Sub 600 Euro smartphone

max life

I was looking to buy a new phone with a budget of 600 Euro. I wanted one that was Android and had decent specs and minimum 5.5 inch screen. Was thinking about a Oneplus 5t or maybe an Asus Zenfone? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

beno619

The HTC U11 can be had for under €600 and has the best camera on anything not called a Pixel.

max life

Samsung Galaxy S8 G950FD for 520 euro. Seem like a good deal?

TBi

max life wrote: »

Samsung Galaxy S8 G950FD for 520 euro. Seem like a good deal?

Yes. Where?

ShaneU

TBi wrote: »

Yes. Where?

https://www.amazon.it/Samsung-Smartphone-Espandibili-Versione-Italiana/dp/B06XWB84Q7

max life

TBi wrote: »

Yes. Where?

Eglobal Central. Not sure though if its an EU version or international version

TBi

ShaneU wrote: »

https://www.amazon.it/Samsung-Smartphone-Espandibili-Versione-Italiana/dp/B06XWB84Q7

Not sold directly by amazon. i'd be wary of any reseller, especially if you need to return.

max life

Any other phones I should be looking at? I am leaning towards the oneplus 5t

srsly78

Get chinese phone for less than e250, pretty much the same thing. I got honor 6x last year for e200.

max life

srsly78 wrote: »

Get chinese phone for less than e250, pretty much the same thing. I got honor 6x last year for e200.

I read though that Google play store is not on some Chinese smartphones?I had a Chinese smartphone before but the GPS was practically non existent and 4G didn't work on it. I was looking at the Honor 7 but was wary because of the above reasons. How do you find the Honor 6x?

srsly78

I find it absolutely fine. Yes it came with all the normal google stuff, and some extra rubbish which I uninstalled. Note it's the international version I have (BLN-21).

Honestly I can't imagine why anyone would spend more when this is available.

Actually got some extra features I didn't expect - dual-sim and NFC. Everything I read told me nfc would not work - but I can top up my leap card just fine.

max life

srsly78 wrote: »

I find it absolutely fine. Yes it came with all the normal google stuff, and some extra rubbish which I uninstalled. Note it's the international version I have (BLN-21).

Honestly I can't imagine why anyone would spend more when this is available.

Actually got some extra features I didn't expect - dual-sim and NFC. Everything I read told me nfc would not work - but I can top up my leap card just fine.

Thanks for the info. That has given me food for thought!

TBi

Regular Samsung Galaxy S8 is under 600 euro from amazon.de direct (no reseller). That's a good choice. Might be cheaper on .es or .it.

devildriver

max life wrote: »

Any other phones I should be looking at? I am leaning towards the oneplus 5t

I was dead set on getting the OnePlus 5T as my new phone as well until a few weeks ago. Then I saw that The Wirecutter removed it from their recommended list for a number of privacy issues, screen problems and generally poor support. Currently there's some hoo-ha about it not being able to play Netflix in HD without being sent back to the manufacturer for an upgrade!

Anyways I started looking at the Chinese devices and became "woke" (I hate that phrase) to how much we're being robbed by the flagship manufacturers.

In the end I went for a Xiaomi Mi A1 from Amazon.es for €185 - closer to €150 when I reclaim the VAT. AndroidOne (which I had never heard of previously) was the deciding factor.

So, I'm not great at maths but that's three good phones and a heap of pints before you reach the cost of a single flagship phone!

Alanstrainor

devildriver wrote: »

I was dead set on getting the OnePlus 5T as my new phone as well until a few weeks ago. Then I saw that The Wirecutter removed it from their recommended list for a number of privacy issues, screen problems and generally poor support. Currently there's some hoo-ha about it not being able to play Netflix in HD without being sent back to the manufacturer for an upgrade!

Anyways I started looking at the Chinese devices and became "woke" (I hate that phrase) to how much we're being robbed by the flagship manufacturers.

In the end I went for a Xiaomi Mi A1 from Amazon.es for €185 - closer to €150 when I reclaim the VAT. AndroidOne (which I had never heard of previously) was the deciding factor.

So, I'm not great at maths but that's three good phones and a heap of pints before you reach the cost of a single flagship phone!

I came from a Vodafone Smart Ultra 6, which was a sub 200 device that was great value at the time. And I got my GF a Mi A1 for Christmas, and recommend them regularly on here. But there is a large difference in performance between a Mi A1 and a 5T for example. Speed and responsiveness is considerably different between the devices, the cameras, and features (NFC/no NFC) are different. There is a lot of great sub 200 phones out there, but it really depends on what you want out of your device.

max life

devildriver wrote: »

I was dead set on getting the OnePlus 5T as my new phone as well until a few weeks ago. Then I saw that The Wirecutter removed it from their recommended list for a number of privacy issues, screen problems and generally poor support. Currently there's some hoo-ha about it not being able to play Netflix in HD without being sent back to the manufacturer for an upgrade!

Anyways I started looking at the Chinese devices and became "woke" (I hate that phrase) to how much we're being robbed by the flagship manufacturers.

