Topic: What mobile phone?

[ScouserAtHeart]

Thanks Jooney.

The only thing that bothers me after looking at the device page on the website, there does not seem to be a charger block along with it. Greedy bastards.

Haha yeah you'll have to get used to that, all companies will be doing it soon. The same way they did away with the headphone jack.

The software updates bit though, it just means that the S21 Ultra will get updated to Android 14 (it's on 11 now) and nothing beyond that. That doesn't necessarily mean apps will stop working or anything. I think (not 100% sure though) most apps need an Android 8 or higher right now, so if that trend continues, you could use it for 6 years, no problem.

The bigger worry will be battery capacity though, you'll have to get it replaced after maybe 2-3 years or so because they'll start holding less and less charge.

[Hendollama]

Haha yeah you'll have to get used to that, all companies will be doing it soon. The same way they did away with the headphone jack.

The software updates bit though, it just means that the S21 Ultra will get updated to Android 14 (it's on 11 now) and nothing beyond that. That doesn't necessarily mean apps will stop working or anything. I think (not 100% sure though) most apps need an Android 8 or higher right now, so if that trend continues, you could use it for 6 years, no problem.

The bigger worry will be battery capacity though, you'll have to get it replaced after maybe 2-3 years or so because they'll start holding less and less charge.

Thanks SAH.
If those are the only issues, then I am going ahead with it. 

[pazcom]

I've finally started looking for a replacement for my Nokia 8, which I've had since 2017 and has just started showing signs of chugging.

Problem is there seems to be a lot of over-priced plastic-bodied shite knocking around at the moment.

I bought the Pixel 4a on Black Friday (I prefer a smaller handset) and sent it straight back after being distinctly unimpressed.  The OnePlus Nord is plastic-framed, the iPhone 12 Mini has a ludicrous notch (and no fingerprint scanner), the Oppo Reno4 5G is plastic and Samsung's firmware has always been crap in my experience, so not keen on something from their stable.

Is there anything else out there that wouldn't require me to have some weird Chinese UI at my fingertips?

Budget is flexible but ideally no more than £600 or so.  The Nokia 8 was only £340 when I got it and has served me very well.

I've this week had to replace my Nokia 8 as there were issues with the charging port and only charging when it felt like it. Shame as its been perfect for almost three years and was a decent phone. I've just got the oppo find X2 lite. I was a bit nervous about a Chinese phone but I have to say its a good phone. 5G enabled, 8GB Ram, 128GB memory and 3.5m plug for headphones. Doesn't have wireless charging or 2nd sim option or expandable memory. I got mine through Virgin mobile and it came with a Nintendo Switch and will cost me £21 a month for two years. I already have a virgin sim which I got as part of an upgrade to their top tv/broadband package so that doesn't cost me anything and seeing as the daughter wants a switch for her birthday in April it was too good a deal to turn down. If you want a SIM free version I've seen them for about £300. 

[pazcom]

i've just got the oppo find x2 lite and for me and what I use it for its a great phone so far, expect for a couple of things:

certain notifications are duplicated - I get two tones for the one notification
Alarm - was half awake but could have sworn when the alarm went off this morning there were also two notifications

any tips advice?

bloody idiot that I am....the notification I had used for some reason had the tone twice....

[dikwad]

I've had the Oneplus Nord for a month now, great phone for the money and the dual sim 5g issue now sorted since the upgrade to Android 11. Stick it in a case though, the back is made from gorilla glass as well.

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

I've this week had to replace my Nokia 8 as there were issues with the charging port and only charging when it felt like it. Shame as its been perfect for almost three years and was a decent phone. I've just got the oppo find X2 lite. I was a bit nervous about a Chinese phone but I have to say its a good phone. 5G enabled, 8GB Ram, 128GB memory and 3.5m plug for headphones. Doesn't have wireless charging or 2nd sim option or expandable memory. I got mine through Virgin mobile and it came with a Nintendo Switch and will cost me £21 a month for two years. I already have a virgin sim which I got as part of an upgrade to their top tv/broadband package so that doesn't cost me anything and seeing as the daughter wants a switch for her birthday in April it was too good a deal to turn down. If you want a SIM free version I've seen them for about £300.

