What phone now?

[RShea]

I have the new iPhone SE, which is way more phone than I can ever imagine needing.

On another topic, has anyone had any luck with a “budget” provider other than Mint? I jumped on Mints 3 month trial plan and have had a ton of issues with their network not handling text messages from all of my contacts. I am only getting texts from other iPhone users, so presumably these are getting to me some way other than Mints network. They told me 2 months ago that this is some sort of hardware issue in my area that is being worked on but so far no luck getting it fixed.

I have very little need right now for 1st tier service for data as most of my access is via my home WiFi.

I am in the PDX area. Verizon has historically been very good for rural access which is why I have kept paying the premium, but finding I need that less and less. (IE - I don’t care if you can’t get ahold of me for a few days if I am out camping in a no coverage area)

Caveat: I don’t want to use GoogleFI until I understand their data harvesting policies. Does anyone know what data collection they are doing and reselling via Fi? Have been slowly moving away from their services for the past year.

Probably the messages are going through Apple iMessage or now discontinued iChat and only messages you are seeing are those from other Apple users... Have you checked the APN and settings on the phone? Also sometimes worth trying a 3rd party SMS text message app. Or something like this discussion: https://www.techjunkie.com/apple-iph...By%20iMessage.

[RShea]

Hah, seriously. But, I've been on their mobile service for almost 2 years now and it's great. Stupid cheap if you're a low-volume data user. Crazy to think about how much voice minutes used to cost, and now Comcast literally gives voice/text away for free.

Most every MNVO now gives you unlimited talk and text if they have a monthly prepaid subscription (except the rare few that are doing the buckets still like Tracfone, Net 10, that are not monthly plans and usually less than $15 or so dollars a month to carry.

They as well as most of the Cable TV Mobile offerings are set up so you are doing wifi calling if you are anywhere they have their hotspots. That is one of the reasons they require an Internet plan from them, so when you are home, you are typically not using much time connected to the cellular towers for talk. Only text messages still use cellular for many, unless you are using a text message app that also will switch to wifi data.

[RShea]

Went for a drive yesterday with the new phone on the wireless car charger. On the way back I was in a sketchy area using google maps directions when all of sudden the map disappeared and the directions stopped. I was all wtf mate and took the phone from the console and it was smoking hot, shut down, with a overtemp warning on the screen. So I had to find my way through the Baltimore hood on my own. Fortunately, just staying on the same road was all I had to do or I woulda been one lost white boy.

Turns out overheating problems are an issue with iphone 12. https://piunikaweb.com/2021/04/13/ap...s-workarounds/

The wireless charger coulda contributed to the issue, I didn't know the phone is supposed to be centered on the pad. Not quite sure how I'm gonna keep a small phone centered on a big pad going forward.

A few things- if you are at a full charge, or even over 50 % maybe you want to remove it from the wireless charging pad, especially if you are going to be doing an app that probably just on it's own increases the operating temperature of the phone (even without charging it, I'd suspect the phone would feel warmer while doing the turn by turn map. You could get a smaller wireless charging pad. Is the pad you have a "fast charging capable"?

https://www.cnet.com/news/this-iphon...pad-is-only-5/

[mattig]

Sorry if it's already in the links above, but I also heard that fast charging is worse for your battery over time. I almost never fast charge and perhaps that's one reason my 2017 phone is still behaving.

[Cocximus]

Was it Waze? Only Waze heats up my pixel 5 and iPhone users said the same.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[riser4]

Fast charging, huh? So I'm not sure I have a choice? USB-C. The stock charger automatically fast charges.

[MTT]

I bought an IPhone 12 mini yesterday new plan with Spectrum my isp provider. A cool 845$ out the door.

First apple device since the MacBook Pro I had in 2007 when I worked at apple
Happy so far. It’s almost as nice as the HTC M1 I had in 2013.

iTunes is different than google. But not impossible

Speed is good. Scrolls really well

[riser4]

I bought an IPhone 12 mini yesterday new plan with Spectrum my isp provider. A cool 845$ out the door.

First apple device since the MacBook Pro I had in 2007 when I worked at apple
Happy so far. It’s almost as nice as the HTC M1 I had in 2013.

iTunes is different than google. But not impossible

Speed is good. Scrolls really well

Bought one for my wife. Returned it and once it clears will buy a regular sized 12. The mini was too small.

[carlh]

Bought one for my wife. Returned it and once it clears will buy a regular sized 12. The mini was too small.

I don't understand how a 5.5" screen is too small that is the same size as an old plus screen iphone.

I am debating on buying a mini because I think it is too big coming from an SE v1 (4" screen) and too expensive. That said it is the smallest full feature phone available today (same reason I have an SE) so I will probably buy when I find a good deal.

[riser4]

I don't understand how a 5.5" screen is too small that is the same size as an old plus screen iphone.

I am debating on buying a mini because I think it is too big coming from an SE v1 (4" screen) and too expensive. That said it is the smallest full feature phone available today (same reason I have an SE) so I will probably buy when I find a good deal.

