Phone and service suggestions for CB
My GNex is starting to frustrate me. It's like it's slower and less capable every day (since the last update of Maps, it started taking nearly 3 minutes, just to load that app, which is a pain when I'm lost, sitting at a stoplight, trying to ask which way to turn). The last straw is that the age of the phone has now cost me some of the functionality of my new Pebble Time (I can't use the 'respond to texts right from the watch' feature without the newest version of Android OS). So, After nearly 4 years with the GNex, I think it's finally time to upgrade.
For those who haven't heard: I'll be taking a two-year sabbatical in Munich starting in Jan 2016, so part of what I need help with is understanding what service is best in Europe. I know nothing so far about what mobile service providers are like in Europe, so any info about that would be helpful. Like: Will I still be able to access all the same stuff (i.e. my google account, apps, hangouts, etc.) or will being on a different data network change what I have access to?
So here's What I want/need:
Must:
*work with my current phone plan (Net-10) and still work after the move to Munich (GSM4?)
*work all over Europe
*be new enough to receive the latest version of Android, and not generally frustrate me with slowness.
*work with the Pebble Time (though I'm pretty sure any Android phone will work, just not 100% sure)
Will be nice if it also:
*has a removable battery
*works when I come back home for about 4 weeks/year
Any thoughts/suggestions/advice appreciated 
Comments
Modern phones that are not CDMA-only should work just fine. You might have to do a temp SIM card for your trips back to the US (though maybe @Snarkasm can speak to that. One Plus One (the Two is coming this fall as well, AFAIK) is a cheap, flagship phone that has served several Icrontians without a problem and would support travel across Europe. No removable battery, but definitely will work when you are home. Will work with Pebble Time. You can either wait for the company to release new version of their Android distro, or you can use CM12.1 to get latest and greatest whenever you want. I went with the latter after waiting a couple months for them to get the current version of Android built to no avail.
http://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_one-6327.php (click "expand" next to Network)
and you can look at http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html to see what bands are supported by which networks in various countries.
GSM SIMs will still work on both sides of the ocean, they will just cost you an arm and a leg unless you get a local one. Would definitely suggest a small pre-paid for your short trips back.
The different networks you connect to shouldn't in any way seriously affect what you're accessing, with the one major caveat I can think of being what content is available on the different areas. For example, Google DE won't have access to certain media that Google US does.
I'll let others speak to hardware; I'm too in love with my Sony Xperia Z3, and it doesn't have a removable battery for you.
I can't suggest any phone other than Sony Xperia Z3, which fulfills all your needs except removable battery. Incredible phone.
+1 for the OPO. Bought it before my wedding, took it to the UK, could customize the ever loving shit out of it.
There is, however, one significant drawback which may point you to the Xperia Z3 instead - the OPO doesn't support LTE on band 20, which is what a couple carriers in Europe use. The OPT hopefully will.
Either way, you gotta do what Tushon says - check the bands before you buy.
Also a vote for the Oneplus family. Mine has been stellar minus a Bluetooth audio issue with CM12. The One is the best Android handset I have owned thus far and there are no signs of that changing soon.
Everybody I know who has a OPO says the same thing: "It's so great, it's the best except for this one thing..." lol
I love my OPO without reservation.
You'll notice he put a custom ROM on there. All bets are off when you go off the manufacturer's path and CM's general greatness on so many phones is a testament of the awesome devs and community behind it. I can definitely say that I've never been bothered by anything with my OPO.
OTA push of Lollipop from CM11 to 12 broke it. Prime has a valid point. The issue was an increased playback speed when stream audio over Bluetooth. Hardly a deal breaker in my opinion. The phone was extremely easy to unlock it's bootloader and root, which allowed me to install Oxygen OS and fix my Bluetooth. I'm not sure how hard the process is for the Z3, but the ability to fix things with a different ROM and have that flexibility was a huge selling point for me.
My biggest issue with OPO (aside from the overall size) was, indeed, the OTA updates that constantly changed data on my device; in particular, they unrooted me a few times. If anybody would be careful with that, I thought it was the CM team, but seems not. Unlikely to be a dealbreaker for CB, though.
Yeah. I'm not planning on rooting or modding anything if I can help it.
Both of those phones look like they're around 400$. That's out of my price range, I think. I don't need latest and greatest, just less old than the GNex. What do I get for between 150$ and 250$ now? Used is okay.
The Moto G might be right up your alley than. Also bonus you can get it with dual sim cards.
This guy: http://amzn.to/1OL36jz ?
yup. I am pretty sure it is also has the lollipop upgrade waiting for it as they already dropped for those phones.
Nexus 5 would still work then. Can get them on ebay, but not through Google anymore AFAIK
Current-gen MotoG is probably right up your alley. IIRC, the LTE covers most of the bands, but the GSM will be more than fast enough (Europe's GSM scene is SO much better than the US) for anything you want to do.
Making sure to get the exact correct model could be the most challenging part.
The moto G was pretty much designed for traveling over seas and stuff. Also it's small. If you want to keep your current number you should be able to find some sim with a pay as you go for when you're back over here. Keep them both in the Moto G just have to change which sim your phone uses in the selection thing. It's pretty nifty if you ask me.
Don't forget that if you're planning on switching now, you can't use Verizon with any GSM phone you choose.
That's not strictly true. There are phones that have both CDMA and GSM antennas. Example
Assuming VZW lets it onto the network, or the GSM radio isn't entirely disabled if you get it from VZW.
Sure! That's why I said "strictly true". I should have added that it is probably hard to achieve in reality.
I'm not on Verizon anymore, we switched to Net 10 a bit ago.
Is the one I posted the one I should get, or do I needed to go elsewhere to find the one with two slots?
Give it just a couple days and the 2015 model moto g will be out.
http://9to5google.com/2015/07/23/moto-g-2015-moto-maker-customization-options-revealed/
It will have moto maker customization and supposedly there will be a 16gb storage with 2gm ram model. If so, it will be a very nice entry level phone.
Some news from todays announcement:
http://gizmodo.com/motorolas-budget-moto-g-brings-a-13mp-camera-and-a-5-in-1720559839
The Moto G 2015 will be powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 410 SoC processor, feature a 5-inch 720P display, and will be available in two versions packing either 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, or 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. If you’re considering either version you’ll want to expand that storage further via the Moto G’s microSD slot since the handset now features the same 13MP camera sensor as the Nexus 6, as well as a 5MP camera up front.
Starting at around $185 (or around $200 for the 16G model) both models also include 4G LTE, a larger 2,470 mAh battery, and IPX7 certification
That's a hell of an entry-level smartphone.
Will these radio channels support germany?
Moto G - GSM (XT1540)
LTE (2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 17)
UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 1700/AWS, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
German carrier LTE bands:
O2, Bands 20 and 3
Deutsche Telekom, Bands 20/3/7
Vodafone, Bands 20 and 7
//EDIT: That Moto G looks like a US phone. Europe uses 1800MHz and a different 2100MHz band for UMTS/HSPA+.
Well they have a contact page, so I passed that along to cb to chat with them.
They are launching this phone world wide today, so i thought it would work out.
I found the german page: https://www.motorola.de/products/moto-g
Frequenzbereiche
LTE (1, 3, 7, 8, 20)
UMTS/HSPA+ (900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Should he order a german one?
I think this guy might rely on copypasta too much.