Why not Oppo find X2? That's gorgeous phone with stunning display and personally i like it more than the Pro version, and is much cheaper.

[Hedley Lamarr]

I've played around with a couple of Oppo phones, they're quite impressive.  I have the Reno 4Z here at the minute, 5g, 120hz refresh, £260. Absolute bargain.  Coloros seems to be getting closer to pure Android, not as many duplicate apps.

I use the iPhone 12 for work and the Pixel 5 for personal use, I could easily live with an Oppo phone though.

[paulrazor]

Has anyone used or seen the doogee phones

I was looking at this. One review said it's very heavy but it's also tough as nails. The battery looks absolutely ridiculous

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DOOGEE-S88-PRO-Smartphone/dp/B08576NDWS/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?dchild=1&keywords=mobile+phones&qid=1612223938&refinements=p_n_feature_four_browse-bin%3A14210450031%2Cp_n_feature_eight_browse-bin%3A14210458031&rnid=14210451031&s=telephone&sprefix=mobi&sr=1-15

[paulrazor]

anyone?

[pazcom]

Why not Oppo find X2? That's gorgeous phone with stunning display and personally i like it more than the Pro version, and is much cheaper.

Now that I've used the phone for a few weeks can safely say its a great phone. Only niggle is that when I stream BT sport through the Virgin To Go app its very slightly laggy. However when streaming sky sports through the sky sports app its perfect...I can only assume its the Virgin App causing the lag.

[MBL?]

anyone?

I doubt you will find many who use rugged phones these days when you can get a normal one and then add a screen and case although I could be wrong.

I’m sure there’s phones in that price range with good batteries that have faster charging and much higher specs.

[ChaChaMooMoo]

There are mid rangers that have better specs than Doogee and also cost maybe similar or even a bit less.

Samsung have some decent ones to be honest. Nokia as well. I have been using a 7.1 since Oct. 2018. Pretty decent. Battery lasts a day under moderate usage if connected to Wifi. If you are predominantly on data, might be an issue after 2 years.

[paulrazor]

There are mid rangers that have better specs than Doogee and also cost maybe similar or even a bit less.

Samsung have some decent ones to be honest. Nokia as well. I have been using a 7.1 since Oct. 2018. Pretty decent. Battery lasts a day under moderate usage if connected to Wifi. If you are predominantly on data, might be an issue after 2 years.

i think 2 years is pretty standard these days

batteries and phones after that cant keep up with latest specs etc

whats a good one to go for so

need a good battery ,good camera, expandable memory and i would think min 5000mh battery

would go to £200

[Dan The Man 28373]

i think 2 years is pretty standard these days

batteries and phones after that cant keep up with latest specs etc

whats a good one to go for so

need a good battery ,good camera, expandable memory and i would think min 5000mh battery

would go to £200

I've got a Motorola G7 Power & the battery lasts 2 days after a fair amount of browsing etc.  They've just released the G9 Power which has a 6000mAh battery.  It's below £200.  The specs of the phone are not market leading by any means, but if a long life between charges is your main USP then this is a good one.

[tbonejones]

I've got a Motorola G7 Power & the battery lasts 2 days after a fair amount of browsing etc.  They've just released the G9 Power which has a 6000mAh battery.  It's below £200.  The specs of the phone are not market leading by any means, but if a long life between charges is your main USP then this is a good one.

I had the Moto G4 for a few years, was looking for decent battery at the time and it lasted ages day to day. If that is anything to go by the Motorolas seem to be very good value.

[ChaChaMooMoo]

i think 2 years is pretty standard these days

batteries and phones after that cant keep up with latest specs etc

whats a good one to go for so

need a good battery ,good camera, expandable memory and i would think min 5000mh battery

would go to £200

Oopsie just seeing your message now.

https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2020&nPriceMax=200&nBatCapacityMin=5000

This website is quite decent. But they cater to an international audience rather than a local market. So if you have a phone listed there, it doesn't necessarily mean they would be available in your country. But it at least gives a detailed list based on your requirements and filtering.