The 12 mini screen may be longer than the 8 she has now and hence "bigger" on the diagonal. But it is not as wide. She reads a lot in portrait mode and it wasn't working for her. The SE v2 is (I think) basically an 11 in an 8 body and we did consider that. I'm ordering a 12 today or tomorrow. If it was entirely up to me I'd get the SE v2, if someone put a gun to my head and said I had to go with Apple. I am happy with my humongous Moto G Power (2020) that I got for $49.

[EWG]

Trying to decide if I should have our family take advantage of the $700 Verizon current customer upgrade offer for a new 12 right now or if I should wait till the 13 comes out and roll the dice that the offer will be the same then.

[RShea]

Trying to decide if I should have our family take advantage of the $700 Verizon current customer upgrade offer for a new 12 right now or if I should wait till the 13 comes out and roll the dice that the offer will be the same then.

The price on the 12 should go down when the 13 comes out.... But it is Verizon so, you never know their offerings and deals.

[climberevan]

I'm not in the [emoji519] cult, but that 12 mini could tempt me. I wish there were Android manufacturers still doing small flagship phones. The Samsung S10 E is nearly perfect (small, powerful, SD slot, headphone jack, root-able, and waterproof) but it's not a current offering.

The new Asus Zenfone 8 is pretty enticing, but it sounds like it won't be available for Verizon, and I need that here.

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[MagnificentUnicorn]

Coming from the SE v1 to the SE v2, the new SE seems huge but a lot smaller than all the other mini tablets that pass for phones. I know the mini is smaller than SE v2 but it’s not really noticeable.


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[riser4]

Coming from the SE v1 to the SE v2, the new SE seems huge but a lot smaller than all the other mini tablets that pass for phones. I know the mini is smaller than SE v2 but it’s not really noticeable.


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That's interesting. Supposedly the SEv2 is same size as the 8 and my wife noticed a huge difference between the 12 mini and 8, as I posted above. But that's because she reads a lot in portrait mode.

[bobz]

Yeah, was disappointed that something they’re calling “Mini” is as big as it is. I’m still using an SE1, which remains (tied for) the lightest weight iPhone ever made. This “Mini” is about 50% heavier. I have three other computing devices for when I need more screen size than my SE.

[riser4]

You guys must have tiny hands.

[climberevan]

You guys must have tiny hands.

Size 11 in Hestra, but it's way more about pocket-ability for me. I have a tablet for actually reading stuff.

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[4matic]

I have SE2. It feels cheap and dated but works fine fior me. Size is perfect for my tiny hands. I really liked the feel of SE1.

[bobz]

You guys must have tiny hands.

Well, on the rare occasions when I take a trip without even a notebook computer, I pack a foldable Bluetooth keyboard just in case I actually need to reply to something in more than about 20 words.

Mostly the phone works fine, and I hate the idea of carrying around a brick absolutely everywhere. Actually, I kind of miss when my pre-smartphone was even smaller, this switchblade style Samsung Juke:

[riser4]

Only phone I truly miss was my Razr. If only it had a hotspot. We could a skipped the whole smartphone thing. However, as far as smartphones go, I like the trend to ginormous phablet. Its easier to read.

[RShea]

I'm not in the [emoji519] cult, but that 12 mini could tempt me. I wish there were Android manufacturers still doing small flagship phones. The Samsung S10 E is nearly perfect (small, powerful, SD slot, headphone jack, root-able, and waterproof) but it's not a current offering.

The new Asus Zenfone 8 is pretty enticing, but it sounds like it won't be available for Verizon, and I need that here.

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Yes, unfortunately Asus has always only done GSM versions of their Zenfone models. So does not have the bands for all the Verizon towers and hence deemed not compatible on their network.

If you want small Android smartphone- Motorola RAZR 5G, or at just over 5 inches the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact, and a much lesser known company that has about a 4 inch model: Unihertz Atom XL

Also many of the prepaid phones that sell for under $200 are typically specially made for the MVNO companies like Blue Phone, Tracfone, Boost, Metro, etc. and are a smaller screen...

[RShea]

Small phones discussed (relative as I do not consider anything above probably 5 or 5.5 inch screens max as small so they mention Pixel 4a as a small phone and just under a 6 inch screen. ) https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-small-phones

[liv2ski]

Over the last few weeks we have gone out to dinner a few times and the restaurants want us to scan a symbol to pull up a menu. I never carry my Note 4 but my wife's S8 didn't work so I ordered her a new Apple 12. I hope it works in the restaurant

[bobz]

Small phones discussed (relative as I do not consider anything above probably 5 or 5.5 inch screens max as small so they mention Pixel 4a as a small phone and just under a 6 inch screen. https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-small-phones

Interesting. And I discovered that I was mistaken about how much more the iPhone Mini weighs relative to my SE1, 18% more, not 50% more; I must have confused its weight with some other model, and there certainly are some well over 50% heavier.) None of the phones at that link are as light as the SE1 (the iPhone Mini actually comes closest).