In the end I went for a Xiaomi Mi A1 from Amazon.es for €185 - closer to €150 when I reclaim the VAT. AndroidOne (which I had never heard of previously) was the deciding factor.

So, I'm not great at maths but that's three good phones and a heap of pints before you reach the cost of a single flagship phone!

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated

TBi

One thing to remember about these cheap Chinese phones are like a Dacia Sandero. It is a fine car for the money, but it isn’t a golf and it definitively isn’t a BMW.

No matter how you put it these cheap phones are worse than flagships. Some people don’t care or don’t think it’s worth the extra, but they still aren’t as good.

srsly78

Actually the cheapo phone turned out to have some advantages over the flagships - it had an old headphone jack and dual-sim slots.

'Not as good' is entirely subjective.

bpmurray

TBi wrote: »

One thing to remember about these cheap Chinese phones are like a Dacia Sandero. It is a fine car for the money, but it isn’t a golf and it definitively isn’t a BMW.

No matter how you put it these cheap phones are worse than flagships. Some people don’t care or don’t think it’s worth the extra, but they still aren’t as good.

Some of the Chinese phones are like that but by no means all. I just bought a Xiaomi Mi 6 - absolutely amazing, huge jump from my iPhone 5S, a real BMW of a phone. And it only cost €381 including courier delivery.

Aspiring

I would advise the galaxy s8 as a few others have mentioned. Incredible phone for the price. Oneplus 5T is a good choice too. Can't go wrong with either of those two.

beno619

bpmurray wrote: »

Some of the Chinese phones are like that but by no means all. I just bought a Xiaomi Mi 6 - absolutely amazing, huge jump from my iPhone 5S, a real BMW of a phone. And it only cost €381 including courier delivery.

The 5S is almost 5 years old of course a year old phone is going to be a huge leap.

The problem is what happens when you need to repair your Mi 6 ?

Companies like LG & HTC a struggling to support european customers let alone a company with no real presence in europe and I say that as a admirer of Xiaomi devices.

TBi

bpmurray wrote: »

Some of the Chinese phones are like that but by no means all. I just bought a Xiaomi Mi 6 - absolutely amazing, huge jump from my iPhone 5S, a real BMW of a phone. And it only cost €381 including courier delivery.

OK can't really argue with you there Although as beno619 says, i'd hate to have to try to get it repaired under warranty.

srsly78

Why would I bother repairing cheap burner phone? Just buy another. Also no need for screen protector/case.

TBi

srsly78 wrote: »

Why would I bother repairing cheap burner phone? Just buy another. Also no need for screen protector/case.

The phone he mentioned was around 400 yo yo. Hence why you'd be worried.

If you are buying a cheap burner phone then that won't compare with a true flagship level phone.

srsly78

But it does, this is the funny thing

You can put honor6x side by side with galaxy 8 and the difference is really minimal.

thebull85

Samsung A5 is very good. I think its around €450 now.

beno619

srsly78 wrote: »

But it does, this is the funny thing

You can put honor6x side by side with galaxy 8 and the difference is really minimal.

Camera. Performance. Display. App support.

None of that could matter to you but I'd imagine they are incomparable

corwill

Anyone who can wait until April should check out the Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 6 (2018). On basis of previews so far, potentially serious bang for your buck.

srsly78

beno619 wrote: »

Camera. Performance. Display. App support.

None of that could matter to you but I'd imagine they are incomparable

You are imagining instead of actually comparing the devices.

devildriver

TBi wrote: »

One thing to remember about these cheap Chinese phones are like a Dacia Sandero. It is a fine car for the money, but it isn’t a golf and it definitively isn’t a BMW.

No matter how you put it these cheap phones are worse than flagships. Some people don’t care or don’t think it’s worth the extra, but they still aren’t as good.

That's true to a point. The thing about modern phones is they are literally all much the same, many using the same component suppliers. Differentiation of brands now rests a lot on the software. There are other intangibles as you say, such as support and repair options. But when the price gap is so wide people will question if the flagship is worth it and what they are actually getting for the extra 500-800 quid.

Many are happy to pay the difference in the expectation that they are getting a better product with a more reliable aftersales or warranty. But when the cost of repairing a flagship screen can be more than the cost of a cheaper phone - wheres the value?

Value, is of course subjective but personally I wouldn't drop a grand on an iPhone X just so I can make a few emojis and unlock it with my face! Outside of the technical differences, materials and finish so much of this depends on brand perception of which Apple are the absolute masters.

And don't forget all the fun to be had when trying to pronounce Xiaomi and Huawei !!!

So a Dacia may not be a Golf but it is at least a Renault!

Sintend

Sony Xperia XZ Premium is currently £499 or around €560 on amazon.co.uk. It's sold directly by Sony and dispatched by Amazon.

Conservative

bpmurray wrote: »

TBi wrote: »

One thing to remember about these cheap Chinese phones are like a Dacia Sandero. It is a fine car for the money, but it isn’t a golf and it definitively isn’t a BMW.

No matter how you put it these cheap phones are worse than flagships. Some people don’t care or don’t think it’s worth the extra, but they still aren’t as good.

