Need help choosing a phone please

bonsai_73

I'm looking to upgrade my phone, and really confused by so many different phones! I'm coming from an iPhone 5s. I'm looking for something up to about €300, but could stretch a bit further for the right phone.

Looking for a good camera and decent battery life, I won't be using it for gaming, just web browsing, social media, etc. I generally like to keep phones for 2 years if I can, so any suggestions for something within this budget that will last are much appreciated. Thanks.

If you are with Vodafone, the new Vodafone Smart Ultra 7 would be a good budget choice.

bonsai_73

Not with Vodafone, no, but thanks, I appreciate your reply.

bonsai_73

bonsai_73 wrote: »

Not with Vodafone, no, but thanks, I appreciate your reply.

Then go for the Moto G4 which is €197 in Argos. Am not sure when it is to be in stock though as its just been released.

RedDeadMarshal

The new Sony Xperia X series and the new Samsung Galaxy A series for 2016 is worth a look. I would personally choose a Nexus 5X. You're not attached to no network carrier (SIM FREE) from the factory. The 16GB version is cheap if you can live with that as the Nexus 5X doesn't allow memory card expansion. The 32Gb version is €70 over your budget but imo it's the best phone you can get under €400. It runs stock android so it will always be the first one to get newest updates and it's not hardware demanding like many flagship phones. Some reviewers even praised it for being better than many €600/€700 phones. Check out the reviews of the Nexus 5X. If I was in your situation this is what I'd spend my money on but if you're accustomed to Samsung phones for example then you might want to purchase something other than a Nexus device that you would be familiar with and used to.

bonsai_73

Great, thanks for that. I'll check both of those out. I have an iPhone at the moment, so I'm not set on any particular Android brand, so I'll definitely check those out. Thanks a lot.

Ferball

I got a Nexus 5x a few months ago from amazon and I'm very happy with it.


It is reduced on amazon (the 32gb version) to £224. I cant post a link to it as I am a new user.

ED E

Why are you upgrading? A 5S was a top tier phone, now you're looking to buy a mid tier phone a while later which is only going to be a sidegrade really. Hold off and save to buy a comparable device to really upgrade.

bonsai_73

ED E wrote: »

Why are you upgrading? A 5S was a top tier phone, now you're looking to buy a mid tier phone a while later which is only going to be a sidegrade really. Hold off and save to buy a comparable device to really upgrade.

Well that's just it, it was a top tier phone. But if you compare the specs of the 5s with today's mid range phones, it's not all that great. But to answer your question, storage is the main issue, I'm sick of the constant "storage full" messages, so I'm looking for something with expandable storage.

As to why I don't keep it and save for a flagship phone, to be honest I can't justify spending that kind of money on a phone anymore, when a mid level phone will do the job really!

listermint

Just get the one plus three. It will last beyond two years

bonsai_73

Thanks for all the advice. I'm still undecided. Not sure if I should buy a 1-2yr old top tier phone or go for a mid tier one that's just recently been released. I'll check out some more reviews. Thanks

D'Peoples Voice

bonsai_73 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice. I'm still undecided. Not sure if I should buy a 1-2yr old top tier phone or go for a mid tier one that's just recently been released. I'll check out some more reviews. Thanks

Before you buy, when comparing phones, make sure you're familiar with:

qualcomm 820 vs 810 or 652

why qualcomm processors are better than Intel or Mediatek

graphics card - you want to know the difference between an Adreno versus that of Mali 800-series or even a Mali -400 series

what resolution you want, pixel count is important for reading but not as important as it would be for gaming

Amoled vs LCD

User Interface (UI) and how they can differ in terms of menu layouts, gestures, native apps etc, Samsung Touchwiz, Htc Sense, Huawei EMUI, Azus ZEN UI, Sony Xperia UI, One Plus 3 Cyanogen UI, as opposed to stock Android UI with Motorola, Nexus

How easily they are to source repairs, and how popular they are if you want to replace the ROM on them if you get fed up of their UI that came with the phone

whether they allow photos to be taken in raw format

But I agree with you, the days of spending big on phones are slowly coming to an end, especially as it is something that you are replacing in a year or two. I would be looking at:
ZTE Axon 7 http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/zte-axon-7-1322212/review
One Plus 3 http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/oneplus-3-1323353/review
Motorola Moto Z http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/moto-z-1323027/review
Asus Zenfone 3 http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/asus-zenfone-3-deluxe-1322742/review
Lenovo Vibe http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/lenovo-vibe-z-review-1207683/review
Oppo F1 http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/oppo-f1-1319193/review