Happenstance Posted November 29, 2021 Posted November 29, 2021 Got myself a new controller so I can take advantage of that extra screen size for gaming. 1
drahkon Posted March 8, 2022 Posted March 8, 2022 Is there a 5ghz Wifi phone on the market for sub 150€? I have no idea about the phone market these days. Or a different question: Any good sub 150€ phones?
Cube Posted March 8, 2022 Posted March 8, 2022 12 minutes ago, drahkon said: Is there a 5ghz Wifi phone on the market for sub 150€? I have no idea about the phone market these days. Or a different question: Any good sub 150€ phones? I think Nokia phones are pretty good cheap phones. Built to last, unlike the Chinese brands. 1
Dufniall Posted March 8, 2022 Posted March 8, 2022 (edited) Nokia is indeed pretty good again these days. Clean android without much extra software, fairly long update policy. Two new models just released, the G11 (€149) and G21 (€199), both get at least 36 months of security updates. Plus is they have a 90hz screen so that's a bit more smooth to look at. Samsung launched the A13 today, a phone with a higher resolution than usual in this price range for €189. Has the usual extra Samsung software and I'm unsure what their update policy is. They promise up to 5 years "on upcoming A series models" but not sure if these really cheap ones fall under that policy. Chinese brands often have better specs for the low price, but often have bad track records with updating their devices. If you just want to use them for 2 years they are fine, but bas choice for longevity. I think most phones nowadays support 5Ghz WiFi already. Edited March 8, 2022 by Dufniall 1
drahkon Posted March 8, 2022 Posted March 8, 2022 Thank you My current phone is suffers from a lot of problems and it's pissing me off more often than not. Have looked into Nokia and the G11 seems like a good phone. Might try to order it soon. It's not available in Germany for now, it seems (at least not at reputable sellers).
Sheikah Posted March 8, 2022 Posted March 8, 2022 Thank you [emoji4]My current phone is suffers from a lot of problems and it's pissing me off more often than not. Have looked into Nokia and the G11 seems like a good phone. Might try to order it soon. It's not available in Germany for now, it seems (at least not at reputable sellers).Not sure whether they are available readily in Germany but Xiaomi phones are basically unbeatable at the moment in the budget range. For the specs they simply cannot be beaten. For instance, this deal on the Redmi 10 would put it in the 150 EUR territory, but not sure if they would deliver to you: link. I have a Xiaomi Poco F3 which was a bit more expensive (£250) but it's incredible for the price. It has a similar level of power and display as phones costing three times as much or more.
Dufniall Posted March 9, 2022 Posted March 9, 2022 10 hours ago, Sheikah said: Not sure whether they are available readily in Germany but Xiaomi phones are basically unbeatable at the moment in the budget range. For the specs they simply cannot be beaten. True, specs-wise Xiaomi has amazing bang for buck. I have the Mi 9T (the one with the pop-up camera) and the specs are great for the price I paid for it. However, it is quite a bloated software version of Android with a lot of extra apps I don't use or need, and my latest security patch is August 2021, so more than half a year old. I think it depends on the user if you want security or better specs in this price range.
Sheikah Posted March 9, 2022 Posted March 9, 2022 True, specs-wise Xiaomi has amazing bang for buck. I have the Mi 9T (the one with the pop-up camera) and the specs are great for the price I paid for it. However, it is quite a bloated software version of Android with a lot of extra apps I don't use or need, and my latest security patch is August 2021, so more than half a year old. I think it depends on the user if you want security or better specs in this price range.I should note that I put the Xiaomi EU ROM on it as soon as I got it, which is really simple to do and very much recommended. Removes all bloat and leaves the whole thing feeling very slick. I also put Nova launcher on it which makes it look much cleaner.When I consider that I got a Poco F3 for £250, I just can't see myself every paying a lot for a phone again. It really is diminishing returns beyond that. You can pay 3 times more for nowhere near 3 times as much phone. 1
bob Posted March 10, 2022 Posted March 10, 2022 I would recommend the Moto line of phones. I've got the Motorola One Action, and it's been great. Only £200-ish I think. I'm not exactly a power user, but I've never had any issues with it.
