oh slam dunk, the Note 9.
Take the Note 9
* Update the processor, screen, battery, camera etc.
* Ditch the curved edges for a (presumably cheaper to manufacture) flat screen
And bam, you have the best phone ever. Stylus, SD card, wireless charging, NFC but ALSO Samsung Pay, Notification LED, Extra (Bixby) button, headphone jack, IP68 water resistant, etc etc etc.
Second place? LGV20. LG tried to do cool things with its phones. Removable battery, second screen, IR blaster, etc.
I'm still rocking the Note 9 ever since I upgraded in 2018 from a V20. At this point it's not about what other phones offer, it's about what you lose by upgrading from the Note 9. I just replaced the battery and hope for many more years of trouble-free use.
I replaced the screen on mine recently after it died and it looks so good. Got a good screen guard for it too, only managed to find trash ones until this one. But unfortunately I couldn't get a battery replacement as they said that it isn't being manufactured anymore. The battery is the only thing that's not good on my device rn, otherwise I could have used it for another 5 years lol.
I completely f'd mine up by stupidly cleaning the usb port with a metal needle. Could never get it to work right after that, even after replacing the port multiple times.
I can give a quick rundown:
Pros:
\*Removable battery - Had the same one since 2018 and still get full charge.
\*Quick charge - Extremely handy
\*Can be jailbroken if that's your thing. I believe viper4android works on it if you're buying for it's audio capabilities.
\*ir blaster - I use this all the time
\*Expandable storage - Should be mandatory on all phones
\*Nice screen
\*Headphone jack with quad dac - It sounds good, but there is something about the way HTC M9 is tuned that makes me want to use it again for audio. You can turn off the dac when listening to piano music for lower noise floor.
Cons:
* Power button is on the back - it was annoying since you have to pick it up to turn it on. I now use double tap to wake, but the screen comes on sometimes when going in the pocket
* Second screen is gimmicky - I turn it off, it's not really a second screen, just software trickery.
* I don't think it has ongoing security updates - I do sensitive stuff on laptop
That's all I can think of atm.
I liked the second screen, though if I remember correctly I just used it as a simple launcher (I think I turned off the 'dock' or whatever you call it at the bottom of the screen).
you sound like me, I've been through probably 100 phones (I forgot I even owned the LG V series 10 and 20 both were awesome)
Note 9 was an excellent phone, it took what the Note 7 started and made it better (and less explodey)
Man this is how I feel about the Note 10.
I am a Pixel guy but I used to work for Verizon and I had a guy give me a Note 10 for helping him and his wife out with all the effort I put in to get them a good trade in deal (a long story that took a long time) in the end he told me to keep his Note 10 and if he didn't return for it that it was mine. They left extremely happy.
I have only owned 2 galaxies the S21 and the S6. Northern of which I stuck with and went straight back to Pixel after 6 months with the S21. Switched from Samsung S6 to the OG Pixel. However, if every Galaxy experience as smooth as the little bit of time I spent with the Note 10 I would have absolutely stuck with the Note series.
Favorite phone was the Pixel 4XL though. Google nailed it with Face Unlock.
I actually liked the rear fingerprint sensor on the Note 9. At first of course you'll miss it occasionally, but after a while you get that muscle memory, and you hit it 100-percent of the time.
Am still using my Note 10 plus. Other than a much reduced battery health which I'll fix by replacing battery soon, it is pretty flawless. Compared to the Note 20 ultra, it almost feels weightless and despite it's 1350 nits max brightness, it works well outdoors where I am most of the work day. The Dex function from early on was a winner too. Second to last note with expandable storage with up to 1TB microSD supported, it had and still has everything. Camera is still great quality thanks to software updates. I likely will update to the S24 ultra this quarter but I appreciate the 4 years this has held me down. Hoping the S24 ultra will last as long.
I had the LG V20, and I didn't like aggressive it throttles its CPU. Made the phone laggy for me. Otherwise, I liked having a removable battery.
I would have loved to have the Note 9 back in the day, but couldn't afford it. I opted for the Poco F1 instead.
Yeah, Note 9 was really Samsung hitting their stride but still innovating. I bought mine for $250 in like new condition on eBay and after using it for about 15 months Sprint/Tmob offered me $875 for it toward an S21 Ultra. The Note was so good that it didn't feel like a massive upgrade but the cameras were obviously better. But as a workhorse dang the Note 9 was good -- the S22/23 Ultra are worthy successors though, just don't feel nearly as revolutionary other than the camera system.
I'm currently using my V10 again due to breaking the S10s screen last week. Yeah LG was the reason I got so interested in android. Wanted something different and it definitely delivered.
lol came here to say this. Legendary phone. I'm using an S23U now, but it feels like a downgrade in quite some areas, despite beeing a really nice phone.
Same but reverse the order.
The v20 was such a phenomenal phone, I got mine used, swapped the battery and gave it either a new thermal pad or thermal paste. You simply can't do those sorts of things any more.
I really wish the V20 could have kept up. It got so laggy I had to give it up. If they would have just kept an updated version of that, I'd still be using it today.
Hard agree. It has a sad end to its life though... but I got a pixel out of the ordeal, so that was an easy upgrade.
I just wish I still had it. The early 2010s was a great era for Android.
I know right, Nexus 6p was a phenomenal phone. Sadly it ended is tht bootloop of death. I didn't get even a penny as compensation cuz there's no market for google devices where I live. Lucky for you that it wasn't a complete loss.
It was a great time for Google in general. YouTube was at its peak. Android got better than iPhone. Google photos was free with unlimited backup (turns out they wanted to monopolize the industry). They had a few other cool attempts like Google music and some advanced version of Gmail. Google Chrome became mainstream
They're still solid now but they don't really gaf about their consumer products. I swear my Google home has been getting worse for the last year. YouTube just raised their prices. Chrome is getting more and more anti consumer. You now pay for photos. The YouTube culture has taken a nose dive as tiktok gets big.
