# phone recommendations for strictly ridesharing



## elkscout (Jul 12, 2018)

searches of this topic reveals very little helpful information.

I'm currently using an inexpensive samsung SM-G550T1 with android 6.0.1, after using others and current carrier is metro pcs. I will not spend hundreds of dollars on a phone after getting burned by AT&T and Samsung S6 Active, which failed miserably in so many of it's "capabilities". I last used an LG aristo that worked fairly well, but the screen has been damaged to such a degree that it needed replaced. LG lays out their buttons differently from Samsung's phones.

The problem with Samsung is the internal memory is only 8 GB, and it's full, and as a consequence, the apps work very slowly; the maps are extremely slow to fill-in. Samsung and various apps, including uber and lyft, don't allow the apps to be stored/installed on the supplemental SD card. I have a 32 gig card that's hardly used because too many apps won't install to it, so another samsung seems to be out of the question.

I don't know if i'm using the new app or not, so I don't know if it's part of the problem re: slow repsonse

I have a few apps I want to use that are related/needed for ridesharing:
Uber
Lyft
Waze
googlemaps
mileIQ (which doesn't appear to be working at all- maybe because of full memory)
NTTA tolltag app
gasbuddy
camera (to take screen shots of "fake" surges)
call recorder

These are about the only ones I "absolutely" need to install. I'm looking for a sub $100 phone to do the job; might consider change of carrier if cheap rate plan and free/low-priced phone.

Any recommendations?


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## Uber's Guber (Oct 22, 2017)

elkscout said:


> I'm looking for a sub $100 phone to do the job; might consider change of carrier if cheap rate plan and free/low-priced phone. Any recommendations?


A $100 phone that could process all those apps the way you need it too?
I don't even think you could purchase a refurbished iPhone 6 for $100, and even if you could you would still have problems & glitches because the 6 lacks the processing speed that is needed to sufficiently operate all those apps that you need to.
Maybe somebody else in this forum knows about some $100 phones that would sufficiently operate all those apps at without any issues whatsoever. I would like to learn more.


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## elkscout (Jul 12, 2018)

Uber's Guber said:


> A $100 phone that could process all those apps the way you need it too?
> I don't even think you could purchase a refurbished iPhone 6 for $100, and even if you could you would still have problems & glitches because the 6 lacks the processing speed that is needed to sufficiently operate all those apps that you need to.
> Maybe somebody else in this forum knows about some $100 phones that would sufficiently operate all those apps at without any issues whatsoever. I would like to learn more.


I don't need to have them all running at the same time. I just need to be able to load all of them. Only both rideshare apps, and a navigation app, as well as the mileIQ app would need to run simultaneously.

It's been my understanding since day one that apple phones are not good choices for just one rideshare app, let alone both.

BTW, battery longevity isn't an issue because I just leave it plugged into the 12V charger as needed.


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## bsliv (Mar 1, 2016)

Flagship cell phones depreciate much quicker than cars. Buying new is not economical. For instance, an LG V20 sold for $800 two years ago. Today its $135. A two year old flagship will typically out perform a new mid-range phone. Check swappa.com. I found a good deal on craigslist too. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a phone (LG V30) that sold for $850 six months ago for $279. 

Leave apples for the fruits.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

I am an android guy and since I spend so much time between rides on my phone is always relatively nice. 

But I always recommend getting the big screen if you spend time on it.

Typically I have been happy with Samsung but use lgs occasionally

I promise you Motorolas are one of the worst brands out there considering their price and competition

And BLU is garbage too, but in only use that phone for human trafficking, drug deals and arms deals so it's ok to be a cheap throw away phone lol


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## Uber's Guber (Oct 22, 2017)

elkscout said:


> I don't need to have them all running at the same time. I just need to be able to load all of them. Only both rideshare apps, and a navigation app, as well as the mileIQ app would need to run simultaneously. It's been my understanding since day one that apple phones are not good choices for just one rideshare app, let alone both.


An iPhone 8 uses the the A11 bionic chip, which offers plenty of processing speed to run Uber/Lyft/Waze/MileIQ at the same time. But you won't be finding any for $100.
But let us know if you find a $100 phone that meets those needs.


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## EaglesFan (Mar 10, 2015)

You're asking an awful lot for a sub $100 phone. You don't need a flagship phone for that but if you're going to be running uber, google maps, and mile iq simultaneously I don't think that's gonna work on the cheapest of the cheap phones. Keep in mind GPS is processor intensive that's why it drains batteries so fast.

Personally I've owned a Samsung galaxy (not the top of the line version), used the uber iphone when I first started driving, and have owned both the 1st and 3rd generation of the Motorola Moto X and in my opinion it's not even close the Moto X is the most amazing phone I've ever owned. I would tell anyone to look at the Moto phones even if they aren't doing uber but if they are doing uber it's twice as good. It was the first phone to allow you to launch the phone entirely by voice. It can tell when you're driving and reads texts to you and you can reply without ever touching the phone. Both are extremely useful when driving. It was also the first phone to have slim bezels so a large screen and it runs a close to pure version of android so it runs even better than it's good hardware specs suggest. The 3rd generation was also not sold through carriers and works on every network and comes with no carrier crapware eating up storage etc... I've also dropped both phones many times and never had a case for either and seemed to be fine although I eventually dropped my 1st edition Moto X directly on the glass and cracked it which is why I bought the 3rd generation Moto X Pure Edition. PS I'm only skimming the surface on what I like about this phone.

