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I want to buy a couple of budget mobiles, essentially to allow me to track my kids if they manage to slip through the supervisory net whilst away skiing.
The front runners are both Vodafone jobbies.
A Vodafone Smart First 7, running Android 5.1, 3G capable with 4gb of storage,
Or,
A Vodafone IMO Q2 Plus, running Android Go, 4G capable, with 8gb of storage.
They are both less than £15, but there is a lack of heavy duty cases for the Q2 Plus.
I'll need to be able to activate location sharing in Google Maps, so I think I'll need to install the full Google Maps app on the Android Go platform. Is this possible/easy?
I was verging towards the Android 5.1 until today's fuss about updates. Which is the best option, or any others I should look at?
5.1 is 5 years old. That's enough to put my answer firmly in the 'go' camp. I use a Nokia 1 on Android go and it's fine. To make it usable for a seasoned android user you need to make sure to keep it updated and disable apps you don't use as the weedy chipsets can struggle a bit.
Edit:
I use the phone for running/riding to save my pixel from getting smashed if I crash.
Vodaphone are a service provider. They don't make phones.
What about spending slightly more and getting a Voda Smart N9? Runs Android 8.1. Screen is cracked but it will still run maps