Welp, high time for a smartphone.

[DeviantProtagonist]

Greetings. Time and again I find myself surrounded by people -- whether family, friend or otherwise -- glued to a smartphone. I was indifferent for a time, simply amused with the fact they'd rather socialize by phone whilst they're near each other. Conversely? What I have now is a Kyocera -- an old numpad cellular that runs on minutes. Yeah, verily unlike what might as well be the modernized Swiss army knife. Those old man feels.

While said people gave me funny looks, it's now I'm finding virtue in that notion myself. That occurred to me after speaking with dad, who recently replaced his smartphone with a Fido Nexus 5. Something changed in me then, like a snap; people got by so well because of the multitude of things to get along their day. Not only that, work can be boring as fuck and it's lenient with activity lulls as is. This alone makes a buying incentive.

Moving on to the brunt, how should I finally invest? I imagine many of you have years upon years of experience with this, so what brands should I familiarize myself with? I know Iphones and Androids are a thing, but not much else. What I'm looking for in particular is a WiFi service that provides Facebook, Youtube and a music player. Anything else is a bonus, but given the plethoric nature of smartphones, it's probably a given.

Another thing to consider is that I'm from Canada, so anything easy on CAD would be nice. To give an idea, my dad pays a monthly bill of $50, which seems like a fair price. Maybe the Fido Nexus 5 is a worthy one? Still, I give very much appreciation in advance, as I'm very new to this concept as a whole. All that aside, feel free to indulge your experiences with smartphones and share if you happen to be in a similar position as I.

[Scotty]

You've asked the right person.

I don't know much about Canadian Carriers, but that's where my lack of knowledge ends.

Smartphones are tools in this day and age. At work, they help with simple menial tasks, and are essential for smoke breaks. Hell, they ARE the modern 'smoke break'. In your daily life, they're very empowering. You have a computer in your pocket. You can't get lost no matter where you are in the world, you can translate any language, and communicate with anyone relevant in your life at any time through an innumerable amount of ways. Of course, all of these perks apply to iPhone and Android phones. I won't be talking about Windows, it's a dead platform for mobile.

I'm an Android fanboy, and will die with my Nexus phones. What makes a Nexus phone so great is the fact that they run pure Android. Free from carrier limitations and bloat, or any skins on top of the OS from manufacturers that bog down the system. Plus, they're the first to get neat huge updates. So look for a pure Android experience as your first Android phone. That's what I'll recommend. iPhones are super smooth and stable. You'll find little to no lag throughout the system, it's Apple's greatest strength, since they're in charge of the hardware AND software. Camera quality is top notch, and the quality of build ensures good resale value.

It sounds like you've taken a liking to the Nexus 5, and that's a fine phone. Most of my friends have one. Don't expect the best camera and battery though. It's a little aged. If you're looking for a cheap, but great phone, I can never stop recommending the Moto G. $180 USD gets you a 5 inch phone with a near pure android experience, coupled with stereo front speakers and great support for quick updates. Again, not the best camera, but it's a sub $200 phone. Also, Micro SD card support. Can't go wrong there.

Ask all the questions you need to.

[altuixde]

I've been an iPhone user since 2011 and an Android user for three weeks. I switched to save money and I think I've achieved that, in the short term at least. My Verizon iPhone 4 from 2011 stopped getting security updates from Apple and I figured it was due to Apple using planned obsolescence to drive more iPhone sales. The planned obsolescence thing could be true, but later I read that Android phones can become obsolete even faster than iPhones. Oops. Well I can't return my Xperia Z1 compact because that deadline has passed. Selling it is an option, but it's not such a bad phone, so I'll just hang on to it unless I run into a significant reason to sell it and move back to iOS.

One of the things I miss about iOS is the privacy controls. On my iPhone, I can deny apps access to location services, conacts, photos and the microphone. On Android, the Google Play Store warns you about what services the apps will have access to before you download them, but if you choose to use an app you can't deny the app access to anything that it's given permission to access by default. Apps could read my contacts and then my contacts will get spam and calls from telemarketers. For this reason I haven't installed many apps on my Android phone yet. I've read that Android had a hidden feature called "App ops" that granted users privacy controls similar to what iOS users have, but that feature has been removed; hopefully Google will bring it back in the future.

Some minor things about my Xperia Z1 compact:
You have to tap a little bit higher on the screen compared to iOS in order to have your tap register in the location you want.
The colors aren't as accurate as on my iPhone (for example, the background behind the words "project-imas.com" on the top of this page should be greenish blue; on my Xperia it's just blue).
The battery life isn't as good as on my iPhone 4. Granted my new Xperia has 4x the processor cores and 4x the RAM.