[paulrazor]

I've got a Motorola G7 Power & the battery lasts 2 days after a fair amount of browsing etc.  They've just released the G9 Power which has a 6000mAh battery.  It's below £200.  The specs of the phone are not market leading by any means, but if a long life between charges is your main USP then this is a good one.

thanks

Oopsie just seeing your message now.

https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2020&nPriceMax=200&nBatCapacityMin=5000

This website is quite decent. But they cater to an international audience rather than a local market. So if you have a phone listed there, it doesn't necessarily mean they would be available in your country. But it at least gives a detailed list based on your requirements and filtering.

thanks. I'll have a goo

[[new username under construction]]

Got rid of my £1000 flagship phone to save some money - got the Poco X3 NFC and apart from the occasional moment, once in a blue moon, it's very difficult to notice the difference. The camera is passable, but unless you go second hand, you're not getting an elite camera on a cheap phone and this tends to be the area money can be saved easiest. Install Gcam and it mitigates a lot of the issues.

The Poco has a 5000+mah battery, a 120hz screen and a ton of other good features and can be got on Amazon around the £170 mark. It comes with pop-up ads (presumably to go some way to paying the hardware cost, but these can be turned off in settings and I haven't seen one since I did it).

Brilliant phone to be honest.

Where are you? There are no pop up ads on the UK version of the phone

[[new username under construction]]

There are when you install apps.

In app adverts are always there if the app comes with them (pay to remove type thing) the OS apps have no ads though

[ToneLa]

On android get Blokada it stops ads it stops tracking and it's free

Root if you want, I do, and install Adaway

No ads in apps no ads in game

Even my Amazon app stops working because it blocks their snooping 

[[new username under construction]]

I'm not talking about in-app ads. I said install. Prior to turning them off, you get a full frame pop-up with an ad on them, it stays up for about 5 seconds and then you tap continue. If you got lucky and didn't have to switch them off in settings, then cosmic, but if you read the reviews for the phone, the overwhelming majority talks about the ads on the phone.

I've got a Poco X3 but never seen those ads, other than in app ones I've not seen any. I know there are different versions of the phone of course.

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

Has anyone used or seen the doogee phones

I was looking at this. One review said it's very heavy but it's also tough as nails. The battery looks absolutely ridiculous

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DOOGEE-S88-PRO-Smartphone/dp/B08576NDWS/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?dchild=1&keywords=mobile+phones&qid=1612223938&refinements=p_n_feature_four_browse-bin%3A14210450031%2Cp_n_feature_eight_browse-bin%3A14210458031&rnid=14210451031&s=telephone&sprefix=mobi&sr=1-15

I had a doogee phone once and i said never again. I'd avoid this.

[gazzalfc]

The rugged style phones really are not great. Unless you are going on building sites all day. They just dont work as well as flagship style phones.

Just get a proper case and screen protector (tempered glass) and you'll get the same protection whilst having a far better phone on the inside

[Motty]

Just got the s21 5g which is basically the same as my s10 which was basically the same as my s8.... Basically phones aren't different enough and boring as fuck these days. They all look largely the same, they all largely do the same thing so yeah it's all a bit meh these days for me.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

[Hedley Lamarr]

The phones are different, your usage is the same.  It's diminishing returns really,  more RAM you don't need, more pixels you don't notice and opening Twitter or Facebook 1/100th of a second faster isn't going to change your life.  Obviously there's 5g but if you're not in a 5g area or you don't have a decent data plan that's kind of pointless.

The phones are maturing faster than the owners needs.

[Motty]

The phones are different, your usage is the same.  It's diminishing returns really,  more RAM you don't need, more pixels you don't notice and opening Twitter or Facebook 1/100th of a second faster isn't going to change your life.  Obviously there's 5g but if you're not in a 5g area or you don't have a decent data plan that's kind of pointless.

The phones are maturing faster than the owners needs.

