get another PRIV (mine has a screen that's failing) or get a Note 5 and put lineageOS on it.
For modern bar phones, an LG G8 meets all requirements except the width. It's the same physical size as the Key 2. The LG G8S is 0.5" taller than the Priv but is the same width. Of course, neither are offered by AT&T...
Ideas/options?
Thanks in advance!03-29-21 10:35 AMLike 0 - So... Loved my Passport. Nice and wide. I deal with documents and PDFs much of the day. Camera was great but slow. Eventually, work apps didn't work, had to move to the Key 2. Absolutely loved the voice assistant from Nuance.
Liked my Priv (which was before the Passport!) - that size was about the tallest I would tolerate for a phone, but the screen width and resolution more than made up for the height. Hated the old voice assistant. Stopped using phone because of that.
Tolerate my Key 2. Screen is too small, but the overall size is adequate. Hate Google Assistant. They recently made a change and now I can't bluetooth call from the phone without unlocking it. Something this tall and 5-8MM wider would be much better. So... Priv or Note 5 dimensions.
All the phones I've been looking at, to get width you have to go big, with the exception of the Samsung Fold which is tall and skinny until you open it.
I use wired headphones constantly, especially for long flights (when they resume for my work).
PKB would be ideal, but adding the Blackberry keyboard and hub are options. At this point, I'm thinking I might not have a choice but to keep the Passport around as my MP3/FM Radio/Wired media player since almost all the phones these days have moved away from the 3.5MM jack.
Battery life is becoming a problem now though, as I have several required apps from work that phone home. The Key 2 can get choppy at times when they are phoning home and I'm doing regular tasks.
Google Assistant - Another reason I'm not happy with the Key 2 is if for some reason I can't hear a text message that comes in (that I just listened to via Blue tooth, which I can't do anymore without unlocking the phone!!!) and I want to replay it, I can't. On the Passport, I could say 'Please play last text message from XYZ" and it would.
I've been bouncing around with the idea of a Titan. Same height as the Key 2, meets all the other needs (width, battery life, FM radio, 3.5mm jack plus has water resistance!) but the reviews from this forum are decidedly mixed.
None of the current crop of phones are as wide as the PRIV unless I go to a 6.5 or bigger screen - which is insane for my needs.
Unfortunately, I need Android to run frequency analytics tools. I don't want to carry two devices all the time, and the Apple devices are now suffering the same issues as Android.
The rumored Blackberry might be 'Classic' sized or it might be 'Key 2' sized. Don't know, but neither of these will suit my needs if the resolution isn't there to display PDFs without rotating the screen or zooming in.
What alternatives do people suggest?
My preferences
Screen 3" wide or better
No taller than 6" high (not diagonal screen measurement)
4000mah battery
3.5MM audio jack strongly preferred
FM Radio preferred
American market, has to support VoLTE (Key 2 isn't going to be supported on AT&T after Feb 2022 because they won't turn this on)
360ppi minimum, hex core min, 4 GB RAM min, 64 GB storage with microSD or 128GB without it, 12MP camera min rear camera, 5MP front camera min.
Needs to run Android OS 10 min and be supported for at least two years after purchase with patches and planned OS updates
I'm really tempted to get another PRIV (mine has a screen that's failing) or get a Note 5 and put lineageOS on it.
For modern bar phones, an LG G8 meets all requirements except the width. It's the same physical size as the Key 2. The LG G8S is 0.5" taller than the Priv but is the same width. Of course, neither are offered by AT&T...
Ideas/options?
Thanks in advance!John Albert likes this.03-29-21 11:14 AMLike 1 - So... Loved my Passport. Nice and wide. I deal with documents and PDFs much of the day. Camera was great but slow. Eventually, work apps didn't work, had to move to the Key 2. Absolutely loved the voice assistant from Nuance.
Liked my Priv (which was before the Passport!) - that size was about the tallest I would tolerate for a phone, but the screen width and resolution more than made up for the height. Hated the old voice assistant. Stopped using phone because of that.
Tolerate my Key 2. Screen is too small, but the overall size is adequate. Hate Google Assistant. They recently made a change and now I can't bluetooth call from the phone without unlocking it. Something this tall and 5-8MM wider would be much better. So... Priv or Note 5 dimensions.
