# Cheap Android phone recommendations



## treelover (Sep 9, 2015)

My blackberry 6990 is always playing up, rebooting, going dark, etc, and I always need a phone, can people recommend a decent new phone, no more than around 100 pounds new or best second hand a bit more, I need a robust one, that has a decent sized keyboard for dexterity issues, 3g is ok, only occasional internet use, would like decent camera if poss, etc. did look at the Moto thread.

thanks


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## editor (Sep 9, 2015)

treelover said:


> My blackberry 6990 is always playing up, rebooting, going dark, etc, and I always need a phone, can people recommend a decent new phone, no more than around 100 pounds new or best second hand a bit more, I need a robust one, that has a decent sized keyboard for dexterity issues, 3g is ok, only occasional internet use, would like decent camera if poss, etc. did look at the Moto thread.
> thanks


Motorola Moto G - fantastic value 







Motorola Moto G (third-gen 2015) review: An affordable ace - Pocket-lint


and the Motorola Moto E 4G


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## treelover (Sep 9, 2015)

what about the moto e? is it as good.

they are going for around 60 pounds on e bay.


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## editor (Sep 9, 2015)

treelover said:


> what about the moto e? is it as good.
> 
> they are going for around 60 pounds on e bay.


That's probably the first gen model. I'd pay a little extra if I could and go for the Moto G (2015). It's an ace phone. 
Motorola Moto G 3 review: Motorola's new Moto is king of cheap smartphones - again


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## treelover (Sep 9, 2015)

could u say why it is preferable, I only really need a basic one.

could an earlier gen moto g be ok?


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## Celt (Sep 9, 2015)

I went to a Moto G from a blackberry and lived,  I have got used to the no keyboard thing and I'm really glad I did.


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## editor (Sep 9, 2015)

treelover said:


> could u say why it is preferable, I only really need a basic one.
> 
> could an earlier gen moto g be ok?


If you buy an Android phone you'll almost certainly find yourself using it more and more as its usefulness becomes more apparent - at least that's been the experience of everyone I know who went out to buy a cheap basic smartphone!

So it's worth spending a few bob more to get something a bit more robust and slicker.


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## treelover (Sep 9, 2015)

Buy the Vodafone Smart ultra 6 (grey) on Pay monthly

this one seems very good, how easy would it be to unlock this proprietary phone?


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## treelover (Sep 10, 2015)

Currys doing the Moto E, 2nd gen on E bay for 50 quid, bought one, going fast,


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## treelover (Sep 17, 2015)

Been d/l appps, can't believe the access they want, can it be refused and still gain the app?


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## editor (Sep 17, 2015)

treelover said:


> Been d/l appps, can't believe the access they want, can it be refused and still gain the app?


There's usually a good reason for the various permissions requested by popular, mainstream apps from trusted devs - and sometimes that isn't always readily apparent: What some of those scary application permissions mean


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## treelover (Sep 18, 2015)

I only want a keyboard, both swipe and swiftkey, want my sms details, personal info, d/ling them also give a warning they will have possible access to bank card info, why does a keyboard app etc need to know who I have emailed, etc?,

are you being a bit too sanguine?

Do you design apps!

tx for the link though


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## Fez909 (Sep 18, 2015)

treelover said:


> I only want a keyboard, both swipe and swiftkey, want my sms details, personal info, d/ling them also give a warning they will have possible access to bank card info, why does a keyboard app etc need to know who I have emailed, etc?,
> 
> are you being a bit too sanguine?
> 
> ...


Basically, a keyboard has access to everything. How do you type your password without a keyboard? Exactly.


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## farmerbarleymow (Sep 18, 2015)

treelover said:


> I only want a keyboard, both swipe and swiftkey, want my sms details, personal info, d/ling them also give a warning they will have possible access to bank card info, why does a keyboard app etc need to know who I have emailed, etc?,
> 
> are you being a bit too sanguine?
> 
> ...


I'm fairly cautious when giving apps permissions and my approach is if it looks iffy, don't let it. This does sometimes mean you can't use the app.

I wouldn't accept any app seeing e-mails, contacts or text messages. Bank card details also no - any apps I buy are either billed to my mobile bill directly or to my credit card via Amazon.  

Location can be iffy too - I generally say no, unless it is a mapping app which needs it to work. 

It is a good idea to check how much data each app is using in the background - especially when you're not using it.


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## ohmyliver (Sep 18, 2015)

treelover said:


> I only want a keyboard, both swipe and swiftkey, want my sms details, personal info, d/ling them also give a warning they will have possible access to bank card info, why does a keyboard app etc need to know who I have emailed, etc?,



In the case of Swiftkey it builds up it's prediction engine by scanning how you construct sentances in texts and emails.  Therefore to be able to do that it needs access to your emails and texts.


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## treelover (Sep 18, 2015)

But, of course it utilises the information 'for other purposes'


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## Epona (Sep 19, 2015)

My phone is on the blink too, I have a feeling though that I will inherit my OH's Blackberry and he will get himself something better.

My only requirement of a phone is that I can send and receive texts and that it has a timer so I can cook my rice to perfection.  (Am hard of hearing, so don't actually use it for speech).


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## Mr Moose (Sep 19, 2015)

Samsung Galaxy S3 mini is still a good phone (my son likes his) and probably available for £100. The S4 mini will be faster for another 50 odd quid.


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## Epona (Sep 19, 2015)

Mr Moose said:


> Samsung Galaxy S3 mini is still a good phone (my son likes his) and probably available for £100. The S4 mini will be faster for another 50 odd quid.



I currently have the Samsung GT-E2550 which I think was £20 or thereabouts, I am actually quite fond of it, but like my Samsung HDDs, it has not lasted as long as I would have hoped


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## dlx1 (Sep 23, 2015)

My phone keeps cutting off or shutting down have done factory reset still same. 
So I have been looking at Elephone P7000 from China
These is a EU warehouse

Has anyone got one these? 
Any good Phone with 3gb this cheap.

I have bout bike lights before from China probable made in same factory but stats 

 . Display: 5.5inch IPS, 1920 x 1080pixels
• SIM card: Dual SIM card dual standby, Standard SIM+ Micro SIM
• CPU: MediaTek MT6752 64bit 1.7GHz octa-core high-speed processing platform
• GPU: ARM MALI-T760
• OS :Android 5.0
• Bluetooth: 4.0
• Camera: Back-13MP, front-5.0MP
• RAM+ROM: 3GB+16GB
• Support Gravity/Light/Compass/Proximity Sensing System
• GPS/Wifi/FM/MP3/MP4 Function Supported


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## dlx1 (Sep 25, 2015)

Anyone bout a phone from bestbuy before?

Ta


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## ddraig (Sep 25, 2015)

treelover said:


> Buy the Vodafone Smart ultra 6 (grey) on Pay monthly
> 
> this one seems very good, how easy would it be to unlock this proprietary phone?


They dodged £6billion in tax, would you really give them your money?


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## skyscraper101 (Sep 25, 2015)

dlx1 said:


> Anyone bout a phone from bestbuy before?
> 
> Ta



They only exist in the US as far as I'm aware. They're a kind of Dixons equivalent so quite a big name, relatively trustworthy etc.


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## dlx1 (Sep 25, 2015)

Sorry
I ment bestgear [emoji15] 
gearbest.com 

Looking at there phones


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## skyscraper101 (Sep 25, 2015)

dlx1 said:


> Sorry
> I ment bestgear [emoji15]
> gearbest.com
> 
> Looking at there phones



Do you mean Gear Beast? www.gearbest.com

oh you edited. 

No. Sorry


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## dlx1 (Sep 25, 2015)

mm
Yes


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## dlx1 (Sep 27, 2015)

Can't edit! 
Have ordered P8000, 10 - 15 days delivery.


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## fractionMan (Oct 6, 2015)

Check out the lenovo lemon.  £100

I'm going to buy a lenovo lemon


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## Pgd (Oct 8, 2015)

Has anyone heard of (or is considering buying) the WileyFox Swift? (https://www.wileyfox.com/swift/)	I need a new phone, was considering a 2nd-gen Moto G, but this looks like something a little bit different (e.g. small UK company, CyanogenMod).  Anyone have any background on these guys?


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## Pgd (Oct 19, 2015)

Pgd said:


> Has anyone heard of (or is considering buying) the WileyFox Swift? (https://www.wileyfox.com/swift/)	I need a new phone, was considering a 2nd-gen Moto G, but this looks like something a little bit different (e.g. small UK company, CyanogenMod).  Anyone have any background on these guys?



So I went and got one.  In terms of specs it's probably closer to the 3rd Gen than the 2nd Gen Moto G, but at the price (£130) of the 2nd Gen. Had it for a week now, pretty pleased so far.  Cyanogen's PrivacyGuard might be of interest to treelover ?

The main problem people are reporting, and which I agree with, is the unusually deep-set USB socket.  Standard cables only fit loosely, while the supplied cable, which fits firmly, has a slightly longer exposed metal connector.  I may have to take a knife to a couple of my existing cables.  BUT also... the reason I needed a new phone was that my old one's USB socket stopped responding (to chargers, PC connections, anything).  On a whim I connected it with the WileyFox cable and... holy resurrected phone Batman!  So, assuming it continues to work, I've now got a spare (and still fairly sprightly) phone.  I was thinking maybe taking my old one out & about and saving my new one for home, at least until Christmas.  (Techie types: would there be any long-term advantage in simply taking the battery out of the WileyFox in this case?)

So I'm happy enough with the handset, but I'm still a little nervous about the company... their main customer-facing portal seems to be their FB page, and they're not great at responding.  People are noticing little niggles about the design (e.g. the USB thing) and asking questions, and getting twitchy when no response is forthcoming.  Also more general questions about future plans, accessories etc.  For a company shouting about their London-based operation, it's not a great look...

ETA: for a while there was an additional FB page called "WileyFox customer service" or similar which seemed to be a troll account (it gave hilariously blunt responses) and has now been shut down... far too late if it was a genuine troll, as PR damage has definitely been done...


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## Hassan I Sabha (Oct 19, 2015)

Pgd How did you get one? I registered interest and heard nothing else...

ETA: Ah - see from their website you can get from Amazon...

Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 seems to be the main competitor in this price band


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## Pgd (Oct 19, 2015)

Hassan I Sabha said:


> Pgd How did you get one? I registered interest and heard nothing else...
> 
> ETA: Ah - see from their website you can get from Amazon...
> 
> Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 seems to be the main competitor in this price band



Yeah, Amazon ... or I got mine from ebuyer... think there are a couple of other places too.  They've had some complaints about that... I would've preferred to order direct tbh.

VSU6 is getting rave reviews for sure, but I have no interest in being locked to Vodafone (or to have to go to the trouble of unlocking).


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## Epona (Oct 20, 2015)

Woot!  Husband got me a Samsung Galaxy Core Prime, this is my first ever smartphone and I have NO fucking idea how to use it.  Just trying to turn off the mobile network so I don't run up charges, I'll only be needing to use it on our wifi.

Edit: Crap, someone (*whistles nonchalently*) has removed the card with the password from the back of the router, I have no fucking idea where it is, or what our wifi password is.  Fun times!

EDIT AGAIN:  OK, found wifi password (it was on the shelf in front of the router, fuck knows how I managed to put it there but somehow lost interest before managing to lift my arm a few inches to put it back in the slot on the back of the router, I am the laziest bastard I have ever met), phone currently charging, will try again once it is charged to turn off mobile network and connect to our wifi!


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## dlx1 (Oct 27, 2015)

Got my phone came in five days from China 
elephone P8000 nicer then my Galaxy S3 

Big screen fast too 3gb ram and 4g 
With lollypop. 

Down side phone is rooted so banking app not work.


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## Hassan I Sabha (Nov 9, 2015)

Pgd said:


> Yeah, Amazon ... or I got mine from ebuyer... think there are a couple of other places too.  They've had some complaints about that... I would've preferred to order direct tbh.
> 
> VSU6 is getting rave reviews for sure, but I have no interest in being locked to Vodafone (or to have to go to the trouble of unlocking).



How are you finding the phone? Considering my options at the moment and would be interested in knowing if you are enjoying yours.


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## Pgd (Nov 13, 2015)

It's pretty good so far.  Right size, looks good, works smoothly. CyanogenOS doesn't take up too much space and there's minimal bloatware (only the usual Google apps which you can't get rid of-- although you can disable them of course. Only major disappointment is the camera, which is... all right. But personally I don't buy smartphones for their cameras.  So yeah... I like it


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## Hassan I Sabha (Nov 23, 2015)

£99 for the Swift this Thursday, think I will take the plunge


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## editor (Dec 11, 2015)

Here's a handy new listing of the best cheap Android phones 

The best cheap Android phones


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## moody (Dec 11, 2015)

Hassan I Sabha said:


> Pgd How did you get one? I registered interest and heard nothing else...
> 
> ETA: Ah - see from their website you can get from Amazon...
> 
> Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 seems to be the main competitor in this price band



I just got the Vodafone ultra 6.

Good specs for the price (  £125 payg @ Vodafone)

1080 full HD 5.5" screen.
Snap Dragon quad core @1.5g & another 4 @ 1.0 and 2 gig of ram, Adreno 405 gpu, 16 gig of internal memory.
13 MP rear camera, 5 MP front.
Android 5.02 lollypop.

Oh, and it's 4g too.


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## isvicthere? (Mar 1, 2016)

I'm due an upgrade, and can't wait to get rid of this Sony Xperia.

Any ideas?


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## kabbes (Mar 1, 2016)

Check out this thread from a few months ago, where I asked something similar.

Although the winner there was the Xperia Z3 Compact, which has indeed proved an amazingly good phone.  So what Xperia do you have and why don't you like it?


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## bi0boy (Mar 1, 2016)

I can't wait to get rid of my Samsung and was thinking of getting an Xperia


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## LeslieB (Mar 1, 2016)

Oh god, you'll have to give us more that that.

Just to start- what is your budget, do you want PAYG or contract?

Do you want a small, medium, large or xtra large screen?

What do you mainly use your phone for? Photos? Browsing? Listening to music?

There are so many choices now!


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## purves grundy (Mar 1, 2016)

My S4 is about to pack up (coming up to three years so I guess that's not bad) and I was thinkng Xperia. Gotta buy it outright though and the prices look a bit daft.


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## LeslieB (Mar 1, 2016)

Which Xperia do you want, Purves?


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## isvicthere? (Mar 1, 2016)

LeslieB said:


> Oh god, you'll have to give us more that that.
> 
> Just to start- what is your budget, do you want PAYG or contract?
> 
> ...



Contract. Just want a bog-standard one with 4G.


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## editor (Mar 1, 2016)

I'm going to shift this to the phone forum and merge it with a thread asking the same question - and lob in this useful updated link: What's the best budget smartphone? The best cheap phones you can buy in the UK today


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## editor (Mar 1, 2016)

*merged and stickified for the people.


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## moody (Mar 1, 2016)

my vodafone ultra 6 is still kicking arse 4 months on, not one problem.

amazing specs for such a cheap price, makes me wonder how they're going to make the follow-up any better?


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## LeslieB (Mar 1, 2016)

Have you managed/tried to unlock it?


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## isvicthere? (Mar 1, 2016)

editor said:


> I'm going to shift this to the phone forum and merge it with a thread asking the same question - and lob in this useful updated link: What's the best budget smartphone? The best cheap phones you can buy in the UK today



There's a phone forum? Wow, 14 years an urbanite and I didn't know that!


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## LeslieB (Mar 1, 2016)

moody said:


> my vodafone ultra 6 is still kicking arse 4 months on, not one problem.
> 
> amazing specs for such a cheap price, makes me wonder how they're going to make the follow-up any better?



Vodafone have three cheap own brand phones at the moment, 5.5 inch Ultra 6, the 5 inch Prime 6 I mentioned in the other thread for £50 and a 20 quid one as well. The latter is unsurprisingly a very basic 4" job but the other two are pretty good. 

The Ultra is £7.50 a month on contract here Shopping Basket | Mobile Phones Direct

42 quid up front payment, mind, but still worth a look.


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## moody (Mar 1, 2016)

LeslieB said:


> Vodafone have three cheap own brand phones at the moment, 5.5 inch Ultra 6, the 5 inch Prime 6 I mentioned in the other thread for £50 and a 20 quid one as well. The latter is unsurprisingly a very basic 4" job but the other two are pretty good.
> 
> The Ultra is £7.50 a month on contract here Shopping Basket | Mobile Phones Direct
> 
> 42 quid up front payment, mind, but still worth a look.




The Ultra 6 slim is worth it. for sure.  I have mine on a contract with unlimited calls n texts, 4 gig of data for £25 pm.

the phone specs are as good as phones for twice (or more) the price, as it's voda's own brand, I guess this is why it is cheap, you're not paying for a name.

2 x quad core processors, 2 gig of ram, graphics chip,  16 gig storage, 13mp camera, full HD screen plus 4G & the latest version of android.... all for around £100 on payg!


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## rutabowa (Mar 19, 2016)

I just went in to my local phone shop and asked for the cheapest unlokced smart phone because my S3 mini died... they gave me a Alcatel Pixi for £35, thnk it's even cheaper on internet, it appears to do everything the S3 did and a bit faster. Obviously it ain't great quality but well it was £35. Uses standard USB mini charger and standard mini SD card for more storage too, so everything I have already works with it.


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## editor (Mar 19, 2016)

rutabowa said:


> I just went in to my local phone shop and asked for the cheapest unlokced smart phone because my S3 mini died... they gave me a Alcatel Pixi for £35, thnk it's even cheaper on internet, it appears to do everything the S3 did and a bit faster. Obviously it ain't great quality but well it was £35. Uses standard USB mini charger and standard mini SD card for more storage too, so everything I have already works with it.


Bloody hell. £35!!


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## LeslieB (Mar 19, 2016)

editor said:


> Bloody hell. £35!!



There are two even cheaper options, although they come with pretty serious caveats.

The Smart First 6 is just 20 quid, but it is locked to Vodafone. Vodafone Smart first 6 on Pay as you go A smart phone for 20 quid!

And this Huawei Y3 is "free" but you have to make a 60 quid top up on O2 (which gives you a reasonable mins and data allowance for 6 months). Being from Carphone, it should be unlocked as well  Huawei Y3 pay as you go deals and upgrade offers from £0	   	  | The Carphone Warehouse


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## rutabowa (Mar 19, 2016)

Yeh I liked that this one had nothing to worry about at all... just walk out of the shop with it, put any sim in and that's it, it even had a bit of charge! a case is probably wise though i guess


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## purves grundy (Mar 21, 2016)

LeslieB said:


> Which Xperia do you want, Purves?


I'm not sure - one that has a decent combo of affordability and function. Sorry


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## Mindles$ (Apr 7, 2016)

Not sure if my new moto g 3rd gen is classed as cheap but its a good phone for £159


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## Orang Utan (Apr 11, 2016)

editor said:


> I'm going to shift this to the phone forum and merge it with a thread asking the same question - and lob in this useful updated link: What's the best budget smartphone? The best cheap phones you can buy in the UK today


oops, just noticed this thread - out of that lot, would the Moto E be ok for internet, kindle and music?


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## editor (Apr 11, 2016)

Orang Utan said:


> oops, just noticed this thread - out of that lot, would the Moto E be ok for internet, kindle and music?


Definitely. Moto E review (2015): The best budget phone gets even better


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## LeslieB (Apr 11, 2016)

Orang Utan said:


> oops, just noticed this thread - out of that lot, would the Moto E be ok for internet, kindle and music?



Yes, it will be fine. My only concern is the build quality. Mine kept randomly reseting after 18 months, but this was the older 3G model. I've also heard of people have problems with Moto Gs of a similar sort of age. 

I personally would pay a bit extra for a Galaxy Core Prime or even a J5 if you can afford it.


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## Orang Utan (Apr 11, 2016)

editor said:


> Definitely. Moto E review (2015): The best budget phone gets even better


see why it's cheaper though - crap camera and hard to read outside


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## Orang Utan (Apr 11, 2016)

LeslieB said:


> Yes, it will be fine. My only concern is the build quality. Mine kept randomly reseting after 18 months, but this was the older 3G model. I've also heard of people have problems with Moto Gs of a similar sort of age.
> 
> I personally would pay a bit extra for a Galaxy Core Prime or even a J5 if you can afford it.


it's for a birthday present so need to stick to the cheapest ones


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## Puddy_Tat (Apr 11, 2016)

Silly question

Is it better to go for a monthly contract thing, or buy a phone and do a SIM only deal?

I've always done the contract thing so far.