drahkon Posted March 11, 2022 Posted March 11, 2022 Had 3 Moto phones in my life so far and without fail all of them stopped working one way or another in a matter of two years. Same with my current one...it's slowly but surely breaking down (random restarts, ghost touches, WiFi issues, and more). Repairs didn't work. I'll probably go with Nokia. Friends had a lot of issues with Xiaomi phones and my old Xiaomi phone was horrible, as well.
bob Posted March 11, 2022 Posted March 11, 2022 Had 3 Moto phones in my life so far and without fail all of them stopped working one way or another in a matter of two years. Same with my current one...it's slowly but surely breaking down (random restarts, ghost touches, WiFi issues, and more). Repairs didn't work. I'll probably go with Nokia. Friends had a lot of issues with Xiaomi phones and my old Xiaomi phone was horrible, as well.Those are features.
Dufniall Posted March 28, 2022 Posted March 28, 2022 I was due a new phone at work so looked around at what is available. We have an arrangement where you can get €250 refunded once every two years. I was thinking about maybe getting a more high-end phone this time around (my previous phones were the Motorola G5S and the Xiaomi 9T), so looked at the Google Pixel 6, Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S21 fan edition. Also took into account some cheaper ones like the Samsung A52s, the Samsung A53 (new release, they advertise with free headphones worth €149, which they sell on their own site for €72...), Poco F3 and Motorola Edge 20. That last one had a cashback of €100 going, so I got the Motorola Edge 20 (sorry @drahkon, hope mine doesn't break down ) as I didn't feel like paying a lot extra as I haven't really felt like I missed out on not having a flagship. Specs are good, 144Hz OLED screen, Qualcomm 778G 5G processor which is very good for a mid-end phone, and the display is nice and big (6,7 inches). I figured I'd like a bigger display to use for Stadia games and watching series. Weird to think that 7 inch is tablet size and now I have a phone of almost that haha. I did have a Moto before (G5s), and like how Motorola uses a very clean version of Android, especially against the numerous Xiaomi apps that flooded my 9T. I dislike the lack of a 3,5m port which is quite common in the market nowadays, and the camera is sticking out quite a bit. One thing Motorola isn't great at (neither was Xiaomi) is software updates, but they promised at least 2 major OS upgrades so I should be set for Android 12 and 13. And by that time I'll swap phones again anyway. Anyway, happy to have the Edge 20, although I do miss my Xiaomi 9T pop-up camera which meant I didn't have a hole in my screen! 1
bob Posted June 6, 2023 Posted June 6, 2023 Currently looking for a new phone (the power button fell off my Moto, amongst other things, maybe @drahkon had a point), and the current state of mobile phones is a bit weird. They are all essentially identical now. Sure, you get a bit more brightness with this one, and a few more RAMS with this one, but for day to day use, it doesn't matter all that much. I get that there is more of a difference between a £1500 phone and a £200 one, but for phones in the same price range....you could pick one at random and it would be fine? Trying to look for daylight between the various models, but all the reviews are full of weird fanboys in the comment section saying how this chipset is absolutely trash, or a 25W charger is an embarrassment and you'd be a fool to get this one etc. I think I might settle on the Samsung A54, but I will probably seek one out in the flesh before I buy, as it's a bit larger than phones i've owned previously, so I want to make sure it doesn't make me feel like a tiny-handed twat.
Ashley Posted June 6, 2023 Posted June 6, 2023 I have stuck with the pixel line for quite a while because I want a good camera and prefer the Android OS to iOS but I would say if you have no particular alignment to one manufacturer or another give them a try and see which you get on best with. As you say, there's very little daylight between them if you're not into the granularity so it's mostly about vibes nowadays.
