OMG - Some Assembly Required aka RTFM - Smart Phone Upgrade

[Steve R Jones]

Holy Cow.... Yesterday I upgraded my Samsung Galaxy S5 to a Galaxy S20 FE. (5G)

Guess I'd compare this to an upgrade from Windows XP or older to Windows 10.

I know that the options are there.... I just have to find them. And in the mean time I trip over the new stuff. Everything I touch checks and wants me to update it.... I might have to contact Samsung and suggest they burn a newer image. LOL

The huge saving grace is an APP called "Smart Switch." I already had it on my old phone and had copied EVERYTHING to my computer hard drive... When the new phone came in - the app was built in and did a wireless phone to phone transfer. (BUT, being able to backup my phone is a new to me PLUS.)

The new phone is 5G and is lightening fast. It's hard to tell if the new cpu is making it real fast or the 5G part. But when combined - there's no waiting for anything.

Side Note - I also switched from Verizon to Consumer Cellular. CC's support has been outstanding. They even had a sense of humor and thought is was funny I couldn't do a power off.... The volume button is on the right side above the power button... Have to press both at the same time to reboot/power off etc.... (also found a software option to do this)

And then there's the part that when the new phone was off - they ported over the old phone which in turn killed the phone call we were on. They gave me a gold star when I figured out I needed to call them back

[TysonLPrice]

I bought one a month or so ago...shortly after they came out. I'm very happy with it.

[FunkyDexter]

I'm on an S9 and the main mics broke so I have to talk to everyone on hands free. Thinking of upgrading but the phone is really only a year and a half old.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I have a flip phone. It doesn't even have a camera.

[Steve R Jones]

I'm on an S9 and the main mics broke so I have to talk to everyone on hands free. Thinking of upgrading but the phone is really only a year and a half old.

DITTO.... I was using Speaker Phone for the past couple of years. It worked, I just had to pay attention to where I was and who I was talking too.

[wes4dbt]

Holy Cow.... Yesterday I upgraded my Samsung Galaxy S5 to a Galaxy S20 FE. (5G)

Bought the S20 FE about a month ago. It's is quick. Best Buy moved all my stuff over from my old phone, I got tons of Alexa, Harmony, Phillips Hue, Wemo type stuff. Still had to go into the apps and reset them, it was a pain in the app!!! Galaxy wants permission to everything. Had to tell them the size of my underwear. The silly thing is I hardly ever use the phone for phone calls. I take it with me when I leave the house for emergencies but I'm home most of the time and only use my landline for calls. But you need a smart phone for all the smart home devices.

Anyway, it's a great phone.

[sapator]

I still have a Samsung S5 !
A great phone but after that Samsung started BSing it's phones.
I don't know about s10-20 but until S9 the experience changed from best to worst and they broke, like that , as Funky also said.
I'm currently looking on either a Oneplus 8 or a Huawai P40+ , yes i don't need google, as they are half the price and overall better phones, at least from S10 .
Also if I can't get one due to the pandemic I will get the Huawai P50 that the initial specs makes the other phone pee their motherboards :P

[Steve R Jones]

First time I chatted with Consumer Cellular was because their site said Out of Stock...... The person I was chatting with said she was unable to find out when more would come in. She suggested I check out Samsung.com .

Problem - Samsung.com wants $699 and Consumer Cellular is selling them for $550.

Anyway - CC got some in two days later and about 24 hours later one was in my mailbox.

[dilettante]

Ouch.

I'm facing the need to upgrade myself and so far it is looking bizarre.

AT&T must have the worst web site on the planet. Round and round and I couldn't get logged on. Called customer service on the old phone to get needed info and some unintelligible lady ran me round in more circles, but eventually I was able to log on to the web site.

Once back there and logged on it was another wumpus hunt. Sometimes I ended up deep down rabbit holes that said I had no accounts associated with my logon, while other pages showed my phone number, balance, etc. just fine.

New phones need a nano SIM, old phone uses the next size up. Never did find any way to order a SIM Kit without starting a new account. Screw that.

Went looking for their local store, found it, but trying to shop "there" online to see the phone options kept showing me tablets, then watches. No matter what I clicked on.

Gave up, drove to the store. Sign lit saying "Open" but the door was locked. Paper sign stuck up saying the door is locked for "safety." Yet it was clear there were customers and staff in there milling around.

Came home, tried more searches, but still no resolution. Next stop, maybe Best Buy, who probably won't be able to help either ("Oh, you have THAT plan. We don't do that.").

Next step, probably more phone calls and waiting to talk to a person. Hopefully one who can speak intelligible English for a change. I haven't even tried the support chatbox on the web site. Somehow I think that might be viable, but then again my expectations are very low.

That's all well before dealing with transferring contacts, data, settings, etc. I'm sure the gratuitous use of USB C is going to figure into making that a nightmare. I suspect things like "app" (how I hate that disgusting termlet) settings such as account credentials won't transfer at all. I think I have the passwords recorded.

[Steve R Jones]

You sound like you're talking about Verizon too.... Horrible website.

From my original post:

The huge saving grace is an APP called "Smart Switch." I already had it on my old phone and had copied EVERYTHING to my computer hard drive... When the new phone came in - the app was built in and did a wireless phone to phone transfer. (BUT, being able to backup my phone is a new to me PLUS.)

[Peter Porter]

I have a flip phone. It doesn't even have a camera.

This was my phone up until a month ago. It's a Nokia N1200, with an easy to use menu, MP3-grade & 32 polyphonic ringtones, dust resistant keypad, multi-phone book, and flashlight!

It also has games like Snake and Soccer (just discovered today).

I brought this phone in 2008, but had to finally upgrade due to two keypad numbers becoming unfunctional when the battery reached a certain level. The screen is also cracked, but that didn't bother me. Presently it's home is on my bookshelf.



You don't want to know what I replaced it with.

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Iphone 4s with thick tough glass and strong metal surround using 3G, used as a GPS system on my bike using NAVMii for the maps, a star map map tool for when I ride at night and a portable music player through headphones when I cycle through the pretty Norfolk countryside. Still as good as when I bought it, gives the weather forecast so I can get home without getting wet. Oh yes, I can occasionally make a 3G phone call when required and can check the BBC news. Should be in use for the next five years as long as it survives the bike rides and keeps working. It is as solid as a rock.

Once upon a time I would have paid hundreds for a GPS system with all those extra features, now we throw older phones away without thinking how incredibly useful a device like this can be.

[Peter Swinkels]

@Peter Porter: my even more primitive Nokia 5110 had Snake, but no soccer. I had to replace it because after eight years it started to glitch, that and it wouldn't fit into my pocket. Personally I am glad to have moved to a more modern phone.