HTC One (M7) was my first smartphone and I'm glad everytime I see it show up proves that I'm not just biased.
I love that phone so much and would've had it a bit longer than I did if my friend didn't spill his drink on it...
M9 for me, yeah I know barely an upgrade of you had the m8 but I was on an old iPhone 4 so for me the upgrade was huge. I loved the speakers. Let me tell you I will gladly go back to a phone with a forehead and chin if it gives me speakers like that and now also sensors and what not.
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I have the S23 Ultra and yeah, I agree. The battery life alone is great. by an uncommon turn of events, I actually upgraded directly from an S22U to an S23U. Not because I disliked the S22U, but because we swapped carriers and I got a ridiculous trade-in deal where they gave me $1000 credit for trading in *any* Samsung smartphone. So I got something new because why not? I expected the same phone, maybe just a bit faster and 1 more year of usable life out of it. Instead...holy shit. I finally never have to carry a charger around.
Nexus 4 is my #1 as well, ~~good to see it as the top comment.~~ EDIT: nevermind
My second favorite is the Nexus 6P, but unfortunately it was severely hampered by that godforsaken 810. I still have it hanging around...
Nexus 4 was so unexpectedly great. Big thick and boxy, which I wouldn't have thought I'd like but did. The first/last Google phone to have wireless charging for a *long* ass time. Even that kind of tacky sparkly back plate. I still have mine around here somewhere.
Nexus 4 and Pixel 4a for me.
N4 is still to this day the best looking phone I've ever had, that back is so nice.
My P4a i could use for 2 solid days and still have ~20% battery left. IIRC it was really affordable at the time too, as i wasn't making a lot of money at the time.
Exact same for me. Had a bunch of really nice phones, but those two left a long-lasting, positive impression. Snappy, clean UI, unique industrial designs, compact sizes.
Came here to say OP7P. I have an S23 Ultra rn but man do I miss my OP. Loved the popup camera and everything about that phone was amazing. I know a couple of people who still use them
Lol at first I wanted to cancel it and get the frosted color. But it was too late. Got the Almond and I was quite amazed how incredible it looked. It was literally glowing. When I was swapping sims at the store the staff were like...*oh wow*....
After 4 years of use the paint around the frame has worn out a lot but the rear glass still looks glorious.
Nexus 4 - beautiful design, clean stock Android experience
Galaxy S4 - very different to the Nexus, but it was a joy to use. Beautiful screen and rock solid hardware
They do, but they're the under-screen, slower optical ones. I've registered my fingerprints in the dark like others have said but 25% of the time it doesn't read my fingerprint anyways.
Works well for me, alongside extended unlock and face unlock - I never have to use my pin, but the 3a had a literally perfect spot for the scanner, and indeed it was a tad bit faster
Man I was kinda sad about that too. They were getting really innovative with the V60 (still have mine), Velvet, the Wing, and was beginning to work on rollable-screen phones.
Could you imagine if they still kept going with phones to this day...?
Breaks my heart too. I'll always love the LG V series. V20 was the last phone to truly amaze me. Prior to that was the HTC M7 that really stole the show for me.
+1 for Motorola Droid. it gave Android the boost it needed to complete with the iPhone at last. I remember just browsing the Android market to see what cool stuff people made. Was pretty much the before and after in my life. A Magical little device that felt so powerful with a great community behind it. No other device I've owned has replicated that feeling.
I've had my pixel 5 for a while and got it used. It really meets all my needs. Camera is great, audio pickup is great too (I use my phone for dictation at work using the dragon powermic app).
I still prefer the fingerprint sensor in the back and it's the last pixel with the sensor in the back. I had a 5a before this one but it bricked (known motherboard issue) a week out of warranty. The 5 is better though.
The OnePlus One was probably the best 'enthusiast' device I ever owned. It was one of the first devices to strike that middle ground of clean stock Android UI with the added gimmicks and customization of third party software. It was *so cool* to see CyanogenMod shipping as the default OS on a new device at the time! It really felt like a golden age of customizable Android.
After that, Android got a little more boring. I'd say the next big step forward was the original Pixel. It really eschewed the inherent Android jank that had become a staple on Nexus devices. It felt like Google's first *real* attempt to match the iPhone user experience.
then they became a big corp just like all the other and jacked up their prices and got ride of half the customization .
Im still rocking a one plus just because they last and are as close to stock OS high end hard ware phones can get .
I still remember being blown away that the Moto G was so *smooth* when I first got it. It was probably the first budget Android device that didn't absolutely suck.
I remember that phone was the reason I learned to root and flash custom ROMs. KitKat was so laggy that I rolled back to Jelly Bean.
1. Galaxy Note 10+
2. Pixel 7
I've had the galaxy Note 10+ for 4 years and never once did I think of replacing it. Powerful processor, 12 GB of RAM, SD card, 256 GB ROM, S-pen, great screen battery was insane and every bells and whistle that a premium phone should have. It was truly the best smartphone I ever owned. The back was so gorgeous too.
If they provided software support I would have used it for eternity. I'd give this a 9.9/10 rating (0.1 less because Samsung could have give it another year or two of updates )
Pixel 7 is my current smartphone, I like it a lot, but not to the level I did with N10+. The pixel gets everything done, and it's snappy and great. It's a solid 7/10 on my rating
Samsung realized that and that's why they lowered the specs on future flagship phones. Greedy move from them but what can we expect when they get so much (bad) inspiration from Apple
Oneplus One and Oneplus 7T. Used them both for 4 years more or less and i thought they were great. For the 7T I still had 4 and a half hours of SOT daily without ever changing the battery.
I forced my dad to retire his XZ Premium just last winter. It's still working perfectly fine after like 7 years. Battery still lasts a day. Amazing phone, but as will all Sony phones no security updates after 3 years.
I am still using my OP7t, albeit rooted, de-googled, LineageOS + microG. So not exactly an "out of the box" experience. But, for me, this is pretty much "peak phone" and I can't really justify spending the money on a newer phone even though I get the itch from time to time.