Renewal time in a month or so - don't really like the samsung thingy I have - it's a smallish one and while it's comfortable pocket size, the kepyad is too damn small...


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## editor (Apr 11, 2016)

Puddy_Tat said:


> Silly question
> 
> Is it better to go for a monthly contract thing, or buy a phone and do a SIM only deal?
> 
> ...


My advice is to always go for a rolling contract (e.g. Giff Gaff) which you can cancel or switch whenever you want to. I'll never forget the hassle of being lumbered with an 18 month iPhone contract!


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## LeslieB (Apr 11, 2016)

Orang Utan said:


> it's for a birthday present so need to stick to the cheapest ones



Yeah, my Moto E was fine as long as it lasted. But it didn't last long enough for me. 

And again the disclaimer that this was the older 2014 model. And of course a sample size of one!


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## kabbes (Apr 12, 2016)

Puddy_Tat said:


> Silly question
> 
> Is it better to go for a monthly contract thing, or buy a phone and do a SIM only deal?
> 
> ...


Depends on the deal being offered!

Gut instinct says you should prioritise finding the best SIM only deal and then check if this plus the handset you want is cheaper the best phone+SIM deal over the lifetime of the contract.

I guess it partly depends on how often you want to replace the handset, though.  If you are happy to replace it every 4 or 5 years (or more) rather than every year or two, you can do your sums accordingly.

I normally look to buy a phone and then switch from SIM to SIM depending on what offers are available.  For example, ID (Carphone Warehouse on the 3 network) are currently doing a 1 Gig data/250 minutes a month SIM only-deal for a fiver a month.  That's going to save you many hundreds of pounds over the lifetime of your average phone+SIM contract.


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## The Hornet (Apr 29, 2016)

Does anyone have a Huawei P8 Lite?  Compares favourably to the Motorola Moto G as it's around £45 cheaper on vodaphone.  Huawei P8 Lite vs Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen) - Phone Comparison


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## Orang Utan (May 19, 2016)

If i try to uninstall any Google app on my Moto E, it won't let me. 
there is an option to 'disable', but it warns you doing so may affect other apps. Is this just bullshit to stop you deleting apps they own?


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## fishfinger (May 19, 2016)

Orang Utan said:


> If i try to uninstall any Google app on my Moto E, it won't let me.
> there is an option to 'disable', but it warns you doing so may affect other apps. Is this just bullshit to stop you deleting apps they own?


Most of the Google apps are in the phone's ROM and will not be deletable.


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## Orang Utan (May 19, 2016)

fishfinger said:


> Most of the Google apps are in the phone's ROM and will not be deletable.


damn, i would rather jettison Google Plus, Hangouts, Play Books, Play Games, Play Movies, Play Music and Play Newstation. That would free up loads of space.


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## butchersapron (May 19, 2016)

Orang Utan said:


> damn, i would rather jettison Google Plus, Hangouts, Play Books, Play Games, Play Movies, Play Music and Play Newstation. That would free up loads of space.


Uninstall to the factory version of each app and untick auto-update on the page of each app on play store.


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## JamesRaymond87 (Jun 12, 2016)

Cheapish Phones are trendy Now


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## editor (Jul 31, 2016)

Selection here: 

Five of the best budget smartphones


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## ViolentPanda (Aug 5, 2016)

Just bought a cheapish (£120) but rather chunky Alcatel Pixi 4 with a 6" screen, not as a "carry in your pocket" phone, but as a tether for 4g mobile internet, plus occasional e-mailing device when I can't be arsed to fire up the laptop. It's not the most cutting-edge spec (Android 6.0, 1gb RAM/8gb, quad core 1ghz, dual sim, 64gb micro-sd expansion slot),but it seems to be doing the job well.


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## stowpirate (Aug 14, 2016)

Doogee Valencia 2 Y100 sub £60 budget phone or the even cheaper Doogee options at around £30 are best compromise on quality and price.

This budget smartphone from Doogee is proof you should never judge a book by its cover


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## t0bytoo (Sep 7, 2016)

I checked this thread before buying a new phone a few days ago, and ended up getting 

Wileyfox Spark+ 4G Dual SIM-Free

Flash looking and some nice features that my Moto E didn't have: torch, two sim card holders and enough room to install stuff that I want.

But it's a battery hog - a few hours around town, GPS off, and the battery is on 50%. It definitely won't do a day out and about. It's also really big. I have huge hands and I have no idea how people with small hands manage these large phones.

So I'm sending it back and going to start looking again. Just in case anyone else was going down this route...


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## purves grundy (Sep 15, 2016)

t0bytoo said:


> I checked this thread before buying a new phone a few days ago, and ended up getting
> 
> Wileyfox Spark+ 4G Dual SIM-Free
> 
> ...


Go for a Moto G? I'm v happy with mine.


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## t0bytoo (Sep 16, 2016)

I think I will down the line. For now, the factory restored moto e (with carefully selected apps and a new two quid rear case) is working okay.


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## lizzieloo (Sep 16, 2016)

editor said:


> Motorola Moto G - fantastic value
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This is what I have had for a while, no problems whatsoever, highly recommended

Not read the thread, you might have already bought one.


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## chandlerp (Sep 27, 2016)

I got an Elephone P9000 for £180 from Amazon last week.  Octa-Core, 4gb RAM, 32 Gb storage running stock Android 6 Marshmallow.  It's got a full HD screen and is frankly brilliant for the price.  Has NFC but Android Pay will not work as they haven't bought the license for this handset to keep costs down.  Has a fingerprint scanner and charges wirelessly from any QI charger.  Can't fault it and so cheap.

It has two SIM card slots but one of them can be used for a micro-SD card instead.


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## moody (Oct 4, 2016)

My Vodafone smart ultra 6 went kaput recently.

Voda had put the price up from around £100 to £130 as it was proving to be such a popular phone.

So I went there to try and get a replacement, same model only to be told that I can only buy the latest model, the smart 7 or something. Bollox to that, I've read a few reviews saying the 7 is not a patch on the 6 so I went and brought myself a smart 6 speed model which is roughly the same as the 6 ultra but smaller screen and not full 1080p HD but for £35 quid I'm happy


----------



## moody (Oct 5, 2016)

^

BTW, irs on 4G,  Quadcore and running pretty decent.  It's retail price was only £50 new which is/was a bargain! 

even cheaper now second hand, ideal for a smart phone starter


----------



## scifisam (Nov 26, 2016)

Can anyone recommend a good phone with a removable battery? With at least 16gig of internal memory because I've been having problems due to apps insisting on being on internal memory rather than the SD card. All I can find recommended is the S5 and the Note and they're pretty much impossible to get new now.


----------



## stdP (Jan 9, 2017)

WIleyfox Swift has a removable battery (that and the unlockable bootloader are what attracted me to it in the first place). Its successor doesn't have the removable battery unfortunately. 
It's base OS is also somewhat in flux what with Cyanogen shooting themselves in the foot, so there'll be a new OS coming out for these shortly.

Can't speak for "good" much since I use a custom ROM and it's more of a hacking toy than a day-to-day-phone. Specs are decent for what I use it for I guess, but never tried gaming or anything heavy-hitting on it.

(Edit: Oh dear I am rather behind the times... from November!)


----------



## editor (Jan 10, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> see why it's cheaper though - crap camera and hard to read outside


Today's "crap camera" was yesterday's "excellent camera." It's all about how much you need to take photos and what quality you need. If you're on a low budget and hardly ever take photos, then you'd still be getting a good deal.


----------



## Miss-Shelf (Jan 10, 2017)

Need a sim only cheap smart phone please
I have had the moto G and liked it but found the memory light and the most memory hungry apps won't go on the memory c had ard
I dropped it in water and the phone isn't functioning fully 
any recommendations for alternative models around the same price?

(is there a way to clone a sim card so I can use the same number in two phones?)


----------



## LDC (Jan 10, 2017)

I got a Wileyfox Spark + and think it's brilliant, battery lasts all day and more and it's really nice and I've deleted loads of the apps I don't want.


----------



## Hellsbells (Jan 12, 2017)

I bought an alba 4" 3G smartphone yesterday. Very cheap. But I've now discovered it doesn't support whatsap, unless I'm missing something. Does anyone know? All I can find is google hangout. I cant do without whatsap so am really annoyed. Just assumed id get it


----------



## chandlerp (Jan 12, 2017)

Whatsapp recently changed to only support certain devices i.e. those running a certain level of Android software.  Is your phone running old Android software?

e2a WhatsApp to stop working on older phones - find out if your model is affected


----------



## Hellsbells (Jan 12, 2017)

chandlerp said:


> Whatsapp recently changed to only support certain devices i.e. those running a certain level of Android software.  Is your phone running old Android software?
> 
> e2a WhatsApp to stop working on older phones - find out if your model is affected



Thanks. I've checked & my phone runs on Android 5.1. It's not listed as model affected. I can't work out how to get whatsapp though. I've done google searches and found downloads but keep getting warnings about them being unsafe. Am probably being really thick but is there an obvious, easy way for me to get whatsapp on my phone?!


----------



## chandlerp (Jan 12, 2017)

You should just download it from the Play Store app on your phone


----------



## editor (Jan 12, 2017)

chandlerp said:


> Whatsapp recently changed to only support certain devices i.e. those running a certain level of Android software.  Is your phone running old Android software?
> 
> e2a WhatsApp to stop working on older phones - find out if your model is affected


There's going to be very, very few Whatsapp users still using Android tablets or phones running Android 2.1 or 2.2.


----------



## Hellsbells (Jan 12, 2017)

chandlerp said:


> You should just download it from the Play Store app on your phone


Ok thanks. Got it now.


----------



## Partel (Apr 12, 2017)

Huawei is nice


----------



## Flavour (May 29, 2017)

My Motorola Moto G is finally giving up on me after 4 years of (mostly) faithful service. I'm thinking of getting a Moto Force X (about 200 euros)... any better suggestions?


----------



## bmd (May 29, 2017)

Flavour said:


> My Motorola Moto G is finally giving up on me after 4 years of (mostly) faithful service. I'm thinking of getting a Moto Force X (about 200 euros)... any better suggestions?



Yes, the same as you've got now is better than the X.


----------



## Thimble Queen (May 29, 2017)

My android is fucked and I'm on a sim only contract so I need to buy a new one that's not too pricey (200 quid is the limit, I reckon). Some current recommendations would be really helpful.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (May 29, 2017)

Thimble Queen said:


> My android is fucked and I'm on a sim only contract so I need to buy a new one that's not too pricey (200 quid is the limit, I reckon). Some current recommendations would be really helpful.



I'm quite impressed with the Moto G4 I got a few months back. Only thing I think could be better is the camera, although that's not a very fair comparison as I had an expensive Samsung before. Can be had for £140 from Argos.


----------



## bmd (May 29, 2017)

Thimble Queen said:


> My android is fucked and I'm on a sim only contract so I need to buy a new one that's not too pricey (200 quid is the limit, I reckon). Some current recommendations would be really helpful.



The one UAOS is on about is really good. That's the one I meant for Flavour


----------



## Thimble Queen (May 29, 2017)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> I'm quite impressed with the Moto G4 I got a few months back. Only thing I think could be better is the camera, although that's not a very fair comparison as I had an expensive Samsung before. Can be had for £140 from Argos.



Thank you  i should have mentioned a decent camera is one of the most important features for me


----------



## bmd (May 29, 2017)

Thimble Queen said:


> Thank you  i should have mentioned a decent camera is one of the most important features for me



The Samsung Galaxy S6 camera is very good. It can be had for around £180. If you're good on eBay you'll get a great, unlocked phone with a great camera in excellent condition for around that.


----------



## Thimble Queen (May 29, 2017)

bmd said:


> The Samsung Galaxy S6 camera is very good. It can be had for around £180. If you're good on eBay you'll get a great, unlocked phone with a great camera in excellent condition for around that.



I had the S6 before I had my current phone (a lower end Samsung). The camera on it really is excellent.


----------



## The Boy (Jun 23, 2017)

Has anyone any experience of both this xiaomi 5, or buying thru bestgear? I'm looking at this atm:

XiaoMi Mi5 64GB 4G Smartphone INTERNATIONAL VERSION-$219.69 and Online Shopping | GearBest.com Mobile

What I really want is the new Oneplus, but I can't afford it sim free and contract is more expensive than a galaxy s8 which is a better phone.  I can just about afford the above.

Thoughts?


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jun 23, 2017)

The Boy said:


> Has anyone any experience of both this xiaomi 5, or buying thru bestgear? I'm looking at this atm:
> 
> XiaoMi Mi5 64GB 4G Smartphone INTERNATIONAL VERSION-$219.69 and Online Shopping | GearBest.com Mobile
> 
> ...



I've read the reviews and it looks very capable for the price. I've used GearBest a fair bit for e cigs and they've delivered no issues. Although it's never happened to me, be aware you can have to pay 20 percent import tax, which would push up the price a fair bit.


----------



## scifisam (Jun 23, 2017)

I bought a Cubot Max a while ago and have held off recommending it because I thought it might fail. Here's an Amazon link: Cubot Max 6.0 inch 4G LTE Smartphone Unlocked, MT6753: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics I know Amazon is evil but for a weird brand smartphone it's probably better to go somewhere that will actually refund you if it doesn't show up or whatever. I got it from there for half the price but it's still only about £125 most places.

My only complaint is the camera, which is not great. Bleaches out reds and has a jumpy zoom. TBH I've found this less of an issue than I expected. 

Otherwise the battery life is excellent and I use it a LOT. This is partly because it comes with a battery twice as big as average and partly because it has no bloatware and allows you to put most things on the very large memory card you can put in. 

Two Sim slots - useful when we were on holiday.

Runs everything you can think of.

Size (phablet size) is actually quite easy even for my tiny arthritic hands. Actually in many ways it's easier because there's less gripping - it just kind of sits in your hand. When I hold a smaller phone I have to grip more and usually drop it.

Good enough screen resolution for videos. Good screen size for that too.

Very good resistance to being dropped, drooled on (by the baby), etc, and the charging point is still fine after several months, which is one of my concerns with cheap phones.

Works with any sim.

I'm intending on buying one for my daughter when her birthday comes around.


----------



## The Boy (Jun 23, 2017)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> I've read the reviews and it looks very capable for the price. I've used GearBest a fair bit for e cigs and they've delivered no issues. Although it's never happened to me, be aware you can have to pay 20 percent import tax, which would push up the price a fair bit.



Yeah, I think the possibility of import tax is my main worry.  Im upgrading from a Oneplus one, and what I really want I'd the Oneplus 5 but no danger I can buy that outright and the contracts available make it more expensive than a galaxy s8.

So im in the odd position of choosing between an s8 or mi5.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jun 23, 2017)

The Boy said:


> Yeah, I think the possibility of import tax is my main worry.  Im upgrading from a Oneplus one, and what I really want I'd the Oneplus 5 but no danger I can buy that outright and the contracts available make it more expensive than a galaxy s8.
> 
> So im in the odd position of choosing between an s8 or mi5.



I've gone for the S8 on contract in the end, but have been looking at the different options. 

What's your budget for buying outright? The S7 appears to be falling nicely in price if you can stretch that far.


----------



## The Boy (Jun 23, 2017)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> I've gone for the S8 on contract in the end, but have been looking at the different options.
> 
> What's your budget for buying outright? The S7 appears to be falling nicely in price if you can stretch that far.



Budget is minimal upfront really or I reckon I'd just pay up for the oneplus 5. Given the mi5 can be had for £175 tho, I'd be prepared to swallow that given the obvious saving over two years.  Tho giff gaff are pretty rubbish for mobile data so I'd also have to investigate that too.

I was actually about to pull the trigger on the s8 cos its obvs better than the Oneplus and worked out cheaper too. No idea why I looked at the mi5.  Decisions decisions...


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jun 23, 2017)

The Boy said:


> Budget is minimal upfront really or I reckon I'd just pay up for the oneplus 5. Given the mi5 can be had for £175 tho, I'd be prepared to swallow that given the obvious saving over two years.  Tho giff gaff are pretty rubbish for mobile data so I'd also have to investigate that too.
> 
> I was actually about to pull the trigger on the s8 cos its obvs better than the Oneplus and worked out cheaper too. No idea why I looked at the mi5.  Decisions decisions...



Don't discount the Moto G phones for decent budget phones you can get in the UK and importantly get updates. Camera is comparable to mi5 from what Ive seen on the net.


----------



## The Boy (Jun 23, 2017)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Don't discount the Moto G phones for decent budget phones you can get in the UK and importantly get updates. Camera is comparable to mi5 from what Ive seen on the net.



Feels like that would be a bit of sideways step (I'm on a Oneplus one atm).  Anyways, just went to buy the mi5 and the sale has sold out.  

Looking like the s8 might be on...


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jun 24, 2017)

The Boy said:


> Feels like that would be a bit of sideways step (I'm on a Oneplus one atm).  Anyways, just went to buy the mi5 and the sale has sold out.
> 
> Looking like the s8 might be on...



Mine arrives later today. I'm feeling slightly shallow for spending so much on something I don't actually need (my current phone works fine) but I'm sure that will pass...


----------



## The Boy (Jun 24, 2017)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Mine arrives later today. I'm feeling slightly shallow for spending so much on something I don't actually need (my current phone works fine) but I'm sure that will pass...



I actually managed to find a discount code for the mi5 on geekbuying, so have plumped for that.  Hopefully it a) turns up, and b) doesn't get snaffled by customs.  Otherwise I'll spend the next two years staring longingly at peoples' s8s.


----------



## editor (Jul 5, 2017)

The Moto E4 is getting much love for £129
Moto E4 review: For the price, it's hard to argue


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 5, 2017)

editor said:


> The Moto E4 is getting much love for £129
> Moto E4 review: For the price, it's hard to argue



They do make good budget phones, but for another tenner you could get the G4.


----------



## The Boy (Jul 5, 2017)

So I'm enjoying my Mi 5 so far.  The adapter included wasn't correct so I'll have to pick one of those up.  That and the £11 (I think) for it to clear customs are the only issues (that and the fact Ive lost the tool to get me since card out of my old phone but that's a seperate issue).

Wasn't so keen on the MIUI custom skin that was installed.  Has some nice touches, and would probably have gotten used to it but I've boshed on the nova launcher anyway.


----------



## binka (Aug 5, 2017)

About 2 months ago I bought the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4x for £165 off ebay for the 3gb/32gb version from UK based seller. They had pre-installed it with the global rom and google play so didn't have to faff around with it. I'm really happy with it - it does everything I want and the battery life is excellent.


----------



## Badgers (Aug 5, 2017)

Am eyeing up the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 4G Phablet as my next handset


----------



## scifisam (Aug 5, 2017)

Because of the camera I got persuade into buying a Moto G5 and giving my daughter my Cubot Max. What a mistake  The battery life is terrible - literally goes down 1‰ every few minutes even when all apps are closed - and you can't move any apps to the SD card. There is theoretically an option to use My SD card as "adoptable" internal storage, but that's not possible since it's over 32gig and I don't particularly want to delete everything on my SD card when hardly any apps work with adoptable storage anyway. 

The other features are all good, which is why it took me a week to figure out these problems. They make the phone have extremely limited use for me. And because I've used it I can't send it back (bought on Amazon Prime Now). What a waste of money.


----------



## makerspender (Sep 22, 2017)

HTC U Play is a decent phone for the price, if you don't mind it being built of fragile glass


----------



## cybershot (Nov 9, 2017)

Anything new in the past couple of months in the max £200 budget range. A decent front facing camera is the main requirement from the end user!!

No eBay bargains, end user doesn't like eBay.


----------



## scifisam (Nov 9, 2017)

cybershot said:


> Anything new in the past couple of months in the max £200 budget range. A decent front facing camera is the main requirement from the end user!!
> 
> No eBay bargains, end user doesn't like eBay.



The Xperia XA1 is what I recently got my daughter. She smashed her other phone and for college she needed a good camera phone with adequate internal memory that runs the latest Android system so won't be outdated too quickly. She's only had it a couple of weeks but it works well for her. 

The only downside is the small low-res screen, but she never really watches videos or browses the web on it anyway because she has a tablet hybrid thing, so for her that doesn't matter. You have to compromise on something if you want a cheap phone. We bought it at Argos for just under 200.

Sony Xperia XA1 review


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 21, 2017)

Can anyone recommend a phone that is £50 or less? I just dropped my Moto E and the touchscreen doesn't work anymore. It was on its last legs anyway. I need to have a second sim card slot for extra memory


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Dec 21, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> Can anyone recommend a phone that is £50 or less? I just dropped my Moto E and the touchscreen doesn't work anymore. It was on its last legs anyway. I need to have a second sim card slot for extra memory



You don't need a second Sim slot to take an SD card, although some in some duel Sim phones the SD card goes in the slot the second some goes.