All the phones I've been looking at, to get width you have to go big, with the exception of the Samsung Fold which is tall and skinny until you open it.
I use wired headphones constantly, especially for long flights (when they resume for my work).
PKB would be ideal, but adding the Blackberry keyboard and hub are options. At this point, I'm thinking I might not have a choice but to keep the Passport around as my MP3/FM Radio/Wired media player since almost all the phones these days have moved away from the 3.5MM jack.
Battery life is becoming a problem now though, as I have several required apps from work that phone home. The Key 2 can get choppy at times when they are phoning home and I'm doing regular tasks.
Google Assistant - Another reason I'm not happy with the Key 2 is if for some reason I can't hear a text message that comes in (that I just listened to via Blue tooth, which I can't do anymore without unlocking the phone!!!) and I want to replay it, I can't. On the Passport, I could say 'Please play last text message from XYZ" and it would.
I've been bouncing around with the idea of a Titan. Same height as the Key 2, meets all the other needs (width, battery life, FM radio, 3.5mm jack plus has water resistance!) but the reviews from this forum are decidedly mixed.
None of the current crop of phones are as wide as the PRIV unless I go to a 6.5 or bigger screen - which is insane for my needs.
Unfortunately, I need Android to run frequency analytics tools. I don't want to carry two devices all the time, and the Apple devices are now suffering the same issues as Android.
The rumored Blackberry might be 'Classic' sized or it might be 'Key 2' sized. Don't know, but neither of these will suit my needs if the resolution isn't there to display PDFs without rotating the screen or zooming in.
What alternatives do people suggest?
My preferences
Screen 3" wide or better
No taller than 6" high (not diagonal screen measurement)
4000mah battery
3.5MM audio jack strongly preferred
FM Radio preferred
American market, has to support VoLTE (Key 2 isn't going to be supported on AT&T after Feb 2022 because they won't turn this on)
360ppi minimum, hex core min, 4 GB RAM min, 64 GB storage with microSD or 128GB without it, 12MP camera min rear camera, 5MP front camera min.
Needs to run Android OS 10 min and be supported for at least two years after purchase with patches and planned OS updates
I'm really tempted to get another PRIV (mine has a screen that's failing) or get a Note 5 and put lineageOS on it.
For modern bar phones, an LG G8 meets all requirements except the width. It's the same physical size as the Key 2. The LG G8S is 0.5" taller than the Priv but is the same width. Of course, neither are offered by AT&T...
Ideas/options?
Thanks in advance!
Or wait for the new 5G QWERTY BlackBerry. Although a PKB nobody knows the dimensions at this time or a possible release date.SteinwayTransitCorp likes this.03-29-21 11:20 AMLike 1 - Based on your preferences and being partial to the Passport form factor, I'd try the Titan out and draw your own conclusions. Maybe look at a video review or two on YouTube to get a visual? Some say it can only be a hobbyist phone but that's just an opinion too.03-29-21 11:22 AMLike 0
- The taller phones really bother me, as I have to use a holster, and when I'm in and out of Network MDF/IDF locations, I usually catch the phone on something. My keychain as 22 keys, a screwdriver, and two keyfobs on it, so a phone is NOT going into my pocket. (The other side carries coins and pens). I've looked at several Titan videos, and read comments here as well. The price is reasonable enough buying it and then ditching it would still be OK, but it would delay me purchasing another phone after for at least 8 months to a year.. Not sure, but I could have sworn they had a trial period 15 day return policy, but I can't find it now. The camera seems to be way worse than anything I've had though from the comments, and the Key 2 is worse than my Torch was. Then, there is the Feb 2022 drop-kick date AT&T has that lists the only 4G phones they will support after that date. The Titan and Key 2 are not on that list. Don't want to spend the money on a phone that won't work at the same time my Key 2 will stop working. Yes, I'm seriously considering switching to T-Mobile because of this idiotic policy. And I've called AT&T directly with no additional information than "Yes, the website pdf lists all the legacy phones we will be supporting after Feb 2022"anon(5597702) likes this.03-29-21 11:36 AMLike 1
- Checking GSMArena - most of the options are odd-ball phones and brands, likely found in non-US markets. Ulefone, Meizy, and Infinix. And if I drop the FM radio, I also get the Pixel 4a. Still checking (2019 and newer phones).John Albert and Chuck Finley69 like this.03-29-21 12:19 PMLike 2
- So... Loved my Passport. Nice and wide. I deal with documents and PDFs much of the day. Camera was great but slow. Eventually, work apps didn't work, had to move to the Key 2. Absolutely loved the voice assistant from Nuance.