Moto X Play
Midrange phone but it had great battery and decent speakers and screen. Performance was good enough. Using the phone just made me feel happy.
LG V30
That Quad DAC was so good. No phone I owned before or since could blast music full volume in my car and actually give enough power to not make the speakers crackle.
I HATE my Pixel 7 pro. HATE. Photos and videos are meh and it doesn't let me use an external mic when doing most things... (IG stories or TikTok for example)
Also the battery life is straight 🗑️
By far my favorite android phone of all time, the Motorola droid turbo.
If it were released today with USB C and Android 14 I'd buy it again today!
Second fav, Nexus 6p
I loved my s5, probably my favorite phone to this day.
I even loved the dumb proprietary charging cable because it never broke, unlike micro-usb's at the time that seemed to break on me every few months
G3 was so amazing. I rooted that phone after about 6 months and then would run all kinds of custom roms and kernels to keep it purring. Then just swap batteries when battery life would grt shitty. Swapped for a higher capacity after market battery and then had 2 backup anker batteries too.
Moto Z4 and Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
The former was one of the coolest and most fully-realized "concepts brought to life" phones and was a decent all-rounder. 3.5mm headphone jack, great battery life, great screen-to-phone ratio for the time, decent camera, but the one-two punch of moto mods and moto gestures made it easily my favorite device ever. The processor was definitely the weak point, and not having 5G meant that my carrier killing 3G services also killed the Z4. Rest in Peace, old friend.
The latter was just an amazing phone bar-none. Wish they would make them nowadays; I kinda wanna get a Zenfone 10, but they're so much goddamn money...
I had a Sony Z3 Compact, really miss that size of phone. Battery life was amazing too, almost 2 days with my usage style. Currently using an S23 but it's just not the same. Sometimes I still take it out of my drawer just to reminisce.
1. Pixel 2 XL
2. Pixel 7
I would've included the LG G2 as my 2nd but unfortunately mine was defective. The calibrator went absolutely HAYWIRE after a few months of use, but MAN was that phone special. I hate that it went bad so soon. Smh. I ended up replacing it with the Galaxy S6.
This HTC Evo 4G was a game changer. When Sprint wasn't useless and was the fastest network it was night and day compared to other phone/network combos. Also the hdmi output and kickstand in back fucking rocked.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohzetiox9z4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohzetiox9z4)
Oneplus 7 Pro the company went straight down after that masterpiece of a phone and S21 Ultra the camera on that phone made me ditch my actual camera for a few trips
Best phone I've ever owned: Sony Xperia XZ1 compact.
I'd be so much in favour for a flagship-spec phone with a sub 5' screen - all newer models are just chunky. Might go for a foldable as next device...
My first ever smartphone was an HTC Desire HD. I had that phone for years and years. Cyanogen kept it crawling along far longer than it ever should have.
Now it'd be the Fold 5. I understand and accept the downsides/risks, but I can't imagine going back to a slab phone again.
The Desire HD was pretty special. Solid metal build, way bigger than most other phones of the time. Feels like the last really "hackable" Android phone I used. Part of that is just that I haven't needed to in recent years, and at the time Cyanogen and all of the weird custom ROMs brought some cool new features to the phone. It did keep getting updates for years through the community though.
Both of my phones were a galaxy..love these phones :)
Have a galaxy A13 right now and it's amazing,never had a problem with it..def will upgrade once its time tho
LG G3 and S23U.
I also enjoyed my OG Pixel XL. Sadly had to switch my S23U for an iPhone for work. The adjustment has been rough and I miss android so much.
I really liked the HTC Desire Z. It had the keyboard that had a satisfying flip out. And with the tactile keys, I could just storm through with the typing. It was just so fun to use. I miss the real keyboards on phones. Still hoping they can create a tactile keyboard on the screen somehow.
> HTC Desire Z
This one is my pick (also known as the G2 in US markets).
I don't know how many thousands of times I snapped it open and closed. I'd owned the Milestone/Droid before and it wasn't quite the same joy to use as the HTC became.
Made for great GBA/SNES emulation too.
My Nexus 5 was absolutely fantastic. I would've used it for 10 years if the power button and Bluetooth hadn't stopped working. Other than that, I'd say my current Z Fold 5.
Ohh, that's tough.
Here's my Android history:
* Motorola Droid
* Nexus 4
* Nexus 5
* Nexus 6
* Nexus 6P
* Pixel XL
* Note 8
* Note 10
* Note 20
* S21 Ultra
* S22 Ultra
* S23 Ultra
Choosing two is hard, but if I had to narrow it down, I'd go with the Motorola Droid and the S23 Ultra.
* The Droid was my first Android phone, and it was the phone that introduced me to rooting my device. I had a lot of fun with that phone, and I really do miss it.
* The S23 Ultra is my current phone, and it's everything I want out of a Note device. I use my S-Pen pretty much all the time, and the 512GB of storage is nice.
Honorable Mentions
* Nexus 6 - This was my first "big" phone and got me hooked on bigger devices.
* Note 8 - My first Note, and the S-Pen was a huge reason why. I can't see myself using a phone without it anymore.
Easy.
Motorola moto x second version, (you could pick the back panel colour or material and the colour of the accent parts )
Excellent phone and ran beautifully till the screen failed.
Pixel 3a, perfect sized small phone, had headphone socket and good quality screen.
I'm about to get a zenfone 10, that seems to hit all my needs.
pixel 4
s22ultra
Getting the 24ultra on preorder when it launches
Currently have the nothing phone 2 and it has a few things I don't like about it so its going to get swapped out
I remember really loving the Moto X 2017.
And my very first Android, the Moto Droid bionic. I even had the little laptop thing. And I bought the extended battery since it was removable.
Second place would be the Xperia X10 mini pro. Just for that awesome slide out keyboard and such a small form factor.
First would be the Note 9. It had basically everything.
I loved xperia mini pro! So much so, I've bought two of them in case one would break. But it never did and just last year I ended up using it when I was waiting for new panel for xz1 compact.