Issues about iPhones:
They cost more and the price of internal flash storage is higher than it should be.

As you can see I'm heavily favoring the iPhone. Of course I'm also biased because I'm used to using Apple products. If you do decide to get an iPhone, don't get anything less than an iPhone 5S; I think that the fact that it has a 64-bit CPU will give it more longevity. My Core 2 Duo (64-bit) MacBook can still run the latest Mac operating system even though it was released in 2008; while 32-bit Macs have been stuck running an older OS since 2011. When making your decision, also take into account whether there's an Apple mall store near where you live; the staff at the Apple stores are usually very helpful to Mac and iDevice owners when they have questions and problems.

Well, that's all I can write about smartphones for now. There are things that I like about Android but so many more cons have been coming to mind than pros. Maybe that's to be expected since I'm still getting used to it.

[SakuraMaxX]

I'm right behind Scotty's recommendations regarding the Nexus 5 or one of the Moto devices.  I switched from a Nexus 5 to a Moto X 2014 and while I love both of them to death, the Moto X is just a tad better in my opinion (with the exception to speedy updates, N5 gets them earlier).  Do yourself a favor and get a Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Moto X, or Moto G.

[Scotty]

As you can see I'm heavily favoring the iPhone. Of course I'm also biased because I'm used to using Apple products.

I would add that you're also comparing a relatively old phone with no more support from Sony at this point. One of the many cons of getting an Android phone that isn't Nexus, or close to pure Android. But I will agree that if you get an iPhone, don't go below a 5S.

[altuixde]

Sony did release Lollipop for my phone recently, but that was late since it's been available for other phones for five months. I do wish I had gotten a Z3 compact instead of a Z1 compact, so it would have support longer into the future.

Also, I remembered some more things about my iPhone which my Sony phone doesn't have: easy call blocking and text blocking, visual voicemail and a hardware mute switch.

On my Sony phone I can send calls from specific numbers directly to voicemail but is there an app that can block calls from specific numbers outright? Also, can anyone recommend a good Android app for text blocking? I've got other questions about Android, but I have to compile them, and I don't want to completely hijack this thread.

[Scotty]

On my Sony phone I can send calls from specific numbers directly to voicemail but is there an app that can block calls from specific numbers outright? Also, can anyone recommend a good Android app for text blocking? I've got other questions about Android, but I have to compile them, and I don't want to completely hijack this thread.

On lollipop, you can longpress the text message, click the menu button on the top right and block. Not sure how you'd do that on Sony's UI. And I wasn't aware that the entire Z lineup was getting upped to 5.0 . That's crazy. Very commendable. Anyways, yeah. Let's not get too technical just yet, DeviantProtagonist still hasn't even picked their phone yet!

[altuixde]

Thanks! I'll try that once I install lollipop. I'm waiting to install it until the general consensus is that it works well on my specific phone. Unfortunately I haven't yet found a community where people post about the Z1 compact, so I don't know if Sony's current version of lollipop works well on it.

[Scotty]

Thanks! I'll try that once I install lollipop. I'm waiting to install it until the general consensus is that it works well on my specific phone. Unfortunately I haven't yet found a community where people post about the Z1 compact, so I don't know if Sony's current version of lollipop works well on it.

Can't go wrong with the XDA forums. http://forum.xda-developers.com/sony-xperia-z1-compact

[Naryoril]

Since nobody mentioned it, there are also Windows phones, but personally i wouldn't touch them.

I'm also in the Android camp (i have a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini) simply because the Apple products are too closed off and too restricting without jailbreaking/hacking the iPhone. For one there is no way to install software without the Apple store, where as you have the option to install software without the Android Play Store on Android. I only used this option once to install something that was only available in Japan through the store, but just the thought of another company completely controlling what i am allowed to install and what not makes me cringe (which is also a big reason why i wouldn't touch a Windows phone). Most people might not be bothered by this, but for me this is a huge point.

Or as another showcase that might be different nowadays, but i think it shows perfectly what i mean by "the Apple world is too closed" off:
For reasons that would take too long to explain we have to go online, pay by credit card and print out a PDF that opens then if we want to park a car near our company for more than 2 hours. So one guy came with his car on a day when the internet at our workplace didn't work. He said to an iPhone user "Can't i use your phone to do that?" and i told him "You could pay it, but you couldn't print it. And you can't copy the PDF from the phone to a PC either." He answered "Then you could just send me an e-mail with the PDF." - "Our internet isn't working, you couldn't receive the e-mail."
On an Android phone you could just have it plugged in with a USB cable and copied the PDF to a PC and printed the file.