Yep exactly that, I know there's things behind the scenes that slightly improve with each model but most don't really notice it. 5g will be a long time off until it gets around here so that's if no use to me either. The flip phones are obviously the next level but not sure if they are practical to be honest until I see one in hand [emoji1745]

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

[Ravishing Rick Dude]

The phones are different, your usage is the same.  It's diminishing returns really,  more RAM you don't need, more pixels you don't notice and opening Twitter or Facebook 1/100th of a second faster isn't going to change your life.  Obviously there's 5g but if you're not in a 5g area or you don't have a decent data plan that's kind of pointless.

The phones are maturing faster than the owners needs.

Yeah. Nobody needs a 12gb RAM,100megapixel camera, and a 100X zoom. Absolutely unnecessary.

This is why i respect iPhone, because their maximum is 6gb RAM and 12 megapixel camera. Instead of getting into this "my dick si bigger" fight, they're making sure that their dick is hard enough and consistent when needed to do the job and satisfy the costumers.

[jackh]

I'm finding myself intermittently locked out of my Xperia XZ2 (Android 10, I think) recently - have been so since about 8pm last night.

Phone tells me it needs my PIN, rather than just fingerprint, but the PIN confirm button doesn't show on the screen when the numbers appear and the phone is registering my PIN entry after 4 digits (too few) and telling me it's incorrect.  It's done it a few times during the last week, but not for this lone.

Anyone experiencing/ed anything similar?

[naYoRHa2b]

Just got the s21 5g which is basically the same as my s10 which was basically the same as my s8.... Basically phones aren't different enough and boring as fuck these days. They all look largely the same, they all largely do the same thing so yeah it's all a bit meh these days for me.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

I know what you mean, I got the S20 plus last year. 5G and the 120hz are the biggest things for me. I can't go back to 60hz now, the scrolling hurts my eyes.

[ToneLa]

My Mi 10 Ultra is the best phone I've ever had

Had absolutely parades of people on sites like xda saying as a China only device it would not work here.

I kept telling em. Ee repurposed their old 3g bands to carry 4g. Annoyingly the lockdown has meant less road testing, but as ever he who does his research is correct and I have 4g everywhere I go

Six months on I'm still amazed. Funny to see phones coming out now still can't compete with 50w wireless charging

[Motty]

I know what you mean, I got the S20 plus last year. 5G and the 120hz are the biggest things for me. I can't go back to 60hz now, the scrolling hurts my eyes.

Definitely a improvement on that front but again it's something you get used to and forget about after a day or so like the rest of the improvements.

[Graeme]

Going from iPhone 7 -> iPhone 12 Mini today. I’d normally have upgraded long before now, but my employer has been providing my handsets for the last few years, so as I wasn’t paying anything out I kept with what I was given. Work has gone over to Sony Android handsets now so if I wanted to stay iOS to buy my own.

[keano7]

Going from iPhone 7 -> iPhone 12 Mini today. I’d normally have upgraded long before now, but my employer has been providing my handsets for the last few years, so as I wasn’t paying anything out I kept with what I was given. Work has gone over to Sony Android handsets now so if I wanted to stay iOS to buy my own.

First world problems! 😂

This is a good deal for the IPhone 12 if anyone is in the market for one soon - https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/iphone-12-64gb-on-ee-50gb-5g-data-unlimited-minutes-and-texts-ps32pm-ps149-upfront-using-code-24-month-at-affordable-mobiles-3676482

[HomesickRed]

Anyone seen / interested in something like the new Oppo?
Looks cool but dare I say, the made in China bit has put me off a bit. Am I wrong to think about avoiding Chinese products?

Oppo's expanding phone can grow and shrink on demand

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-56294489

[pazcom]

Anyone seen / interested in something like the new Oppo?
Looks cool but dare I say, the made in China bit has put me off a bit. Am I wrong to think about avoiding Chinese products?

Oppo's expanding phone can grow and shrink on demand

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-56294489

Saw that earlier today. I've got an oppo find X2 lite....I've had it for about 2 months and it's great, not had any issues.