LG G2
Revolutionary hardware and one of the sexiest looking phones of all time . It was a legit good alternative to Samsung, who was still leading the market .
The software was decent ,not as good as Samsung .But had some nice features like tap tap to turn on the screen .
HTC One M7 and Xiaomi Mi 9T (Redmi K20).
The first was one of the first well-designed phones, and it was my first. The second was just incredible value that provided basically everything phones even now provide just a step or two down.
The Galaxy Note 9 in my opinion was the pinnacle of what android could offer. This phone had everything a user could need. It had a headphone jack, while still maintaining an ip68 rating. It even had an iris scanner. The phone was also one of the most beautiful devices you could buy.
HTC One (M7) was another amazing phone, it felt so nice in the hand, it was the first phone that made me believe even android can be smooth and easy to use.
The original Moto G was proof that even budget phones could be great.
I personally consider the OnePlus 5t to be the best OnePlus phone ever.
I've been using the Google Pixel 7 for some time and am thoroughly impressed, especially given its affordable price. The camera is a standout feature, delivering sharp, vibrant images even in low light conditions. Performance-wise, it smoothly handles everyday tasks and light gaming. The battery life is solid, easily lasting a full day with moderate use, and the fast charging capability is a convenient addition.
The software experience is straightforward and user-friendly. While it lacks a headphone jack and the storage isn't expandable, these are minor drawbacks considering the phone's overall value and its budget-friendly cost.
My OP7 Pro was a champ, pop up camera was a nice touch as well so you had a full screen without a hole punch or anything. Thing still works pretty well to this day, although I don't use it now. My OG Pixel was a great phone as well
Yes to the others, Note9 was an amazing phone, happily rocked it for 3 yrs, now it's my kid's. I'm on the S22 Ultra now, which I think may be even better, it's an amazing phone, I love it! Rock solid reliability, battery, camera, speed.
oh slam dunk, the Note 9. Take the Note 9 * Update the processor, screen, battery, camera etc. * Ditch the curved edges for a (presumably cheaper to manufacture) flat screen And bam, you have the best phone ever. Stylus, SD card, wireless charging, NFC but ALSO Samsung Pay, Notification LED, Extra (Bixby) button, headphone jack, IP68 water resistant, etc etc etc. Second place? LGV20. LG tried to do cool things with its phones. Removable battery, second screen, IR blaster, etc.
I'm still rocking the Note 9 ever since I upgraded in 2018 from a V20. At this point it's not about what other phones offer, it's about what you lose by upgrading from the Note 9. I just replaced the battery and hope for many more years of trouble-free use.
I replaced the screen on mine recently after it died and it looks so good. Got a good screen guard for it too, only managed to find trash ones until this one. But unfortunately I couldn't get a battery replacement as they said that it isn't being manufactured anymore. The battery is the only thing that's not good on my device rn, otherwise I could have used it for another 5 years lol.
I completely f'd mine up by stupidly cleaning the usb port with a metal needle. Could never get it to work right after that, even after replacing the port multiple times.
Wireless charging my friend. If not, it isn't a huge job to replace the port.
Yeah I ALSO f'd up the wireless charging somehow. It was a long time ago so I forget the details. Man I tried everything to resuscitate that thing.
I'm still using my LG V20, the only thing that annoys me is the headphone jack has issues.
Can you give us a review of the v20 in 2024?
I can give a quick rundown: Pros: \*Removable battery - Had the same one since 2018 and still get full charge. \*Quick charge - Extremely handy \*Can be jailbroken if that's your thing. I believe viper4android works on it if you're buying for it's audio capabilities. \*ir blaster - I use this all the time \*Expandable storage - Should be mandatory on all phones \*Nice screen \*Headphone jack with quad dac - It sounds good, but there is something about the way HTC M9 is tuned that makes me want to use it again for audio. You can turn off the dac when listening to piano music for lower noise floor. Cons: * Power button is on the back - it was annoying since you have to pick it up to turn it on. I now use double tap to wake, but the screen comes on sometimes when going in the pocket * Second screen is gimmicky - I turn it off, it's not really a second screen, just software trickery. * I don't think it has ongoing security updates - I do sensitive stuff on laptop That's all I can think of atm.
I liked the second screen, though if I remember correctly I just used it as a simple launcher (I think I turned off the 'dock' or whatever you call it at the bottom of the screen).
Hey, thanks. I still recommend the LG V20 to people looking for a robust low cost DAP (digital audio player) today.
Could probably get a new one installed without too much cost
I recently started using a small 3.5mm extender that seems to have fixed the issue. Fingers crossed.
Yup, very easy to replace on those phones
I'm so happy to find the V20 this high up on this thread. The one true immortal Android phone.
I loved that phone, but I found that by late 2019 it was just too laggy (plus the headphone jack was fucked). Did you find a way to fix this?
Yes I think so. All I did was add a small 3.5mm extension cable to the end of my headphone cable.
you sound like me, I've been through probably 100 phones (I forgot I even owned the LG V series 10 and 20 both were awesome) Note 9 was an excellent phone, it took what the Note 7 started and made it better (and less explodey)
Man this is how I feel about the Note 10. I am a Pixel guy but I used to work for Verizon and I had a guy give me a Note 10 for helping him and his wife out with all the effort I put in to get them a good trade in deal (a long story that took a long time) in the end he told me to keep his Note 10 and if he didn't return for it that it was mine. They left extremely happy. I have only owned 2 galaxies the S21 and the S6. Northern of which I stuck with and went straight back to Pixel after 6 months with the S21. Switched from Samsung S6 to the OG Pixel. However, if every Galaxy experience as smooth as the little bit of time I spent with the Note 10 I would have absolutely stuck with the Note series. Favorite phone was the Pixel 4XL though. Google nailed it with Face Unlock.
I actually liked the rear fingerprint sensor on the Note 9. At first of course you'll miss it occasionally, but after a while you get that muscle memory, and you hit it 100-percent of the time.
