Ok I have a decision to make. (if too long, skip to the bottom few questions)
Ive been looking at newer phones and Ive been really really tempted the prospect of being a specs-whore that had the latest top of the line equipment. And while Ive been so indecisive about what resolution and screen size I really needed in a phone, I asked myself "why not get a tablet too?".
Ive always had modest phones...Pantech Pocket, Optimus F6, etc. Ive never had a 5 inch phone or a phone with HD resolution...but while I was out in the store yesterday seeing if I would like such phones, I really did like what I saw. I realized I much enjoyed 5 inch screens and that they will fit in pockets well, and I was amazed by 1080p video on the HTC One M8. I loved how it felt in my hand too. I didnt know a 5 inch phone could be so comfy and pocket-able as well. I even looked at the LG G3 and while I liked the 1440p content I saw...I couldnt say there was a significant improvement that I could detect over 1080p on screen sizes under 7 inches. That said, the LG G3 was also very comfy to hold and had great color reproduction that was better than the M8 (is that the screen tech or the QHD doing that?)
So I came home and did research into pricing. And I realized that high end GSM phones with 1080p or higher capability were pretty expensive to buy off-contract. I have Tmobile prepaid and dont want to enter into a contract just to save money on a phone (especially since my bill will go up a bit). Then I saw that many bigger tablets with good resolutions had attractive prices.
So i thought to myself..."what exactly do I need my phone to do when Im commuting, at work, or out on the town?" I know I need 4g speeds, a phone over at least 4.5 inches but still comfortably pocket-able in both dress pants and slim jeans, and I also need a phone that wont allow me to detect pixels in videos, pictures, or text when 12 inches from my face. Also, I do serious gaming on my pc...so any Android games I play will be stuff like Subway Surfers or emulators (N64, Genesis, etc)
That all said, I am still interested in watching HD video on a nice screen. But once I picked up phones that got close to or beyond 6 inches, my thumbs couldnt reach across the width of the screen, and I couldnt reach all of the icons comfortably with one hand without repositioning how I held the device. Nevermind how big this would look and feel in a pocket at work or in the bar.
I figured that given Im not going to be a huge power user on my phone, that instead of going for a top of the line big screen phone, that I could go midrange, but then also get a tablet if I really wanted to look at HD content on a larger screen. Im doing research at the moment, and seeing if I can get a really good phone and tablet for the price of a large flagship full HD or even QHD phone.
So I thought to get some advice here from people who have both tablets and phones;
1. Given my needs, do you think I need 720p or 1080p in a phone?
2. For those who have phones at least 5.7 inches, how comfortable are they in your pockets and in day to day use? Do you feel I should sacrifice screen size in a phone purchase in order to further fund a tablet?
3. In a tablet, at what screen size do you recommend QHD over FHD?
Lastly, part of the reason I am considering a tablet is that I know itll split the cost of my budget between devices. Im concerned with shelling out $450+ on just a phone, because I know a phone will be more susceptible to damage given how I use phone and where I take them. My tablet would see less travel and less risky use.
Ive been looking at newer phones and Ive been really really tempted the prospect of being a specs-whore that had the latest top of the line equipment. And while Ive been so indecisive about what resolution and screen size I really needed in a phone, I asked myself "why not get a tablet too?".
Ive always had modest phones...Pantech Pocket, Optimus F6, etc. Ive never had a 5 inch phone or a phone with HD resolution...but while I was out in the store yesterday seeing if I would like such phones, I really did like what I saw. I realized I much enjoyed 5 inch screens and that they will fit in pockets well, and I was amazed by 1080p video on the HTC One M8. I loved how it felt in my hand too. I didnt know a 5 inch phone could be so comfy and pocket-able as well. I even looked at the LG G3 and while I liked the 1440p content I saw...I couldnt say there was a significant improvement that I could detect over 1080p on screen sizes under 7 inches. That said, the LG G3 was also very comfy to hold and had great color reproduction that was better than the M8 (is that the screen tech or the QHD doing that?)
So I came home and did research into pricing. And I realized that high end GSM phones with 1080p or higher capability were pretty expensive to buy off-contract. I have Tmobile prepaid and dont want to enter into a contract just to save money on a phone (especially since my bill will go up a bit). Then I saw that many bigger tablets with good resolutions had attractive prices.
So i thought to myself..."what exactly do I need my phone to do when Im commuting, at work, or out on the town?" I know I need 4g speeds, a phone over at least 4.5 inches but still comfortably pocket-able in both dress pants and slim jeans, and I also need a phone that wont allow me to detect pixels in videos, pictures, or text when 12 inches from my face. Also, I do serious gaming on my pc...so any Android games I play will be stuff like Subway Surfers or emulators (N64, Genesis, etc)
That all said, I am still interested in watching HD video on a nice screen. But once I picked up phones that got close to or beyond 6 inches, my thumbs couldnt reach across the width of the screen, and I couldnt reach all of the icons comfortably with one hand without repositioning how I held the device. Nevermind how big this would look and feel in a pocket at work or in the bar.
I figured that given Im not going to be a huge power user on my phone, that instead of going for a top of the line big screen phone, that I could go midrange, but then also get a tablet if I really wanted to look at HD content on a larger screen. Im doing research at the moment, and seeing if I can get a really good phone and tablet for the price of a large flagship full HD or even QHD phone.
So I thought to get some advice here from people who have both tablets and phones;
1. Given my needs, do you think I need 720p or 1080p in a phone?
2. For those who have phones at least 5.7 inches, how comfortable are they in your pockets and in day to day use? Do you feel I should sacrifice screen size in a phone purchase in order to further fund a tablet?
3. In a tablet, at what screen size do you recommend QHD over FHD?
Lastly, part of the reason I am considering a tablet is that I know itll split the cost of my budget between devices. Im concerned with shelling out $450+ on just a phone, because I know a phone will be more susceptible to damage given how I use phone and where I take them. My tablet would see less travel and less risky use.