Some of the Chinese phones are like that but by no means all. I just bought a Xiaomi Mi 6 - absolutely amazing, huge jump from my iPhone 5S, a real BMW of a phone. And it only cost €381 including courier delivery.

Where did you get it for €381? Really tempting phone at that price..

max life

Was looking at Asus Zenfone. Anybody have one of these? Was thinking about maybe waiting for the Asus Zenfone 5

Uranium

If you were willing to get a used phone you could get a pixel xl or nexus 6p
Both have clean builds of android and good specs

Nemeses2050

You can get S8 for Eur 500 on Adverts.

max life

I would not be interested in a second hand phone. Cheapest place to buy a new S8?

Wombatman

The average mobile phone survives just 15 months before being broken, lost or stolen. The same can't be said for cars.

List your requirements first. 95% of the time you will find a sub €200 phone to meet them.

Narrow down here https://www.kimovil.com/en/

€350 + phones are for the super rich or super brainless.

sashafierce

This post has been deleted.

IrishHomer

sashafierce wrote: »

My main purpose for my phone besides facebook/instagram etc is photos. Looking for a cheap-ish phone with a decent camera. Would love the s8 but I cant justify the money.
Any recommendations for a cheaper phone with a great camera?

I have a Oneplus and camera is excellent in my opinion

I also find Oneplus incredible I'll never go back to iPhones for sure

Alanstrainor

IrishHomer wrote: »

I have a Oneplus and camera is excellent in my opinion

I also find Oneplus incredible I'll never go back to iPhones for sure

I agree. Here's some of my oneplus 5t shots. Although I'm not sure it comes under budget all the same. All taken on the phone, and edited on the phone too (if edited at all)

(Apologies for instagram links)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf8HfvoFNxc/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf1qg3aF_Ys
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfF7QMnFEK6
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfIjAPHltQh
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bea6LjVFGPr

rob316

Im looking at a new phone. Always had the Galaxy's but Im done with paying 300e for the phone and then another 60 per month over a contract of 24 months.

I have an S7 at the moment, spec wise I dont need anymore. Its just battered and the usb port doesnt work anymore.

I'm looking at an Honor 9. 2 questions

1. Where is the best place to buy one.
2. all the screens are Full HD, surely you would notice any difference in that and AMOLED on such a small screen?

rob316

rob316 wrote: »

Im looking at a new phone. Always had the Galaxy's but Im done with paying 300e for the phone and then another 60 per month over a contract of 24 months.

I have an S7 at the moment, spec wise I dont need anymore. Its just battered and the usb port doesnt work anymore.

I'm looking at an Honor 9. 2 questions

1. Where is the best place to buy one.
2. all the screens are Full HD, surely you would notice any difference in that and AMOLED on such a small screen?

amazon germany seems to be the cheapest at under 300.
the sapphire blue is actually a cool colour. I have the honor 8 in that colour.

https://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=honor+9

full hd screen.

screen seems to be good from this review.

https://www.techradar.com/reviews/honor-9

farrelli

I just ordered a nokia 8 (none Scirocco version) for roughly €350 delivered from Amazon.es which might be useful. Not quite a flagship killer buts its beefy enough in places. SD835 chipset, bright QHD display (Albeit some reviews report the color reproduction isn't amazing), fast updates(its on 8.1 already). Its definitely not for everyone so check out some reviews first but it looks like great value to me. Also, the linked phone says its an Italian version and that there maybe compatibility issues but if you read the questions and answers section people are reporting its works fine.

rob316

glasso wrote: »

amazon germany seems to be the cheapest at under 300.
the sapphire blue is actually a cool colour. I have the honor 8 in that colour.

https://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=honor+9

full hd screen.

screen seems to be good from this review.

https://www.techradar.com/reviews/honor-9

Thanks.

Bought a Mi A1, not the same price range but very happy with it.

Do-more

farrelli wrote: »

I just ordered a nokia 8 (none Scirocco version) for roughly €350 delivered from Amazon.es which might be useful. Not quite a flagship killer buts its beefy enough in places. SD835 chipset, bright QHD display (Albeit some reviews report the color reproduction isn't amazing), fast updates(its on 8.1 already). Its definitely not for everyone so check out some reviews first but it looks like great value to me. Also, the linked phone says its an Italian version and that there maybe compatibility issues but if you read the questions and answers section people are reporting its works fine.

I bought a Nokia 8 from eGlobal about a month ago for €340 very very happy with it (coming from an Honor 7) if you can get it from Amazon for a similar price I would definitely recommend it. Great construction, (one fault with the Mi A1 is a weak chassis that many people have bent in their pockets) Vanilla android that gets the latest security updates every month and is guaranteed to get upgraded to Android P, currently on 8.1.

sashafierce

This post has been deleted.

rob316

sashafierce wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I really like it so far. I find the camera good, but it wouldn't be the phone I'd pick if you need a a great camera. It's feature packed but skin tones are washed and in the dark quality suffers. Its really for the stock android experience the phone excels. Runs very fast on a SD625 which without the bloatware leaves other phones with faster chips in the dust.