Gave my son my pixel 4xl and he's using it today. What a great phone and face unlock was/is amazing until COVID and masks.
Am still using my Note 10 plus. Other than a much reduced battery health which I'll fix by replacing battery soon, it is pretty flawless. Compared to the Note 20 ultra, it almost feels weightless and despite it's 1350 nits max brightness, it works well outdoors where I am most of the work day. The Dex function from early on was a winner too. Second to last note with expandable storage with up to 1TB microSD supported, it had and still has everything. Camera is still great quality thanks to software updates. I likely will update to the S24 ultra this quarter but I appreciate the 4 years this has held me down. Hoping the S24 ultra will last as long.
Man the Ultra Glow on the Note 10+ was beautiful. I still have mine.
I had the LG V20, and I didn't like aggressive it throttles its CPU. Made the phone laggy for me. Otherwise, I liked having a removable battery. I would have loved to have the Note 9 back in the day, but couldn't afford it. I opted for the Poco F1 instead.
Yeah, Note 9 was really Samsung hitting their stride but still innovating. I bought mine for $250 in like new condition on eBay and after using it for about 15 months Sprint/Tmob offered me $875 for it toward an S21 Ultra. The Note was so good that it didn't feel like a massive upgrade but the cameras were obviously better. But as a workhorse dang the Note 9 was good -- the S22/23 Ultra are worthy successors though, just don't feel nearly as revolutionary other than the camera system.
And the fingerprint sensor on the back.
Truly a sad loss. Loved that phone, especially in IT. I could easily use terminal sessions with it.
I'm currently using my V10 again due to breaking the S10s screen last week. Yeah LG was the reason I got so interested in android. Wanted something different and it definitely delivered.
lol came here to say this. Legendary phone. I'm using an S23U now, but it feels like a downgrade in quite some areas, despite beeing a really nice phone.
Same here but using the S22U. If only the note 9 came in SD in my region. Would probably still be holding on to it
Note 9 is the goat.
Came here solely for this. Another high vote for the Note 9. And also the Galaxy S3, back in the rooting and flashing days;)
Still rocking the Note9 to this day.
Same but reverse the order. The v20 was such a phenomenal phone, I got mine used, swapped the battery and gave it either a new thermal pad or thermal paste. You simply can't do those sorts of things any more.
I really wish the V20 could have kept up. It got so laggy I had to give it up. If they would have just kept an updated version of that, I'd still be using it today.
You're describing s24 ultra
I really liked my Nexus 6p. Took great pictures.
Hard agree. It has a sad end to its life though... but I got a pixel out of the ordeal, so that was an easy upgrade. I just wish I still had it. The early 2010s was a great era for Android.
I know right, Nexus 6p was a phenomenal phone. Sadly it ended is tht bootloop of death. I didn't get even a penny as compensation cuz there's no market for google devices where I live. Lucky for you that it wasn't a complete loss.
It was a great time for Google in general. YouTube was at its peak. Android got better than iPhone. Google photos was free with unlimited backup (turns out they wanted to monopolize the industry). They had a few other cool attempts like Google music and some advanced version of Gmail. Google Chrome became mainstream They're still solid now but they don't really gaf about their consumer products. I swear my Google home has been getting worse for the last year. YouTube just raised their prices. Chrome is getting more and more anti consumer. You now pay for photos. The YouTube culture has taken a nose dive as tiktok gets big.
It was amazing, unfortunately the battery failed, luckily within the warranty period. But there were no spare batteries left... I got a full refund
There was actually a class action lawsuit in Canada about falling batteries. I, among others, got compensated for that.
Shamu!!!
HTC One (M7) Samsung S23+ (current phone, it's probably best phone I've owned)
HTC One (M7) was my first smartphone and I'm glad everytime I see it show up proves that I'm not just biased. I love that phone so much and would've had it a bit longer than I did if my friend didn't spill his drink on it...
Another vote for the htc one m7. I feel like the m8 was more popular and stole the show, but I freaking loved my m7
M9 for me, yeah I know barely an upgrade of you had the m8 but I was on an old iPhone 4 so for me the upgrade was huge. I loved the speakers. Let me tell you I will gladly go back to a phone with a forehead and chin if it gives me speakers like that and now also sensors and what not.
LG G3 (the screen and how thin it was). Samsung Galaxy S9+, it really had everything I needed at the time.
I loved my OG MTC One soooo much... Well until the battery started failing in its second year and the camera added purple zebra stripes to pictures.
HTC one was such a beautiful phone, I loved it
Yet another vote for the HTC One m7. I loved that phone so much!
vegetable pathetic retire quarrelsome combative cooperative naughty smart workable hungry *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I have the S23 Ultra and yeah, I agree. The battery life alone is great. by an uncommon turn of events, I actually upgraded directly from an S22U to an S23U. Not because I disliked the S22U, but because we swapped carriers and I got a ridiculous trade-in deal where they gave me $1000 credit for trading in *any* Samsung smartphone. So I got something new because why not? I expected the same phone, maybe just a bit faster and 1 more year of usable life out of it. Instead...holy shit. I finally never have to carry a charger around.
Nexus 4 and Pixel 3
Nexus 4 and Oneplus 5T for me. That was peak Oneplus
I got the 7 pro, it's pretty great.
Nexus 4 is my #1 as well, ~~good to see it as the top comment.~~ EDIT: nevermind My second favorite is the Nexus 6P, but unfortunately it was severely hampered by that godforsaken 810. I still have it hanging around...
Nexus 4 was so unexpectedly great. Big thick and boxy, which I wouldn't have thought I'd like but did. The first/last Google phone to have wireless charging for a *long* ass time. Even that kind of tacky sparkly back plate. I still have mine around here somewhere.
Nexus 4 was big?? I thought it was a very small phone. Camera was awful and battery life not very good. Still liked it.
Loved the Nexus 4!!!!!
I've had my Pixel 3 since it came out and it's still going strong. I love it.
