So I want a Smartphone

[Doppleganger]

Basically, it's to replace my car radio and GPS. I have Sirius XM radio free for now, but it seriously sucks and I'd be paying similar rates on a Smartphone plan. I don't intend to use the phone for calls much, but having a Bluetooth so I could talk in the car would be decent. Internet-wise, I want to use it to listen to MLB Gameday (a streaming audio website) for about 30 minutes each day.

There's a promotion with Burger King that offers free phones if you buy the plan:

http://bk.wasvcs.com/catalog/list

I want fast, stable internet and low cost. Just one phone. Don't care about how ugly the phone is, or how bad the picture quality is, I likely won't need those functions. It'll stay plugged into my car almost 24/7. Given the nature of streaming, it looks like I need the Unlimited Plan, and only Sprint offers that.

Spring has roaming in the area I'm at, but apparently that's fine and doesn't impact the connection much. The selectable phones are:

LG G2
LG G3
HTC One E8
Samsung Galaxy S4 16GB
Sharp AQUOS Crystal
Kyocera Hydro VIBE
Kyocera Torque

Given my conditions, which phone looks like the most optimal fit? Does anyone else know of other promotions that fit my criteria for use that are cheaper? Which phone is best based on personal experience?

[Jerichi]

I don't know about any of those phones but I just got a Moto X second gen and I'm rather happy with it.

[OkikuMew]

Welp you got kinda the right gal to talk to! I test out apps and stuff with tons of phones everyday, so I have an idea how good some phones are.

After a bit of research and with my own experience, stay away from:

• HTC One E8: Because HTCs are the devil. They're slow, and the interface is bad. There's a reason why everyone at work groan the moment they realize there's those three letters on the phone or during the start-up. Although admittedly the more recent ones are better, but feels still kinda eh. At least they're better the Xperias.
• Sharp AQUOS Crystal: Never heard of those, but if what I can see, the audio from it sucks. And since you want it to listen to music...
• Kyocera Hydro VIBE: Another that I never heard of. According to my sources, it is pretty slow internet-wise. Not for you again ^^;
• Kyocera Torque: Like the above, only slower as it's the phone itself (as in processor) that is slow.

You best options:

• LG G2: One really cool phone, to the point that I ALMOST bought it for myself as my own cellphone. (I ended up not doing it and taking a Nexus 5 instead because TL;DR my phone provider didn't sell it, and it would've cost me an arm to buy one at another provider while keeping my current plan with my provider.) It's pretty chill overall. The only downside with it is how the power and volume buttons are all in the back, which I find awkward. But that's just me.
• LG G3: Same as the above but even better in terms of speed. Obviously it's more expensive though (about 50$ more, depending on where you shop). They eat up battery power easily too, but since it's going to be plugged in all the time, that's not a problem for you! :P
• Samsung Galaxy S4: I actually find it very similar to the G2. Only big difference I see is the button placements that are more intuitive, and it's slightly more expensive than the G2 but less than the G3. Oh and after some digging, I heard that the Samsung Galaxy S4 doesn't have a FM radio "built in" when the G2 and G3 does, so that might be something you should consider!

So TL;DR: Get a LG G2 for the price or the LG G3 for more omph than the G2 but you pay for it; Galaxy S4 is cool too but it's the same as the G2 but more expensive and no FM radio; Forget the others.



Edit: P.S.: You could've asked that question in the Tech Thread :P

[Doppleganger]

So I decided on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, since it's inexpensive and small enough to suit my purposes. However I'm a bit concerned that purchasing the 'international' version through Amazon is considered inferior to buying a version in America.

What's the deal with that? Isn't the international phone merely an unlocked version of the American one, with the American ones region-locked? I heard some talk (superstition?) that American phones work better on American soil than international ones. Any thoughts on this?