Other than Apple iphone SE are there any good SMALLER smart phones?

[Ottakee]

We have a Verizon plan with 10 lines and unlimited data, etc. shared between 3 families so staying with Verizon is my best bet price wise and Verizon is the best carrier for our area as we are in one of those lovely areas that most carriers don't cover reliably.  

 

I am going to need a new phone before too long unless I can get the battery changed in my current Droid.

 

The thing is, I did NOT want a bigger phone.  Where I work I want one that fits in my pocket.  I don't need the latest, greatest, etc.  My biggest desire is the best battery/longest life, followed by basic reliability.  I use my phone for calls, texts, FB, FB messaging, a very few basic apps, and listening to audio books.  I don't do gaming beyond solitaire.  The family is fairly split between droid and apple but I have a kindle and no apple products personally.

 

So I Need:

Verizon

SMALLER phone

BEST battery life

reliable

cost conscious

 

What should I look for?  Does anyone know of any great black Friday sales for Verizon phones?  or Christmas sales coming?  I honestly can likely wait until January but if a great phone at a great price is available earlier, I can buy sooner.

[Dmmetler]

Samsung Luna or Sky are about the size of the SE. it seems like providers have one or the other.

[Lanny]

Question: Where you are, is the Verizon network still using the CDMA technology, or have they converted to the GSM technology where you live? I'd read that Verizon will be phasing out CDMA by the end of 2018 or 2019?

 

NOTE: I would not put any serious money into a CDMA phone at this time, since Verizon will be phasing CDMA out.

 

If you are on GSM, except for my old very low end Samsung phone, the other phones in the house are Motorola (3 of those) and 1 Lenovo (Lenovo owns Motorola Mobility).  When my Samsung dies (or I cannot buy a replacement battery for it) I will go to a Motorola or Lenovo.

 

Also, my Stepson's company gave him a Lenovo Phablet, about 6 months ago, and that works well, but it is a very large phone. I wouldn't want one that large.  Like you, I keep my phone in a front pocket of my pants.

 

I had recommended to someone here, months ago, on Verizon via Trac as I recall, the Motorola G5 Plus. Very nice phone...   Also, I recommended that she buy it from the Motorola USA web site (Motorola.com) so it would not only be "Unlocked" but would also be "Unbranded". The phones we buy here are like that and have a one year manufacturers warranty here in Colombia.  

 

One of our neighbors   is an Electronic Engineer and has worked for a major Cell provider here for 20+ years. He buys mostly Motorola phones but has also purchased a couple of Samsungs over the years. His current phone is a Motorola that he purchased this year or last year.

 

Lots of "bang for the buck" with Motorola or Lenovo.

 

I think my Samsung has a 4.5" display. My wife's phone has a 5" and the one for DD (the newest) is 5.5".  The larger displays are very nice, but they do result in a phone that is larger and harder to hold to your ear if you are actually using the phone for a phone call.  Put those 3 phones on the table and it's obvious their phones are larger than my phone. The Lenovo Phablet would, I imagine, be very difficult to hold to your ear, for more than 2 or 3 minutes, especially without very large hands. 

 

Good luck with what you go with!

 

ETA: We do not purchase phones from cell network providers. Those may be locked and they are probably branded. They may have had modifications to the OS (in our case, Android).  

Edited November 19, 2017 by Lanny

[Lanny]

I just read a thread on Reddit. Interesting, but technical and confusing and I don't want to point the OP to that and I closed that browser tab.  What I remember about the thread months ago, where I suggested buying the Motorola G5 Plus, was that it was going to be used by a Tracfone customer in NE, who needed to be on the Verizon network in her very rural area.  Before purchasing from Motorola.com as I recall, she checked with Tracfone and/or Verizon and they told her it would work on Verizon in her area.  And, it did, after she bought the correct Tracfone SIM.   Had that not worked out, she could have sent it back to Motorola.com and they would have refunded her money.

 

The phone my DD has is (I think) a Motorola Moto G4 or G4 Plus. A very nice phone. The Moto G5 Plus is newer and nicer...

 

I would not put any money into a CDMA only phone.  What is so confusing now is that some (many?) of the phones have both GSM and CDMA capability, but I am not sure if that is true and how that works. For Verizon, I believe Band 13 (?) is critical?  

 

Not sure how accurate this chart is, but possibly worth a look:

https://www.phonearena.com/news/Cheat-sheet-which-4G-LTE-bands-do-AT-T-Verizon-T-Mobile-and-Sprint-use-in-the-USA_id77933

 

Here's a URL for Motorola in the USA. Note that they will give you 5% off (discount code if you sign up or on first order or something and that their Black Friday Sale will (I believe) begin today,19 NOV 2017.

https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-g-family

 

For the Moto G5 Plus this is the URL:

https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-g-plus-gen-5-special-edition

 

and on that page it states: "Universally unlocked

Moto G5S Plus is unlocked for all major U.S. carriers, like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Consumer Cellular, so you can switch carriers and keep your phone."

