OK, be gentle, I'm not big into tech!
Need to replace my phone, a Motorola Edge40 because of an accident! I've always had Motos and love them as simple, v little bloat stuff, does what I want (music (I've 100gb of my own music on it); camera; basic email/WhatsApp; motorcycle navigation; fast charging) brilliantly.
On a budget so pref c.£300 and I tend to buy 'new' i.e. ebay re-sellers.
There's an Edge 30 Ultra which was Moto's flagship in 2023 (I think) for a good price. But it's obvs 2 years behind so prob at the end of it's updating cycle. Is this a problem? My use is pretty basic. Will this phone run out of steam if I keep it for 2-3 years?
If it's not a good idea ... recos for an Android phone, great camera, music and battery.
Cheers
Most people have a phone that's way overpowered for what they actually use it for. Unless you're a poweruser who runs it to it's potential and has intensive apps etc... it'll be more than fine IMO.
(Although I will caveat that with: I have no knowledge of the specific phones you mention. Personally I have a Qin F22 Pro and it's fine for me.)
I'm def not a 'super-user'!
Apparently the phone runs Android 12 and we're now at Android 14 ... not sure what that means in the real world?!
I get the impression flagship phones now are judged on how suitable they are to play games - games that when I was a kid would've been way too much for our home computer, let alone a phone!
But for more normal day to day phone use, I'd say they're massive (in every sense) overkill, with battery life not nearly as good as it should be because they're so laden with unnecessary tech (like more pixels on the screen than on your work monitor).
I don't know the Moto Edge, but to replace my Pixel 4a I looked at the Moto G and Pixel 8a. I chose the Pixel 8a because the size is more pocketable than most of the others I looked at, and it's due to get updates for 3(?) years; and so far it works well in phone/ sound/ battery life. Only annoyance is I had to buy a USB-C to 3.5mm jack, but that's the modern world sadly.
Apparently the phone runs Android 12 and we're now at Android 14 ... not sure what that means in the real world?!
Actually, this does matter in annoying ways. My old phone was on Android 12 (I think), and whenever I tried to send video on Whatsapp, it would arrive pixelated and unwatchable - apparently older versions of Whatsapp messed up the compression, and it could only be corrected by updating Whatsapp, which in turn required a more recent version of Android. It feels like a scam, but can confirm I have no such problem now with the latest Pixel/ Android.
Ah, also the Pixel 9a is apparently out soon, so you may be able to find deals on the 8a.
I've had an Edge 20 Pro since May '22 and it's still going strong, and much nicer in use than my partner's much fancier Samsung £1,300 SIM free top of the range thing. I do love how they ship with pretty much just standard Android.
I though it was faulty last year but it was actually just my new work SIM not working with WiFi calling when I was at work. I did look around for replacements at the time but would have probably ended up with the same again or newer equivalent.
I'm def not a 'super-user'!
Apparently the phone runs Android 12 and we're now at Android 14 ... not sure what that means in the real world?!
Android 15 imminent...
Android 15 has been around for months. Also, the Edge 30 Ultra is due to get the Android 14 update this month, and Motorola have said that it will get 15 too.
This will give you an idea of what it'll do, and it can be updated to 14 (and then 15).
I've got a Galaxy S22 ultra (which is a 2022 flagship), and that will be supported to android 16 (apparently) and runs everything i ask of it smoothly and quickly. Only bogs down when i try and do some dev type stuff.
It's already running 14 now.
I bought a Pixel7a a year or two back. After my experiences with it, I would be hard pressed to buy anything other than another Pixel when it dies.
The only thing wrong with it is that it didn't bounce overly well when I knocked it off a shelf with a rucksack, so that replacement may be coming sooner than I'd planned. So much for my hardline stance against screen protectors and Hello Kitty cases because I'm not a ham-fisted git.
Apparently the phone runs Android 12 and we're now at Android 14 ... not sure what that means in the real world?!
Would that not just be what it was running when put in its box on production line and when turned on it'll update at least a generation or two....
As per cougar, I'm a bit of Google pixel fan. Only on a 5 but it would be a challenge to go for anything else when this one dies.
Like a lot of people, my only real desire beyond basic functions is a really good camera. Not the rear facing camera, but the one(s) used to take photos of actual stuff with (the world does not need a selfie photo of my ugly mug cluttering up the cloud). Basic phone cameras are now pretty good, but the results from top end phones really do still take it to the next level. A phone as small as my 5 with a next gen camera would suit me well.
#Pixeltillidie
Pixel 3 here, have a refurb pixel 4a ready to go when i drop this one but can't be arsed setting up all the 2FA on the new device yet.
The thing that moved me away from Android was that phones never seemed to get software updates for very long. So I think I’d rather get a lesser 2025 phone than a flagship 2023.
