Best Smartphone for skiers???

Daver_BC

Active member
Looking at upgrading from my iphone 5.

What do you have as a phone? Why?

I like to shoot vids and pics of friends and make IG posts with the clips.

Anybody have a strong opinion on the matter?
 
if your thinking of the iphone x it sucks for skiing because you always have a face mask on so the facial recognition sucks. on the other hand the camera is bomb on it.
 
13895944:lukrom said:
if your thinking of the iphone x it sucks for skiing because you always have a face mask on so the facial recognition sucks. on the other hand the camera is bomb on it.

Lol... didn't think of that. How do you unlock it if you're all wrapped up?
 
I have a Motorola Droid Z Force that I keep in an Otterbox Commuter. It is made by Lenovo and has survived a lot of abuse. The touch screen responds well to (captcitive enabled touch) gloved hands and I have captured some great video of my kids. Being able to open the camera with a gesture is handy along with the ease of turning on the flashlight (I night ski a lot).

Example:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HCmxpKVJxOqbxLaG2
 
13895945:Daver_BC said:
What about the pixel do you like?

You take vids and pics with it I am sure

The pixel takes great photos, havent tried the video out too much but the normal video mode is nice, I took a slowmo video the other day and it got super compressed i dunno why, but it has 1080p120.
 
I love smartphones, they're so smart that they know more about you than your closest friends and family do. Only a smartphone is loyal enough to eavesdrop on your conversations all day to figure out your interests to tailor the ads you see on IG.
 
yo, the CAT phone. a kid from my school lost his in the chairlift last lap and didn't find it until 1 hr after it closed. worked fine.

Lmao, never get this phone tho, fr. it's shit. camera is worse than the 3310
 
I got an iPhone X, the face recognition does suck but you gotta have those new portrait modes, I mean, not like I take pictures of myself on the chairlift or anything...
 
13895950:Mr.Bishop said:
Lol... didn't think of that. How do you unlock it if you're all wrapped up?

total first world problem but it actually really sucks, it works through all of my sunglasses but no goggles and obviously no facemasks. TouchID lets you put in up to ten fingers but FaceID only lets you use one face so unfortunately you can't add your "ski face". Even as the tech gets better I'm not sure how they're gonna get around this one, it's an annoying downgrade and its the main thing I miss about my old phone

btw when can we expect a fix to the NS app for iPhone X users? ;)
 
13896392:ski.the.east said:
total first world problem but it actually really sucks, it works through all of my sunglasses but no goggles and obviously no facemasks. TouchID lets you put in up to ten fingers but FaceID only lets you use one face so unfortunately you can't add your "ski face". Even as the tech gets better I'm not sure how they're gonna get around this one, it's an annoying downgrade and its the main thing I miss about my old phone

btw when can we expect a fix to the NS app for iPhone X users? ;)

I’m assuming it’s “on the list”
 
I mean the obvious answer is anything but an iphone since their performance in the cold is notoriously awful.
 
13896408:VinnieF said:
I mean the obvious answer is anything but an iphone since their performance in the cold is notoriously awful.

I hear this from so many people yet I’ve personally never experienced it, do people put their phones on an outer uninsulated pocket when they ski? Early iPhone 6S models got recalled for a poor batch of batteries but besides that a phone shouldn’t shut down before 1% during normal skiing use
 
I ski in the BC interior and have the Oneplus 3t. This shit is no joke. I'm a ski instructor and was helping run the new years torch life parade. Just before I got to the top of the lift after taking some photo's on my phone (it has an awesome camera btw), I dropped my phone into a foot+ of powder. Searched for it and found nothing. Had work so was only able to go look for it the next day at 12pm. Went up with a snow shovel and dug it out. I shit you not, had 10% battery left and turned on. No damage at all and is working a treat. Also way cheaper than iphone or galaxy.
 
Don't get an iphone, or at least don't get the 6. My friend and I were skiing in the park over the weekend and he had his iphone in his pocket. He slipped out on a rail and bent his phone when he fell and now it looks like a taco.
 
I use a Moto e+, it has a massive battery, lasts me all day on mountain, and the camera is decent, it has a finger print lock, or pass code / pass shape (that android thingy) it's android too which is a plus.
 
topic:Daver_BC said:
Looking at upgrading from my iphone 5.