Julius Posted June 6, 2023 Posted June 6, 2023 1 hour ago, bob said: I think I might settle on the Samsung A54, but I will probably seek one out in the flesh before I buy, as it's a bit larger than phones i've owned previously, so I want to make sure it doesn't make me feel like a tiny-handed twat. Looking up the A54, it's RRP is £450, so in that price range on Android it might also be worth considering a Pixel 7a (the "budget" version of the 7), which has the same RRP. Because of how weird Google is and the timing of their budget releases (~6 months after their standard and Pro releases), you could probably even get a Pixel 7 for a little bit more if you missed around? But the 7a (and previous 'a' revisions for the Pixel) are some of the best bang for your buck, so definitely one worth taking a look at to see if it vibes with you and what you're looking for 1 hour ago, Ashley said: I have stuck with the pixel line for quite a while because I want a good camera and prefer the Android OS to iOS but I would say if you have no particular alignment to one manufacturer or another give them a try and see which you get on best with. As you say, there's very little daylight between them if you're not into the granularity so it's mostly about vibes nowadays. Fellow Pixel person here, have been for a while too (stock Android for me >>> all other Android experiences I've tried), and while I love the camera and prefer Android to my (admittedly dated) experiences with iOS, I absolutely agree that these days it's more of a use case/preference thing rather than one being outright better than the other. I think Apple has a far tighter ecosystem of hardware and software (because, well, walled garden and all that), but if you want your phone to do more than just be a phone and basically a portable computer, having that option with Android is a really attractive prospect. And the Pixel in particular definitely has the best built-in post-processing software of any phone camera out there. I'm toying with the idea of upgrading to an iPhone this year for a change because my 6 Pro seems keen to try to off itself and I also kind of just want to try something a bit new. I haven't had an iPhone since the 6S and I'm not particularly allegiant to either "side", but I think the big tipping point for me this year is probably that USB-C is coming to iPhone so I won't need to buy a bunch more cables if I do make the swap. Plus, if I'm not a fan after a few weeks, I guess I can always send it back
bob Posted June 6, 2023 Posted June 6, 2023 2 minutes ago, Julius said: Looking up the A54, it's RRP is £450, so in that price range on Android it might also be worth considering a Pixel 7a (the "budget" version of the 7), which has the same RRP. Because of how weird Google is and the timing of their budget releases (~6 months after their standard and Pro releases), you could probably even get a Pixel 7 for a little bit more if you missed around? But the 7a (and previous 'a' revisions for the Pixel) are some of the best bang for your buck, so definitely one worth taking a look at to see if it vibes with you and what you're looking for Fellow Pixel person here, have been for a while too (stock Android for me >>> all other Android experiences I've tried), and while I love the camera and prefer Android to my (admittedly dated) experiences with iOS, I absolutely agree that these days it's more of a use case/preference thing rather than one being outright better than the other. I think Apple has a far tighter ecosystem of hardware and software (because, well, walled garden and all that), but if you want your phone to do more than just be a phone and basically a portable computer, having that option with Android is a really attractive prospect. And the Pixel in particular definitely has the best built-in post-processing software of any phone camera out there. I'm toying with the idea of upgrading to an iPhone this year for a change because my 6 Pro seems keen to try to off itself and I also kind of just want to try something a bit new. I haven't had an iPhone since the 6S and I'm not particularly allegiant to either "side", but I think the big tipping point for me this year is probably that USB-C is coming to iPhone so I won't need to buy a bunch more cables if I do make the swap. Plus, if I'm not a fan after a few weeks, I guess I can always send it back I did look at the 7a - I like how small it is, and Google products are generally quite swish. However, I don't really like the look of the back, and it doesn't have an expandable memory slot, and only has 128GB of storage? That's less than i have/use now, so it would be a bit of a downgrade.
Sheikah Posted June 7, 2023 Posted June 7, 2023 Currently looking for a new phone (the power button fell off my Moto, amongst other things, maybe [mention=2521]drahkon[/mention] had a point), and the current state of mobile phones is a bit weird. They are all essentially identical now. Sure, you get a bit more brightness with this one, and a few more RAMS with this one, but for day to day use, it doesn't matter all that much. I get that there is more of a difference between a £1500 phone and a £200 one, but for phones in the same price range....you could pick one at random and it would be fine? Trying to look for daylight between the various models, but all the reviews are full of weird fanboys in the comment section saying how this chipset is absolutely trash, or a 25W charger is an embarrassment and you'd be a fool to get this one etc. I think I might settle on the Samsung A54, but I will probably seek one out in the flesh before I buy, as it's a bit larger than phones i've owned previously, so I want to make sure it doesn't make me feel like a tiny-handed twat.I just bought a new phone over a week ago that should be with me soon. Bought the just released Xiaomi Poco F5 off AliExpress for £250. It takes a bit of time to come from China but I see no reason than going anything other than this route from now on, for the money it's basically unbeatable for the spec. I did the same thing a few years back with the Poco F3 and that cost the same back then, and it's been a great phone. If you don't mind going the AliExpress route then you can save a lot. The same phone sold on the UK Xiaomi store costs over £200 more, and you never get customs charges in my experience (ordered relatives a few phones this way too). It's basically the same spec as a £500+ phone from other brands, and most phones are basically made in China now anyway.