Seems you could get a moto G3 just for that price, but your option are going to pretty limited in that price range.


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 21, 2017)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> You don't need a second Sim slot to take an SD card, although some in some duel Sim phones the SD card goes in the slot the second some goes.
> 
> Seems you could get a moto G3 just for that price, but your option are going to pretty limited in that price range.


Oops, I meant a micro sd slot cos I need to transfer it from the borked phone. Anyway, it's all moot, as someone dear to me has just told me what their xmas present to me is.


----------



## Slo-mo (Mar 3, 2018)

I wonder if this would offer a reasonable upgrade from a Moto G3 (8gb).

Huawei Y6 2017 | Carphone Warehouse

Or would I be better waiting for the G4 to reach its second birth day?


----------



## Orang Utan (Mar 3, 2018)

I have one of those. it's very good value.


----------



## editor (Mar 7, 2018)

This might help:

The five best cheap Android devices you can buy right now (March 2018)


----------



## Chz (Mar 26, 2018)

Not the cheap*est*, but good value for money and some people are really going to value the John Lewis warranty that it comes with:

Honor 9 Lite

Would have liked to see 4GB instead of 3, which you'll get on the Chinese imports but it _does_ have NFC, which very few of them do. EMUI is a lot less stupid than it used to be.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Mar 26, 2018)

Chz said:


> Not the cheap*est*, but good value for money and some people are really going to value the John Lewis warranty that it comes with:
> 
> Honor 9 Lite
> 
> Would have liked to see 4GB instead of 3, which you'll get on the Chinese imports but it _does_ have NFC, which very few of them do. EMUI is a lot less stupid than it used to be.



Would they be much of an improvement over a Moto G4? GF may be looking for a new mobile soon.


----------



## Chz (Mar 26, 2018)

Depends which G4. It's a lot better than the Play, somewhat better than the standard G4 (moving past 2GB of RAM makes a big difference, in my experience), and probably not worth upgrading from the G4 Plus unless you really have a thing for NFC. In specs, the Honor is almost exactly like the G5 Plus but with a nicer screen.


----------



## Slo-mo (Mar 26, 2018)

Huawei certainly seem to be going toe to toe with Motorola in the budget stakes. 

Mind you the competition can only be a good thing


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Mar 27, 2018)

Chz said:


> Depends which G4. It's a lot better than the Play, somewhat better than the standard G4 (moving past 2GB of RAM makes a big difference, in my experience), and probably not worth upgrading from the G4 Plus unless you really have a thing for NFC. In specs, the Honor is almost exactly like the G5 Plus but with a nicer screen.



Thanks. It's a standard G4 that I didn't get on with and passed on to her. Funnily enough the screen was one of the things I really didn't like.

Out of curiosity does anyone know what the camera is like on these various Chinese phones. It's probably the hardest part to do like for like comparisons on.


----------



## Badgers (Mar 27, 2018)

Not a bad deal for SIM free phone delivered 

Moto X4 | Carphone Warehouse


----------



## Slo-mo (Mar 27, 2018)

Badgers said:


> Not a bad deal for SIM free phone delivered
> 
> Moto X4 | Carphone Warehouse


It's not, but the S7 edge is going for that on eBay now.

Of course a second hand phone from the bay is a much bigger risk, but consider it was pretty much the best phone in the world 18 months ago.

Like I said elsewhere, first world dilemma.


----------



## Chz (Mar 27, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Thanks. It's a standard G4 that I didn't get on with and passed on to her. Funnily enough the screen was one of the things I really didn't like.
> 
> Out of curiosity does anyone know what the camera is like on these various Chinese phones. It's probably the hardest part to do like for like comparisons on.


As a general rule, the Chinese phones have better cameras at the cheap end and inferior ones at the top end. Samsung and Apple still have the best cameras by a fair bit. In this particular case, it's hard to say. Huawei and Motorola both tend to have better-than-average cameras.


----------



## Brainaddict (Mar 30, 2018)

What would be the recommendation for a cheap phone with a decent camera? Or is that a contradiction in terms? Realising that I take more photos with my phone than I do with my camera, so should be more concerned about the quality of it than I have been.


----------



## cybershot (Mar 30, 2018)

Brainaddict said:


> What would be the recommendation for a cheap phone with a decent camera? Or is that a contradiction in terms? Realising that I take more photos with my phone than I do with my camera, so should be more concerned about the quality of it than I have been.



I'd say start here, and go down the list until you can find something you can afford or try and find an alternative with a close enough spec as not everything is listed.

Mobile Reviews - DxOMark


----------



## Brainaddict (Mar 30, 2018)

cybershot said:


> I'd say start here, and go down the list until you can find something you can afford.
> 
> Mobile Reviews - DxOMark


Hmm, thanks, but that's a bit too much information to digest really. Was hoping for pre-digested information


----------



## cybershot (Mar 30, 2018)

Brainaddict said:


> Hmm, thanks, but that's a bit too much information to digest really. Was hoping for pre-digested information



I guess it's down to you really. In terms of what type of megapixels you want, dual lens or not, and how good the front camera should be also, and what software features it has (such as portrait background blurring and what not) I've got an iPhone X (obviously not cheap nor Android) but in terms of the camera it is amazing, leaps and bounds above anything I'd used before. It's a running theme with the current flagships. OSes have become stagnant and new features less and less, improving the internals is hardly noticeable to end users but throwing in huge leaps in camera tech has been the X factor these past 6-8 months.


----------



## Slo-mo (Mar 30, 2018)

If my main concern was the camera and I was on a tight budget I'd definitely go second hand and probably either Apple or Samsung, although Sony and LG might get a look in.

The camera is an often cut corner on a £100-£200 phone. It's an obvious place to save cash.


----------



## Brainaddict (Mar 30, 2018)

Slo-mo said:


> If my main concern was the camera and I was on a tight budget I'd definitely go second hand and probably either Apple or Samsung, although Sony and LG might get a look in.
> 
> The camera is an often cut corner on a £100-£200 phone. It's an obvious place to save cash.


I ain't gonna switch to apple at my time of life. So it's probably a Samsung. So which would be the best value second-hand Samsung with a good camera?


----------



## Slo-mo (Mar 30, 2018)

Brainaddict said:


> I ain't gonna switch to apple at my time of life. So it's probably a Samsung. So which would be the best value second-hand Samsung with a good camera?


Good question and I'm not the best person to answer it. Second hand prices fall once a phone reaches 2 years old because contracts are often 24 months then folks upgrade. The S7 edge has just reached its second birthday, but prices are still over £200 on eBay at the moment.

Editor sometimes contributes to the thread and he has a photography background.


Also obvious warning that going second hand on eBay is a real risk. Don't spend more than would be the end of the world to lose.  But the savings over places like CEX are considerable.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Mar 30, 2018)

Slo-mo said:


> Good question and I'm not the best person to answer it. Second hand prices fall once a phone reaches 2 years old because contracts are often 24 months then folks upgrade. The S7 edge has just reached its second birthday, but prices are still over £200 on eBay at the moment.
> 
> Editor sometimes contributes to the thread and he has a photography background.
> 
> Also obvious warning that going second hand on eBay is a real risk. Don't spend more than would be the end of the world to lose.  But the savings over places like CEX are considerable.



Refurbished phones from places like Envirophone etc are worth a look.

The S6 is available for around £150 refurbed, which will come with a warranty and has a 16mp camera as opposed to the S7/S7edge's 12mp


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Mar 30, 2018)

oh, and envirophone have an Easter Sale on atm, whatever that means


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Mar 30, 2018)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Refurbished phones from places like Envirophone etc are worth a look.
> 
> The S6 is available for around £150 refurbed, which will come with a warranty and has a 16mp camera as opposed to the S7/S7edge's 12mp



Megapixels mean little though, the camera on the S7 is still better.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Mar 30, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Megapixels mean little though, the camera on the S7 is still better.



good

Throbbing Angel
S7 owner


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Mar 30, 2018)

Throbbing Angel said:


> good
> 
> Throbbing Angel
> S7 owner



Ok. I've obviously missed your point. Why mention the greater Megapixels then?


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Mar 30, 2018)

Because I don't know what I'm on about?


----------



## Brainaddict (Mar 31, 2018)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Refurbished phones from places like Envirophone etc are worth a look.
> 
> The S6 is available for around £150 refurbed, which will come with a warranty and has a 16mp camera as opposed to the S7/S7edge's 12mp


Thanks, just had a look there and seems a good option. Also Sony Xperia z5 looks a pretty good option for camera on there. Just £130 and better than the Galaxy S6 apparently.

Edit: Actually the LG G4 seems similar spec to the xperia z5 and goes for much cheaper - £85 from a refurbisher on ebay.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 2, 2018)

Well it's come to a head and need to replace my GFs phone. Currently a Moto G4 so needs to be at least as good as that, ideally better.

I guess contenders are the G5 with 3gb and the Honor 9 Lite. Other suggestions? Camera would be what makes the deal. Looked at second hand S6s, but there is the issue that battery will also be second hand...


----------



## Chz (Apr 2, 2018)

The direct comparison is the G5s Plus. Specs wise, the two are nearly identical and price should be the main factor. But there are a few differences to note:

- The Moto is a more "stock" Android experience. EMUI (Huawei's skin) used to be bloody awful and is now tolerable.
- The Moto is "splash resistant", whatever that means.
- The Honor has the new 18:9 screen shape that a lot of new phones have. It means a larger screen in a smaller body. The phone itself is close enough in size to the Moto as to not really matter (it's a teensy bit smaller), but a bigger screen is always a treat, I guess.
- The Honor has a more over-the-top front camera, being the same number of pixels (though still not as good in other ways) as its back camera. The Moto is more "normal" in having an 8/13MP setup instead of 13/13. But hey, if your life is selfies...

The cameras are close enough to be a wash, so far as I can tell. Both come in 3GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB versions.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 2, 2018)

That's great, thank you. Closer to stock Android would be nice, but not the end of the world. Seems the G5 plus is slightly more expensive. Argos are doing the 9 Lite for £170 whereas the cheapest I can see the G5 plus is £200

I don't think my other half has ever taken a selfie.


----------



## Slo-mo (Apr 3, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Looked at second hand S6s, but there is the issue that battery will also be second hand...


And not user replaceable either. You could take it to a market stall who specialises in these things, but unless you know them there is always a danger you'll be ripped off with a fake battery.

ETA, it looks like Samsung have just stopped security updates for the S6 as well. That's a pretty poor show really. Potentially an S7 edge could be in the same position in 12 months time.

Samsung cuts off updates for Samsung Galaxy S6 family | TechRadar


----------



## cybershot (Apr 3, 2018)

Another reason why I ditched android. Not so bad if you are actually buying a cheap handset but when you’re not and you still get this 2 year update rubbish it’s bollocks. Especially for people who buy them a year later thinking they are getting a good deal. It’s daylight robbery. (I know, it’s sorted with Oreo, but will the likes of Samsung actually sort it thou!!)


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 3, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Another reason why I ditched android. Not so bad if you are actually buying a cheap handset but when you’re not and you still get this 2 year update rubbish it’s bollocks. Especially for people who buy them a year later thinking they are getting a good deal. It’s daylight robbery. (I know, it’s sorted with Oreo, but will the likes of Samsung actually sort it thou!!)



I've got Oreo on my S8


----------



## cybershot (Apr 3, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> I've got Oreo on my S8



Get her an S8!


----------



## editor (Apr 3, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Another reason why I ditched android. Not so bad if you are actually buying a cheap handset but when you’re not and you still get this 2 year update rubbish it’s bollocks. Especially for people who buy them a year later thinking they are getting a good deal. It’s daylight robbery. (I know, it’s sorted with Oreo, but will the likes of Samsung actually sort it thou!!)


Except the 2 years is completely different to how it would be in an iPhone. Factor in the fact that you can get Android phones to rival iPhones for a whole load less and the comarison gets eve more vague. 



> Of course, in many ways, comparing OS updates on iOS to those on Android is, for the lack of a better expression, like comparing apples to oranges. I dove into these caveats in a little more detail back in 2015, and most of what was true back then still holds today.
> 
> *OS updates on Android are less relevant than on iOS since systems apps are updated independently of the operating system.*
> 
> First of all, we have to take into account that Android is exceptionally modular — leaps and bounds above iOS, in fact. This modularity arguably makes OS updates much less relevant on Android than they are on iOS since systems apps like the Play Store, Gmail, Maps, Calendar — and even ones like Google Play services or WebView — are all updated independently of the operating system. Not only does this mean that system apps can be updated regularly and independently of the OS, it also means that being stuck on an old OS version doesn't equate to being stuck with outdated system apps like on iOS.



Android versus iOS software updates revisited: Two years later and not much has changed


----------



## cybershot (Apr 3, 2018)

OS updates are just as important as app updates especially when Android for the most part is running on a Linux kernel, which has had its own fair share of major security vulnerabilities over the past 24+ months. An app update isn't going to fix a bug as big as shellshock/heartbleed. If anything a rogue app in the google play store will take advantage of it, and nothing stopping what was a once safe app updating their code to take advantage of a vulnerability.

Home - Android Vulnerabilities <bit old, but still.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 3, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Get her an S8!



Much as I love her the budget doesn't stretch that far, even if she likes the photos I take, most of the rest of it would be wasted.


----------



## editor (Apr 3, 2018)

cybershot said:


> OS updates are just as important as app updates especially when Android for the most part is running on a Linux kernel, which has had its own fair share of major security vulnerabilities over the past 24+ months. An app update isn't going to fix a bug as big as shellshock/heartbleed. If anything a rogue app in the google play store will take advantage of it, and nothing stopping what was a once safe app updating their code to take advantage of a vulnerability.
> 
> Home - Android Vulnerabilities <bit old, but still.


Ah yes, these dire vulnerabilities which I've yet to meet anyone who has suffered from. It's all a bit FUD tbh unless you're in the habit of installing obscure apps and sideloading.


----------



## cybershot (Apr 3, 2018)

Thats kind of the whole point of remote code execution, they wouldn't know!


----------



## editor (Apr 3, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Thats kind of the whole point of remote code execution, they wouldn't know!


Back to the FUD then. 

Here's some more: https://www.skycure.com/pr/report-f...-android-malware-iphone-ten-year-anniversary/


----------



## cybershot (Apr 3, 2018)

At least it gets patched quickly! Which is my main point.


----------



## editor (Apr 3, 2018)

cybershot said:


> At least it gets patched quickly! Which is my main point.


Everyone loved the iOS update the slowed their phones down!
Apple says an update to fix its iPhone throttling will come ‘this spring’

This is getting tedious now. There's plenty of people who are very happy with their Android phones and don't encounter any of the problems you're so keen to bring up - and this thread is about buying an Android phone. I had an iPhone and fucking hated it.


----------



## cybershot (Apr 3, 2018)

I think it's important to highlight considerations before people dive into still spending three figure sums on a  x year old  refurbed phone. I didn't mention iphone once. I suggested get something that supports Oreo.

Exactly the thread is discussing Android, so I don't know why you've come barging in posting FUD about Apple?


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 3, 2018)

cybershot said:


> I think it's important to highlight considerations before people dive into still spending three figure sums on a  x year old  refurbed phone. I didn't mention iphone once. I suggested get something that supports Oreo.



Indeed. It's the battery that has put me of the S6, but that's certainly a serious consideration. 

Think it will be the Honor 9 lite, just because it's £30 cheaper then G5 Plus. She think Android Pay and Fingerprint readers are weird, but bet she ends up using them once they are there.


----------



## Chz (Apr 3, 2018)

Fingerprint readers are awesome, but I've only used RFID payment once (to prove it works). There's no point when I have a contactless credit card in an Oyster folder that I use as Oyster-alike and payment method. The phone is clunkier and takes longer to use. The only benefit I'm aware of is that the limit before PIN entry is higher than £30.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 3, 2018)

Chz said:


> Fingerprint readers are awesome, but I've only used RFID payment once (to prove it works). There's no point when I have a contactless credit card in an Oyster folder that I use as Oyster-alike and payment method. The phone is clunkier and takes longer to use. The only benefit I'm aware of is that the limit before PIN entry is higher than £30.



I use it loads, saves faffing round getting my wallet out and as symptom of the modern age, I've often got my phone in my hand when waiting anyway.


----------



## Slo-mo (Apr 3, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Indeed. It's the battery that has put me of the S6, but that's certainly a serious consideration.



2nd hand flagship phones rather than cheap new phones ought to be an eco no brainer but both the age of the battery and the lack of updates combined with rip off pricing is putting me off.

I've decided to keep plodding on with my Moto G3 until it conks or becomes completely unusable.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 3, 2018)

Slo-mo said:


> Indeed. 2nd hand flagship phones rather than cheap new phones ought to be an eco no brainer but both the age of the battery and the lack of updates combined with rip off pricing is putting me off.
> 
> I've decided to keep plodding on with my Moto G3 until it conks or becomes completely unusable.



It's very frustrating. On my last Samsung (Note 4) I just changed the battery after 12 months.


----------



## editor (Apr 3, 2018)

cybershot said:


> I think it's important to highlight considerations before people dive into still spending three figure sums on a  x year old  refurbed phone. I didn't mention iphone once. I suggested get something that supports Oreo.
> 
> Exactly the thread is discussing Android, so I don't know why you've come barging in posting FUD about Apple?


Err, in post #156 you were telling everyone you ditched Android (and switched to iPhone) because of the "lack of support for 2 year old phones." So you're introducing a comparison that no one asked for.


----------



## cybershot (Apr 3, 2018)

No one asked for it, but now they have it as a consideration when thinking about reconditioned 2 year old phones.


----------



## editor (Apr 3, 2018)

cybershot said:


> No one asked for it, but now they have it as a consideration when thinking about reconditioned 2 year old phones.


Yes. It'll work fine for years.


----------



## Slo-mo (Apr 4, 2018)

editor said:


> Yes. It'll work fine for years.


Hopefully you are right. It'd be a fun project to find an old S2, say, and see how well it still works years after the updates stopped.

I was hoping mine would turn up in a recent house move, but I suspect I recycled it at some stage.


----------



## Chz (Apr 4, 2018)

App bloat makes phones _that_ old quite horrid to use. I find 2GB of RAM makes some things slow down but it's bearable, and you need 3 (on Android) to really make things fly. I don't like using the spare Galaxy S5 for that reason. I looked at some of the common apps yesterday and realised that I could install *two* of them on my first smartphone (HTC Desire) before I ran out of space!


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 4, 2018)

One thing I've just noticed, but I guess isn't surprising is the lack of decent cases for more budget phones. Can't get a Tech 21 one for example, but guess most people don't buy a sub 200 phone and then blow 30 on a case.


----------



## editor (Apr 4, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> One thing I've just noticed, but I guess isn't surprising is the lack of decent cases for more budget phones. Can't get a Tech 21 one for example, but guess most people don't buy a sub 200 phone and then blow 30 on a case.


I've never spent more than a fiver on cases!


----------



## Badgers (Apr 4, 2018)

I always get an Otterbox case for £20-30 with my phones. 
They have saved my phones dozens of times over the years.


----------



## cybershot (Apr 4, 2018)

Badgers said:


> I always get an Otterbox case for £20-30 with my phones.
> They have saved my phones dozens of times over the years.



Ditto, these cases are top quality, light and don't add much size to your phone either.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 4, 2018)

Quite bulky though no? I've always favoured Tech 21 cases a middle ground. When I got the S8 I figured I'd go less bulky and got the official Samsung one with a screen in the front. Cracked the screen within a few months.


----------



## cybershot (Apr 4, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Quite bulky though no? I've always favoured Tech 21 cases a middle ground. When I got the S8 I figured I'd go less bulky and got the official Samsung one with a screen in the front. Cracked the screen within a few months.



I was worried I was going to find it bulky, but it doesn't feel it at all. I guess the reasoning behind the quality of a case is down to how valuable the phone is to you, and if you have any kind of insurance or not. If you have a spare phone your SIM fits into, then you might not care about being without your phone for several days if you have to send it off.

PS, those Otterbox cases are much cheaper on Amazon


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 4, 2018)

Yup, I certainly mind spending money on a decent case. When I get my screen repaired I'll certainly be getting something more sturdy.


----------



## Badgers (Apr 4, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Quite bulky though no? I've always favoured Tech 21 cases a middle ground. When I got the S8 I figured I'd go less bulky and got the official Samsung one with a screen in the front. Cracked the screen within a few months.