Things may have changed in the Android world now though so might not be a concern anymore.
Here's a comparison on the Moto and a similar new phone for the same sort of money.
https://m.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=11206&idPhone2=13582
The thing that moved me away from Android was that phones never seemed to get software updates for very long. So I think I’d rather get a lesser 2025 phone than a flagship 2023.
The update schedule for current Pixel phones is seven years. Google would suggest that this is at least comparable with iPhone and probably better, depending on model.
The thing that moved me away from Android was that phones never seemed to get software updates for very long. So I think I’d rather get a lesser 2025 phone than a flagship 2023.
The update schedule for current Pixel phones is seven years. Google would suggest that this is at least comparable with iPhone and probably better, depending on model.
For the pixel sure, but what about other makes?
For the pixel sure, but what about other makes?
That depends entirely on the manufacturer.
Android releases and updates are stock. They have to be ported to cope with whatever vagueries a given manufacturer might have built into their handset, and frobbed about with to add whatever shovelware they want to include.
Once they drop that support you're into the realms of either something like LineageOS or just ignoring it.
If running the latest version of Android is your concern then it's not possible to beat a Pixel. Even if your (say) Samsung phone is still in support, it will always lag behind a Pixel for OS upgrades.
Depends which brand's "flagship", as some have moved upwards to ridiculous pricing.
I have a mid-range Pixel (6) from a few years ago and it does everything I need with ease.
Depends which brand's "flagship", as some have moved upwards to ridiculous pricing.
I have a mid-range Pixel (6) from a few years ago and it does everything I need with ease.
I've a pixel 7 and i'll use that until the battery is knackered... as I did with the phone before that, a pixel 4a that i had for a long time (can't remember how long). I should get at least another year, probably 2 out of the pixel 7.
If i had to buy today i'd probably get a brand new pixel 8a, but that's still a bit pricey at £400 imo.
7a can be had for a good price though £310...although its not much cheaper than I paid for my 7 the other year.
Samsung have promised 4 major updates from S22 onwards. We will see how that goes.
I bought a Pixel7a a year or two back. After my experiences with it, I would be hard pressed to buy anything other than another Pixel when it dies.
I'm on a Pixel7a too. It's heavier and has a worse battery than the old OnePlus it replaced - with a smaller screen - (despite the OnePlus battery having well over 1000 cycles under its belt), is more intrusive with Google product placement, and has a less customisable UI. I'll not be queuing up for a Google phone next time, although I have to admit that built-in Lens is a great feature.
7a can be had for a good price though £310...although its not much cheaper than I paid for my 7 the other year.
£280 from John Lewis.
I'm still on a 4a, so quite tempted by that!
7a can be had for a good price though £310...although its not much cheaper than I paid for my 7 the other year.
I haven't looked at anything beyond gen 7 Pixels, but for me the 7a was hands down the better purchase. The full 7 is only nominally higher spec and the camera is worse than the 7a. I'd still choose the 7a if they were both the same price.
As for the OP, I think £300 is about my ceiling on what I'd want to pay and - again, just IMHO - I think a better spend would be this year's mid-range phone over last year's flagship. Simply put, technology is now Good Enough.
Look at early PCs. You had to pay a fortune to get something half decent, the hardware wasn't up to running the software. My first PC would have been checks inflation calculator £3,400 today. You can get a perfectly capable machine nowadays for a tenth of that.
Phones are going the same way, time was that you had to buy bleeding edge or wind up with something crap (and even then that didn't guarantee anything, I've bought plenty of 'flagship' phones which turned out to be pups). You could spend four figures on something which is little or no better than my Pixel. I've had flagship phones which lagged like a plumber but not once have I thought "this could be faster" or "the screen could be sharper" with this one.
7a can be had for a good price though £310...although its not much cheaper than I paid for my 7 the other year.
£280 from John Lewis.
I'm still on a 4a, so quite tempted by that!
Thats a good deal actually. support ends in 3 years
(01 May 2028) if thats a consideration.
But then it still might be cheaper to do that and just buy a 9a or whatever in 3years if you care concerned about that.
You could spend four figures on something which is little or no better than my Pixel. I've had flagship phones which lagged like a plumber but not once have I thought "this could be faster" or "the screen could be sharper" with this one.
Same...a £1000 phone doesn't do anything for me that circa £300 phone can't. I really don't give a crap if the camera is marginally better in certain conditions, etc.
I've only had "smart" Android mobiles since around '17, my first one being a £180 Maze Alpha, replaced with a ~£150 Mi A2 around '19 when the Alpha jumped out of my work shirt pocket onto the pavement and bricked without external signs of damage. The Mi A2 still worked when I jumped on a good £180 deal for a Poco F3 around Easter '22 and it still gets some use for running either Zwift (great ANT+ connection) or Zwift Companion App or simply when my F3 is charging. The ~3000Wh battery doesn't last long though these days.
