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Teamwork wrote:This is the first phone (was) I ever paid out in monthly installments since my switch to Verizon from ATT. Every other phone before that I've paid a 2 year contract - "reduced price" up front... but my phone bill was essentially only the bill for service. My bill now a month had been the service + paying down the actual phone.

Ohhh, now I get it. Same effective result either way, but they bill separately for the service subscription and the phone purchase.

Did they lower the monthly service cost to match the amount they used to include for the purchase?

Do they now let you buy the service without buying the phone, and vice-versa?

I ended up going with the Samsung S8. Took my chances and continued the tradition now of 3 generations. I really didn't dislike my last phone either which was the worst part of it bricking. I really have thoroughly enjoyed my last two galaxy phones.

I feel like the jumps even from gen-to-gen have had a dozen changes also so it doesn't feel like they are resting on laurels either. I ultimately can say that I like that this phone is physically smaller then my S7 Edge but has a bigger screen. That is a good combo.

Ohhh, now I get it. Same effective result either way, but they bill separately for the service subscription and the phone purchase.

Did they lower the monthly service cost to match the amount they used to include for the purchase?

Do they now let you buy the service without buying the phone, and vice-versa?

I paid off the remaining balance owed on my old phone up front and now next month the cycle will start over. It's kind of intriguing to me that my monthly payments will actually decrease if that makes sense by a dollar.

Teamwork wrote:I ended up going with the Samsung S8. Took my chances and continued the tradition now of 3 generations. I really didn't dislike my last phone either which was the worst part of it bricking. I really have thoroughly enjoyed my last two galaxy phones.

I feel like the jumps even from gen-to-gen have had a dozen changes also so it doesn't feel like they are resting on laurels either. I ultimately can say that I like that this phone is physically smaller then my S7 Edge but has a bigger screen. That is a good combo.

Ohhh, now I get it. Same effective result either way, but they bill separately for the service subscription and the phone purchase.

Did they lower the monthly service cost to match the amount they used to include for the purchase?

Do they now let you buy the service without buying the phone, and vice-versa?

I paid off the remaining balance owed on my old phone up front and now next month the cycle will start over. It's kind of intriguing to me that my monthly payments will actually decrease if that makes sense by a dollar.

How do you feel about the different aspect ratio coming from the S7? To me, it took some getting used to since the S8's screen is narrower but taller.

In all honesty, this different aspect ratio is where Samsung is going these days, but when I pick up by work S7, I like the wider screen better still. It wouldn't be a deal-breaker, but I'm not sold on the new aspect ratio.

P.S. THe S8+ is far more up my alley. The larger phone and the bigger screen give me the width of the screen that I like.

I'm really glad I spent the $$$ and got Weathertech mats front and back in the truck. Fantastic investment in keeping stuff out of your carpet. Cleanup is a breeze.

AHTOXA wrote:
How do you feel about the different aspect ratio coming from the S7? To me, it took some getting used to since the S8's screen is narrower but taller.

In all honesty, this different aspect ratio is where Samsung is going these days, but when I pick up by work S7, I like the wider screen better still. It wouldn't be a deal-breaker, but I'm not sold on the new aspect ratio.

P.S. THe S8+ is far more up my alley. The larger phone and the bigger screen give me the width of the screen that I like.

Haven't fully utilized it but the transition has been smooth so far for me. I will continually say that I wanted a smaller physical phone and really just to maintain the same screen size as an S7 Edge. I probably have done a "odd successor" where many people would've probably went from S7 Edge to S8+ but I was honestly borderline annoyed for the first time about the S7 Edge size. I'm in the pool where I think phones are getting too big but I am probably biased because I typically only operate in a vertical mode and hardly ever in landscape unless viewing video.

I am constantly impressed by Samsung screens though on presentation. The phone itself does not feel as robust as my S7 Edge though and I am a bit concerned... It's really too early on to make a final assessment but I am happy with the choice.

On the car side: Any thoughts on the new Honda Accord reveal? Manual survives...