Not bulky unless you prefer having a fragile/slim bar of soap as a phone


----------



## Badgers (Apr 4, 2018)

cybershot said:


> I was worried I was going to find it bulky, but it doesn't feel it at all. I guess the reasoning behind the quality of a case is down to how valuable the phone is to you, and if you have any kind of insurance or not. If you have a spare phone your SIM fits into, then you might not care about being without your phone for several days if you have to send it off.
> 
> PS, those Otterbox cases are much cheaper on Amazon


I buy them on Amazon 

It is also good to have a case you can grip, rather than a slippery thin bar of soap


----------



## editor (Apr 4, 2018)

Badgers said:


> Not bulky unless you prefer having a fragile/slim bar of soap as a phone


What the hell do you do with your phone?! I just stuck a £4 rubbery/plastic cover around the phone  and -  *touches wood - I've never had a problem. 

I've only ever broken a phone screen once* and that was when I accidentally dropped a metal coffee pot on the thing. I don't think an Otter case would have saved it then. Or even a Beaver one. Or any other smallish mammal-named case.

(*touches wood again)


----------



## Badgers (Apr 4, 2018)

editor said:


> What the hell do you do with your phone?! I just stuck a £4 rubbery/plastic cover around the phone  and -  *touches wood - I've never had a problem.
> 
> I've only ever broken a phone screen once* and that was when I accidentally dropped a metal coffee pot on the thing. I don't think an Otter case would have saved it then. Or even a Beaver one. Or any other smallish mammal-named case.
> 
> (*touches wood again)


Well done


----------



## scifisam (Apr 4, 2018)

I get super-sturdy cases because I drop my phone a lot and the baby flings it across the room. It's survived being left on top of a chicken coop in heavy rain for three days!


----------



## yield (Apr 4, 2018)

Brother just bought the new Lenovo P2 for £220 on e/bey. 5,100mAh battery means it lasts 2 days with heavy use. Decent processor, 4gb ram though the cameras not great.


----------



## Slo-mo (Apr 4, 2018)

yield said:


> Brother just bought the new Lenovo P2 for £220 on e/bey. 5,100mAh battery means it lasts 2 days with heavy use. Decent processor, 4gb ram though the cameras not great.


I didn't think they still made that phone?


----------



## yield (Apr 4, 2018)

Slo-mo said:


> I didn't think they still made that phone?


You're right. I'd not seen it before. It's been out for a while. 3 stopped selling it here. 

Think he said the seller was based in Ireland but it turned up from Singapore. 

Phone looks good, thin considering the size of the battery. If my old phone packed up I'd be tempted by one.


----------



## Slo-mo (Apr 4, 2018)

It did get very good reviews in Computer Shopper when it was out.

Usual risk warning about eBay of course.


----------



## xenon (Apr 4, 2018)

I like Spigen Slim Armour cases. This is on iPhone but they make them for Android too. Rubberised corners, quite a thick bezil. I never wanted a ultra thin phone in the first place. The cheapo plastic ones are shit IMO.


----------



## Slo-mo (Apr 6, 2018)

Moto G5 now at £100 plus a tenner top up at Carphone. Should be unlocked but obviously check first


----------



## RoyReed (Apr 27, 2018)

I just got my new Huawei P Smart phone. I think it's a bargain at under £200 (if you shop around).


----------



## cybershot (May 25, 2018)

Report finds Android malware pre-installed on hundreds of phones


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (May 25, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Report finds Android malware pre-installed on hundreds of phones



Not that it helps that much in this case, but are we getting to the stage we should be running anti virus on our phones?


----------



## cybershot (May 25, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Not that it helps that much in this case, but are we getting to the stage we should be running anti virus on our phones?



Google play protect should apparently pick them up if your phone supports it.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (May 25, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Google play protect should apparently pick them up if your phone supports it.



I'd not heard of that till now, so ran a Google  


Google Play Protect is 'dead last' at fingering malware on Android


----------



## mhendo (Jun 25, 2018)

My old Samsung Galaxy S5 was getting a bit long in the tooth and slow, and I also wanted to try Google's Project Fi as my new service provider. The problem with Project Fi is that you can only use one of about five or six models, and I wasn't going to pay $700 for a new Pixel 2.

I decided to get a Moto X4 Android One phone, which is one of the cheapest phones available through Project Fi, and so far I'm really happy with both the phone and the service. The phone was $US249, and it's seems excellent for the sort of thing I use phones for. I'm not a gamer, so I don't need the latest octo-core processors, and most of the time I'm taking pictures with my DSLR, so I'm not too picky when it comes to the camera. The Moto X4 seems pretty fast and responsive, and the battery life easily gets me though a day and a half to two days. Had to get a case for it, though, because it's slippery as an eel.


----------



## cybershot (Jul 8, 2018)

I found myself needing an Android phone because I could hack Android Auto onto my car's infotainment system (mazda 3) which is obviously useless without an Android phone. I'm an iPhone user so wanted to spend as little as possible on a device without it being unbearably slow and too low on internal memory. A difficult ask.

Yesterday I went to Argos as I'm an impatient bugger, and picked up at first an Alba 4, it didn't even get to the choose wifi network screen on setup, just sat at the 'just a sec' screen for 2 hours. Good start, already finding Android to be a thorn in my side. Sent it back, didn't have another in stock, so they exchanged it for a Alcatel, or something. Turned out after I powered it on it had 4GB less internal storage than the previous choice, it was also terribly slow, the screen felt crap, and in the end I decided this phone was not worth £25, let alone £50 so back that went too.

Being slightly more patient as I have Amazon prime I ordered a Blackview A7 for £52.99 from Amazon. I think I finally made a good choice.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074M7S6CW/ref=psdc_356496011_t1_B07BCVWQ3X

For what I will use it for, which is basically, tethering data off my iPhone to run Android Auto with Google Maps/Waze/Google Play Music/Spotify & radio apps, it does the job. It would probably do social media fine as well. Camera is ok, has headphone jack, 2 sim card slots and can take micro sd to 32GB which I'd suggest you put something in there if you made it your daily phone.

Downsides: It's 3G only, but I'm not using a SIM in it, so I don't care. Seems you can move almost nothing to the SD card app wise. I have about 3GB free still after installing all the above. Android still seems too 'faffy' and while I can see the appeal for some, it's not for me.

If you're after a mega cheap phone and won't install loads of apps and don't need loads of internal storage space it's worth a look, and with distance selling regs or whatever it's called these days, if you don't like it before 14 days, just send it back!

Of course if you have a bit more patience than me, you can probably still get something even better for £50 if you're prepared to order from China!


----------



## Chz (Jul 8, 2018)

That's... a pretty specific use case. I've recycled phones better than that!  I think in your case having a fresh battery is probably worth it. Anyone else would be better suited to buy a used phone if that's all they could afford.


----------



## cybershot (Jul 8, 2018)

Chz said:


> That's... a pretty specific use case. I've recycled phones better than that!  I think in your case having a fresh battery is probably worth it. Anyone else would be better suited to buy a used phone if that's all they could afford.



I did ask several mates if they had an old phone knocking about, but alas none did, I was too impatient for eBay and couldn't be arsed going to somewhere like Cash Converters. Samsung Mini's and an LG of some sort seemed the eBay price equivalent? But yeah, a rather specific use case.


----------



## Chz (Jul 9, 2018)

I figured I'd check on what's in my recycle pile that needs to go to the tip.
This isn't a knock for or against it, I was just curious to compare.

Huawei Y300 (launch price £60-£100)- The Blackview is better. But it was a cheap phone 5 years ago, so no shocker.
HTC One S  (£21/mo contract) - A midrange phone from 6 years ago. It's tight. More storage, only 2 cores, very nice build. The Blackview having an actual recent OS wins it.
Moto G 2nd gen (launch price £150) - Cheap phone from 4 years ago. Very, very similar in spec, though built nicer. Only goes to Marshmallow, so the Blackview wins on updated OS again.
Nexus 5 (I paid £280)- High end phone 4.5 years ago. Not. Even. Close. Shits on the A7. Though the N5 had middling battery life when new, and it's atrocious after 4 years.
Samsung GS 5 (no idea, probably really expensive) - High end 4 years ago. Similar to Nexus 5, with better camera and battery life. Not in the recycle pack as the ween is using it for Pokemon Go.

Out of the current phones, the Xiaomi A One is a bit better than the GS5 and cost £160 new a year ago. I've got an Honor 8 which is nicer than the lot, but I did pay £295 for it so it had better be nice. So it's not a bad showing when you consider price. It's more that I'd put it at a level where it's so cheap that it becomes annoying to use. Anything under £150 new is so shite that it's going to get to you and it's better to go used. (except in your case, where you've probably bought the perfect fit)


----------



## cybershot (Jul 9, 2018)

Chz said:


> Anything under £150 new is so shite that it's going to get to you and it's better to go used. (except in your case, where you've probably bought the perfect fit)



Yeah, I've used it a few times now just dicking around. The main thing for me is it's responsive, boots up at an acceptable speed and the screen and response time to pressing stuff is pretty good. Android Auto works well, again using the car's touch screen it responds quick enough and isn't frustrating.

Compared to the crap I was getting on the high st for the same price.

A shame no one I knew had anything spare Samsung or Nexus knocking about, as I'd have been happy to just get a new battery for it, but I did read this version of AA on the head unit seems to only work well with Android 7, which was another reason for the purchase which I failed to mention originally.


----------



## kazza007 (Jul 9, 2018)

See my Nexus 6p battery thread. Love the phone, but battery now is crap! Not up with phones these days. Is there another model that has replaced it? Need screen size as big or a touch bigger, type c Cable, super duper screen and camera and speakers. I use it for net, camera, films etc. Vanilla Android and not hundreds of poubds. Any reccs to research?


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 10, 2018)

Why not change the battery ?

Huawei Nexus 6P Battery Replacement Service London - £29.99 Only !


----------



## kazza007 (Jul 11, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Why not change the battery ?
> 
> Huawei Nexus 6P Battery Replacement Service London - £29.99 Only !


I think the technology is dated now...looking at a Huawei mate 10 pro  ..any owners?


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 11, 2018)

kazza007 said:


> I think the technology is dated now...looking at a Huawei mate 10 pro  ..any owners?



Of course it is, but if it still works for you...

If you are half techie you could try buying a battery for a fiver and doing it yourself.


----------



## Me76 (Jul 14, 2018)

I've just ordered an Honor 9.


----------



## hattie (Jul 15, 2018)

Me76 said:


> I've just ordered an Honor 9.


Me too!


----------



## cybershot (Jul 18, 2018)

cybershot said:


> I found myself needing an Android phone because I could hack Android Auto onto my car's infotainment system (mazda 3) which is obviously useless without an Android phone. I'm an iPhone user so wanted to spend as little as possible on a device without it being unbearably slow and too low on internal memory. A difficult ask.
> 
> Yesterday I went to Argos as I'm an impatient bugger, and picked up at first an Alba 4, it didn't even get to the choose wifi network screen on setup, just sat at the 'just a sec' screen for 2 hours. Good start, already finding Android to be a thorn in my side. Sent it back, didn't have another in stock, so they exchanged it for a Alcatel, or something. Turned out after I powered it on it had 4GB less internal storage than the previous choice, it was also terribly slow, the screen felt crap, and in the end I decided this phone was not worth £25, let alone £50 so back that went too.
> 
> ...



FWIW I returned the A7 and swapped it for an A10. Which is essentially the same phone as the A7 except has an extra GB of RAM and an extra 8GB of internal storage and this one has a fingerprint sensor for an extra £8!

It loses the dual camera lenses which I never used and to be fair I doubt it was any good.

I’m quite impressed with these
Blackviews. The stock rom is pretty basic. No bloat. Some lite versions of browsers and file storage etc. Looks like the same suite that would come with the lineage OS custom ROM.

They do some more expensive models and if I was in the market for spending more on a android phone. I’d certainly be prepared to give a more expensive blackview a go, especially knowing with amazon the returns process is pretty easy and generally no quibbles. The a7 refund was issued same day as I posted the parcel in amazon credit as I knew I’d just be spending it again on the different model.

There’s English speaking support forums on their site and they do seem to post updates to fix stuff. Although I wouldn’t hold my breath on newer major versions of android than what it ships with, but if you’re spending £60 - £150 then it’s not so much a bitter pill to swallow.


----------



## Chz (Jul 19, 2018)

I can see that. The SoC is still slower than molasses, but 2GB of RAM makes it quite usable for general purposes (rather than the single use you bought it for) I'd imagine. I'd say it's well worth the extra £8!


----------



## Idaho (Sep 5, 2018)

Ok, to replace my 4 year old samsung s5, I have the option of:

Huawei p smart
Samsung j6
Samsung s8

Any opinions from people who know about this? I am leaning toward the s8 as I have had Samsung s series phones for 7 years and they've always been good.


----------



## Badgers (Sep 5, 2018)

I had a work S8 for a few months at the start of this year and it was a decent phone. Normally I would go for a 'note' sized screen myself but was perfectly happy with it.


----------



## Chz (Sep 5, 2018)

S8
^
^
^
P Smart
^
J6

In that order.


----------



## Hassan I Sabha (Sep 11, 2018)

Has anyone looked at the Pocophone f1? According to my boy this is the new budget flagship killer and the YouTubers are bigging it up.


----------



## Chz (Sep 11, 2018)

Nice hardware, import only, new and glitchy as fuck right now. It's a fair bit more powerful than the ~£200 phones for not a lot more, but it's also questionable whether anything _needs_ to be more powerful than the current batch of ~£200 phones.


----------



## Rosemary Jest (Nov 8, 2018)

I got a Cubot P20 recently, it's got 4 GB ram and 64 GB of storage, so more than enough and was just 140 quid delivered from the UK, so came pretty quick. 

Does everything I need and will go sim only once my current contract runs out in a couple of months. My previous phone was a LG K8 and was useless in terms of storage. Had 8gb so I could only put 2 apps on it before it was full. 

The irony is, I've now got 64 GB in my phone and another 64 on an SD card and am only using 12 GB in total... Still, at least it's there if I need it!


----------



## tommers (Nov 8, 2018)

Pocophone arrived yesterday. It's great. I ran it next to my Redmi Note 4 and it's much quicker. Nicer screen, decent camera (I'm no expert). 128GB storage and 6GB RAM. Feels like the first decent phone I've owned (although the Redmi felt like that too).

Feel like I should do more stuff with it but not sure what.


----------



## Miss-Shelf (Nov 8, 2018)

tommers said:


> Pocophone arrived yesterday. It's great. I ran it next to my Redmi Note 4 and it's much quicker. Nicer screen, decent camera (I'm no expert). 128GB storage and 6GB RAM. Feels like the first decent phone I've owned (although the Redmi felt like that too).
> 
> Feel like I should do more stuff with it but not sure what.


Where did you get it from?


----------



## tommers (Nov 8, 2018)

Miss-Shelf said:


> Where did you get it from?


Gear Best. Took about three weeks I think.

It was about 250 for the 64GB version and 280 for the 128.

Figured if it lasts two years then it's about a tenner a month.

Xiaomi have just launched in the UK with 3 but not sure if they sell this phone or how much it is there.


----------



## tommers (Nov 8, 2018)

Although have just seen that they are now on sale on Amazon, for about 60 quid more.

Did realise this morning that my mobile data wasn't working but I just needed to set up the access point details.

I also never had 4G on my last phone and I can't seem to connect with this either. Virgin assure me that it's all set up correctly and should work but it tells me I'm not authorised when I try to connect to the network. Probably more of a virgin thing than the phone.


----------



## Idaho (Nov 27, 2018)

Still haven't got a replacement for this s5, and now I've cracked the screen and the speaker is dying.

Been looking at these xiaomi and other budget phones... But it's just a cascade of tedious technical specifications. 

My priorities are :

Stability 
Robustness 
Longevity
Battery life 

That's about it. Don't care about fingerprint scanners, advanced cameras, gaming, fancy screens. I just need a workhorse. Any nominations for around £200?


----------



## Rosemary Jest (Nov 27, 2018)

Rosemary Jest said:


> I got a Cubot P20 recently, it's got 4 GB ram and 64 GB of storage, so more than enough and was just 140 quid delivered from the UK, so came pretty quick.
> 
> Does everything I need and will go sim only once my current contract runs out in a couple of months. My previous phone was a LG K8 and was useless in terms of storage. Had 8gb so I could only put 2 apps on it before it was full.
> 
> The irony is, I've now got 64 GB in my phone and another 64 on an SD card and am only using 12 GB in total... Still, at least it's there if I need it!





Idaho said:


> Still haven't got a replacement for this s5, and now I've cracked the screen and the speaker is dying.
> 
> Been looking at these xiaomi and other budget phones... But it's just a cascade of tedious technical specifications.
> 
> ...



See my post above, pretty pleased with phone so far, does everything I need and more for 140 quid. I think you may be able to get something slightly better if you order from China but for a similar price and a few weeks delivery. I think John Lewis even sell the Cubot, worth a look at imo.


----------



## izz (Dec 2, 2018)

Hello, I'm pondering a Huawei p smart, I'm pondering buying it and putting my PAYG SIM into it. I have been informed that I need a contract in order to use the WiFi calling and text features, is this correct ? If so, is there any technical reason why this should be so ?


----------



## iona (Dec 2, 2018)

izz said:


> Hello, I'm pondering a Huawei p smart, I'm pondering buying it and putting my PAYG SIM into it. I have been informed that I need a contract in order to use the WiFi calling and text features, is this correct ? If so, is there any technical reason why this should be so ?



Think that's a network thing rather than a technical phone thing.


----------



## mauvais (Dec 2, 2018)

Additionally you may need to buy the phone from, or at least on, the relevant network, i.e. not SIM-free or branded with another network.


----------



## izz (Dec 3, 2018)

iona said:


> Think that's a network thing rather than a technical phone thing.


I think so too. This  is interesting as I'm pondering doing this in order to stay with O2 who provide some, patchy cover where we live.


----------



## mauvais (Dec 3, 2018)

izz said:


> I think so too. This  is interesting as I'm pondering doing this in order to stay with O2 who provide some, patchy cover where we live.


With O2 you definitely need a contract and an O2 branded phone. It _might_ be possible to flash branded firmware onto an unbranded phone but, aside from it needing technical knowledge, I'm not sure if it works. Someone at work was doing this so I'll check to see if it's happened yet and how they got on.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Dec 5, 2018)

Idaho said:


> Still haven't got a replacement for this s5, and now I've cracked the screen and the speaker is dying.
> 
> Been looking at these xiaomi and other budget phones... But it's just a cascade of tedious technical specifications.
> 
> ...



Just bumped an old thread, but Nokia 8 fits the bill nicely for this. Only thing I really miss from my S8 is the camera, but it's quite passable by modern standards and feels well made.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Dec 13, 2018)

Dad has decided he wants a smartphone. Mostly I suspect to look at my sisters Instagram feed. 

Anyway was looking at a Honor 9 Lite as OH is fairly happy with hers and the price has come down a little. Any better suggestions for £125?


----------



## Me76 (Dec 14, 2018)

I have the honor 9 and its amazing. Dunno what the difference is on the lite though.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Dec 14, 2018)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Dad has decided he wants a smartphone. Mostly I suspect to look at my sisters Instagram feed.
> 
> Anyway was looking at a Honor 9 Lite as OH is fairly happy with hers and the price has come down a little. Any better suggestions for £125?





Me76 said:


> I have the honor 9 and its amazing. Dunno what the difference is on the lite though.



Comparison here: Compare Huawei Honor 9 Lite vs. Huawei Honor 9 - GSMArena.com


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Dec 14, 2018)

Yeah, more then it's worth paying for a full fat version. I'm still not totally convinced he will use it, but he has decided he wants one and to give him a fighting chance it's worth having something that isn't to sluggish and fustrating.


----------



## editor (Dec 26, 2018)

The Huawei P20 Lite is an outrageously good phone with real premium looks for the comparatively small outlay of £250.


----------



## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

My Samsung Note 4 is really creaking now. Still working just well enough to stave off replacing it but the writing is on the wall 

So I want a big screen note phone with as much storage/spec as possible to replace it. Not Apple for the usual reasons  and not got a huge budget so although a Samsung Note 9 would be nice it is out of my range. 

Not getting a contract again as I paid £1,200 for this one on contract over 24 months 

Xiaomi seems the best spec for buck? Been having a look online and hard to work out what is best 

Huawei also look decent? Are they a big enough step up from Xiaomi to justify the higher cost? 