 

Clicking to show Full Specifications it shows these Networks and Bands:

Networks

4G LTE (Cat 7)
CDMA / EVDO Rev A
UMTS / HSPA+
GSM / EDGE

 

Bands (by model)

Moto G5S Plus – XT1806
CDMA: 850, 850+,1900MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz)
4G LTE (B1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 25, 26, 38, 41, 66) †

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2017 by Lanny

[Ottakee]

Lanny thanks. I do like the Motorola phone and now have the Droid turbo but do not want anything larger. I will check the chart later on my computer and see what might fit my needs.

[Lanny]

Lanny thanks. I do like the Motorola phone and now have the Droid turbo but do not want anything larger. I will check the chart later on my computer and see what might fit my needs.

 

You're welcome. If the Moto G5 Plus display is larger than you want, possibly/probably they have something like it, with a smaller display?  Study on the Motorola USA web site (in my previous post) and study the specifications of the different models. 

Edited November 19, 2017 by Lanny

[Lanny]

The Moto G5 Plus has a 5.2" Full HD Display. The latest (?) model is 5.5".  Nice, but the phone is physically larger than my old Samsung with a 4.5" Display. However, Full HD is quite nice...  There may be another Motorola Moto Family that has a smaller Display size?  I think the Display in my wife's Moto is 5". The size of her phone is between that of my phone and DDs phone. 

 

I would not go to a Lenovo Phablet. Very nice if you are using it to Surf or for Apps, but IMO too big to hold up to my ear. for more than a very short phone call.  

 

NONE of the Motorola or Lenovo devices in our house have had any issues.

Edited November 19, 2017 by Lanny

[Dmmetler]

It looks like the Samsung J1 and J3 and Sony Xperia compact are both also below 5 inches in screen size and have a compact case (the SE is 4 inches). (The J1 and j3 use the same cases as the Sky and Luna, but are more expensive, and seem to have better cameras, etc).

 

It seems hard to find a small phone that isn’t trimming features otherwise. There are a bunch of pay as you go ones, but the specs simply aren’t all that good.

[Lanny]

You could buy a Moto E4 from Motorola.com  Much less expensive. But less elegant. 5" HD Display.

https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-e-gen-4

 

They can be purchased either Unlocked/Unbranded, or Locked to a specific carrier, such as Verizon.  $129.95 but you can save at least 5% with first time order discount, hopefully more for Black Friday. The price is the same, whether it is Unlocked/Unbranded or Locked to a specific provider, such as Verizon.   I recommend Unlocked/Unbranded, whichever manufacturer and model you decide on.  

 

NOTE: Some models have a Removable (user replaceable) battery. To me, that's a plus.

[justasque]

I agree with Lanny that you don't want a CDMA phone.  And I would buy an unlocked phone, not a Verizon-specific one.

Even though you have a Verizon plan, take a look at the actual usage on each line.  We found that, based on usage, several of us were significantly cheaper on pay-as-you-go Tracfone, which uses the Verizon network for coverage. 

[Lanny]

I agree with Lanny that you don't want a CDMA phone.  And I would buy an unlocked phone, not a Verizon-specific one.

 

Even though you have a Verizon plan, take a look at the actual usage on each line.  We found that, based on usage, several of us were significantly cheaper on pay-as-you-go Tracfone, which uses the Verizon network for coverage. 

 

With the example I gave above, where the same Motorola phone, is the same price, whether it is Unlocked and Unbranded, or Locked to a specific provider, I am trying to guess who would buy the one that is locked to a provider. The President of the Provider?  For others, it wouldn't be a good purchase.

 

We had CDMA for years, but that ended approximately 2004.  If CDMA was still available here, I would never go back to a CDMA provider.  CDMA has one big advantage, both for the providers and those who are a long way from a tower: One can communicate (voice/SMS) with a very weak signal on CDMA.  That also means a CDMA provider can have their towers farther apart. GSM requires a strong signal so the towers need to be closer together.  

[MorningGlory]

Here's a URL for Motorola in the USA. Note that they will give you 5% off (discount code if you sign up or on first order or something and that their Black Friday Sale will (I believe) begin today,19 NOV 2017.

https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-g-family

 

For the Moto G5 Plus this is the URL:

https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-g-plus-gen-5-special-edition

 

 

Thank you, Lanny, for mentioning this phone. I've since researched extensively and determined that this is the best phone to purchase for my almost 17 year old son. We are not serious smartphone users, so at the current Amazon price point (and with low-end Tracfone service), this is doable for us. 

 

The Moto G5 Plus (32 gig WITHOUT Amazon offers and ads) is selling now on Amazon for $170. Interestingly enough, the one with Amazon ads is $185. 

[Lanny]

You are welcome. There's a lot of "bang for the buck" with a Moto G5 Plus.  Probably with any Moto phone. I hope your DS will enjoy it.