5th Android Phone

Expect you need a new phone every 2 years or so. My Moto G4 phone is basically dead. I had it for two years. It was supposed to be best budget phone 2 years ago. Things need to last longer.

Besides RIDICULOUSLY POOR photo quality this phone works great. Until it can't receive phone calls. If it rings you pick it up you freeze the phone. The power switch already came off for months and I had to use a toothpick to reset. Without the unique shake-it-to-use-camera and chop-it-twice-to-use-flashlight feature basically the phone can't turn on. And sound is totally gone. Can't hear anything through speaker or headphone. This is it. time for a new phone. It still can be used as a silent web server and silent games such as chess.

As a never-iphoner, I will need to get Android. and now a never Motorola-er. I need something else. I deserve a good phone. Latest Samsung Galaxy S9 ($720) and Pixel 2 ($650) were my finalists, both at whooping cost. But I've had it with budget phones... and I don't want a China brand. Now given the iphones go up to $1000 both are cheap. My usual formula is when you have both phones that are good you go to the cheaper one. Now you have to play with each at a store. All Android phones are basically similar. Eew why phones are so heavy now. That Moto G4 has the right weight... Both finalists are good. but oh, the Pixel does not have a phone jack! Call me old school but I prefer stick a headphone in than mess with bluetooth! And oh, Amazon slashes $100 off the Samsung so it is now the cheaper option with headphones! Boom! bought the Galaxy 9. I do NOT want the plus size. Phone need to e SMALL!

Screens need to be rectangle. don't dent the good rectangle with that camera. Another reason I am a never iphoner. I don't care for curved sides-- absolutely useless, but I can live with it.

Ok, the S9 came. Of course fragile things demand screen protector and bumper plastic. Ka-ching, more money needed. It's got its own assistant called the Bixby which has its own button to summon! I need no Siri, no Cortana, no Bixby, no Ok Google. I don't ever need voice activated things: no Amazon Echo. No Google Home ever needed.

So yes, the camera is better (but still a bit not so natural color).

Hope this will last for a few years.