What do you have as a phone? Why?

I like to shoot vids and pics of friends and make IG posts with the clips.

Anybody have a strong opinion on the matter?

misread this and thought it said best smartphone skiers so i thought i was going to stumble upon the greatest mobile shredsauce edits of all time!

anyway, iphones die so quick on the hill. their batteries are insufficient. I have a galaxy 6 active. no clue if they still do the active series but mine has been durable as fuck. if a girl says your on the phone too much you can look her dead in the eyes and chuck it across the room. maintain eye contact and not worry about the phone. she'll be your bitch for life.
 
Love my lg g5. Has a built in fisheye lens so I can get some amazing videos. I Keep it in a life proof case and it's great when I'm out skiing.
 
S8 takes pretty saucy videos. The stabilization is pretty nice and it's onboard editing suite for photos is pretty darn good.

LG v20/v30 might also be a good option. Two different cameras along to switch in between wide angle and tight.
 
iphones turn themselves off in the cold. I work outside servicing cameras through my phone, and I'm glad I went with the galaxy s8. All the guys I work with have iphones, and their phones don't work when we get a colder day.
 
Nexus 6 or 6p all day, the battery is super good in the cold and the camera can take some pretty spicy video as well. And it's not nearly expensive as an iPhone.
 
Galaxy s8. has headphone jack and manual eq for music, great battery life (in my experience), AOD so you don't have to hit the power button to see the time, fingerprint sensor on the back so you don't have to fumble with your thumb (facial recognition as well if you want it). The regular s8 is also not too big and awkward like most phones nowadays. 4k30fps, 1080p60, 720p240 and you can take stills while recording video.
 
Most cell phones from top brands will do similar. Galaxy vs iPhone vs Google vs etc..... They all have high MP cameras and many shoot in 4K that allows you to change the frame rate. It's all preference man. I would not go lower than 12MP for a camera. I'm an android guy so I'll always say fuck apple. My brother has an iPhone and it works fine if he insulates it well when skiing. If he doesn't, it shuts off. All cell phone batteries shut down below a certain temperature to prevent failure and/or damage (Google "operating temperature" and your cell phone name. It's not the phone. It's the battery). Once you go below 32F most phones will significantly suffer in battery performance and prematurely shut off. It may say you have 1% battery remaining then shut off, but once you warm it up, that percent will increase. Prevent this by buying a cellphone sleeve or putting inside something in an inner breast pocket. I made my phone a thermal sleeve and I've had no battery problems down to - 5°F. Without it, my phone would shut off in an hour or so. I have a galaxy s8.
 
13896573:danny420 said:
Nexus 6 or 6p all day, the battery is super good in the cold and the camera can take some pretty spicy video as well. And it's not nearly expensive as an iPhone.

The nexus 6 and 6p are 4 and 3 years old, respectively. If you're getting a new phone, why wouldn't you get the newest version? Thats like saying buy an iphone 6s.
 
Whatever you get, get a lifeproof case for it. Best investment in the world if you are outdoorsy at all.

All my friends have iPhones that constantly die when it's cold, so avoid them if having the phone turned on while skiing is something you value.

LG and Samsung both make fantastic phones from my experience, can't really go wrong with either.
 
I would also recommend looking at Sony phones. I have an xperia z1 compact and it's been run over by a car, dropped onto pavement from 6+ feet, dropped in water, fallen countless times from table/pocket height, does great in cold, etc. Also a fantastic size (small), has 144gb of memory (has sd card slot with 128gb), rooted + cyanogenmod (can do cool things like transmitting using the radio). Would definitely recommend.
 
13895945:Daver_BC said:
What about the pixel do you like?

You take vids and pics with it I am sure

I have the normal google pixel 2 and it's awesome because it's fast and takes good videos. Not to mention it doesn't have a glass back like other phones on the market, not to mention its easy to hold.
 
