Smart phones for the not so smart

[redman2006]

So my Samsung note 4 is on its last legs. Glitches all the time and short battery life, etc.
It is almost 3 years old now.

So, I have really enjoyed the note, but as you know, the seven went down in flames, and the 8 won't be out for a month or two. It also has a $1000 msrp!!! So, for someone that refuses apple products for mutiple reasons, what is a good, solid, reliable smartphone with good battery life, good reception, solid features, and less invasion of privacy that apple? I do like the note with the pen. Pictures are only a minor thing to me. I need to be able to use it for work with cloud based software.

I am on Verizon due to reception issues.

I know I don't use a smart phone for a fraction of what it is capable, but things I do use: pictures, email, browsing, typing here, navigation, calendar and scheduling, reading documents, work related references kept on the device, of course phone and text, and so on.

One thing I like about the note is a removable battery and expandable memory. I also really like the pen. The ability to have a flip case that does not at all interfere with the phone and access to the sides is important. I also really like the pen. Bright screens in the sun are huge! This one is barely bright enough. By the way, I really like the pen.

So help a dummy find a smart phone.

Thanks

[0utlaw]

I'd get something with a pen....

[redman2006]

Good advice. Any idea who makes one besides samsung note? I can not seem to find one. The note 5 is not available through verizon. The six was skipped.

[Cwi555]

Find a refurbished note 3 or 4.

[redman2006]

I wondered if that would work out. They are not supporting some of the older Android systems as I understand it. I thought the glitches I am having might be older software as oposed to hardware. I really don't know how to tell.

[Cwi555]

I wondered if that would work out. They are not supporting some of the older Android systems as I understand it. I thought the glitches I am having might be older software as oposed to hardware. I really don't know how to tell.

Software can be updated. I'm running a refurbished jail broken one with dual Sim slots. They definitely still work. What is the nature of the glitches?

[W.Lynn]

There's still a couple things you can remove a battery from - which is still high on my list of security desires.

[redman2006]

Odd ball stuff. The dual Sim card would be awesome! Then I could have a personal and business line on one phone. That would be fabulous.

Some things happening are the auto on and off when closing my phone case works intermittently. It is not the case, checked with a new one. Battery life is going away quickly. Easy to fix, even if not cheap. The phone is running horribly slowly when next to my wife's or daughters. Wife has a note 5. Daughter has an iPhone of some ilk. My phone also show much poorer reception than my family's phones when connected to any wifi. It is slightly less when on the cell service.

Hang ups in processing that now require restarts occasionally through the day.

It will suddenly shut off and restart itself in the middle of something.

I have tried several companies for Antivirus scans and clean up. Nothing major found and no real improvement in speed or glitches.

I know you can update the software, but, can you swap to different levels? I was told that some of the older ones were not receiving updates now.

[redman2006]

Btw, I can live without the pen if I have to. It has just made life easier with work software.

[kickstand]

Redman, just a suggestion: Have you done a factory reset? I have found that through time, apps tend to add their own crap that will stay on the phone, even if you uninstall it. I tend to do this about once a year. It also helps because then you only tend to reinstall the apps that you really want or find useful.

[Cwi555]

As for not being serviced, there is the phones unique identifier, then there is the ad identifier.

https://www.aerserv.com/mobile-device-identifiers/

The later has been changed across all platforms. When it was done is dependent upon the device.

The 2-3g phones are being phased out and not supported on a hardware level with the exception of 3gpp as its tied to sat phones.
There are two primary formats in use in the states. GSM and CDMA.

http://www.androidauthority.com/gsm-vs-cdma-689328/

That matters for me, but maybe not for you. GSM is the defacto standard overseas. It is also primarily the US that has phones locked to their networks i.e. Verizon, ATT, SPRINT etc. Verizon is CDMA. The particulars for CDMA when it comes to network identification are important for compatibility as well. ESN (electronic serial number) are being phased out. Newer phones for CDMA have went to MEID (mobile equipment identifier). The older ESN phones will eventually be phased out and are also not being supported.
Mine identifies via IMEI or international mobile equipment identifier with a MEID emulator for use in the states. The purpose of this and the dual Sim slot, is so I don't have to change phones when I'm elsewhere in the world. I've never tried to use dual numbers from the same phone in the states but I suspect the Verizon and other networks would choke on it. It's possible it could work, but it's outside my experience.

Regarding your phone behavior, it sounds like two things to me. Software and hardware.

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Samsung_Galaxy_Note_4

For hardware, your battery and antenna needs replaced.
For software, I'd suggest your memory needs to be checked, and you probably have some bloatware running in the background choking resources.

https://www.howtogeek.com/115533/how-to-disable-or-uninstall-android-bloatware/

Rooting your phone may and likely is necessary to get rid of the bloatware. If the phone was newer, I'd say it's probably also the cause of the battery problem.
Regarding the antenna, it's a known issue on the note 4 though not common.

There was some issues when the phones would update from kitkat to lollipop versions of android. Suggest checking that as well. Given its been a reported condition in the Verizon family.

https://community.verizonwireless.com/thread/862360

Odd ball stuff. The dual Sim card would be awesome! Then I could have a personal and business line on one phone. That would be fabulous.

Some things happening are the auto on and off when closing my phone case works intermittently. It is not the case, checked with a new one. Battery life is going away quickly. Easy to fix, even if not cheap. The phone is running horribly slowly when next to my wife's or daughters. Wife has a note 5. Daughter has an iPhone of some ilk. My phone also show much poorer reception than my family's phones when connected to any wifi. It is slightly less when on the cell service.

Hang ups in processing that now require restarts occasionally through the day.

It will suddenly shut off and restart itself in the middle of something.

I have tried several companies for Antivirus scans and clean up. Nothing major found and no real improvement in speed or glitches.

I know you can update the software, but, can you swap to different levels? I was told that some of the older ones were not receiving updates now.

[Cwi555]

As an aside, you can hand the phone to your daughter with instructions to jailbreak, root, and update the phone software along with changing the battery and antenna . Teens and their friends have a propensity to want to show the old man they can do something they can't. Worst case scenario the phone is fried and you use it for target practice. Since your shopping for one anyway, who cares?
If it works, you get the phone back.

[redman2006]

Kick, I have not. I guess I can do that. I don't have much for apps, but it may be worth it. I need to copy everything out of it first.

[redman2006]

CWI holy crap, are we still speaking the same language. I need to do more reading. Thanks

[W.Lynn]

LOL, it looked like English to me, but yeah, if teen doesn't do that stuff, there will be add-on teens around who do!