Accord reveal: need to see in person to really know how I feel about the looks, but the bifurcated taillights are gross. It's sad that the coupe is dead as that's been the best looking of the bunch for years. I'm curious about how much the 2.0t will start pricewise since the 1.5t sounds like it'll be a busy little bugger.

Teamwork wrote:On the car side: Any thoughts on the new Honda Accord reveal? Manual survives...

You don't think of Hondas as being gas hogs, but in these modern times we live in, each vehicle size range has to survive on its own with respect to fuel economy / CO2 ratings. Yule sea mower cases wear wheelbases and maybe track widths our stretched a bit on incoming models to increase the vehicle's footprint. You'll also see turbo-charged 3 & 4 cylinder engines replacing v-6 and v-8 powerplants because they show better fuel economy and CO2, even if ewer reel-whirled smileage may suffer if ewe tenned to dip into the turbo boost - it's how they perform on the standardized tests that counts.

Lease signed. Moving downtown (suburb).

tankinbeans wrote:Accord reveal: need to see in person to really know how I feel about the looks, but the bifurcated taillights are gross. It's sad that the coupe is dead as that's been the best looking of the bunch for years. I'm curious about how much the 2.0t will start pricewise since the 1.5t sounds like it'll be a busy little bugger.

Pretty much agreed on all accounts. Those tail lights seem to be the latest fad though... Odd that they killed off the coupe- I see across many generations still a ton of Accord Coupe's on the road... same with civic coupe's also. It was the last of the "touring" FWD coupes... the solara got pretty stale at the end but the Altima Coupe I thought in that last gen was even better then the Accord variant (and I don't even like Nissan).

I'm sure the 2.0T will be a 30k+ proposition. I like the way they car looks though aside from the tail light design. Maybe they clean it up on the mid cycle refresh. Civic SI, I wonder about... but the styling is way too loud for me for what it actually is. I'll probably be waiting for a Mazda Speed 3 return for ever... or any optional engine choice from Mazda other then their garden varieties.

You don't think of Hondas as being gas hogs, but in these modern times we live in, each vehicle size range has to survive on its own with respect to fuel economy / CO2 ratings. Yule sea mower cases wear wheelbases and maybe track widths our stretched a bit on incoming models to increase the vehicle's footprint. You'll also see turbo-charged 3 & 4 cylinder engines replacing v-6 and v-8 powerplants because they show better fuel economy and CO2, even if ewer reel-whirled smileage may suffer if ewe tenned to dip into the turbo boost - it's how they perform on the standardized tests that counts.

Agreed as well. My family owns a first gen Azera with the 3.8 V6 which at the time was the most powerful/biggest displacement motor the Koreans produced. It's a pretty good engine and honestly doesn't do bad on fuel but I much prefer the power delivery in something like that for the type of car then a turbo on and off light switch. Engine after 10 years is still smooth too...

V6 tech in sedans has pretty much been all but abandoned.

Teamwork wrote:

AHTOXA wrote:
How do you feel about the different aspect ratio coming from the S7? To me, it took some getting used to since the S8's screen is narrower but taller.

In all honesty, this different aspect ratio is where Samsung is going these days, but when I pick up by work S7, I like the wider screen better still. It wouldn't be a deal-breaker, but I'm not sold on the new aspect ratio.

P.S. THe S8+ is far more up my alley. The larger phone and the bigger screen give me the width of the screen that I like.

Haven't fully utilized it but the transition has been smooth so far for me. I will continually say that I wanted a smaller physical phone and really just to maintain the same screen size as an S7 Edge. I probably have done a "odd successor" where many people would've probably went from S7 Edge to S8+ but I was honestly borderline annoyed for the first time about the S7 Edge size. I'm in the pool where I think phones are getting too big but I am probably biased because I typically only operate in a vertical mode and hardly ever in landscape unless viewing video.

I am constantly impressed by Samsung screens though on presentation. The phone itself does not feel as robust as my S7 Edge though and I am a bit concerned... It's really too early on to make a final assessment but I am happy with the choice.