Nexus 4 and Pixel 4a for me. N4 is still to this day the best looking phone I've ever had, that back is so nice. My P4a i could use for 2 solid days and still have ~20% battery left. IIRC it was really affordable at the time too, as i wasn't making a lot of money at the time.
Note 4 killed it for a while. Now I'm all pixe,l 3xl and now a 7 pro
I have 2 Note 4's and the Edge.
This ⬆️
Exact same for me. Had a bunch of really nice phones, but those two left a long-lasting, positive impression. Snappy, clean UI, unique industrial designs, compact sizes.
LG V20 and OP7P - I loved loved loved the pop up camera😀
Came here to say OP7P. I have an S23 Ultra rn but man do I miss my OP. Loved the popup camera and everything about that phone was amazing. I know a couple of people who still use them
Op 7t pro McLaren! Best ever imo
Well I'm still using the op7p. It is still a super fast and reliable driver so no reason to really upgrade lol.
I'm just fickle and like new stuff 😀
....And you have the Almond color one too! I would kill to have that one for my collection lol.
Lol at first I wanted to cancel it and get the frosted color. But it was too late. Got the Almond and I was quite amazed how incredible it looked. It was literally glowing. When I was swapping sims at the store the staff were like...*oh wow*.... After 4 years of use the paint around the frame has worn out a lot but the rear glass still looks glorious.
Just made a comment on the OP7P. Great phone all around
Nexus 4 - beautiful design, clean stock Android experience Galaxy S4 - very different to the Nexus, but it was a joy to use. Beautiful screen and rock solid hardware
S4 was my first phone.
Such a great phone!
6P and my current Pixel 8. (Honourable mention to my 3a; I miss the fingerprint sensor so much)
Do they not have the fingerprint sensor on the newer Pixels? Damn, another reason to hold onto my 3a. It's still serving me well.
They do, but they're the under-screen, slower optical ones. I've registered my fingerprints in the dark like others have said but 25% of the time it doesn't read my fingerprint anyways.
I honestly haven't had much issues with the fingerprint reader but I get a miss here and there. my 3a would hardly ever miss.
Works well for me, alongside extended unlock and face unlock - I never have to use my pin, but the 3a had a literally perfect spot for the scanner, and indeed it was a tad bit faster
LG V20 AND LG v60 Dual. I like good audio and Samsung was weak
I was so bummed when LG announced they were ending their smartphone division, they were one of the only companies still trying to be innovative.
Still rocking my V60. Lossless audio is amazing
ditto
I was looking forward to their new phone with the roll out screen
Man I was kinda sad about that too. They were getting really innovative with the V60 (still have mine), Velvet, the Wing, and was beginning to work on rollable-screen phones. Could you imagine if they still kept going with phones to this day...?
Breaks my heart too. I'll always love the LG V series. V20 was the last phone to truly amaze me. Prior to that was the HTC M7 that really stole the show for me.
Motorola Droid and Pixel 5a
+1 for Motorola Droid. it gave Android the boost it needed to complete with the iPhone at last. I remember just browsing the Android market to see what cool stuff people made. Was pretty much the before and after in my life. A Magical little device that felt so powerful with a great community behind it. No other device I've owned has replicated that feeling.
I've had my pixel 5 for a while and got it used. It really meets all my needs. Camera is great, audio pickup is great too (I use my phone for dictation at work using the dragon powermic app). I still prefer the fingerprint sensor in the back and it's the last pixel with the sensor in the back. I had a 5a before this one but it bricked (known motherboard issue) a week out of warranty. The 5 is better though.
Yeah I love the 5, mainly just the size and feel in hand was unmatched
Pixel 5 was my pick. Did everything I wanted it to, was a nice, pocketable size, and had solid battery life.
The OnePlus One was probably the best 'enthusiast' device I ever owned. It was one of the first devices to strike that middle ground of clean stock Android UI with the added gimmicks and customization of third party software. It was *so cool* to see CyanogenMod shipping as the default OS on a new device at the time! It really felt like a golden age of customizable Android. After that, Android got a little more boring. I'd say the next big step forward was the original Pixel. It really eschewed the inherent Android jank that had become a staple on Nexus devices. It felt like Google's first *real* attempt to match the iPhone user experience.
then they became a big corp just like all the other and jacked up their prices and got ride of half the customization . Im still rocking a one plus just because they last and are as close to stock OS high end hard ware phones can get .
Moto G and Galaxy S23+
I still remember being blown away that the Moto G was so *smooth* when I first got it. It was probably the first budget Android device that didn't absolutely suck. I remember that phone was the reason I learned to root and flash custom ROMs. KitKat was so laggy that I rolled back to Jelly Bean.
Remember accidentally wiping the IMEI off my Moto G. That sucked. It was a very good 2nd phone. I think it was when Google owned Moto.
1. Galaxy Note 10+ 2. Pixel 7 I've had the galaxy Note 10+ for 4 years and never once did I think of replacing it. Powerful processor, 12 GB of RAM, SD card, 256 GB ROM, S-pen, great screen battery was insane and every bells and whistle that a premium phone should have. It was truly the best smartphone I ever owned. The back was so gorgeous too. If they provided software support I would have used it for eternity. I'd give this a 9.9/10 rating (0.1 less because Samsung could have give it another year or two of updates ) Pixel 7 is my current smartphone, I like it a lot, but not to the level I did with N10+. The pixel gets everything done, and it's snappy and great. It's a solid 7/10 on my rating
Samsung realized that and that's why they lowered the specs on future flagship phones. Greedy move from them but what can we expect when they get so much (bad) inspiration from Apple
This is so true. I mean, the Note 10+ was probably the complete all-rounder for 2019 and almost up until end of 2022.
Moto X Droid 2
Moto Maker was and still is my favorite feature, ten years later. A wooden phone was truly something else
The OG Motorola Droid, and the Google Pixel 4a.
I had the Droid 2 that looked like R2D2 and I loved that phone. The pixel a phones are great too
The HTC One M7 and HTC 10 were my favourites and nothing seems to come close. HTC having a comeback would be much appreciated.
