2 ms·

But why not buy a cheap motog phone and save $500 in the first place

nfriedly 6y ago
In general, I am a big proponent of getting used equipment and keeping it running for well after the manufacturer has abandoned it. Before the Pixel 2, I hadn't purchased a new phone in like 12 years - I had gotten a couple of used Android phones, and used Windows Mobile before that. They all had the issue of essentially 0 support from the manufacturer by the time I got them, so I was dependent on community ROMs to keep them up-to-date. The phone I was using at the time had multiple issues, including an aging battery, physical damage, and something wrong with the GPS sensor. A couple of the big reasons I bought the new phone rather than another used one were the promise of 3 years of support (which Google delivered) and waterproofing (which has come in handy a few times). I also just liked the phone in general, and there wasn't much on the used market with a similar feature set. I like tinkering with my phone, but this was shortly before my second child was born and I knew I wasn't going to have the time to mess with custom ROMs to fix whatever was broken that week. Now that my kids are a little bit older and I can sleep through the night most nights, I think I'm ready for that "fun" again.
prosaic-hacker 6y ago
That is what I have done since my first cell phone over 20 years ago. My Nokia 3310 series lasted 8 years, a Samsung slider 5 years both phone cost up front and pay as you go.(there were 2 to other short term hand me down due to dropped phones) When the Glass Slabs and WIFI in phone became useful I bought an unlocked Moto E2 ($200CDN @ Staples 2015) which was replace by a Moto G7 Play ($150CDN @ Costco 2019). Did I miss anything by buying cheap. Maybe, but no one with a $1100 phone has shown me my life in "Vale of Tears" App that I cannot have. The G7 is getting updates and works. the E2 still works and was my "Give to American's who had bad outside of the US" plan.

In general, I am a big proponent of getting used equipment and keeping it running for well after the manufacturer has abandoned it. Before the Pixel 2, I hadn't purchased a new phone in like 12 years - I had gotten a couple of used Android phones, and used Windows Mobile before that. They all had the issue of essentially 0 support from the manufacturer by the time I got them, so I was dependent on community ROMs to keep them up-to-date. The phone I was using at the time had multiple issues, including an aging battery, physical damage, and something wrong with the GPS sensor. A couple of the big reasons I bought the new phone rather than another used one were the promise of 3 years of support (which Google delivered) and waterproofing (which has come in handy a few times). I also just liked the phone in general, and there wasn't much on the used market with a similar feature set. I like tinkering with my phone, but this was shortly before my second child was born and I knew I wasn't going to have the time to mess with custom ROMs to fix whatever was broken that week. Now that my kids are a little bit older and I can sleep through the night most nights, I think I'm ready for that "fun" again.

prosaic-hacker 6y ago

That is what I have done since my first cell phone over 20 years ago. My Nokia 3310 series lasted 8 years, a Samsung slider 5 years both phone cost up front and pay as you go.(there were 2 to other short term hand me down due to dropped phones) When the Glass Slabs and WIFI in phone became useful I bought an unlocked Moto E2 ($200CDN @ Staples 2015) which was replace by a Moto G7 Play ($150CDN @ Costco 2019). Did I miss anything by buying cheap. Maybe, but no one with a $1100 phone has shown me my life in "Vale of Tears" App that I cannot have. The G7 is getting updates and works. the E2 still works and was my "Give to American's who had bad outside of the US" plan.