Looking for new budget/mid-range android phone

whatawaster

Hi all,

I am one year into a 2 year contract with Vodafone (work contract).

I have a HTC U11, and I absolutely love it. It's easily the best android phone I have ever owned (I have had a HTC Hero, HTC Desire, Galaxy S2, Galaxy S3, HTC One S, HTC One M8, Galaxy S6 previously and this one trumps them all imo)

Problem is, I smashed the screen. So I need a solution to tide me over for 12 months, when I will be able to get a new flagship device through work.

Budget is . . . as low as possible, really. I know i will have to compromise on some things, but i don't want to compromise on everything.

Things I would like -

Stock Android (I have always run custom ROM's to make my devices more stock (RIP CyanogemMod). But I've really grown tired of that over the last few years. Ideally, I would like as stock an experience as possible.

Larger display preferred
Wireless charging
USB C charging
NFC for Google pay


Options:
- obviously i could get the HTC repaired. A company called "Celtic Repairs" in Dublin will do it for 180e. not sure how reputable they are. HTC will doubtless do it for more but I would be without my phone for a period of time.

- Galaxy S8 - it's not stock android, but it probably ticks every other box. At £367 on Amazon, it is at the upper-end of what I'd be willing to pay. Might see some Black Friday reductions?

- Nokia 8 - £260 on amazon. Stock android. Looks pretty good, except no wireless charging, which isn't a deal breaker to be honest, it would just be nice to have.


There may be other options I am missing, but I am leaning towards not repairing the HTC and instead buying a new phone.

It looks like it may boil down to features vs stock android and which i value more.
The S8 looks to me to be a better phone in every way, except for the software.
I have heard that Samsung's software has come a long way in the last few years though.

Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

mi 8

better cpu than s8. very nice looking phone
great camera (good bit better than s8 on dxo mark) along with all the other attributes you want except wireless charging.
bigger screen than s8

https://www.eglobalcentral.eu/xiaomi-mi-8-6gb-64gb-dual-sim-blue.html


probably a week to 10 days delivery.

no customs issues

a more budget option would be the honor 8x

about 250 on amazon germany or spain

camera note as good but nice big screen and nfc. bigger battery also.

great phone for the price.

looks good too.

whatawaster

How is the software on those two phones?

Do-more

My advice would be to avoid the Nokia 8. It has 3 microphones (OZO audio) and it seems as if dirt gets in one mic then the calibration goes to pot and all the person on the other end of the call can hear is a loud noise like you are hanging out the window of a car at 100mph.

Long thread on it here and Nokia show no inclination to solve it.

No problem with speaker phone, or on bluetooth headset or car kit.

My own phone has been affected a few times and it is very irritating.

As an alternative I'd suggest looking at an original Google Pixel, picked a new one up a few weeks ago for my daughter for around €265 and she is very happy with it and it ticks most of your boxes apart from the screen not being the biggest but you might find an XL if you are lucky...

whatawaster

whatawaster wrote: »

How is the software on those two phones?

i find both os's to be ok - huawei and mi (xiaomi)

OldMrBrennan83

whatawaster wrote: »

How is the software on those two phones?

If you like stock Android then I'd get neither. The Samsung would be far closer.

sioda

Patww79 wrote: »

If you like stock Android then I'd get neither. The Samsung would be far closer.

Samsung is nowhere near as clean as miui on the xaommis

I would say that Huawei and Xiaomi's OS version of Android is fine and as they are big companies the software is well invested in. I don't see any problem with the interface and you can always use a launcher if you don't like the look. the main point is that it is stable without bugs unlike some of the small Chinese companies.

OldMrBrennan83

sioda wrote: »

Samsung is nowhere near as clean as miui on the xaommis

It is on the S8. I'm not talking number of apps but how it actually functions.