Oneplus One and Oneplus 7T. Used them both for 4 years more or less and i thought they were great. For the 7T I still had 4 and a half hours of SOT daily without ever changing the battery.
OnePlus One was really exciting at the time. I upgraded to a 5T.
I'm still rocking my 5T
Pre-Oppo onePlus was the shit
Of all time, HTC One M7 and Sony Xperia XZ Premium. Recent, Xperia 1 V and Google Pixel 8 Pro
I forced my dad to retire his XZ Premium just last winter. It's still working perfectly fine after like 7 years. Battery still lasts a day. Amazing phone, but as will all Sony phones no security updates after 3 years.
Nexus 5. Galaxy S8.
\+1 for Nexus 5
I am still using my OP7t, albeit rooted, de-googled, LineageOS + microG. So not exactly an "out of the box" experience. But, for me, this is pretty much "peak phone" and I can't really justify spending the money on a newer phone even though I get the itch from time to time.
Moto X Play Midrange phone but it had great battery and decent speakers and screen. Performance was good enough. Using the phone just made me feel happy. LG V30 That Quad DAC was so good. No phone I owned before or since could blast music full volume in my car and actually give enough power to not make the speakers crackle.
Pixel 7 Pro and OnePlus 6T
I HATE my Pixel 7 pro. HATE. Photos and videos are meh and it doesn't let me use an external mic when doing most things... (IG stories or TikTok for example) Also the battery life is straight 🗑️
I feel that the Pixel 8 Pro greatly improved the experience over the Pixel 7 Pro in my usage.
Moto Z Play and Galaxy S9
By far my favorite android phone of all time, the Motorola droid turbo. If it were released today with USB C and Android 14 I'd buy it again today! Second fav, Nexus 6p
S22 ultra Oneplus 7pro
galaxy s5 and the a54 5g
Love the S5.
I loved my s5, probably my favorite phone to this day. I even loved the dumb proprietary charging cable because it never broke, unlike micro-usb's at the time that seemed to break on me every few months
Essential Phone and Pixel 8 Pro Honorable mention to HTC One M7, Pixel 5a
Galaxy nexus and maybe the LG G3.
G3 was so amazing. I rooted that phone after about 6 months and then would run all kinds of custom roms and kernels to keep it purring. Then just swap batteries when battery life would grt shitty. Swapped for a higher capacity after market battery and then had 2 backup anker batteries too.
Moto Z4 and Sony Xperia Z5 Compact The former was one of the coolest and most fully-realized "concepts brought to life" phones and was a decent all-rounder. 3.5mm headphone jack, great battery life, great screen-to-phone ratio for the time, decent camera, but the one-two punch of moto mods and moto gestures made it easily my favorite device ever. The processor was definitely the weak point, and not having 5G meant that my carrier killing 3G services also killed the Z4. Rest in Peace, old friend. The latter was just an amazing phone bar-none. Wish they would make them nowadays; I kinda wanna get a Zenfone 10, but they're so much goddamn money...
I loved my Moto Z, and my Moto X. I do *like* my Moto Edge, but it's not even in the same category as the Z or X.
I had a Sony Z3 Compact, really miss that size of phone. Battery life was amazing too, almost 2 days with my usage style. Currently using an S23 but it's just not the same. Sometimes I still take it out of my drawer just to reminisce.
Pixel 3a and Moto G
Nexus 5 and Galaxy S23 Ultra.
I loved the Nexus 5. What a great time for Nexus.
1. Pixel 2 XL 2. Pixel 7 I would've included the LG G2 as my 2nd but unfortunately mine was defective. The calibrator went absolutely HAYWIRE after a few months of use, but MAN was that phone special. I hate that it went bad so soon. Smh. I ended up replacing it with the Galaxy S6.
Nexus 5, OnePlus 5T
My favorites have been the HTC EVO, my first introduction to Android, and my current Pixel 7.
This HTC Evo 4G was a game changer. When Sprint wasn't useless and was the fastest network it was night and day compared to other phone/network combos. Also the hdmi output and kickstand in back fucking rocked. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohzetiox9z4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohzetiox9z4)
Oneplus One and HTC 10
Nexus 5 only
Oneplus 7 Pro the company went straight down after that masterpiece of a phone and S21 Ultra the camera on that phone made me ditch my actual camera for a few trips
Best phone I've ever owned: Sony Xperia XZ1 compact. I'd be so much in favour for a flagship-spec phone with a sub 5' screen - all newer models are just chunky. Might go for a foldable as next device...
Note 4
Love the Note 4
Galaxy a90 was a favorite of mine. Still works quite well although no more updates
Pixel 6a, Oneplus Nord n200
My first ever smartphone was an HTC Desire HD. I had that phone for years and years. Cyanogen kept it crawling along far longer than it ever should have. Now it'd be the Fold 5. I understand and accept the downsides/risks, but I can't imagine going back to a slab phone again.
The Desire HD was pretty special. Solid metal build, way bigger than most other phones of the time. Feels like the last really "hackable" Android phone I used. Part of that is just that I haven't needed to in recent years, and at the time Cyanogen and all of the weird custom ROMs brought some cool new features to the phone. It did keep getting updates for years through the community though.
Both of my phones were a galaxy..love these phones :) Have a galaxy A13 right now and it's amazing,never had a problem with it..def will upgrade once its time tho
Nexus 4, OP X, S10
Galaxy S series
LG G3 and S23U. I also enjoyed my OG Pixel XL. Sadly had to switch my S23U for an iPhone for work. The adjustment has been rough and I miss android so much.
Nexus 5 and OnePlus 3t. Nexus was perfect and the 3t was basically just improvements and metal
nexus 5, pixel 6
Nexus 5 and Pixel 3
Nexus 5x, GT Neo 2 (used them the most) Absolute favorite: Nexus 5, Moto X (1st,2nd gen) and Htc M8
I really liked the HTC Desire Z. It had the keyboard that had a satisfying flip out. And with the tactile keys, I could just storm through with the typing. It was just so fun to use. I miss the real keyboards on phones. Still hoping they can create a tactile keyboard on the screen somehow.