13896896:Nickc88 said:
I have the normal google pixel 2 and it's awesome because it's fast and takes good videos. Not to mention it doesn't have a glass back like other phones on the market, not to mention its easy to hold.

a glass back is necessary for wireless charging, so that’s debateble on whether or not that’s preferred if you personally benefit from wireless charging. IMO when higher wattage wireless charging becomes more mainstream and can be found in public places people’s battery life anxiety will go down significantly. With only 5watt wireless chargers by my computer desk, bedside table, car and kitchen I never really worry about battery anymore since it’s so easy to top off
 
Pixel XL for stock android and best camera of any phone or if you’re in the Apple ecosystem go with an iPhone 8 Plus. Or X but the facial recognition sucks for skiing.

I use a jail broken iPhone 7 Plus. I don’t want a glass back and don’t care about wireless charging.

If the Razer phone didn’t have a shit camera that’d be my choice or the Pixel 2 XL would be if I could have a new phone.

Sources: I work at Best Buy and play with them 24/7. Also nerdy IT/Network student with focus on Linux networks and network security.
 
Switched from iphone to pixel 2. The majority of my recent instagrams are with that phone, its seriously so epic. iPhone users, you can do it.
 
Gonna have to hop on the Android train. I have an LG G6, someone earlier mentioned having a G5. It's so dope, I love having three cameras on my phone (front facing, normal, and fisheye), and the 60 FPS option is sick too. (Disclaimer - I don't know if that is normal on other phones).

If you need to see some footage from it, the only video on my profile was filmed on it. I was trying out my gimbal for the first time so it is a terrible video.
 
13897772:SteveStepp said:
Switched from iphone to pixel 2. The majority of my recent instagrams are with that phone, its seriously so epic. iPhone users, you can do it.

Idk can you still play 8 Ball Pool with the boys?
 
13897772:SteveStepp said:
Switched from iphone to pixel 2. The majority of my recent instagrams are with that phone, its seriously so epic. iPhone users, you can do it.

Why ye switch doe ?
 
13897772:SteveStepp said:
Switched from iphone to pixel 2. The majority of my recent instagrams are with that phone, its seriously so epic. iPhone users, you can do it.

If your other products are all Apple then don’t. You’ll be replacing your Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods, iCloud, Apple Music, etc. Even MacOS won’t play as well with Android.

I use a NVIDIA Shield, Apple TV and HTPC, JBL Bluetooth Speaker with Google Assistant, all my headphones are wired Sennheiserand Klipsch (might get AirPods if I stay iOS though), Dropbox, OneDrive and my own NAS, locally saved music via Fubar2000, SoundCloud Go+ and Spotify, and I mainly use Linux (Arch Linux, Xubuntu, and Tails) but a little bit of MacOS and for school Windows (for Windows Server and other Microcrap classes/certifications).

I bought an iPhone 7 Plus though. Works fine with everything but I should have went Pixel. Only thing is was that the Pixel 2 XL wasn’t out yet and I hate Samsung’s bloatware OS (plus the Note 7 recall) that practically isn’t Android anymore. I also only bought the Apple TV for AirPlay bur I wouldn’t need if I didn’t get the iPhone. All I use my MacOS partition is for a program called Logic and sometimes Final Cut so I hardly use Mac with my AppleTV.

I still do love the stability of iOS and the fact that most people I know has one and iMessage/FaceTime is cool.

What products do you use with your phone OP? Also what do you use your phone for?

EDIT: No phone is better for specifically skiers FYI. Other than maybe the Pixel XL camera (the best) or iPhone 8 Plus or X one (runners up) and shatter resistant phones like the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active. You can always buy a Lifeproof Survivor or Otterbox Defender case.

FYI: I get those case dirt cheap with my employee discount and would trade whatever one you’d want for ski shit or anything else. I also could have got a Pixel 2 XL for $300 from the Google guy but my friend bought it first. FML. My iPhones cameras (both sides) don’t work. Fault that many Plus sized 7s and 8s have :/

**This post was edited on Feb 25th 2018 at 3:02:45pm
 
13895973:john18061806 said:
I love smartphones, they're so smart that they know more about you than your closest friends and family do. Only a smartphone is loyal enough to eavesdrop on your conversations all day to figure out your interests to tailor the ads you see on IG.

Use a VPN my dude.

ExpressVPN, AirVPN, IPVanish, OpenVPN, or if you’re not tech savvy at all maybe TunnelBear (I’d suggest ExpressVPN personally). TunnelBear has an easy to use mobile application and it’s GUI is super user friendly.
 
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