On the car side: Any thoughts on the new Honda Accord reveal? Manual survives...

last samsung eye had was an S3 (you red that write), so my samsung experience is outdated. was a decent phone for its time though, despite the poor battery life and performance issues. the screen was different from what other companies were using (closer to the newer OLED or whatever screens they use now) but i found it a little dark. interface even (especially??) back then was better than other android setups, IMO. ultimately (despite trying several other android phones), i am an iphone person though. i always get fed up with the android glitches and other issues (micro USB FTL - bring on USB C!!) and switch back to iphone.

as for accord, look forward to this one, despite the odd engine choices and odd styling, especially dat rear end. hatchback design may prove to be a good thing, unless the american stereotype rears its ugly head and the sedan fans vote with their wallets (or halfway decent credit scores). with the new camry looking good (other than dat front end), we may see people jumping ship to the toyota camp. not to mention the potentially more reliable N/A engines still being offered by Toyota. that's all if the non-SUVs are relevant anymore...

potownrob wrote:last samsung eye had was an S3 (you red that write), so my samsung experience is outdated. was a decent phone for its time though, despite the poor battery life and performance issues. the screen was different from what other companies were using (closer to the newer OLED or whatever screens they use now) but i found it a little dark. interface even (especially??) back then was better than other android setups, IMO. ultimately (despite trying several other android phones), i am an iphone person though. i always get fed up with the android glitches and other issues (micro USB FTL - bring on USB C!!) and switch back to iphone.

I've been carrying a USB Type C Android for over a year now (LG G5). It's my first non-Samsung since my Nokias ages ago and was selected based solely on their being last to drop the IR blaster. Hopefully the S9 or G7 brings it back. I did recognize USB Type C as a nicety that unfortunately required new accessories, but the coming thing that I might as well go ahead and get on board with. The swappable battery was also a nice bonus, but I'd easily give that up for IP67 or higher.

Not Amish, but still Buicking the Latest Trends...

"Just last week, Honda announced the Accord will ditch its optional V6 and move to a four-cylinder-only engine lineup, two of them turbocharged, a third attached to a hybrid powertrain. With the 2018 Regal GS, Buick decided to head in the other direction, dumping its former turbo four for a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6. Doing so adds 51 hp to the equation, now up to 310. Torque peaks at 282 lb-ft, which is actually down slightly from the 295 lb-ft of the current turbo engine. The direct-injected V6 uses cylinder-deactivation technology to help keep fuel consumption down, and a nine-speed automatic transmission also joins (DAMPENS - IMHO) the fun.
The GS now includes all-wheel drive, which uses a twin-clutch in back to give exacting control over which rear wheel gets how much power."


Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/20 ... z4nI3HDC9j

Rope-Pusher wrote:Not Amish, but still Buicking the Latest Trends...

"Just last week, Honda announced the Accord will ditch its optional V6 and move to a four-cylinder-only engine lineup, two of them turbocharged, a third attached to a hybrid powertrain. With the 2018 Regal GS, Buick decided to head in the other direction, dumping its former turbo four for a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6. Doing so adds 51 hp to the equation, now up to 310. Torque peaks at 282 lb-ft, which is actually down slightly from the 295 lb-ft of the current turbo engine. The direct-injected V6 uses cylinder-deactivation technology to help keep fuel consumption down, and a nine-speed automatic transmission also joins (DAMPENS - IMHO) the fun.
The GS now includes all-wheel drive, which uses a twin-clutch in back to give exacting control over which rear wheel gets how much power."


Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/20 ... z4nI3HDC9j

Car looks great. I fully support this brand and could picture myself owning them in the future. I'm glad they are trying to do different things and finally have gotten the exterior/interior language in a good place. If I could rationalize spending between 40-50k on a vehicle I would easily shop Buick and Genesis for the bang for buck.

I currently own a Buick. Not a bad rig, but the engine is a bit tired. However since the car is old enough to have a driver's learning permit it's allowed to be tired.

I'd be curious if GM can manage itself away from being a bunch of self-destructive in-fighters long enough to keep the brand moving forward. Some of the Buicks are downright...inoffensive looking, which is a major compliment (at least they're not sporting the Jane Fonda headband).

New neighbor moved in a week ago. She's about my age and with a dog.

Who's got two thumbs and a new date tomorrow? This guy.