Any recommendations?


----------



## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

Some good insights here 

What's the best Android phone? We bring you the top 10


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jan 5, 2019)

What's the budget cap Badgers ?


----------



## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

Throbbing Angel said:


> What's the budget cap Badgers ?


Hopefully not over £350ish but I might need to borrow a bit more.


----------



## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

Sorry, I know this is not strictly 'budget' but it is a budget note/phablet I suppose.

The Mi 8 Pro looks like a *lot* of phone for £459 

mi-8-pro - Xiaomi UK

Not sure if my fairly normal use of a phone justifies the spend  wonder if a refurb Samsung Note 7/8 would make more sense.

I do really want a flash new gadget to meddle with and the Note 4 has served me very well over years


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jan 5, 2019)

Most people's fairly normal usage  doesn't justify what most people spend on their/our phones.

The Mix Pro looks great btw


----------



## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

Mix or Max?

Which brand


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jan 5, 2019)

Mi 8 Pro

Fkn autocorrect


----------



## Badgers (Jan 5, 2019)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Mi 8 Pro
> 
> Fkn autocorrect




Thought there was another phone I was missing


----------



## Badgers (Jan 11, 2019)

Badgers said:


> The Mi 8 Pro looks like a *lot* of phone for £459
> 
> mi-8-pro - Xiaomi UK


OR

This for approx £165
Online Shop Original Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 3GB 32GB Snapdragon 660 48MP Dual Camera 13MP 6.3'' Water Drop 19.5:9 Screen Mobile Phone 4000mAh | Aliexpress Mobile


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jan 11, 2019)

SIM Free Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite Mobile Phone - Argos - £50 off making it £209.95
Buy SIM Free Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite Mobile Phone - Black | SIM free phones | Argos

GSM comparison of the Mi8Pro & Mi8Lite
Compare Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite vs. Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro - GSMArena.com


----------



## Badgers (Jan 12, 2019)

Throbbing Angel said:


> SIM Free Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite Mobile Phone - Argos - £50 off making it £209.95
> Buy SIM Free Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite Mobile Phone - Black | SIM free phones | Argos
> 
> GSM comparison of the Mi8Pro & Mi8Lite
> Compare Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite vs. Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro - GSMArena.com


That is a lot of phone for the money. Seriously tempted, any reason not to get this?


----------



## yield (Jan 12, 2019)

Badgers said:


> That is a lot of phone for the money. Seriously tempted, any reason not to get this?


Assuming it'll get Android 9.0 looks a bargain!


----------



## Badgers (Jan 12, 2019)

yield said:


> Assuming it'll get Android 9.0 looks a bargain!



Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite starts receiving Android 9.0 Pie Update: Report

Have ordered it  and a cheap case as I drop things a lot.

Thanks Throbbing Angel

Will update with feedback


----------



## Pickman's model (Jan 12, 2019)

Badgers said:


> Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite starts receiving Android 9.0 Pie Update: Report
> 
> Have ordered it  and a cheap case as I drop things a lot.
> 
> ...


yeh you're the only person i know with a bouncy rubber pint 'glass'


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jan 12, 2019)

Badgers said:


> Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite starts receiving Android 9.0 Pie Update: Report
> 
> Have ordered it  and a cheap case as I drop things a lot.
> 
> ...



Well I hope you love it in that case.

I might've got one myself but I've 6 months left on my current contract.

Look forward to the review.


----------



## Badgers (Jan 12, 2019)

It is out the box but not set up yet. 

Feels like a very solid bit of kit  Came with a rubber 'back case' which is a bonus.

Only thing that annoyed me (I am out of touch with tech) is the new USB charger. I have a load of decent long Anker charger cables at home/work so have had to get some adapters for that.


----------



## Badgers (Jan 12, 2019)

Pickman's model said:


> yeh you're the only person i know with a bouncy rubber pint 'glass'


Have wrapped it in cotton wool for now


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jan 12, 2019)

Badgers said:


> It is out the box but not set up yet.
> 
> Feels like a very solid bit of kit  Came with a rubber 'back case' which is a bonus.
> 
> Only thing that annoyed me (I am out of touch with tech) is the new USB charger. I have a load of decent long Anker charger cables at home/work so have had to get some adapters for that.





USB C is the new thing.  I like them on my Chromebook as it means I have a charging port on either side of the laptop.  I was wondering the other day how I'd go on  with a phone without a 3.5mm headphone jack as they seem to be more and more common and I assume that the Lite can use the USB C as its audio out?  Gearbest had a 3.5mm to usb c adaptor on their site for 57p yesterday 

Make sure you contribute to Post a screenshot of your phone's homescreen


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jan 12, 2019)

there we are:  still 57p!
Universal USB Type C to 3.5mm Stereo Audio Headphone Jack Adapter Cable - $0.70 Free Shipping|GearBest.com


----------



## Badgers (Jan 12, 2019)

Cheers again 

Have already ordered 6 adapters for not much money so all sorted there. Going to set up tomorrow as the guy in the local market is good with cutting SIM cards and can put a screen protector on it.


----------



## MBV (Jan 16, 2019)

Badgers How are you finding it? Deciding between this and £21 pcm for a pixel 3 for two years.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk


----------



## Badgers (Jan 16, 2019)

Still not set mine up  

Sounds like other Urbs like it though 
Xiaomi Products


----------



## a_chap (Jan 16, 2019)

Throbbing Angel said:


> there we are:  still 57p!
> Universal USB Type C to 3.5mm Stereo Audio Headphone Jack Adapter Cable - $0.70 Free Shipping|GearBest.com



Ha! They're only *56p* today. I win  

Although it's hardly speedy delivery...



...two months


----------



## binka (Mar 16, 2019)

I've had a Xiaomi Redmi Note 4x for coming up to 2 years but there's a problem with the screen (a bright spot near the centre) which is pretty annoying. I also never got round to updating it to be completely unlocked so its still on Android 6 and I never got round to unlocking it properly so I could update the rom (on the global rom it came with) so I'm thinking of getting myself something new after next payday. Ideally in the £150-£250 range. Have looked at the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite which sounds really good but the only concern is the battery is a lot smaller than the Note 4X. 

What else is value for money at the moment?


----------



## yield (Mar 16, 2019)

binka said:


> I've had a Xiaomi Redmi Note 4x for coming up to 2 years but there's a problem with the screen (a bright spot near the centre) which is pretty annoying. I also never got round to updating it to be completely unlocked so its still on Android 6 and I never got round to unlocking it properly so I could update the rom (on the global rom it came with) so I'm thinking of getting myself something new after next payday. Ideally in the £150-£250 range. Have looked at the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite which sounds really good but the only concern is the battery is a lot smaller than the Note 4X.
> 
> What else is value for money at the moment?


What do you need on the phone? NFC etc? Stock Android or willing to accept grey imports?


----------



## binka (Mar 16, 2019)

yield said:


> What do you need on the phone? NFC etc? Stock Android or willing to accept grey imports?


Literally nothing tbh. Just for browsing online really


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Mar 16, 2019)

£240 on Amazon atm

motorola moto g7 Power 6.2-Inch Android 9.0 Pie UK Sim-Free Smartphone with 4GB RAM and 64GB Storage (Single Sim) – Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07N8LY9BS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wtoJCbP3E0W9M


----------



## yield (Mar 16, 2019)

Throbbing Angel said:


> £240 on Amazon atm
> 
> motorola moto g7 Power 6.2-Inch Android 9.0 Pie UK Sim-Free Smartphone with 4GB RAM and 64GB Storage (Single Sim) – Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07N8LY9BS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wtoJCbP3E0W9M


g7 power is £250 from a storefront on that amazon link.

It's £180 direct from Lenovo. Screen is only 720p and there's no compass. But for battery life it looks great.

moto g⁷ power - Android smartphone | Lenovo UK


----------



## binka (Mar 16, 2019)

Throbbing Angel said:


> £240 on Amazon atm
> 
> motorola moto g7 Power 6.2-Inch Android 9.0 Pie UK Sim-Free Smartphone with 4GB RAM and 64GB Storage (Single Sim) – Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07N8LY9BS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wtoJCbP3E0W9M


The battery on that is impressive! 

I had looked at Motorola and maybe the Nokia 7 Plus from the same price bracket but I don't know if they're good value compared to the Chinese brands... On first look you'd say Xiaomi has better specs but what are the quality of the components like? I see the Moto G7 Power 'only' has 12mp camera but it's PDAF - no idea what that is but it's clearly something they felt the need to mention!


----------



## binka (Mar 16, 2019)

yield said:


> g7 power is £250 from a storefront on that amazon link.
> 
> It's £180 direct from Lenovo. Screen is only 720p and there's no compass. But for battery life it looks great.
> 
> moto g⁷ power - Android smartphone | Lenovo UK


I didn't realise Lenovo owned Motorola now. When I bought my last laptop a couple of years ago I steared clear of Lenovo after the pre-installed adware issue
Remember when Lenovo sold PCs with Superfish adware? It just got a mild scolding from FTC


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Mar 16, 2019)

yield said:


> g7 power is £250 from a storefront on that amazon link.
> 
> It's £180 direct from Lenovo. Screen is only 720p and there's no compass. But for battery life it looks great.
> 
> moto g⁷ power - Android smartphone | Lenovo UK



Good spot


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Mar 16, 2019)

yield said:


> g7 power is £250 from a storefront on that amazon link.
> 
> It's £180 direct from Lenovo. Screen is only 720p and there's no compass. But for battery life it looks great.
> 
> moto g⁷ power - Android smartphone | Lenovo UK


----------



## yield (Mar 16, 2019)

^ that is odd . Then again I'm no good at ideograms.



binka said:


> I didn't realise Lenovo owned Motorola now. When I bought my last laptop a couple of years ago I steared clear of Lenovo after the pre-installed adware issue
> Remember when Lenovo sold PCs with Superfish adware? It just got a mild scolding from FTC


Most mobile phones are assembled in China these days. Hopefully Lenovo have sorted the security issues out?

At under £200 think the best options are

Honor 10 Lite. 3400 mAh battery, 3GB RAM, 64GB ROM, £188 at amazon

Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite (Redmi 6 Pro). 4000 mAh battery, 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM, £183 at amazon

Motorola Moto G7 Power. 5000 mAh battery, 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM, £180 at lenovo


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Mar 16, 2019)

Seen on HUKD
_Xiaomi Spring Sale on mi.com - Including Redmi Note 5 £139, Redmi Note 6 Pro £179_
Xiaomi Spring Sale on mi.com - Including Redmi Note 5 £139, Redmi Note 6 Pro £179 - hotukdeals

Moto G7 Power currently £170  (£160+ £10 top up) at Carphone Warehouse atm

Moto G7 Plus £270 Sim Free @CPW too

comparison of the two models here


----------



## Brainaddict (Mar 18, 2019)

Okay, I tried to get a second hand phone recently and it hasn't gone great, so I'm going to buy a new phone. Is the best budget phone for camera the Moto G6/7?


----------



## Brainaddict (Mar 19, 2019)

Well I got the G6, and in doing so discovered Amazon Warehouse. Their returns re-sold at a good discount, and you still get the option to return if you aren't happy. Nobody has ever mentioned this to me before. Go to 'used' sales to see the Amazon Warehouse options. Got the G6 for £152. They have some with screen imperfections for £125.


----------



## gentlegreen (Apr 30, 2019)

My Motorola G4 plus turned out to be fairly crap - though it was a special economy version made for Amazon.

It developed phantom screen touches from new and the screen was replaced under warranty, but a couple of years later I have to rub then tap the screen every time I wake the phone .

Also the battery life is shit and has noticeably deteriorated so I will at least have to solder in a new battery even if I don't pluck up the courage to replace the screen myself.

 Perhaps for perverseness I will deliberately buy Huawei next.


----------



## Idaho (Jun 8, 2019)

After 4 and a half years the Samsung s5 is finally failing on several fronts... So I got a Moto g7 power. Absolutely fine and was happy with it until this evening.

When I got it I asked the sales assistant "does it have 5ghz WiFi?". He thought it did, and the info he had said it did. I spent a few hours setting it up and got a case (my phones get rough treatment - gardening, walking, building, etc).

So tonight I was in the shed and went to connect to the 5ghz only garden router... And yes, first world problems.. it can't connect to 5ghz. Some subsequent searches show that they can't, but their marketing blurb says they can.

Tedious... Oh well. Got it from John Lewis as they had it cheap and they are good at returns. At least I will be limited to a few alternatives as I can't be arsed thinking about it any more.


----------



## Rivendelboy (Jul 23, 2019)

Is there such a thing? 

Being a pauper and living in 21st century Britain I need one. All I have is a vodafone Smart First 7 which cost me £25!

Needless to say it's a bit rubbish  though tbh I knew it would be and that's fine, but it'd be nice to have the tech that could reliably run things like M ticket apps.

Cheers


----------



## planetgeli (Jul 23, 2019)

Try music magpie (.com).

I paid £120 for a good as new Samsung Galaxy 6 about 18 months ago.


----------



## Rivendelboy (Jul 23, 2019)

planetgeli said:


> Try music magpie (.com).
> 
> I paid £120 for a good as new Samsung Galaxy 6 about 18 months ago.


I wouldn't know what to look for.


----------



## Chilli.s (Jul 23, 2019)

I'm sure you can get an old Iphone for less than 100. The one I use is secondhand and seems fine. payg sim a tenner a month.


----------



## mwgdrwg (Jul 23, 2019)

Nokia 3.2


----------



## Crispy (Jul 23, 2019)

Xiaonmi Note 5 is 99.95 at Argos. It's a ridiculously good phone for the money. Worth twice that, easily.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Jul 23, 2019)

Rivendelboy said:


> Is there such a thing?
> 
> Being a pauper and living in 21st century Britain I need one. All I have is a vodafone Smart First 7 which cost me £25!
> 
> ...


the smart v8 and smart v10 are great phones, on Android marshmallow and pie respectively.

you can get the V10 for £105 PAYG or you can pick up a V8 on ebay for about £70 , you can always get them unlocked.

TBH the v8 is better IMO


----------



## cybershot (Jul 23, 2019)

I'd go with a Xiaomi

Redmi 6A is £99 at Amazon with 12 GB Three Data sim (you don't need to use that sim, it's unlocked) Do the promotion to add the EE Flex sim as well for a penny, and you'll get a £10 Amazon voucher for a future purchase.

No idea if the Redmi 6A is better than the Note 5, (ETA: A quick glance suggests the Note 5 is probably better) others will be able to help in that regard as I'm more an Apple person.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07GWNNC7K


----------



## ruffneck23 (Jul 23, 2019)

The 6 has 3gb of ram and the note 5 has 4gb for a start


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jul 23, 2019)

The xiaomi advice above is good advice.

I recently bought a Moto G7 Play for lil'Angel from Argos - just over a ton at £129
Great phone, dual sim, stock android afaik (which is what I like about Moto's) great camera (13mp) according to LA, fingerprint sensor, micro sd slot, 
Full specs here

G6play is currently £99.97 on Amazon too if price is critical. Similar prices elsewhere too.


----------



## editor (Jul 24, 2019)

Here's a timely article: 


Best Overall:Moto G7
Best Value:Nokia 6.1
Upgrade Pick:Google Pixel 3a
Best Features:Samsung Galaxy A50
Best Build Quality:Nokia 7.1
Best Battery Life:Moto G7 Power
Best Under $200:Nokia 4.2
Best Under $100:Alcatel 1X
Best With a Caveat:Honor 8X
Best Outside The U.S.:Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
*Best Overall: Moto G7*

The best cheap Android phones you can buy in 2019, ranked


----------



## cybershot (Jul 24, 2019)

Argos eBay has some decent prices on refurbs (aka returned because they didn’t like it) with 12 month guarantee.  

Argos | eBay Shops


----------



## cybershot (Jul 24, 2019)

Also posted this in the cheap android thread but there are some sub £100 ones (at time of posting)

Argos eBay has some decent prices on refurbs (aka returned because they didn’t like it) with 12 month guarantee.  

Argos | eBay Shops


----------



## gentlegreen (Jul 24, 2019)

I hope the G7 is less shit than the G4-plus Amazon Special I got lumbered with.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jul 24, 2019)

from the cheapish android thread [threads merged since]



editor said:


> Here's a timely article:
> 
> 
> Best Overall:Moto G7
> ...


----------



## Rivendelboy (Jul 24, 2019)

thanks for the answers. 

maybe if i save my pennies i can afford something better.


----------



## editor (Jul 24, 2019)

I've merged the two threads as they're more or less identical.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jul 24, 2019)

editor said:


> I've merged the two threads as they're more or less identical.


----------



## Idaho (Jul 24, 2019)

Had this g7 power for a few months and am perfectly content with it. Love the fact that you can just leave it for a couple of days and it still has power. 

Went on the train to London and back yesterday - 2 hours each way of listening, browsing, etc. And was doing a fair bit of phone peaking in the office for 7 hours. It was on 76% battery when I started the day and was on 30% when I switched it off at 11pm.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jul 24, 2019)

Switched it off?!?


----------



## Idaho (Jul 24, 2019)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Switched it off?!?


Definitely. Its meant to be a useful tool, not a demanding 24 hour baby substitute.


----------



## Maggot (Aug 28, 2019)

Am looking for a small android phone, ideally under £200 but will pay a bit more for the right model.

Any suggestions?


----------



## Chz (Aug 29, 2019)

As it happens, the GPS seems borked on Mrs. C's Mi A1. And, being a Pokemon Go fanatic, this is outright unacceptable.

So I'm in the market, too. I think there should be something with a BIG.little SoC instead of the little.little most things in that bracket have. I'll have to do some sniffing about to see what there is. Unless I can somehow fix a broken GPS. (yeah, right)

Hoping I can maybe find an Honor 8x for that price somewhere. That would be lovely.


----------



## Chz (Aug 29, 2019)

A quick look round gives me a shortlist of Honor 10 Lite, Xiaomi Note 7, and Xiaomi Mi A3. The last one would be a dead cert if not for the lower resolution screen. Which might be fine, but I wouldn't know without actually _seeing_ it.

Edit: This is without grey market imports, since I'm going to need it quickly.


----------



## Nivag (Aug 30, 2019)

Review of the Xiaomi Mi A3

Unboxing


----------



## yield (Aug 30, 2019)

Chz said:


> A quick look round gives me a shortlist of Honor 10 Lite, Xiaomi Note 7, and Xiaomi Mi A3. The last one would be a dead cert if not for the lower resolution screen. Which might be fine, but I wouldn't know without actually _seeing_ it.
> 
> Edit: This is without grey market imports, since I'm going to need it quickly.


Is the Honor 8x better than the Honor 10 lite?

Argos have it for £160 

Buy SIM Free HONOR 8X 64GB Mobile Phone - Blue | SIM free phones | Argos


----------



## Chz (Aug 30, 2019)

yield said:


> Is the Honor 8x better than the Honor 10 lite?
> 
> Argos have it for £160
> 
> Buy SIM Free HONOR 8X 64GB Mobile Phone - Blue | SIM free phones | Argos


Excellent! Bigger battery and better camera than the 10 Lite. Mrs. C puts it in her purse, so the bigger size is not a factor.


----------



## editor (Nov 15, 2019)

So, here's a selection of best cheap phones:


Best Overall:Moto G7
Best Value:Nokia 7.1
Upgrade Pick:Google Pixel 3a
Best Features:Samsung Galaxy A50
Best Build Quality:Nokia 7.2
Best Battery Life:Moto G7 Power
Best Under $200:Nokia 4.2
Best Under $100:Alcatel 1X
Best With a Caveat:Xiaomi Mi 9T
Best Outside The U.S.:Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
The best cheap Android phones you can buy in 2019, ranked


----------



## hash tag (Nov 25, 2019)

From just £60 at the moment a brand new android phone! 
I saw them in Westfield on Friday but know nothing about them other than you get them direct only and sadly Chinese. Got to be worth a look?

Xiaomi UK


----------



## Rosemary Jest (Apr 20, 2020)

I know things move on quickly in the phone world, so does anyone have any recommendations for a cheapish Android for around the £100-150 mark?

Just smashed the screen of my Cubot P20, which has served me well over the last 18 months or so. 

Needs a minimum of 64gb of storage for music needs to match the Cubot, but preferably 128 if possible? Any help would be appreciated as ever.


----------



## Badgers (Apr 21, 2020)

This is of interest to me too. 