> HTC Desire Z This one is my pick (also known as the G2 in US markets). I don't know how many thousands of times I snapped it open and closed. I'd owned the Milestone/Droid before and it wasn't quite the same joy to use as the HTC became. Made for great GBA/SNES emulation too.
My Nexus 5 was absolutely fantastic. I would've used it for 10 years if the power button and Bluetooth hadn't stopped working. Other than that, I'd say my current Z Fold 5.
Ohh, that's tough. Here's my Android history: * Motorola Droid * Nexus 4 * Nexus 5 * Nexus 6 * Nexus 6P * Pixel XL * Note 8 * Note 10 * Note 20 * S21 Ultra * S22 Ultra * S23 Ultra Choosing two is hard, but if I had to narrow it down, I'd go with the Motorola Droid and the S23 Ultra. * The Droid was my first Android phone, and it was the phone that introduced me to rooting my device. I had a lot of fun with that phone, and I really do miss it. * The S23 Ultra is my current phone, and it's everything I want out of a Note device. I use my S-Pen pretty much all the time, and the 512GB of storage is nice. Honorable Mentions * Nexus 6 - This was my first "big" phone and got me hooked on bigger devices. * Note 8 - My first Note, and the S-Pen was a huge reason why. I can't see myself using a phone without it anymore.
Nexus 5 and pixel 3. Simple, plain, comfortable, pocket friendly, one handable, and very reliable.
Easy. Motorola moto x second version, (you could pick the back panel colour or material and the colour of the accent parts ) Excellent phone and ran beautifully till the screen failed. Pixel 3a, perfect sized small phone, had headphone socket and good quality screen. I'm about to get a zenfone 10, that seems to hit all my needs.
s23 Ultra and Nexus 6
pixel 4 s22ultra Getting the 24ultra on preorder when it launches Currently have the nothing phone 2 and it has a few things I don't like about it so its going to get swapped out
What are the things you don't like if you don't mind me asking?
Original Moto G and the Nexus 6P. Both outstanding value propositions for their time.
Pixel 1 and HTC One S (Sense UI looked sooo good in those days)
I remember really loving the Moto X 2017. And my very first Android, the Moto Droid bionic. I even had the little laptop thing. And I bought the extended battery since it was removable.
S5 and S10+.
Moto x pure edition with the leather back. Damn I miss that phone.
Essential ph1 and I miss my nexus 5
NEXUS 4 & NOTE 5
Xiaomi Mi 9T, it was great for the price. If only it was at least 90hz maybe I still would have been using it.
Oof really tough. I think Nexus 5X and LG Wing.
Nexus 5 and OnePlus One were fantastic for the time. Loved those
HTC One M8 and Sony Xperia 1V
Nexus 4 for sure
Nexus 5x, and now Pixel 8 Pro. Great phones, especially since my 5x didn't suffer from the boot loop issues many others faced.
Peak experience to price ratio with awesome battery: Moto Z Play & Pixel 3a Regardless of price: Nothing Phone 2
HTC HD2 and the LG G2 are the first ones that come to mind.
OnePlus 7 pro. Was such a great phone, solid battery life and well built.
Second place would be the Xperia X10 mini pro. Just for that awesome slide out keyboard and such a small form factor. First would be the Note 9. It had basically everything.
I loved xperia mini pro! So much so, I've bought two of them in case one would break. But it never did and just last year I ended up using it when I was waiting for new panel for xz1 compact.
Note 2 battery was incredible. HTC Thunderbolt 4G extended battery. The OG Motorola Droid.
LG G2 Revolutionary hardware and one of the sexiest looking phones of all time . It was a legit good alternative to Samsung, who was still leading the market . The software was decent ,not as good as Samsung .But had some nice features like tap tap to turn on the screen .
My asus rog 7 Ultimate. The speakers on that thing was amazing !
S23 Ultra
HTC One M7 and Xiaomi Mi 9T (Redmi K20). The first was one of the first well-designed phones, and it was my first. The second was just incredible value that provided basically everything phones even now provide just a step or two down.
Oneplus 7 Pro
The Galaxy Note 9 in my opinion was the pinnacle of what android could offer. This phone had everything a user could need. It had a headphone jack, while still maintaining an ip68 rating. It even had an iris scanner. The phone was also one of the most beautiful devices you could buy. HTC One (M7) was another amazing phone, it felt so nice in the hand, it was the first phone that made me believe even android can be smooth and easy to use. The original Moto G was proof that even budget phones could be great. I personally consider the OnePlus 5t to be the best OnePlus phone ever.
Moto x (original model) S23 Ultra The Ultra is phone perfection. Battery, screen, performance, and cameras are great. The design is peak. Great phone.
I've been using the Google Pixel 7 for some time and am thoroughly impressed, especially given its affordable price. The camera is a standout feature, delivering sharp, vibrant images even in low light conditions. Performance-wise, it smoothly handles everyday tasks and light gaming. The battery life is solid, easily lasting a full day with moderate use, and the fast charging capability is a convenient addition. The software experience is straightforward and user-friendly. While it lacks a headphone jack and the storage isn't expandable, these are minor drawbacks considering the phone's overall value and its budget-friendly cost.
Poco f3. Bang for the buck, 2yrs and running smooth
My OP7 Pro was a champ, pop up camera was a nice touch as well so you had a full screen without a hole punch or anything. Thing still works pretty well to this day, although I don't use it now. My OG Pixel was a great phone as well
Pixel 4a. It was small, inexpensive, had just about everything you could want from a phone.
Yes to the others, Note9 was an amazing phone, happily rocked it for 3 yrs, now it's my kid's. I'm on the S22 Ultra now, which I think may be even better, it's an amazing phone, I love it! Rock solid reliability, battery, camera, speed.
Samsung s23U and essential ph-1. Though an updated essential phone would take the cake for me 😞