Where to buy a new phone

#1

I dropped my phone yesterday and hosed my screen, proving that even the sturdiest phone case is no match for one as clumsy as I. The effects of the drop change minute by minute and range from annoying to complete loss of image, triggering fear that I’ll completely lose access. So I need a new phone. I’ve always gone to the t-mobile store. My last phone I couldn’t buy outright but have on some weird installment plan they told me was necessary. I’m starting to think that going to the t-mobile store is kinda like driving to the airport to buy a plane ticket, and going to the t-mobile people for help is as necessary as returning to the car dealer for regular car maintenance. Can I just buy a phone outright, like on Amazon? If so, how do I switch things, and make sure t-mobile knows it’s my phone? Also do you have a phone recommendation? I currently have the Samsung Galaxy 8 Note and it works great for me, both size and function (although the curved edges that are supposed to be cool are actually super annoying).

#2

I tend to recommend avoiding Samsung unless you have the know-how to disable their built-in bloat and advertisements. Even if you buy a a top-of-the-line phone ($1500+), they’ll still spam notifications to buy their lower-end phones and other products. I currently use a Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 but I hacked out most of their ads, self-promotion and other bloat.

Here are some questions to consider for your next phone:

  • What kind of money are you looking to drop?
  • Do you need a great camera?
  • Are you sticking with Samsung? If not, would you prefer Android or iOS? Samsung’s voice assistant Bixby is terrible.
  • Do you need something high-performance?
  • Do you need lots of storage for pictures, videos, and games?
#3

Thanks for the information and questions, Muz!

As far as money, I don’t have an idea right now, because I have no idea what phones cost nowadays. I’ll compare features and decide if prices are worth those features to me.

I would like a great camera because pictures are an important way I stay connected with my far-away family.

I guess I don’t need to stick with Samsung. I lean toward it only because I’m used to how they do things. I have never had an iPhone and don’t know really why they are better than Androids, but if you convince me I will go for that. I do NOT want a voice assistant and I disabled the one on my current phone.

As far as high-performance, I’m not sure what that means - I want apps and webpages to open and run quickly. I don’t do work on my phone other than accessing Outlook.

I have a lot of games and apps, but I store my pictures in Amazon.I currently have 6 GB of storage and that has always been enough so far.

I also need something that can be put in a fairly sturdy wallet-style case, because I am clumsy and too lazy to carry a bag.