One day last year I unusually used my Poco F3 on the turbo and cleverly dropped it, hitting the bike on the way down to the turbo mat. I didn't realise at the time, but the provided glass protector was keeping several screen fractures in place. I've become very aware of the F3 dropping to ~30% battery (~4000Wh?) and needing a recharge most days over the last ~6 months, even though I've only let it drop below 30% maybe 10 times in ~3 years (not good for battery life). Probably not helped I got seriously addicted to mbile gam,ing for the first time through Sky Force Reloaded and Sky Force Anniversary (both free to download on Play Store, but paying for some benefits helps gameplay, such as weapon upgrade construction time)!
Whenever I replace the F3, I'll be paying a lot more attention to the battery capacity than anything else. Mobiles to me are generally a mobile web browsing device (almost exclusively over WiFi), that can run the Lezyne app with mobile BB (via a Three prepaid 24GB sim in second slot that can last up to 24 months, just received a new ~£34 sim to install today) to let family know where I am on bike rides.
Photos, calls, texts are all extremely rare (so still using an old Three 3-2-1 sim that is now something like 10-10-35 and stays active if used once per 6 months)!
I've just replaced a pixel 5 with a pixel 9 pro - the 5 did everything I needed, but the battery was getting a bit tired.
So I would say get whatever Pixel you can afford.
Pixel 6 here. Happily running Android 15 pretty quickly and does more than what I need still. Will be another Pixel when it finally isn't doing its job right.
So, the answer is... Whatever Pixel your budget will stretch to. The 7a for c. 300 quid looks a good bet.
I've had 4 faultless years out of my OnePlus Nord, and it is only recently that battery life has started to dip. The OS on OnePlus is far better than any other phone I've had to date especially compared to Samsung, though I am yet to try a Pixel.
SIM free Pixel 8a is £349 at Argos
The OS on OnePlus is far better than any other phone I've had to date especially compared to Samsung, though I am yet to try a Pixel.
Bear in mind, this isn't iOS. Third party launchers are available if you don't like the one that comes with the phone.
Samsung ditched their dogshit TouchWiz interface years ago. What modern handsets are like, I don't know.
When I compare my edge 20 ltd, to my wife's all singing, all dancing Samsung thing a few things stick out.
Her phone is way bigger, and heavier.
Her camera images are a more pro looking.
She has a wand to do stuff like remote photos.
Mine gives me a torch in under a second (handy in winter).
That's pretty much it, scrolling quickly through photos (a great way to test a processor) is on a par.
Direct comparison is her screen is a bit bigger and colours more saturated (possible options?).
Camera is the big differentiator (sp), my daughter has a cheapish phone with a focus on the camera/post processing but it's shite to scroll through the gallery.
If you want a smaller phone then the pixel 8a seems a good option at about £350.
Bigger phone, everyone seems to be currently raving about the Nothing 3a at £329. One plus Nord 4 also good
I bought a motorola g75a at the weekend and it's been a disaster it constantly shuts down and re starts eventually not re starting. I've had android phones for years but this is so unreliable. Going to return it but for what?
I bought a Pixel 7 Pro about 3 months ago - it was a higher end (not sure if “flagship” or not) phone launched in late 2022, and cost me £200 brand new from John Lewis as they were clearing out old stock (they weren’t on the shelves, but when I talked to the sales rep there and told him I was really looking for a cheaper used phone, and only in JL to check out the relative sizes of the models he mentioned these - I did think it sounded like a scam at first, but it was legit, paid for at the JL till and everything).
its excellent, and is definitely the type of deal I will be seeking out next time I come to replace.
I think a better spend would be this year's mid-range phone over last year's flagship
I'd have to disagree with this: one thing I haven't noticed mentioned is that the flagship phones generally have better water and dust resistance, which may or may not be important to you (it is, to me).
What happens when updates run out? Is a phone seriously insecure?
Madame is mulling a 7a, but only a couple of years of updates left.
I have a 6a, it's been good.
8a beyond budget at present although there's a 9a release soon so prices may shift I suppose
I wouldn't buy a 2023 phone in 2025. I would consider buying the latest or last year's 2024 midrange Poco, redmi or Xiaomi offering, or at least use the specs of those phones to be a minimum of what I'd require from another company.
512gb storage, decent camera and 12gb+ ram minimum would be my expectations for around £300 with wiggle room.
I bought a mi14tpro last year when they were released. Way more than I usually pay for a phone but the deal included a mi pad 5 which I use all the time for watching TV so it has made my TV almost redundant. It also replaced my ageing bridge camera so I required a decent phone camera.