My niece is getting her first phone. Sister has asked for advice and I am a bit out of the loop.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 21, 2020)

I'd be tempted by this if I was on a budget









						Huawei P Smart (2019) review
					

A great-value phone that we’ve basically seen before




					www.techradar.com
				






			https://www.amazon.co.uk/Huawei-6-21-Inch-FullView-SIM-Free-Smartphone-Black/dp/B07L5H9RTF


----------



## yield (Apr 21, 2020)

This looks good for £150 (plus two year guarantee)





__





						Motorola G8 Power Lite Smartphone, Android, 4GB RAM, 6.5", 4G LTE, SIM Free, 64GB
					

Buy Motorola G8 Power Lite Smartphone, Android, 4GB RAM, 6.5", 4G LTE, SIM Free, 64GB from our View All Mobile Phones range at John Lewis & Partners. Free Delivery on orders over £50.



					www.johnlewis.com


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Apr 21, 2020)

yield said:


> This looks good for £150 (plus two year guarantee)
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I was going to say Motorola G8 too - there are 3 or 4 models

and

John Lewis are doing the same phone with a free chromecast - same price, £149.99 - 2yr gtee






						Motorola G8 Power Lite Smartphone, Android, 4GB RAM, 6.5", 4G LTE, SIM Free, 64GB, Royal Blue & Google Chromecast (2018) (Bundle) at John Lewis & Partners
					

Buy Motorola G8 Power Lite Smartphone, Android, 4GB RAM, 6.5", 4G LTE, SIM Free, 64GB, Royal Blue & Google Chromecast (2018) (Bundle) from our Phones & Mobile Offers range at John Lewis & Partners. Free Delivery on orders over £50.




					www.johnlewis.com


----------



## yield (Apr 21, 2020)

Throbbing Angel said:


> I was going to say Motorola G8 too - there are 3 or 4 models
> 
> and
> 
> ...


Even better with the free Chromecast


----------



## Rosemary Jest (Apr 22, 2020)

Thanks all, that Moto g does look like a great phone indeed. Ended up getting a Cubot P30 to replace the broken P20 as found a deal for £110 and wanted to spend as little as possible, seems like a decent phone and the screen is great like the old phone. 

Might get a Moto g for the other half as her phone is on the way out and the camera is meant to be great (she likes taking pictures). Is that the case?


----------



## Nivag (Apr 22, 2020)

Just seen Nokia are doing a cheap flip phone.
No idea if it's any good but it's got large buttons








						Nokia 2720 Flip
					

Enjoy a classic flip phone with a modern twist. Nokia 2720 Flip features an outer and inner screen, a tough polycarbonate body and up to 28 days of standby time from a single charge. The emergency button can be set up to call an emergency contact, or to access the Google Assistant.




					www.nokia.com


----------



## On Fire (Jun 15, 2020)

Samsung A20e bought on pay as you go from whatever network you are on (can always use a pay monthly sim only sim, as I do). Good value, good phone, and has VoLTE (4G calling) and VoWifi (Wifi calling), but has to be bought on network to have the correct network firmware for these to work.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jun 15, 2020)

Nivag said:


> Just seen Nokia are doing a cheap flip phone.
> No idea if it's any good but it's got large buttons
> 
> 
> ...



£10 off @ John Lewis atm with a 2Yr gtee - £80 instead of £90  sim free/unlocked- will drop further I am sure.

I bought my son a KaiOS phone from CEX a few months back - he loves it. I had a play with it on the train home and was surprised at how good it was compared to a regular Nokia candybar. Wifi, WhatsApp, Google Assistant etc

I was considering the flip, too, as a spare/playing out phone.


----------



## Badgers (Jun 15, 2020)

Nivag said:


> Just seen Nokia are doing a cheap flip phone.
> No idea if it's any good but it's got large buttons
> 
> 
> ...


It actually looks like a good phone for the money. Wonder if you can customise apps (remove or at least hide) Facebook for example.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jun 15, 2020)

Badgers said:


> It actually looks like a good phone for the money. Wonder if you can customise apps (remove or at least hide) Facebook for example.



you can uninstall but it is a faff - and they reappear if you reset the phone

dunno about hiding/disabling apps - probably, though


----------



## Rosemary Jest (Jun 15, 2020)

Bought an Alcatel 3L 2020 for the other half a few weeks back and seems like a good phone so far. £130, 64gb of storage which is good for spotify/music/photos. 48 megapixel camera on it too, seems to take great photos for the price.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jun 15, 2020)

Rosemary Jest said:


> Bought an Alcatel 3L 2020 for the other half a few weeks back and seems like a good phone so far. £130, 64gb of storage which is good for spotify/music/photos. 48 megapixel camera on it too, seems to take great photos for the price.



Amazing what you can get for what's considered to be cheap these days

48mp!  Octacore!


----------



## Rosemary Jest (Jun 15, 2020)

Yeah, seems like a nice phone, the only downside is the screen resolution isn't the highest, but it looks fine to me. And for the money, it's great really.

Gone are the days when I'd pay 30 odd quid a month for at least 18 months for a substandard overpriced phone. I just give myself a price limit and buy the things outright with a cheap SIM deal, makes perfect sense.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jun 15, 2020)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Amazing what you can get for what's considered to be cheap these days
> 
> 48mp!  Octacore!



Megapixels mean nothing if the picture is rubbish.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jun 15, 2020)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Megapixels mean nothing if the picture is rubbish.



I know


----------



## Badgers (Jul 20, 2020)

Sister just broke her Huawei P20 and asked me about a good replacement. 
Wants one with a decent camera (family photo time during school holidays) but is not overly fussy. 

Seen any good deals?


----------



## hash tag (Jul 20, 2020)

Nokia 7. Something?


----------



## editor (Jul 20, 2020)

I'm merging this as there's no reason to have two threads about cheap Android phones!


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 20, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Sister just broke her Huawei P20 and asked me about a good replacement.
> Wants one with a decent camera (family photo time during school holidays) but is not overly fussy.
> 
> Seen any good deals?



P20 is still an OK phone so if she wants equivalent may have to spent a little more. P30 is still very capable and the camera is amazing. Im actually putting up some large canvases I had printed for my Dad at the moment and realise I can read the number of my dogs collar. It's tumbled in price with the p40 being out... 



			https://www.amazon.co.uk/Display-Smartphone-Sim-Free-Android-Version-Aurora/dp/B07PFQNPKW


----------



## Badgers (Jul 20, 2020)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> P20 is still an OK phone so if she wants equivalent may have to spent a little more. P30 is still very capable and the camera is amazing. Im actually putting up some large canvases I had printed for my Dad at the moment and realise I can read the number of my dogs collar. It's tumbled in price with the p40 being out...
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.amazon.co.uk/Display-Smartphone-Sim-Free-Android-Version-Aurora/dp/B07PFQNPKW


Argos are doing the P30 'Lite' for £200 which looks decent.

Suggested this and she said it 'does not have Google Play/App store' which sounded odd?


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 20, 2020)

Badgers said:


> Argos are doing the P30 'Lite' for £200 which looks decent.
> 
> Suggested this and she said it 'does not have Google Play/App store' which sounded odd?



It's not as the new ones don't thanks to Trump. 

P30 lite is a very different beast and a very different camera, not saying its bad, but if the max is £200 there may be better options.


----------



## Badgers (Jul 20, 2020)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> It's not as the new ones don't thanks to Trump.
> 
> P30 lite is a very different beast and a very different camera, not saying its bad, but if the max is £200 there may be better options.


FFS Trump 

£200 would be ideal, could go a bit higher for a good camera/storage/etc


----------



## Badgers (Jul 20, 2020)

This looks okay if a bit pricier  





__





						Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite | Xiaomi UK -   Xiaomi UK
					

Leading video in 5G era | Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ | 765G with 5G | 48MP AI quad camera | 6.57'' AMOLED TrueColour display | 4160mAh(typ) battery 20W fast charge  | NFC Supports Google Pay | Movie quality effortless editing




					www.mi.com
				




They have an offer on for this at £279


----------



## editor (Aug 12, 2020)

Latest update:


Best Overall:_Moto G Power_
Best Upgrade Pick:_Google Pixel 4a_
Best Value:_Moto G Fast_
Best International Phone:_OnePlus Nord_
Best Design:_Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite_
Best Budget Samsung Phone:_Samsung Galaxy A51_
Best Features:_TCL 10L_
Best Build Quality:_Nokia 7.2_
Best With a Stylus:_Moto G Stylus_
Best Under $200:_Nokia 4.2_
Best Under $150:_Moto E (2020)_
Best Cameras:_Samsung Galaxy A71_









						Best cheap Android phones 2022
					

Yes, you can actually get an amazing phone for under $500.




					www.androidcentral.com


----------



## kebabking (Aug 12, 2020)

_personally _I wouldn't buy a Chinese built/owned phone - Moto _et al: _regardless of who wins the US election the pressure on US firms like Google to not do business with China is going to increase, so there's a good chance you might by it and it might start to lose functionality /miss updates long before it's time to replace it.

The moral argument is for the individual, but the above should be a consideration for all - certainly my employer is getting more and more anxious about employees using Chinese phones and software. They aren't allowed in certain rooms, they aren't allowed on certain deployments, they aren't allowed to be used for official use above X classification rating, and my employer is steadily spreading those rules out to its suppliers.

My Moto G6+ has been pretty good, but I won't be getting another Moto (Lenovo) when the contract is up at the end of the month - it'll be either a Samsung or Nokia.


----------



## editor (Aug 12, 2020)

kebabking said:


> _personally _I wouldn't buy a Chinese built/owned phone - Moto _et al: _regardless of who wins the US election the pressure on US firms like Google to not do business with China is going to increase, so there's a good chance you might by it and it might start to lose functionality /miss updates long before it's time to replace it.
> 
> The moral argument is for the individual, but the above should be a consideration for all - certainly my employer is getting more and more anxious about employees using Chinese phones and software. They aren't allowed in certain rooms, they aren't allowed on certain deployments, they aren't allowed to be used for official use above X classification rating, and my employer is steadily spreading those rules out to its suppliers.
> 
> My Moto G6+ has been pretty good, but I won't be getting another Moto (Lenovo) when the contract is up at the end of the month - it'll be either a Samsung or Nokia.


There's been zero cases of _existing _Chinese phones having any Google functionality removed or the threat of that happening later - it's only the new models you need to worry about, but you're unlikely to buy one of those and not know about its shortcomings.  I don't know who you work for but for most people I can't imagine their choice of personal handset being of any interest to their employer.


----------



## Chz (Aug 13, 2020)

editor said:


> Latest update:
> 
> 
> Best Overall:_Moto G Power_
> ...


American list, so lack of Redmi Note 9 Pro, pretty much the unquestioned value leader for under £250. Same battery size and general price to the G Power, but better specced.


----------



## Chz (Aug 17, 2020)

Just to point out, the Redmi Note 9 Pro has a sale on the Xiaomi site right now. (and their other phones, too)

Use code 10YEAR for 15 off 100
Use code 10YEAR30 for 30 off 200
Use code 10YEAR40 for 40 off 300

I got the 9 Pro for the missus at £199 shipped and supported from the UK. Not much more than ordering it from China!




__





						Redmi Note 9 Pro | Xiaomi UK | Mi.com -   Xiaomi UK
					

Get Redmi Note 9 Pro on xiaomi official website. Flagship-level quad camera with brilliant details. High-performance octa-core processor. Fast charging, long standby time.




					mobile.mi.com


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 6, 2020)

The Teracube 2e is available at the moment for $99 from indiegogo - and the 4yr warranty extends to the UK!

See: This phone has a 4-year warranty, replaceable battery, and costs $99 right now

Buy:  Teracube 2e: Next Evolution of Sustainable Phones 





Looks good to me so I'm chancing £77 on this

YMMV


----------



## Rosemary Jest (Oct 7, 2020)

Throbbing Angel said:


> The Teracube 2e is available at the moment for $99 from indiegogo - and the 4yr warranty extends to the UK!
> 
> See: This phone has a 4-year warranty, replaceable battery, and costs $99 right now
> 
> ...




It does look good indeed, more of this kind of thing is needed.


----------



## Chz (Oct 7, 2020)

It looks very good at that price point, but they're still only at the prototype stage. I wouldn't expect to see one any time soon. The processor will be even more out of date by then (it's the sort of thing that was in sub-£200 phones 3 years ago). But I'll give them that it's a good minimum level of performance - just can't do anything fancy.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 7, 2020)

Chz said:


> It looks very good at that price point, but they're still only at the prototype stage. I wouldn't expect to see one any time soon. The processor will be even more out of date by then (it's the sort of thing that was in sub-£200 phones 3 years ago). But I'll give them that it's a good minimum level of performance - just can't do anything fancy.




I'm comforted by the fact that they've made and sold phones before and...


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 7, 2020)

Rosemary Jest said:


> It does look good indeed, more of this kind of thing is needed.



indeed


----------



## Saul Goodman (Oct 7, 2020)

Throbbing Angel said:


>


It looks like a fairly decent phone for the price but having seen many crowd funding events, especially those for electronics, I'd take any release date with a large pinch of salt.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 7, 2020)

Saul Goodman said:


> It looks like a fairly decent phone for the price but having seen many crowd funding events, especially those for electronics, I'd take any release date with a large pinch of salt.




Yeah, but, Soy Ink!  
  I know what you mean, though.  Some companies are shit at delivering anywhere near on their estimates (I'm looking at you *Textblade *and Freewrite's *Traveler* model).

I'm heartened by the fact these guys have made and produced and sold phones before, though.  So they're tooled up, have experience etc.


----------



## Riness (Oct 20, 2020)

Saul Goodman said:


> It looks like a fairly decent phone for the price but having seen many crowd funding events, especially those for electronics, I'd take any release date with a large pinch of salt.


You reminded me.


----------



## Saul Goodman (Oct 20, 2020)

Riness said:


> You reminded me.


Glad to be of help. 
What did I remind you of?


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 22, 2020)

Today only apparently - Redmi Note 9 4GB 128GB £129 at Xiaomi UK - 35%/£70 off




__





						Redmi Note 9 4GB 128GB £129 at Xiaomi UK | hotukdeals
					






					www.hotukdeals.com


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 22, 2020)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Today only apparently - Redmi Note 9 4GB 128GB £129 at Xiaomi UK - 35%/£70 off
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Big phone, big battery, big storage.

So the 4gb / 128gb version is £50 cheaper than the 3gb/64gb model, until midnight anyway. But only in *Green*









						404 - Xiaomi UK
					

Xiaomi UK, Xiaomi Official Online Store offers quality products at honest price. Get Xiaomi phones and accessories including Mi MIX 3 5G, Mi 9 Lite, Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 8T, Mi Smart Band 4 on mi.com/uk




					www.mi.com
				




Specs:  Redmi Note 9 | Xiaomi UK | Mi.com -   Xiaomi UK


----------



## Saul Goodman (Oct 22, 2020)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Big phone, big battery, big storage.
> 
> So the 4gb / 128gb version is £50 cheaper than the 3gb/64gb model, until midnight anyway. But only in *Green*
> 
> ...


 Cheap as chips. A case sorts the colour


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 22, 2020)

Saul Goodman said:


> Cheap as chips. A case sorts the colour



Aye.  I'd be all over this if I wasn't 6 months into a 2 year deal.


----------



## mhendo (Oct 25, 2020)

I'm currently using a Motorola Moto x4, which I bought in May 2018. I really like the phone, and it has served me well, particularly since I really don't do anything very hard core with my phone. It's mainly for texting, email, podcasts, music, and the occasional photo when I don't have my camera with me. I don't play games or even watch video on any sort of regular basis.

In terms of general performance, I don't even need to upgrade. The problem is that the rapid charging function on the phone is now completely nonfunctional. I began to have problems with it a few months ago, and would have to really push the connector in to make sure that I got rapid charging, but now it only charges slowly, meaning that it takes a good five or six hours to charge fully and I have to be careful to keep it charged overnight.

Also, the headphone jack has been used so much that it is now pretty loose, and it's hard to keep my headphones in there. If I stick them in and put the phone in my pocket, the slightest jostling of the headphone jack will cause it to disconnect and the sound to stop. I do have Bluetooth earphones, and I'm happy to use those for things like podcasts, but for music I find the sound quality of my wired earbuds much better.

As a replacement, I've been looking at the Moto G Power, which is super cheap and has basically everything I need in a phone. About the only reservation I have is that it lacks NFC. This is not a function I use very often, but there are times when it really comes in handy, like a few weeks ago when I drove 40 miles to buy some stuff, and realized when I arrived that I had left my wallet on the table at home. Luckily, the place took Google Pay and I was able to make sure that it wasn't a wasted journey. It would also be nice if the Power was water resistant, like my current Moto x4. I'm not sure that I have ever needed this, but it does provide some peace of mind in case you get soaked or drop it down the toilet or something like that.

The other one I am considering right now is the Pixel 4a. It doesn't have the massive battery power of the Motorola, but reviews suggest that, even with high video use, it easily gets a full day on a charge. It also lacks water resistance, but it does have NFC. It would be my first phone without any storage expansion slot like microSD, which would be a little annoying, but it is a 128 GB phone, which is probably plenty for me.

In terms of pricing, the Motorola is definitely better value for money when both phones are at full price, but I can currently get the Pixel 4a for $US216 (instead of the usual price of $349), because Google is running a subscription special on its Fi wireless service. I am already with Fi, and have been for more than two years, and I was going to stick with them anyway, so there is no real downside for me to take the subscription deal, which would require me to pay off the phone at nine dollars a month over two years. If you leave Fi, or want to pay the phone off early, you have to pay the full price.


----------



## Badgers (Oct 25, 2020)

POCO X3 NFC- Smartphone 6+128GB, 6,67” FHD+ Punch-hole Display, Snapdragon 732G, 64MP AI Penta-Camera, 5160mAh, Shadow Gray (Official UK Version + 2 Years Warranty): Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
					

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy POCO X3 NFC- Smartphone 6+128GB, 6, 67” FHD+ Punch-hole Display, Snapdragon 732G, 64MP AI Penta-Camera, 5160mAh, Shadow Gray (Official UK Version + 2 Years Warranty) at Amazon UK.



					www.amazon.co.uk


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 26, 2020)

Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite - Smartphone 6+128GB, 6,67” FHD+ DotDisplay, Snapdragon 750G, 64MP AI Quad Camera, 4820mAh, Pearl Gray (UK Version + 2 Years Warranty): Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
					

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite - Smartphone 6+128GB, 6, 67” FHD+ DotDisplay, Snapdragon 750G, 64MP AI Quad Camera, 4820mAh, Pearl Gray (UK Version + 2 Years Warranty) at Amazon UK.



					smile.amazon.co.uk


----------



## On Fire (Oct 26, 2020)

Cheap Android recommendations:
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Motorola Moto G9 Play


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Nov 3, 2020)

not recommendation as I don't have these phones but these are reduced at the moment...

Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC Shadow Grey or Cobolt Blue 6.67" 128GB 6GB 4G Unlocked & SIM Free (£209-128GB, £189-64GB) @ Laptops Direct




__





						Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC Shadow Grey or Cobolt Blue 6.67" 128GB 6GB 4G Unlocked & SIM Free £199 - 128GB / £189 - 64GB @ Laptops Direct | hotukdeals
					






					www.hotukdeals.com
				





Redmi Note 9 3gb / 64gb £119 - Mi Note 10 Lite (+ buds) 6gb / 128gb £249 - Mi 10 Lite 5g 6gb / 64gb £199 @ Xiaomi




__





						Redmi Note 9 3gb / 64gb £119 - Mi Note 10 Lite (+ buds) 6gb / 128gb £249 - Mi 10 Lite 5g 6gb / 64gb £199 @ Xiaomi | hotukdeals
					






					www.hotukdeals.com


----------



## mhendo (Dec 14, 2020)

I was getting close to buying a Google Pixel 4a, and then over Thanksgiving, Google had a special on the Samsung Galaxy A71 5G, offering it for $US249. That seemed like a bargain for a phone that originally retailed at $600, and that is still generally $450 for an unlocked version.

There was a condition on the cheap price: the phone had to be activated on the Google Fi network within 30 days, and has to stay on that network for at least 90 days. I've been using Fi for over two years, and had no plans to change anyway, so I grabbed it. It arrived today, and I just finished setting it up. Seems like a really nice phone. It's about a centimeter taller than my Moto X4, but the very narrow bezels compared to the Motorola means that the Samsung has heaps more screen real estate.