bob Posted June 7, 2023 Posted June 7, 2023 I just bought a new phone over a week ago that should be with me soon. Bought the just released Xiaomi Poco F5 off AliExpress for £250. It takes a bit of time to come from China but I see no reason than going anything other than this route from now on, for the money it's basically unbeatable for the spec. I did the same thing a few years back with the Poco F3 and that cost the same back then, and it's been a great phone. If you don't mind going the AliExpress route then you can save a lot. The same phone sold on the UK Xiaomi store costs over £200 more, and you never get customs charges in my experience (ordered relatives a few phones this way too). It's basically the same spec as a £500+ phone from other brands, and most phones are basically made in China now anyway.Yeah but then all your data and secrets go to the Chinese government, rather than Google or Apple. No thank you!
bob Posted June 16, 2023 Posted June 16, 2023 I ended up buying the Pixel 7a. I preferred almost everything about the Samsung Galaxy A54, except for....the phone apparently doesn't lay flat on a table because the camera lenses protrude out on one side only, so the phone wobbles around. That may seem like a tiny thing, but i often will lay my phone plat on the desk in front of me, and I don't see how that wouldn't make it unusable in that state. Such a weird design choice. Anyway, my Pixel arrived, and it's pretty good so far. Obviously i've yet to fill it up with much, so the tiny amount of storage isn't an issue yet. The camera is fastastic of course. I'm a sucker for a slo-mo video, and the slo-mo on this thing is incredible!
martinist Posted June 25, 2023 Posted June 25, 2023 Did Android TV change to Google TV? I have a sony bravia in the living room still running the android startup but the new one i bought is now Google TV. Been needing ot buy a new phone for a while now. Been looking at the new Xperia since my phone right now is a Xperia XZ and its getting kinda old. I'm just used ot the interface. Might considder getting a Google phone depending on what one is cheeper.
Ashley Posted June 25, 2023 Posted June 25, 2023 4 hours ago, martinist said: Did Android TV change to Google TV? I have a sony bravia in the living room still running the android startup but the new one i bought is now Google TV I would assume so. Google has phased out the Android name in all but the OS itself. 1
Happenstance Posted September 13, 2024 Posted September 13, 2024 It's nice to see the foldable market is still being pushed forward this year, although not necessarily by the bigger worldwide companies. Samsung and Google's latest offering are still good (I currently have the new Fold 6) but they aren't really putting much effort into innovating on what's already there. It seems to be the sother brands that are working hard there with phones like the Honor Magic v3 being pretty much as thin as the USB C port now or the crazy new tri-fold phone from Huawei that's now up for preorder. I've got to admit, if Honor's software and cameras were a bit better I probably would have gone with them over Samsung and my Fold 6. I was definitely getting bored of slab phone after slab phone coming year after year so it's nice to see the fun in design coming back a bit. Honor: Huawei:
Will Posted September 15, 2024 Posted September 15, 2024 I really like that Huawei, seems like the right design for a foldable to me. When Apple invent that in a few years time I’ll probably get one.
Happenstance Posted September 15, 2024 Posted September 15, 2024 5 minutes ago, Will said: I really like that Huawei, seems like the right design for a foldable to me. When Apple invent that in a few years time I’ll probably get one. I didn't care about it originally, thinking I was happy with the one fold my current phone has until I saw it being used and realised how much I would like a tablet on the go. Only issue at the moment is that with how the folds work,when its closed one of the edges is just the exposed folded screen so there's no way that won't keep getting damaged.
Will Posted September 15, 2024 Posted September 15, 2024 7 minutes ago, Happenstance said: I didn't care about it originally, thinking I was happy with the one fold my current phone has until I saw it being used and realised how much I would like a tablet on the go. Only issue at the moment is that with how the folds work,when its closed one of the edges is just the exposed folded screen so there's no way that won't keep getting damaged. I feel like I wouldn’t worry too much about that exposed screen, is it any different to the exposed screen on the front really? I’d see it as a great opportunity for some additional functionality to be honest.
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