Liked my Priv (which was before the Passport!) - that size was about the tallest I would tolerate for a phone, but the screen width and resolution more than made up for the height. Hated the old voice assistant. Stopped using phone because of that.
Tolerate my Key 2. Screen is too small, but the overall size is adequate. Hate Google Assistant. They recently made a change and now I can't bluetooth call from the phone without unlocking it. Something this tall and 5-8MM wider would be much better. So... Priv or Note 5 dimensions.
All the phones I've been looking at, to get width you have to go big, with the exception of the Samsung Fold which is tall and skinny until you open it.
I use wired headphones constantly, especially for long flights (when they resume for my work).
PKB would be ideal, but adding the Blackberry keyboard and hub are options. At this point, I'm thinking I might not have a choice but to keep the Passport around as my MP3/FM Radio/Wired media player since almost all the phones these days have moved away from the 3.5MM jack.
Battery life is becoming a problem now though, as I have several required apps from work that phone home. The Key 2 can get choppy at times when they are phoning home and I'm doing regular tasks.
Google Assistant - Another reason I'm not happy with the Key 2 is if for some reason I can't hear a text message that comes in (that I just listened to via Blue tooth, which I can't do anymore without unlocking the phone!!!) and I want to replay it, I can't. On the Passport, I could say 'Please play last text message from XYZ" and it would.
I've been bouncing around with the idea of a Titan. Same height as the Key 2, meets all the other needs (width, battery life, FM radio, 3.5mm jack plus has water resistance!) but the reviews from this forum are decidedly mixed.
None of the current crop of phones are as wide as the PRIV unless I go to a 6.5 or bigger screen - which is insane for my needs.
Unfortunately, I need Android to run frequency analytics tools. I don't want to carry two devices all the time, and the Apple devices are now suffering the same issues as Android.
The rumored Blackberry might be 'Classic' sized or it might be 'Key 2' sized. Don't know, but neither of these will suit my needs if the resolution isn't there to display PDFs without rotating the screen or zooming in.
What alternatives do people suggest?
My preferences
Screen 3" wide or better
No taller than 6" high (not diagonal screen measurement)
4000mah battery
3.5MM audio jack strongly preferred
FM Radio preferred
American market, has to support VoLTE (Key 2 isn't going to be supported on AT&T after Feb 2022 because they won't turn this on)
360ppi minimum, hex core min, 4 GB RAM min, 64 GB storage with microSD or 128GB without it, 12MP camera min rear camera, 5MP front camera min.
Needs to run Android OS 10 min and be supported for at least two years after purchase with patches and planned OS updates
I'm really tempted to get another PRIV (mine has a screen that's failing) or get a Note 5 and put lineageOS on it.
For modern bar phones, an LG G8 meets all requirements except the width. It's the same physical size as the Key 2. The LG G8S is 0.5" taller than the Priv but is the same width. Of course, neither are offered by AT&T...
Ideas/options?
Thanks in advance!
Just bite the bullet and go with a Pixel 4a or 5. At least they are relatively compact compared to most phones these days.03-29-21 01:19 PMLike 0 - So... Loved my Passport. Nice and wide. I deal with documents and PDFs much of the day. Camera was great but slow. Eventually, work apps didn't work, had to move to the Key 2. Absolutely loved the voice assistant from Nuance.
Liked my Priv (which was before the Passport!) - that size was about the tallest I would tolerate for a phone, but the screen width and resolution more than made up for the height. Hated the old voice assistant. Stopped using phone because of that.
Tolerate my Key 2. Screen is too small, but the overall size is adequate. Hate Google Assistant. They recently made a change and now I can't bluetooth call from the phone without unlocking it. Something this tall and 5-8MM wider would be much better. So... Priv or Note 5 dimensions.