I looked on ebay https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...t=0&_odkw=moto+x+pure+edition+&LH_TitleDesc=0 you can buy the phone I'm using Moto X Pure Edition (3rd generation) new in box for a little under $200 and a used one for a little over $100 since it's not the latest generation (I paid a lot more when I bought it). As I said it works on every USA phone network. I've personally used it on Sprint, Verizon, AT&T with absolutely no problems although you might get someone working in one of these carrier stores that doesn't know that the iPhone isn't the only phone that works on multiple networks. You can get it with as much as 64 GB storage and the processor is fast. PS if you buy another generation of this phone it may be carrier specific so I would recommend 3rd generation.

You could also look at the latest Moto G series which is in the $200-$250 range. I'm not sure if they migrated Moto Voice down to these phones yet and from what I've heard they're doing what a lot of phones these days are doing and making phones with glass backs ugh. I also don't know if these phones are designed to work on every carrier so pay attention to that if you buy it. Keep in mind different carriers use different technologies and frequency bands so a lot of phones do not work on every carrier.



Kodyhead said:


> I promise you Motorolas are one of the worst brands out there considering their price and competition


What do you base that on? I have the exact opposite opinion and am currently using a Motorola Moto X.


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## Grand Lake (Feb 27, 2018)

It's not realistic to think you'll get anything but dreck for $100, and it's silly to rule out paying for something decent because you had a bad experience with one phone.

There was an article yesterday on the arstechnica website about Amazon blowing out Essential (that's the brand) phones. Flagship-level Android last year's phone for $250. Act fast if you're interested.


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## possibledriver (Dec 16, 2014)

LG Stylo 3 GMS $140 Walmart
Same phone on Boost $90


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## Tysmith95 (Jan 30, 2017)

Burn in is a serious problem with using navigation apps for hours on end. So I'd go with a phone that has an LCD screen.



bsliv said:


> Flagship cell phones depreciate much quicker than cars. Buying new is not economical. For instance, an LG V20 sold for $800 two years ago. Today its $135. A two year old flagship will typically out perform a new mid-range phone. Check swappa.com. I found a good deal on craigslist too. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a phone (LG V30) that sold for $850 six months ago for $279.
> 
> Leave apples for the fruits.


Although, a phone is an 800-900 dollar hit from buying new to fully depreciated. A car is usually over 20k.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

Just want to let you know that Motorola in Spanish means TERRIBLE PHONE


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## FrankLStanton (Oct 18, 2016)

elkscout - To successfully run the apps you've listed, you need at a minimum of 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM. And I would suggest that RAM is the most important, as ROM is used for storage. My guess is the RAM for your current phone is 1GB and your ROM is 8GB, half of what you need. Whatever brand you look at just make sure you hit that minimum of 2GB/16GB and you should be fine. NOTE: LG Aristo only has 1.5GB of RAM.


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## RideshareGentrification (Apr 10, 2018)

I always buy the last year flagship phone I can't justify spending $800-$1200 on a fricking cell phone . MY most expensive phone I've bought was the Essential PH1 on Cyber Monday 2017 for $368 and it's the best phone I've ever owned . You can pick up a nice Galaxy s7 for $125 used and it's a great phone for Ubering . I just think having a decent phone is important since if it fails or hiccups you're gonna miss out on money . 
Recently picked up a Pixel 2 for my wife for $175 which would also be a great phone 

One thing I do recommend is find an android phone that's pure android or close to it , I notice with Samsungs they have so much nonsense on the phone that after awhile when running lots of apps they really stutter a bit . Where as older phones say my old back up which is a Nexus 6 (4 year old phone) and it ran rideshare duties better than just about anything until the phone charging port broke and could only be charged wireless and then stopped holding a charge lol .


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## doyousensehumor (Apr 13, 2015)

FrankLStanton said:


> elkscout - To successfully run the apps you've listed, you need at a minimum of 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM. And I would suggest that RAM is the most important, as ROM is used for storage.


This. I never buy new phones. Usally a flagship model from 2 years ago is 90% as good as the latest greatest. 4gb ram really helps. I run a Note5 4gb ram. Wireless charging. Slippery as a bar of soap, but with a case not bad. Google maps is fast on it and it can multitask well.

Take a look at the s7. 4GB ram, expandable memory. The last of the flat screen samsung top end phones. Cheap now that a few newer models cam out, but good bang for the buck.


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## Y0d4 (Feb 6, 2018)

Anyone notice with android phones after taking a ping or putting in an address on gps it doesn’t position right away on my iPhone it does which makes me not use android at all as a result it’s really annoying


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## Rich2nyce (Jan 25, 2016)

Any flagship device wit tons of ram and fast processor. I'd buy new tho not used. Battery life may be hindered on an older device and even if the device is wiped clean will not perform like a new device


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## _SEAM_ (Apr 11, 2018)

I would suggest new and treat like a business expense, which it is, seeing how you plan to jsut use it for ridesharing. Porbably best to get one of the large screen ones, especially if you want to have say Lyft and Uber app out at the same time using androids' split screen, so you can get pings from either.


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## brick656 (Jun 18, 2017)

I just sold my Nexus 5x for $60 to buy a Google Pixel XL for $150. Those are my dedicated rideshare phones. Both worked great for everything I needed. I often used my personal iPhone X if I was running both Uber and Lyft at the same time so i didn't ac CV accidentally miss anything.


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