[animagic4u]

Since nobody mentioned it, there are also Windows phones, but personally i wouldn't touch them.

I went to a Hackathon and a Microsoft representative there literally told us, "You know what the best part of having a Windows phone is? No one wants to steal it"
I am usually an Apple biased person for all things not Smartphone. Go Team Android!!

I highly recommend the Nexus line as well!

[Scotty]

I highly recommend the Nexus line as well!

Then go and get one and stop being a Droid fangirl, silly.

[Eury]

I am gonna put my lot in with getting an unlocked android phone with a prepaid plan. Android phones play nice with most other electronics, can't say the same for Apple products in my experience.

I'm also not familiar with Canadian services, but I had Sprint for a while. I felt so liberated when I bought out of my contract with them. Don't get a contract phone unless you getting phones for your entire family, just not worth the heartache. I got a nice unlimited everything plan from T-Mobile coupled with Google Voice, it has been really pleasant.

Currently I'm rocking a Sony Xperia Z Ultra. DO NOT GET THIS PHONE, IT IS STUPID BIG. I have creepy long piano fingers so it worked out for me.

You don't have to get the highest end Android phone to get what you want out of it, but I suggest something with a snappy processor. Nothing is more unattractive than a clunky, sluggish Android interface. I believe that is what puts a lot of people off to them at first, they get a crappy one. Kinda like when people didn't like Windows Vista cause they bought a cheapo Acer netbook or Compaq desktop that couldn't handle the OS.

[DeviantProtagonist]

Thanks for the share! Definitely a grand start to things~.

Deeming smartphones the modern smoke break suffices my point. That, and it'd be lovely to have multiple tools for everyday tasks. You're also right to say it's empowering, Scotty; from what times I borrowed someones' smartphone -- like to browse websites or play multimedia -- it was very, very satisfying to literally do this on hand. To be totally ham about it, it's like holding the power of the sun in the palm of my hand. Or something.

In regards to mobile plans, I'm teetering between Virgin and Fido. Here's the summary of both packages, as far as I know:

Virgin:
- 300 Minutes
- UNLIMITED Evening & Weekends from 5pm - 7am
- Canada-Wide Calling
- UNLIMITED Incoming Text
- UNLIMITED Text & Picture Messaging to Canada & US, plus International Text Messaging
- Voicemail & Call Display
- 300 MB

Fido:
- 250 weekday minutes (7am to 5pm)
- Unlimited Eve/Wknd minutes (Evenings Starting at 5 pm) Unlimited Canada-wide long distance
- Unlimited text, picture and video messages from Canada to canadian, U.S and international wireless numbers
- 250 MB Data
- Call Display
- Voicemail
- Unlimited Circle Calling
- Call Waiting
- Conference Call

Another trend I noticed is the possibility of your activation fee getting waived. Any tips I'll need knowing to capitalize on that? :3

Now by general consensus, Windows phones will be pruned. iPhone looks to be the same given Naryoril's assessment of their limitations, as I'm quite fond of third party, myself. Sure, there's jailbreaking, but that similarly looks more trouble than it's worth. Moreover to gripes, holy shit can these get expensive! To have subsequent Nexus and iPhone models cost above $700 already clobbers current-gen consoles. Genuine nope.avi material, so let's stick to cheap.

Drawing comparisons, the Moto G is looking to be our winner. Performance-wise, the Nexus 5 is well up there, but I'm not asking too much for it. To have SD support over the initial 16GB and 32GB packages of the Nexus 5 also has me sold. What the Moto G does lack is record quality, which is capped at 720p/30FPS to the Nexus 5's 1080p/30PFS. Hell, maybe I can compromise with a Moto X altogether? Yet provided the price bump isn't too substantial, though...

But finally, have no worries about a hijack; I mentioned you're free to discuss smartphone experiences so holler away. I ought of learn more about it. :3

[SakuraMaxX]

I personally wouldn't go with a data package with less than 1GB or 2GB, but that's just me.  I eat through 300MB really quickly.

Also don't look into a Nexus 5 or Moto X if camera quality is a very high priority.  I'd go for a Sony phone (Xperia Z3 camera is pretty nice) or hell, even an iPhone since they use Sony imaging sensors too.  Otherwise the N5 and X are outstanding phones and you should consider sticking with those