I like the big battery (4500mAh), and the expandable microSD storage. It doesn't have the water resistance of my Moto X4, but the Pixel 4a doesn't either. I'll need to get a case of some sort, because like most phones nowdays, it's slippery as an eel in the hands.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Dec 15, 2020)

mhendo said:


> I was getting close to buying a Google Pixel 4a, and then over Thanksgiving, Google had a special on the Samsung Galaxy A71 5G, offering it for $US249. That seemed like a bargain for a phone that originally retailed at $600, and that is still generally $450 for an unlocked version.
> 
> There was a condition on the cheap price: the phone had to be activated on the Google Fi network within 30 days, and has to stay on that network for at least 90 days. I've been using Fi for over two years, and had no plans to change anyway, so I grabbed it. It arrived today, and I just finished setting it up. Seems like a really nice phone. It's about a centimeter taller than my Moto X4, but the very narrow bezels compared to the Motorola means that the Samsung has heaps more screen real estate.
> 
> I like the big battery (4500mAh), and the expandable microSD storage. It doesn't have the water resistance of my Moto X4, but the Pixel 4a doesn't either. I'll need to get a case of some sort, because like most phones nowdays, it's slippery as an eel in the hands.




Nice.  I have an A71.  Assume it  isn't 5g.

I went for the official Samsung case that talks to the phone so you get alerts thru the little window on the case etc. I think it was £20 ish.  They are slippery otherwise.

e2a... This is the case I  got dunno if it fits yours 





						Samsung Original Galaxy A71 S-View Wallet Cover: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
					

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy Samsung Original Galaxy A71 S-View Wallet Cover/Folio Mobile Phone Case – Black at Amazon UK.



					www.amazon.co.uk


----------



## mhendo (Dec 15, 2020)

Throbbing Angel said:


> I went for the official Samsung case that talks to the phone so you get alerts thru the little window on the case etc. I think it was £20 ish. They are slippery otherwise.


Snap! That's exactly what I did. I just went out and picked up my Samsung case this morning.

It's a nice case, and I'm happy with it, although under some circumstances I can see myself getting a little annoyed with a wallet-style case, which requires you to get the cover out of the way in order to use the phone's full functions.

Everything I've read suggests that having 5G won't really be of much benefit, especially given how I use the phone. I'm not a big data hog. I would have been quite happy with the regular 4G version, but it was the 5G that was on sale. Interestingly, the two versions are slightly different in size, and the same case won't fit both phones.


----------



## kazza007 (Jan 1, 2021)

Hello everyone. I have a mate 10 pro for the last couple of years. What would be considered a good android upgrade.. In terms of screen size, sound, power, battery life.. Happy to spend £300-500, don't mind 2nd hand, etc. Not in a rush, just seeing what's out there! Have a student and blue light card if it helps


----------



## a_chap (Jan 1, 2021)

kazza007 said:


> Have a student and blue light card if it helps



I didn't know you could trade in students for phones.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jan 1, 2021)

kazza007 said:


> Hello everyone. I have a mate 10 pro for the last couple of years. What would be considered a good android upgrade.. In terms of screen size, sound, power, battery life.. Happy to spend £300-500, don't mind 2nd hand, etc. Not in a rush, just seeing what's out there! Have a student and blue light card if it helps


I bought a samsung galaxy a70 last the year before last for about £300 or so.  A decent phone with loads of storage and a great battery life.  Works well with no complaints so far.  Only one shitty little speaker on the bottom of the phone so that's a downside, but I never use it to listen to stuff without headphones.


----------



## mhendo (Jan 1, 2021)

farmerbarleymow said:


> Only one shitty little speaker on the bottom of the phone so that's a downside, but I never use it to listen to stuff without headphones.


Yeah, before I bought my A71, I looked at a bunch of reviews, and they all made the same point about a terrible single speaker.

That means nothing to me. Who the hell listens to music—or any sounds worth hearing—on their phone without using headphones? About the only people I've ever seen using the external speakers on their phones are a few assholes who insist on playing their music out loud on public transit.


----------



## kazza007 (Jan 1, 2021)

I really want vanilla android, so maybe not Samsung unless they're better now (last samsung I had was a note 4 I think many years ago). I use my phone for multimedia and socials, so a screen size of at least the mate 10 pro and great sound and screen resolution are essential.


----------



## kazza007 (Jan 2, 2021)

I think I may go back to Samsung after years, especially at the hauwei issues. Looking at a s10 5g on ebay.


----------



## Chz (Jan 2, 2021)

> I really want vanilla android


Then you buy a Pixel. Even phones with a reputation of being somewhat more vanilla (eg: Moto and One+) are quite heavily skinned. 
This is the way.
On the flipside, the non-Chinese-market phones are all considerably less full of dreck than they used to be. People have seen that having the nicest skin didn't save HTC.


----------



## mhendo (Jan 2, 2021)

I've had my Samsung A71 for a few weeks now, and I don't mind their One UI 2.0. It's certainly not vanilla android, but it seems fine to me, and it gets pretty decent reviews. Apparently version 3 just got released, and will be rolling out to different phone models over the next few months.


----------



## kazza007 (Jan 4, 2021)

I've ordered the Samsung s10 5g. Looking forward to messing with it .


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Apr 5, 2021)

any particular recommendations at the moment? 

my nearly 5 year old moto g (3rd generation) is showing signs of distress again and i think it might have to be retired soon.

i'm not in a position where it's got to be cheapest thing going, but i just wouldn't feel comfortable with anything that cost more than 200 quid at the most i case i drop the bloody thing.

ideal would be about the same sort of size (it's about 14 x 7 cm / 5 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches)  - i don't want something enormous (this is almost ideal shirt pocket size) but the previous samsung was just a bit too small for my paws to cope with the keyboard.


----------



## On Fire (Apr 5, 2021)

Puddy_Tat said:


> any particular recommendations at the moment?
> 
> my nearly 5 year old moto g (3rd generation) is showing signs of distress again and i think it might have to be retired soon.
> 
> ...



I tend to think Samsung make slightly better made and better supported phones than Motorola these days.


----------



## On Fire (Apr 5, 2021)

I would probably go with a Samsung Galaxy A12 or Galaxy A32 5G.


----------



## Chz (Apr 5, 2021)

At a similar price the Moto G9 Play is more powerful (quite noticeably so) than the Samsung A12. They're roughly the same size, as well. Probably a bit on the large size, based on what you've said but phones under 6.5" are rare these days. Samsung's recent upgrade in their length of support does not affect the A12, so that one potential advantage is out the window.

Edit: If you're willing to deal with the way the Chinese like their interface set up (it takes some adjustment), this is smaller, better specced, and cheaper: realme Store


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Apr 5, 2021)

After posting this on the wrong thread...

I belive the Poco x3 is good value at that price range. I belive Badgers got one so could probably tell you more.






						Xiaomi UK
					






					mobile.mi.com


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Apr 5, 2021)

My daughter loves her Redmi Note 9.  YMMV.

These (below) are on offer today @ Amazon (different model to my daughter's)


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Apr 5, 2021)

Samsung A12  vs Moto G9 play  vs Redmi Note 9 thanks to GSm Arena's comparison tool





__





						Compare Samsung Galaxy A12 vs. Motorola Moto G9 Play vs. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 - GSMArena.com
					






					www.gsmarena.com


----------



## Ax^ (Apr 5, 2021)

Puddy_Tat said:


> any particular recommendations at the moment?
> 
> my nearly 5 year old moto g (3rd generation) is showing signs of distress again and i think it might have to be retired soon.
> 
> ...



be sporting a g6 for about a year

might be quite cheap now


----------



## Chz (Apr 6, 2021)

We have a Redmi Note 9 Pro in the house, and it is indeed a fantastic phone. I disregarded it because it is definitely on the OMGHUGE side of things.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Apr 7, 2021)

Chz said:


> We have a Redmi Note 9 Pro in the house, and it is indeed a fantastic phone. I disregarded it because it is definitely on the OMGHUGE side of things.


They are. As I said, lil'Angel loves hers.  And, cheaper again today according to HUKD.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Apr 10, 2021)

More xiaomi / Mi based frenzy over at Mi Fan Festival 2021

e.g

POCO X3 NFC 6GB + 128GB Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 732G. *£169*  down from £249
Mi 10T Lite | 5G 6GB+128GB 64MP camera | 120Hz display *£199* down from £299
Redmi 9A 2GB+32GB 6.53" large display | 5000mAh battery *£ 69*  down from £ 99
Redmi 9 3GB+32GB Redmi 9 Green 3GB+32GB *£89  *down from £ 139


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (Jul 3, 2021)

My mum's old Motorola something or other is dying, so she needs a new phone. She's on an insanely cheap Tesco mobile deal and doesn't use much data, so I'm inclined to buy her something outright and just put the old SIM in it.

What's the current go to for a cheap android phone (ideally without much OEM crap software on it) with a decent camera?


Edit - Looking at a Moto G10, seems OK for £130?


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (Jul 3, 2021)

Or have found a g30 for the same price, except it says it ships with Android 10, not 11. There are others available with 11 for more money, but presumably I could just update the software? Or is it not that easy with Android?


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 3, 2021)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> Or have found a g30 for the same price, except it says it ships with Android 10, not 11. There are others available with 11 for more money, but presumably I could just update the software? Or is it not that easy with Android?



It has to be supported by the manufacturer, however this review suggests it has Android 11.









						Moto g10 review: Very cheap, surprisingly good
					

Motorola's latest budget phone gives you what you need, but not much more




					www.tomsguide.com


----------



## On Fire (Jul 3, 2021)

__





						Motorola Moto G30 - Full phone specifications
					






					m.gsmarena.com
				




G30 ships with Android 11 according to the authoritive GSMArena


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (Jul 3, 2021)

Cool, one G30 ordered with a case for £140


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Jul 4, 2021)

finally decided to go for the motorola g8 power - just slightly smaller than the average, and john lewis had it on special offer.

got it more or less sorted out, then find that the sim card i have is too big and can't see obvious dotted lines to extract nano SIM from the current one (i'm not attacking it with a knife, and don't want to risk breaking the damn thing.)

sod.

new sim card now requested.


----------



## On Fire (Jul 5, 2021)

There is something great about a good, cheap Android. Feels like beating the system, that says you have to spend loads, or sign up to a long expensive contract to get a phone.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Jul 5, 2021)

On Fire said:


> There is something great about a good, cheap Android. Feels like beating the system, that says you have to spend loads, or sign up to a long expensive contract to get a phone.



Indeed there is.

Just managed to snag myself a Xiaomi POCO X3 Pro Frost Blue 8GB + 256GB and thanks to *HUKD* it was £169 instead of £249! And a free rucksack 

Dropped my A71 and smashed the screen to buggery 9 months back. Had the screen fixed but I am sure more damage was done internally as it only rings/alerts/alarms when it bloody feels like it.

lil'Angel loves her Redmi phone so I thought I'd have a go too.


----------



## On Fire (Aug 2, 2021)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G​For £109.
Bit of a bargain on Vodafone pay as you go. I have ordered one. It is unlocked according to Hot Deals UK.



			https://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/phones/pay-as-you-go/xiaomi/redmi-note-10-5g


----------



## MrSki (Sep 20, 2021)

On Fire said:


> Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G​For £109.
> Bit of a bargain on Vodafone pay as you go. I have ordered one. It is unlocked according to Hot Deals UK.
> 
> 
> ...


My old phone died (Well could not charge it) so I got a 128GB one of these. After having to get a new SIM from EE (can take two SIMS) & a bit of faffing I am pretty pleased with it. Only really use the phone for phone calls & texts but I am sure I will move into the 21st Century with time & use some of the other features.
 It is great value for money. Fast charging is a godsend.


----------



## Me76 (Sep 20, 2021)

I need a new phone as my Honor 9 is running through battery a but too quickly for my liking. Its lasted 4.5 years though so I am impressed.  

What's annoying me is the size of them all.  6 inches is more than enough for me.  It really limits the choice.


----------



## Badgers (Sep 20, 2021)

Me76 said:


> 6 inches is more than enough for me


PM on way x


----------



## Puddy_Tat (Sep 20, 2021)




----------



## Riklet (Sep 30, 2021)

Me76 said:


> I need a new phone as my Honor 9 is running through battery a but too quickly for my liking. Its lasted 4.5 years though so I am impressed.
> 
> What's annoying me is the size of them all.  6 inches is more than enough for me.  It really limits the choice.



Can you just take it to a shop and get them to do a battert replacement?

If it still works fine and youre happy enough why upgrade?


----------



## MrSki (Sep 30, 2021)

MrSki said:


> My old phone died (Well could not charge it) so I got a 128GB one of these. After having to get a new SIM from EE (can take two SIMS) & a bit of faffing I am pretty pleased with it. Only really use the phone for phone calls & texts but I am sure I will move into the 21st Century with time & use some of the other features.
> It is great value for money. Fast charging is a godsend.


Mostly still happy apart from it does not support contactless payments so I can't be one of those flash fuckers paying for things with their phone. Apart from that it is still amazing compared to the shite I had before. It is not too much of a hassle to have to actually get my wallet out of my pocket and use the bleeding card but am a bit disappointed with the lack of this feature. 
Would still recommend it for £130 for 128 GB


----------



## Me76 (Oct 1, 2021)

Riklet said:


> Can you just take it to a shop and get them to do a battert replacement?
> 
> If it still works fine and youre happy enough why upgrade?


Done one of those already and it's made no difference.  

Splashed out to £500 for a galaxy s10e but I'm sending that back as the battery life was even worse than my current phone.


----------



## On Fire (Oct 1, 2021)

MrSki said:


> Mostly still happy apart from it does not support contactless payments so I can't be one of those flash fuckers paying for things with their phone. Apart from that it is still amazing compared to the shite I had before. It is not too much of a hassle to have to actually get my wallet out of my pocket and use the bleeding card but am a bit disappointed with the lack of this feature.
> Would still recommend it for £130 for 128 GB



I am puzzled by this, as mine has NFC and Google Pay. I have not actually used it though, as I bank with Barclays and they don't support Google Pay. But for more or less any other UK bank, it should work.


----------



## MrSki (Oct 1, 2021)

On Fire said:


> I am puzzled by this, as mine has NFC and Google Pay. I have not actually used it though, as I bank with Barclays and they don't support Google Pay. But for more or less any other UK bank, it should work.


I bank with Barclays & mine does not have NFC but does have google pay. Have you got the Remi Note 10 or the note 10 pro?


----------



## On Fire (Oct 2, 2021)

MrSki said:


> I bank with Barclays & mine does not have NFC but does have google pay. Have you got the Remi Note 10 or the note 10 pro?



I have the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G and it has NFC and Google Pay. Here is the guide for turning on NFC:









						Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G - Turn NFC on or off | Vodafone UK
					

NFC (Near Field Communication) is a wireless connection which can be used to transfer information to and from your phone. By holding your phone close to an NFC tag or NFC reader you can pay for groceries, connect to web pages or call a phone number and more.




					deviceguides.vodafone.co.uk
				




Barclays don't support Google Pay, so that might be the problem also.


----------



## MrSki (Oct 2, 2021)

On Fire said:


> I have the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G and it has NFC and Google Pay. Here is the guide for turning on NFC:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks.   

ETA not happening for me.


----------



## Jim6 (Oct 22, 2021)

On Fire said:


> I am puzzled by this, as mine has NFC and Google Pay. I have not actually used it though, as I bank with Barclays and they don't support Google Pay. But for more or less any other UK bank, it should work.


This has been interesting. I have a Redmi 9 Note and with Barclays and used contactless which is available through the Barclays app, not Google Pay.  You may already know this now. It worked for a few months but then stopped which I'm trying to sort out with Barclays Help.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 26, 2021)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Indeed there is.
> 
> Just managed to snag myself a Xiaomi POCO X3 Pro Frost Blue 8GB + 256GB and thanks to *HUKD* it was £169 instead of £249! And a free rucksack
> 
> ...



Right...  I tried the POCO X3 Pro a few times and I hate it. Summat to do with their software and finding things just winds me up to buggery.  I can always skin the UI with Nova Launcher or summat so that's not the issue.

As a result, I've struggled with the A71 and it is getting daft now with how often it doesn't alert me to texts or Signals or WhatsApps.
Yet it rings every time when people call me - WTF is going on?

So, please convince me how to proceed in a way with the POCO that'll make me not hate it or suggest me another Droid that I can keep for 2 - 3 years. Not necessarily a cheapo phone.

I'm 18 months into a 24 month contract so am sticking with same SIM.   Need dual SIM for work.


----------



## Saul Goodman (Oct 26, 2021)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Right...  I tried the POCO X3 Pro a few times and I hate it. Summat to do with their software and finding things just winds me up to buggery.  I can always skin the UI with Nova Launcher or summat so that's not the issue.
> 
> As a result, I've struggled with the A71 and it is getting daft now with how often it doesn't alert me to texts or Signals or WhatsApps.
> Yet it rings every time when people call me - WTF is going on?
> ...


Ditch the crappy Chinese bloatware/spyware ROM and Install the EU ROM. 








						MIUI 12.0 - MIUI 12.0/12.1/12.2/12.5 STABLE RELEASE
					

STABLE RELEASE    RULES WHEN POSTING 1. If a ROM is not published DONT ASK ABOUT ITS ETA 2. If a ROM is not published DONT ASK why! 3. If a ROM is available, download it and use it 4. If a ROM has bugs, post the bug to the bug section if the BUG is not already listed 5. If you use any form of...




					xiaomi.eu


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 26, 2021)

Saul Goodman said:


> Ditch the crappy Chinese bloatware/spyware ROM and Install the EU ROM.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oooh - will have a read.   Have you done this?


----------



## Saul Goodman (Oct 26, 2021)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Oooh - will have a read.   Have you done this?


It's the first thing I do on all of my Xiaomi phones. Unlock the bootloader and install the EU ROM. I think the bootloader may already be unlocked on the X3 Pro. It was on the one I bought but it might vary depending on where it comes from.
Its definitely worth doing.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Nov 13, 2021)

Saul Goodman said:


> It's the first thing I do on all of my Xiaomi phones. Unlock the bootloader and install the EU ROM. I think the bootloader may already be unlocked on the X3 Pro. It was on the one I bought but it might vary depending on where it comes from.
> Its definitely worth doing.



Was just about to start the process and was surprised to find that I need to link it to a computer to unlock the bootloader.

Anyone know if there is a way of unlocking the bootloader and installing the EU ROM Saul Goodman linked to above without having to use another device? Or is there no way around this?


----------



## Saul Goodman (Nov 13, 2021)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Was just about to start the process and was surprised to find that I need to link it to a computer to unlock the bootloader.
> 
> Anyone know if there is a way of unlocking the bootloader and installing the EU ROM Saul Goodman linked to above without having to use another device? Or is there no way around this?


Have you checked in the developer options to check it's not already unlocked?
I think a computer is necessary first time round.


----------



## wemakeyousoundb (Nov 17, 2021)

Think I might have to go for one of those redmi note 10 as my 5 year old cheap HTC is nearing the end of it's useful life with only 16Gb storage a rapidly deteriorating battery life and a habit of nuking SD card used as internal storage at the most inconvenient of times. Gonna have to keep an eye out for deals.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Nov 18, 2021)

wemakeyousoundb said:


> Think I might have to go for one of those redmi note 10 as my 5 year old cheap HTC is nearing the end of it's useful life with only 16Gb storage a rapidly deteriorating battery life and a habit of nuking SD card used as internal storage at the most inconvenient of times. Gonna have to keep an eye out for deals.


Xiaomi phones seem to crop up as deals on HUKD pretty regularly.  There's also summation called Xiaomi Friday going on over at mi.com, discounts ahoy.


----------



## BristolEcho (Nov 18, 2021)

wemakeyousoundb said:


> Think I might have to go for one of those redmi note 10 as my 5 year old cheap HTC is nearing the end of it's useful life with only 16Gb storage a rapidly deteriorating battery life and a habit of nuking SD card used as internal storage at the most inconvenient of times. Gonna have to keep an eye out for deals.


I got my Sony from Handtec second hand and it's been a delight. Might be worth seeing what they have. 12 month warranty.


----------



## wemakeyousoundb (Dec 6, 2021)

Am now wondering whether to go 10 (159) 10S (£179) 10 5G (£170) or 10 pro (£220) 
I don't really need the fancy camera which seem to me the major appeal for the pro version and am unsure wheterh I need 5G (but am planning on keeping this phone until it cracks at the seams as always)


----------



## MrSki (Dec 6, 2021)

I got the ten for £119 but upgraded to 128 GB for another 20 quid. Got it off ebay.