[ChaChaMooMoo]

A mate of mine didn't want to go for the mainland Chinese phones. He bought an Asus Zenphone 3 months ago and I am quite impressed by the quality. He has the Zenphone 6. There have also been some recent upgrades with the Zenphone 7 and 7 Pro. A serious option for those who don't want to go for the Chinese makes but want a quality phone.

[gazzalfc]

I've had oppo, Oneplus and Realme phones in the past.

All the same umbrella company. All uses the same parts as you'll find on your Samsung's. I've had European warranty and had repairs with them as well. Software updates are now much better as well.

If the price is right for you then I would choose them over the Samsung etc any time

["21C or 70F?" SchizoidWeatherMan!]

I've had oppo, Oneplus and Realme phones in the past.

All the same umbrella company. All uses the same parts as you'll find on your Samsung's. I've had European warranty and had repairs with them as well. Software updates are now much better as well.

If the price is right for you then I would choose them over the Samsung etc any time

Hardware is not really the issue, it is more the software. Many of these Chinese brands offer amazing hardware, but the software is quirky or buggy in many ways. RAM management is an issue in many models, with 8 GB phones kicking apps out of the active state despite only 3-4 open apps. Notifications not coming through, need to enable permissions from some obscure setting page, text messages getting delayed etc are some common issues i have found on phones by these brands, particularly Xiaomi and Huawei phones. 

Oneplus has the best software implementation out of all chinese brands and it works well.  It doesn't have all the gimmicky stuff, but it is efficient, fast and lean on resources.

I always prefer the likes of Samsung, LG, Sony and Nokia when it comes to the UI and software. The software almost always 'just works', with minimal bugs and odd behaviour of some apps.

If phones with great hardware and mediocre software work for you, great. I personally prefer a more stable software experience.

Not to say that the software is unusable in these Xiaomi, Oppo, Realme and simlar phones, far from it. 

[ChaChaMooMoo]

I've had oppo, Oneplus and Realme phones in the past.

All the same umbrella company. All uses the same parts as you'll find on your Samsung's. I've had European warranty and had repairs with them as well. Software updates are now much better as well.

If the price is right for you then I would choose them over the Samsung etc any time

Over Samsung? That's a first for me. I have not seen anyone prefer an Oppo/OnePlus or Realme over Samsung. I understand it might seem like a biased view but what about those worried about information security wrt Chinese phones? It was one of the main reasons why my friend has bought an Asus. He had LG, Samsung, Apple and Nokia as his choices. But Apple was expensive, LG hadn't innovated enough apparently. And between Samsung, Nokia and Asus, he preferred the Asus for its features and reviews. I have a Nokia and have had one since 2004. I am using their Android phones since 2017 and I am quite happy with it.

[gazzalfc]

Hardware is not really the issue, it is more the software. Many of these Chinese brands offer amazing hardware, but the software is quirky or buggy in many ways. RAM management is an issue in many models, with 8 GB phones kicking apps out of the active state despite only 3-4 open apps. Notifications not coming through, need to enable permissions from some obscure setting page, text messages getting delayed etc are some common issues i have found on phones by these brands, particularly Xiaomi and Huawei phones. 

Oneplus has the best software implementation out of all chinese brands and it works well.  It doesn't have all the gimmicky stuff, but it is efficient, fast and lean on resources.

I always prefer the likes of Samsung, LG, Sony and Nokia when it comes to the UI and software. The software almost always 'just works', with minimal bugs and odd behaviour of some apps.

If phones with great hardware and mediocre software work for you, great. I personally prefer a more stable software experience.

Not to say that the software is unusable in these Xiaomi, Oppo, Realme and simlar phones, far from it. 

Phone ROM development has come on massively over the past few years.

My Realme X2 Pro gets monthly updates to update the Android security patches and other bugs which is something Samsung really struggles with (if you want to see go to your settings, find your security settings and look for your google security update. Mine 2 year old phone still updates to Feb 2021).

I agree that Oneplus has the closest user experience in a phone to the Google Pixel (which is stock Android).

I did used to mess around with rooting and flashing ROMS onto my phones for that better experience but nowadays the software experience is about as close to stock as you can get.