All the phones I've been looking at, to get width you have to go big, with the exception of the Samsung Fold which is tall and skinny until you open it.
I use wired headphones constantly, especially for long flights (when they resume for my work).
PKB would be ideal, but adding the Blackberry keyboard and hub are options. At this point, I'm thinking I might not have a choice but to keep the Passport around as my MP3/FM Radio/Wired media player since almost all the phones these days have moved away from the 3.5MM jack.
Battery life is becoming a problem now though, as I have several required apps from work that phone home. The Key 2 can get choppy at times when they are phoning home and I'm doing regular tasks.
Google Assistant - Another reason I'm not happy with the Key 2 is if for some reason I can't hear a text message that comes in (that I just listened to via Blue tooth, which I can't do anymore without unlocking the phone!!!) and I want to replay it, I can't. On the Passport, I could say 'Please play last text message from XYZ" and it would.
I've been bouncing around with the idea of a Titan. Same height as the Key 2, meets all the other needs (width, battery life, FM radio, 3.5mm jack plus has water resistance!) but the reviews from this forum are decidedly mixed.
None of the current crop of phones are as wide as the PRIV unless I go to a 6.5 or bigger screen - which is insane for my needs.
Unfortunately, I need Android to run frequency analytics tools. I don't want to carry two devices all the time, and the Apple devices are now suffering the same issues as Android.
The rumored Blackberry might be 'Classic' sized or it might be 'Key 2' sized. Don't know, but neither of these will suit my needs if the resolution isn't there to display PDFs without rotating the screen or zooming in.
What alternatives do people suggest?
My preferences
Screen 3" wide or better
No taller than 6" high (not diagonal screen measurement)
4000mah battery
3.5MM audio jack strongly preferred
FM Radio preferred
American market, has to support VoLTE (Key 2 isn't going to be supported on AT&T after Feb 2022 because they won't turn this on)
360ppi minimum, hex core min, 4 GB RAM min, 64 GB storage with microSD or 128GB without it, 12MP camera min rear camera, 5MP front camera min.
Needs to run Android OS 10 min and be supported for at least two years after purchase with patches and planned OS updates
I'm really tempted to get another PRIV (mine has a screen that's failing) or get a Note 5 and put lineageOS on it.
For modern bar phones, an LG G8 meets all requirements except the width. It's the same physical size as the Key 2. The LG G8S is 0.5" taller than the Priv but is the same width. Of course, neither are offered by AT&T...
Ideas/options?
Thanks in advance!the_boon likes this.03-29-21 01:27 PMLike 1 - Of course it's not on the AT&T list. Their factory unlocked device list is related to AT&T carrier locked device list for the most part. As conite suggested, the Alphabet supported Google Pixel line is about the closest you'll get. We're in that earlier stage part of the business cycle where BYOD is poorly supported again....03-29-21 01:42 PMLike 0
- Yeah, it seems like AT&T doesn't want just any customer, they just want the ones who fall in line. If I switch the Key 2 to T-mobile, I get VoLTE, WiFi calling, and can keep my device. Plus, I'm hearing they support a significantly wider BYOD selection, which puts the LG 8S on the list. Thanks everyone.the_boon likes this.03-29-21 02:02 PMLike 1
- Yeah, it seems like AT&T doesn't want just any customer, they just want the ones who fall in line. If I switch the Key 2 to T-mobile, I get VoLTE, WiFi calling, and can keep my device. Plus, I'm hearing they support a significantly wider BYOD selection, which puts the LG 8S on the list. Thanks everyone.03-29-21 03:15 PMLike 0
- Try the newest line of LG phones. LG V50, LG G8X, LG V60, LG Velvet, and LG Wing. The G8X, V60, and Velvet all come with a dual screen case that double the screen real estate so that you can use a separate program on each screen. There are also workarounds to make every app stretch across both screens to act as a pseudo-tablet (with a large hinge in the middle).
