I live in the US, budget is flexible but really don't want to spend over 1k if possible. Not interested in a Chinese brand phone unless I can't find any other options.
Currently using an old Motorola g stylus from 2021. I like the size and battery life but I mostly use it for games and it's pretty weak, can't do 3d games at all.
Wanting to upgrade but even after doing tons of research I just keep going back and forth. Feels like every phone has some deal breaker.
My father used Samsungs and always liked them. I looked at the S25 Ultra and the S26 lineup in particular but things like a green line, battery quickly draining/heating up/bursting/exploding worry me. I know that every product has its quality issues and I'm sure the vast majority of users don't experience problems but this is an investment for me. I can't afford to buy again in a year or two I need to make it last at least 4 or 5 years.
Also reviews are all over the place. Some say it stays cool while gaming others say it turns into lava in 30 minutes and shuts down. Others say the phone lasts all day others say you'll drain the whole battery just playing games for a few hours. It's just so hard to figure out what to believe.
The other phone I was considering was the upcoming Motorola Signature 27. Mostly because I'm already used to Motorola and its coming with the newest chip so figured it would be pretty good for games. Seems to have a bigger battery too.
But I see people complaining about software and updates for Motorola phones but I don't really get that either. Nothing on my current phone that hasn't updated in years has stopped working. If I'm not working for some elite corporation or the government do I really need constant updates?
There's also those gaming phones like the red magic but people say they fall apart after a couple of years and it feels like I'm sacrificing too much just to focus on one thing.
Right now I am leaning towards the S25 Ultra or S26 Ultra but I'm really not confident in my choice. The more time I spend researching the more issues I find with every single phone including those two. No one seems happy with what they have. There's just too many options and I have no idea what to do. Any advice would be appreciated.