----------



## Chz (Dec 7, 2021)

I think the basic 10's waterproofing has been found a bit sub-standard, it has no NFC for Google Pay, and it has only 4GB of RAM. For the small extra price, the 10S is worth it. Only downside is that the 10S is actually a hair slower than the 10 (Mediatek vs. Snapdragon SoC), but I doubt you'd notice the difference.

The Pro's screen is noticeably nicer, and it's pretty much that and the camera you're paying for. On paper the fastest of the 3, but the difference is slight again.


----------



## Part 2 (Dec 26, 2021)

My Pixel 3 seems to have given up. I think I've fucked up the port on the phone trying to clean it out so now the cable won't stay put. Had it 3 years and was only last week thinking how amazing it was the original charger cable was still fully working.

Much as it's nice having a good camera I don't use it often and don't need a flagship phone. The performance of the pixel was quite fast enough.

What's the cheapest I can spend?....Are there really £100 phones around?


----------



## Chz (Dec 27, 2021)

There are, but I'd advise that the best value for money is in the £150-200 range. A £160 phone is quite a lot better than a £110 one.
Xiaomi currently has the Redmi 10 on sale for £159 with some headphones tossed in. That's about the minimum spec I'd go for.


----------



## Part 2 (Dec 27, 2021)

Chz said:


> There are, but I'd advise that the best value for money is in the £150-200 range. A £160 phone is quite a lot better than a £110 one.
> Xiaomi currently has the Redmi 10 on sale for £159 with some headphones tossed in. That's about the minimum spec I'd go for.


After some more scraping about in the port I managed to clean it out. Was surprised how hard I could go at it and how little it takes for the connection to be blocked. Still only works with the lead one way but it's been like that since I got it and seems to be a common problems.


----------



## MrSki (Dec 27, 2021)

Part 2 said:


> After some more scraping about in the port I managed to clean it out. Was surprised how hard I could go at it and how little it takes for the connection to be blocked. Still only works with the lead one way but it's been like that since I got it and seems to be a common problems.


Well I replace mine when matchsticks& other means of support was not doing it anymore & lost my data that was not really important but could have been.  Plus I had to wait 2 days for a modern sim card that works on a modern phone.


----------



## wemakeyousoundb (Dec 27, 2021)

Chz said:


> There are, but I'd advise that the best value for money is in the £150-200 range. A £160 phone is quite a lot better than a £110 one.
> Xiaomi currently has the Redmi 10 on sale for £159 with some headphones tossed in. That's about the minimum spec I'd go for.


Yep, finally ordered a 10S today


----------



## paul russell999 (Dec 28, 2021)

I really need a new phone anyway (black blobs over the screen, etc.) but in the meantime is there any way to get rid of the stupid Huawei music app? It doesn't give you an "uninstall" option (of course), only force stop or disable. But even after doing that, from yesterday, it's opening up every few seconds, making it impossible to do anything, or go into Settings without it popping up. In fact, all the Huawei apps seem to be more like viruses than anything useful. Thanks.

In the long term, I'm looking for the cheapest possible phone that (1) has NFC and (2) isn't Huawei!


----------



## Chz (Dec 28, 2021)

paul russell999 said:


> I really need a new phone anyway (black blobs over the screen, etc.) but in the meantime is there any way to get rid of the stupid Huawei music app? It doesn't give you an "uninstall" option (of course), only force stop or disable. But even after doing that, from yesterday, it's opening up every few seconds, making it impossible to do anything, or go into Settings without it popping up. In fact, all the Huawei apps seem to be more like viruses than anything useful. Thanks.
> 
> In the long term, I'm looking for the cheapest possible phone that (1) has NFC and (2) isn't Huawei!


I don't think you can uninstall Huawei Music except by using third party tools to force it, but I've owned several Huawei phones and never had the problem you describe.  (still using an Honor V20 right now - from when Honor was a Huawei brand, not like now)
Did you maybe accidentally set a gesture to open it?


----------



## paul russell999 (Dec 28, 2021)

Chz said:


> I don't think you can uninstall Huawei Music except by using third party tools to force it, but I've owned several Huawei phones and never had the problem you describe.  (still using an Honor V20 right now - from when Honor was a Huawei brand, not like now)
> Did you maybe accidentally set a gesture to open it?


Thanks. I don't think so. I should have said it's a Huawei P Smart 2019 (POT-LX1) with Android 9.0.

Other apps sometime open randomly, like the Merrian Webster dictionary and Huawei Petal. It's a bit like when your computer goes crazy opening programs, and then you realise a certain keyboard key has got stuck down....

Oh, and a straight vertical white line appeared on the screen a few days ago - don't think that could be related....

Edit - in fact, I can see what it is  - all the apps that are opening are in the same position on the screen! (So it is like a stuck keyboard key)


----------



## reubeniz (Dec 30, 2021)

Part 2 said:


> My Pixel 3 seems to have given up. I think I've fucked up the port on the phone trying to clean it out so now the cable won't stay put. Had it 3 years and was only last week thinking how amazing it was the original charger cable was still fully working.
> 
> Much as it's nice having a good camera I don't use it often and don't need a flagship phone. The performance of the pixel was quite fast enough.
> 
> What's the cheapest I can spend?....Are there really £100 phones around?


Ports have a lifespan.  DOnt quote me but its something like 1500 insertions for mini usb and 3000 for usb c.  Once the port has gone you may have to replace the motherboard aka possibly buy a new phone.  Consider magnet charge cables. The ones i used are NetDot Magnetic cables They last longer than normal cables ( even Anker ones ) and they lead to a lot less insertions as you leave one end in the phone.  Just an idea.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Dec 30, 2021)

reubeniz said:


> Ports have a lifespan.  DOnt quote me but its something like 1500 insertions for mini usb and 3000 for usb c.  Once the port has gone you may have to replace the motherboard aka possibly buy a new phone.  Consider magnet charge cables. The ones i used are NetDot Magnetic cables They last longer than normal cables ( even Anker ones ) and they lead to a lot less insertions as you leave one end in the phone.  Just an idea.



Don't forget those back street phone repair places. Not long after getting my P30 I bent a charging cable in the port by being a klutz and they soldered in a new one for me. Still going strong two years later.


----------



## xsunnysuex (Jan 1, 2022)

Can anyone recommend an android phone that's good for battery life and camera?  Around the £250/£300 price. Please. ☺️
I have a note 9. The battery life used to be ok. But not anymore. And the camera is shockingly bad.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jan 1, 2022)

xsunnysuex said:


> Can anyone recommend an android phone that's good for battery life and camera?  Around the £250/£300 price. Please. ☺️
> I have a note 9. The battery life used to be ok. But not anymore. And the camera is shockingly bad.



OnePlus Nord. Was going to get one for my partner when she thought she'd killed her phone, but it dried out.. 









						OnePlus Nord review
					

The OnePlus Nord is an emphatic return to the mid-range




					www.techradar.com


----------



## yield (Jan 1, 2022)

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8782045
		

 Motorola G9 Power 128GB



			https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9462065
		

 Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G 128GB


----------



## Chz (Jan 1, 2022)

The mid range is not in a good place right now. The sub-250 market is better than it's ever been by a long shot, and it's taken the air out of the mid range. Not many people want to pay a little bit more for a better camera and a smidge of performance, they go for the high end. There are some things in the pipeline, but they'll probably be closer to £400. That MiLite 5g is the only thing current that comes to mind.

Edit: If camera quality is paramount, a two-year old top tier phone with a new battery could be preferable to anything cheap.


----------



## paul russell999 (Jan 4, 2022)

reubeniz said:


> Ports have a lifespan.  DOnt quote me but its something like 1500 insertions for mini usb and 3000 for usb c.  Once the port has gone you may have to replace the motherboard aka possibly buy a new phone.  Consider magnet charge cables. The ones i used are NetDot Magnetic cables They last longer than normal cables ( even Anker ones ) and they lead to a lot less insertions as you leave one end in the phone.  Just an idea.


Interesting. I've had to give up on a couple of phones that I'd had not much more than a year because of problems charging via the mini usb.


----------



## paul russell999 (Jan 10, 2022)

My phone has now completely died, so I'm looking to get a new handset to stick my contract SIM into as soon as possible. I would like NFC as I've got used to using Google Pay, especially as I haven't got a contactless bank card (long story). I can't see anything under £150 with NFC. What are good choices below £200? Thanks.


----------



## yield (Jan 10, 2022)

Motorola G50 5G https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9434622 or Realme 8 5G

Don't think the Xiaomi Redmi 10 has NFC


----------



## MBV (Jan 10, 2022)

Refurb? Google Pixel 3A/3A XL Refurbished

No experience of this seller but there's a few posts on HUKD saying they're ok.

paul russell999


----------



## paul russell999 (Jan 10, 2022)

yield said:


> Motorola G50 5G https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9434622 or Realme 8 5G
> 
> Don't think the Xiaomi Redmi 10 has NFC


Thanks, that Argos link is showing "out of stock" for me for in-store and for delivery.

I went ahead and ordered the very similar Motorola G50 (i.e. not Motorola G50 5G), as it was the only one of the two I could find in stock






						Compare Motorola Moto G50 vs. Motorola Moto G50 5G - GSMArena.com
					






					www.gsmarena.com


----------



## MBV (Jun 1, 2022)

My Pixel 3 has developed an odd problem with the power button in that it seems to register a double press when pressed once. 

The result of this is that the camera launches when ever I try and wake the phone to see screen or lock phone. This seems quite a common problem with the pixel 3. For now I'm going to persevere with it and it's not enough to justify replacing the phone but if anyone has fixed this do shout up.


----------



## LDC (Jul 24, 2022)

I have a Moto G5 that's been brilliant but is now dying. The Motorola naming and numbering confuses the fuck out of me. Is there a newer and better version of the G5? Also been seeing the Xiaomi Note 11 mentioned lots.

Please can someone who knows all this shit just tell me what phone to buy? Budget _maximum _£200 (never spent more than £180 I think) and I much prefer to buy refurbished phones - collapsing eco-systems, etc. etc. Hate loads of pre-installed apps I never use, just browse the web and use a dozen or so apps, no gaming or anything fancy like that, having an average camera fine, needs to have NFC and a decent battery ideally.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 24, 2022)

LDC said:


> I have a Moto G5 that's been brilliant but is now dying. The Motorola naming and numbering confuses the fuck out of me. Is there a newer and better version of the G5? Also been seeing the Xiaomi Note 11 mentioned lots.
> 
> Please can someone who knows all this shit just tell me what phone to buy? Budget _maximum _£200 (never spent more than £180 I think) and I much prefer to buy refurbished phones - collapsing eco-systems, etc. etc. Hate loads of pre-installed apps I never use, just browse the web and use a dozen or so apps, no gaming or anything fancy like that, having an average camera fine, needs to have NFC.



Second hand you could probably get a P30, maybe even a Pro. Although the camera is awesome not just average. Don't get the lite though.


----------



## LDC (Jul 24, 2022)

Motorola P30? God this is all far too complicated for me! I don't want so much choice! Why can't they simplify the naming thing, it's baffling!


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 24, 2022)

LDC said:


> Motorola P30? God this is all far too complicated for me! I don't want so much choice! Why can't they simplify the naming thing, it's baffling!



Sorry, no, Huawei. It's was the last phone they were able to do with full Google before the all the trade war nonsense.


----------



## wemakeyousoundb (Jul 24, 2022)

LDC said:


> I have a Moto G5 that's been brilliant but is now dying. The Motorola naming and numbering confuses the fuck out of me. Is there a newer and better version of the G5? Also been seeing the Xiaomi Note 11 mentioned lots.
> 
> Please can someone who knows all this shit just tell me what phone to buy? Budget _maximum _£200 (never spent more than £180 I think) and I much prefer to buy refurbished phones - collapsing eco-systems, etc. etc. Hate loads of pre-installed apps I never use, just browse the web and use a dozen or so apps, no gaming or anything fancy like that, having an average camera fine, needs to have NFC and a decent battery ideally.


got a redmi note 10 end of last year, pretty happy with it, the redmi note 11 was above my budget.
Check on their website for offers they come up regularly .


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## xsunnysuex (Jul 25, 2022)

I had a Redmi note 9 pro. Was a brilliant phone. The battery and fast charge were amazing. I loved it.
But after a Miui update,  the battery life turned shit. And the fast charge turned into slow charge. Taking almost all day to reach 100%
I was totally shocked by Amazon. Despite owning it since Jan. Today they've offered a full refund. So it's going back tomorrow.
Today I got a Honor x8. So far so good.


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## LDC (Jul 25, 2022)

xsunnysuex said:


> I had a Redmi note 9 pro. Was a brilliant phone. The battery and fast charge were amazing. I loved it.
> But after a Miui update,  the battery life turned shit. And the fast charge turned into slow charge. Taking almost all day to reach 100%
> I was totally shocked by Amazon. Despite owning it since Jan. Today they've offered a full refund. So it's going back tomorrow.
> Today I got a Honor x8. So far so good.



The only things that have put me off Redmi is not finding one refurbished, and also read they come full of random apps that you can't remove, any truth to that xsunnysuex?


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 25, 2022)

LDC said:


> The only things that have put me off Redmi is not finding one refurbished, and also read they come full of random apps that you can't remove, any truth to that xsunnysuex?



That's true of most phones. Cleanest you'll probably get is a Google Pixel.

It's not really an issue to me on Android. Just have the stuff you use in your launcher and ignore what's in the app draw.


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## Chz (Jul 25, 2022)

You'll not find one, other than a Pixel, that doesn't come with some garbage you don't want installed. Most of it is pretty mild, though. The mrs has had a Redmi Note 9 Pro for a few years and never complains, so it can't be all that bad. OnePlus and Motorola used to be better than most, but they've succumbed in recent years. OP has been going through a major OS migration the past little while and it's caused no end of trouble, otherwise I'd recommend the Nord.


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## editor (Jul 25, 2022)

The current pre-order Pixel 6a deal for £399 with free earphones lobbed in is well worth stretching to.


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## Nivag (Jul 25, 2022)

LDC said:


> The only things that have put me off Redmi is not finding one refurbished, and also read they come full of random apps that you can't remove, any truth to that xsunnysuex?


I've got a Note 10s and I think it had some apps installed but I removed them without a problem. Just looking through all the apps installed and can't see anything I wouldn't use.


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## xsunnysuex (Jul 25, 2022)

LDC said:


> The only things that have put me off Redmi is not finding one refurbished, and also read they come full of random apps that you can't remove, any truth to that xsunnysuex?


It came with apps, yes.  But none that weren't easy to uninstall. 
I loved it to be honest. It was fast. Battery life was brilliant. And it charged really fast. 
I would have happily kept it, if the miui update hadn't affected it so much. 
Oh and the camera was wicked!


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## Part 2 (Jul 25, 2022)

editor said:


> The current pre-order Pixel 6a deal for £399 with free earphones lobbed in is well worth stretching to.



And only £349 at Curry's if you've got an old phone to trade in.

There's a few people who post phone deals all the time on HUKD and I gather if you have the Xiaomi app on your phone some quite astonishing deals come up on their phones occasionally although they're limited in number. They do so many different models though that it makes choosing difficult and I've been put off by people sayign the cameras aren't amazing....although they would probably all do what I want otherise.


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## Chz (Jul 25, 2022)

Part 2 said:


> And only £349 at Curry's if you've got an old phone to trade in.
> 
> There's a few people who post phone deals all the time on HUKD and I gather if you have the Xiaomi app on your phone some quite astonishing deals come up on their phones occasionally although they're limited in number. They do so many different models though that it makes choosing difficult and I've been put off by people sayign the cameras aren't amazing....although they would probably all do what I want otherise.


The Pixel 6a's the cheapest new phone with a good to excellent camera (or rather, camera software - it's a very ordinary sensor that Google works magic on). They're all a bit shit below that. A bit shit by 2022 standards - nearly anything can take a pretty damned good photo in daylight these days. It's interiors and nights that sets the truly great cameras apart.

I am tempted by the 6a. But it has one too many drawbacks for me. No headphone jack, in-screen print reader (side-mounted for me!), mediocre battery life, 60Hz screen. If they'd not cheaped out on just one of those, it would be an easier decision.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 25, 2022)

Chz said:


> The Pixel 6a's the cheapest new phone with a good to excellent camera (or rather, camera software - it's a very ordinary sensor that Google works magic on). They're all a bit shit below that. A bit shit by 2022 standards - nearly anything can take a pretty damned good photo in daylight these days. It's interiors and nights that sets the truly great cameras apart.
> 
> I am tempted by the 6a. But it has one too many drawbacks for me. No headphone jack, in-screen print reader (side-mounted for me!), mediocre battery life, 60Hz screen. If they'd not cheaped out on just one of those, it would be an easier decision.



It's not so much cheaped out here. Most "premium" phones have in screen print readers and no headphone jack fustatingly.


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## editor (Jul 25, 2022)

I've still to find a new phone that's worth upgrading to from my near-three year old Huawei 30 Pro


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## Chz (Jul 25, 2022)

The in-screen finger reader is just one of those things. They assumed it would be cool and everyone would want one. But it's not more convenient to use than a side, or even back mounted one. I don't know anyone that actually likes theirs.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 25, 2022)

Chz said:


> The in-screen finger reader is just one of those things. They assumed it would be cool and everyone would want one. But it's not more convenient to use than a side, or even back mounted one. I don't know anyone that actually likes theirs.



Yes I much preferred it on the back.

I always put a screen protector on, which doesn't stop them working, but does make them less reliable.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 25, 2022)

editor said:


> I've still to find a new phone that's worth upgrading to from my near-three year old Huawei 30 Pro



I'd still be using my P30 the GPS hadn't started playing silly buggers. 

It's why I suggested one second hand to LDC


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## LDC (Jul 25, 2022)

Just order a Redmi 10 thinking it was the Note 10. FFS. Have tried to cancel the order! Why do none of these companies make the naming of the phone models simple?!


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## contadino (Jul 25, 2022)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> That's true of most phones. Cleanest you'll probably get is a Google Pixel.
> 
> It's not really an issue to me on Android. Just have the stuff you use in your launcher and ignore what's in the app draw.


You can replace the ROM on any unlocked phone, and install PixelExperience. [ROM][11.0][sailfish] PixelExperience [AOSP][OFFICIAL]


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 25, 2022)

contadino said:


> You can replace the ROM on any unlocked phone, and install PixelExperience. [ROM][11.0][sailfish] PixelExperience [AOSP][OFFICIAL]



Yes, but has its own problems, like online banking not working.


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## contadino (Jul 25, 2022)

UnderAnOpenSky said:


> Yes, but has its own problems, like online banking not working.


I wouldn't dream of accessing online banking on a phone, regardless of the OS/ROM being used.


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## On Fire (Jul 25, 2022)

An iPhone is one of the safest ways to access online banking. They are very secure, as long as it is kept up to date.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Jul 25, 2022)

contadino said:


> I wouldn't dream of accessing online banking on a phone, regardless of the OS/ROM being used.



Fair enough. Mine is pretty much app based. It's quite handy. Why do you think it's a risk?


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## wemakeyousoundb (Jul 25, 2022)

LDC said:


> Just order a Redmi 10 thinking it was the Note 10. FFS. Have tried to cancel the order! Why do none of these companies make the naming of the phone models simple?!


ouch, where did you order it from?
Can you return it free of charge (maybe have to pay postage)?


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## LDC (Jul 25, 2022)

wemakeyousoundb said:


> ouch, where did you order it from?
> Can you return it free of charge (maybe have to pay postage)?



Have cancelled online where I ordered it and they seem to have processed that OK and says awaiting refund. Surprisingly!


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## LDC (Aug 1, 2022)

After reading about a bit ordered a Redmi Note 11 on sale for £159 from their website (thanks for tip wemakeyousoundb) - will update what it's like.


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## xsunnysuex (Sep 1, 2022)

Just got a Redmi  note 10 pro. Really happy with it. The volume is the best I've ever had.
It's really fast. And the camera is brilliant.


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## Part 2 (Oct 24, 2022)

xsunnysuex said:


> Just got a Redmi  note 10 pro. Really happy with it. The volume is the best I've ever had.
> It's really fast. And the camera is brilliant.
> 
> 
> ...



Can you see the pictures that well on the screen in the daytime...and whats the camera like in low light?


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## xsunnysuex (Oct 24, 2022)

Part 2 said:


> Can you see the pictures that well on the screen in the daytime...and whats the camera like in low light?


Yes you can.  I'm really happy with this phone.  Here's a photo I took from my balcony.  We have scaffolding around the building.  Taken around 11pm.    It's just a quick click photo.  I don't bother changing settings etc.  I'm sure the photo could be even better with other settings.  Seriously the battery on this thing is brilliant.


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