The battery capacity for each of these phones should be at your linking with the V60 have a 5000mAh battery at the top of this list. They all have headphone jacks except for the LG wing, but each are all taller than 6". I think the V60 and velvet are the largest at a 6.8" diagonal screen. The G8X and V50 are at 6.4" diagonal.
I currently run an LG G8X since my Keyone began to fizz out, I heard that new devices were unlikely (before the OM announcements), and the prices on old Key2's started to skyrocket. I've enjoyed the phone since and get the benefit of not using my phone as much because it's not a blackberry, but I also can be super productive when I need to be because of the two screens.03-29-21 03:40 PMLike 0 - Yeah, it seems like AT&T doesn't want just any customer, they just want the ones who fall in line. If I switch the Key 2 to T-mobile, I get VoLTE, WiFi calling, and can keep my device. Plus, I'm hearing they support a significantly wider BYOD selection, which puts the LG 8S on the list. Thanks everyone.the_boon likes this.03-29-21 03:42 PMLike 1
- Try the newest line of LG phones. LG V50, LG G8X, LG V60, LG Velvet, and LG Wing. The G8X, V60, and Velvet all come with a dual screen case that double the screen real estate so that you can use a separate program on each screen. There are also workarounds to make every app stretch across both screens to act as a pseudo-tablet (with a large hinge in the middle).
The battery capacity for each of these phones should be at your linking with the V60 have a 5000mAh battery at the top of this list. They all have headphone jacks except for the LG wing, but each are all taller than 6". I think the V60 and velvet are the largest at a 6.8" diagonal screen. The G8X and V50 are at 6.4" diagonal.
I currently run an LG G8X since my Keyone began to fizz out, I heard that new devices were unlikely (before the OM announcements), and the prices on old Key2's started to skyrocket. I've enjoyed the phone since and get the benefit of not using my phone as much because it's not a blackberry, but I also can be super productive when I need to be because of the two screens.03-29-21 03:51 PMLike 0 - Hasn't short term patching been an issue as well? Think the spotty support has been an issue for LG for a bit.app_Developer likes this.03-29-21 04:11 PMLike 1
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- I just read the article covering the LG 2021 potential lineup, which is currently vaporware. So, since none of the current crop pf phones meet my requirements, at least these phones are slated for Android 11, right-sized, right-featured - and cheap. The Titan just got 10, and the Key 2 is stuck at 8.1 with the proposed Blackberry a complete unknown. With the previous Android efforts from Blackberry and it's partners generally only going up one OS level, I'm not confident the latest effort will get better - Even with Google's requests for three OS versions per device.03-29-21 04:27 PMLike 0
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It's also news to me that they were thinking about exiting the mobile business. If they do, it'll be another shame and sense of resentment towards the typical phone purchaser.03-29-21 10:21 PMLike 0 -
Also:
"Software support has also been an ongoing issue for LG as the company has been notorious for not updating its Android smartphones in a timely manner for years. As a result of evaporating consumer interest, the company has seen very little success in all markets, especially in the United States where LG phones are no more than vessels for carriers to adjust and sell as they see fit." - 9to5google03-29-21 10:27 PMLike 0 - Not if the coverage sucks.No carrier is worth switching to right now on 5G coverage since all three are still optimizing three rival standards much like the earlier days of 3G and 4G before it. Each carrier, at implementation of new G networks, chooses a standard of frequencies, protocols and standards that is best complimentary to it’s current G and previous G which is being ultimately phased out.03-29-21 10:41 PMLike 0
- Not if the coverage sucks.No carrier is worth switching to right now on 5G coverage since all three are still optimizing three rival standards much like the earlier days of 3G and 4G before it. Each carrier, at implementation of new G networks, chooses a standard of frequencies, protocols and standards that is best complimentary to it’s current G and previous G which is being ultimately phased out.03-29-21 11:47 PMLike 0
- https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/20/2...-internal-memo
Also:
"Software support has also been an ongoing issue for LG as the company has been notorious for not updating its Android smartphones in a timely manner for years. As a result of evaporating consumer interest, the company has seen very little success in all markets, especially in the United States where LG phones are no more than vessels for carriers to adjust and sell as they see fit." - 9to5google03-29-21 11:52 PMLike 0
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Frustrated at phone selections these days. Looking for alternatives.
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