I've become very aware of the F3 dropping to ~30% battery (~4000Wh?) and needing a recharge most days over the last ~6 months, even though I've only let it drop below 30% maybe 10 times in ~3 years (not good for battery life).
Going to 100% on every charge is an order of magnitude worse than letting it go completely flat regularly. Only charging to 80-85% will pretty much extend the battery life indefinitely (at least well past the point that nothing will run on that OS anymore!).
My last iPhone still had 97% health when i turned it in after 3 years, and my current private phone reported a capacity of 49xxmAh last time i did a test, compared to it's new capacity of ~5000. And that's 3 years old.
What happens when updates run out? Is a phone seriously insecure?
Nope, they tend to continue security updates for the phone sometime past the point that OS updates stop. It just means that certain apps will eventually stop working. Usually the ones around banking. My last phone is now a year or so out of support (not even security updates) and the only major thing that doesn't work is my banking ID, and windows authenticator was throwing a tantrum last time i used it (christmas-ish).
Mine gives me a torch in under a second (handy in winter).
All the Samsungs do that too.
What happens when updates run out? Is a phone seriously insecure?
If you're someone famous, or massively rich, then I'd be more concerned. I'd say the risk for normal people is very low - there are easier ways to scam you. The main issue I'd say is that you'll find your applications will slowly stop working, as they're running on unsupported versions of Android (or iOS).
There's 7 years of updates on Samsung as well, and if you didnt like Touchwiz from a decade ago then rejoice because its long since been ditched and the current Ui is great.
I've set mine to notify me when the battery is below 20% and above 80% so it'll still charge to 100% for a long day out on the bike but I won't forget and leave it boiling over at 100% routinely.
I really like my Pixel 8 and would happily buy another tomorrow if I broke this one.
We have an S22 and S23 Ultras - both bought from new, but both definitely not needing changing. The cameras are outstanding (the main reason for buying), so 'yes' I'd say, a good condition 'older' high end model will be fine (better than fine TBH).
The OS on OnePlus is far better than any other phone I've had to date especially compared to Samsung, though I am yet to try a Pixel.
Bear in mind, this isn't iOS. Third party launchers are available if you don't like the one that comes with the phone.
Samsung ditched their dogshit TouchWiz interface years ago. What modern handsets are like, I don't know.
OnePlus is close to pixel in terms of look and feel, samsung has more bells and whistles, but isn't as intuitive or as nice looking imo.
Personally I would try and get a pixel, decent camera's, decent update support (although lots of apps get updated individually through play store, unlike software updates like apple, so maybe not as important).
I'd have to disagree with this: one thing I haven't noticed mentioned is that the flagship phones generally have better water and dust resistance, which may or may not be important to you (it is, to me).
That's a really good point. Googling "[phone] vs [other phone]" should send you to a comparison site where you can, uh, compare.
As for charging,
Modern phones* don't just sit there boiling their tits off at 100% charge and still pulling current. Once fully charged they will stop, then restart once charge drops below a given threshold. This is why you can have your phone on charge all day and still "only" be at 97% when you unplug it. Also, if you plug in a phone at night it knows that you're probably not going to need it again until morning and so will trickle charge rather than try to go from 7% to 100% in 20 minutes.
As for what's best for the battery in terms of overcharging, deep discharging, half-charging etc, I've lost track now. It depends entirely on the battery technology. There's a website called something like Battery University which does a deep-dive into this sort of stuff if you want further reading. My gut feeling is that we're overthinking it, by the time the battery's on its arse the phone is probably due for Silicon Heaven anyway.
(* - I'm referring to Android, iPhones probably do similar but I don't know)
I've set mine to notify me when the battery is below 20% and above 80%
Latest android has a setting that limits charging to 80% if you want.
I use it 95% of the time but switch it off if I'm away and using my phone a lot (like now happily wandering around Seville 😆)
Bought a g84.
Does way more stuff than I need.
Less crapware than my previous Samsung (flagship at the time S9).
Better than previous S9 in most respects.
I don't purchase often.
And, what cougar said. Anything over £100 is basically good enough unless you're a specialist phone nerd of some variety (games etc).
I've never regretted buying a pixel tbh. Regretted dropping a couple though. They're generally decent value for what you get and they just play really well with android in general, unsurprisingly.
Not sure where they are in the value lifecycle right now though, an 8a costs more today than it did when I got mine last year which is just weird.
Check out Backmarket if you don't mind used.
I recently got a Pixel 5 for £110, near mint condition. Apparently it's already had it's last update to Android 14, I'm fine with that but I don't expect to have it for more than a couple of years.
The last phone I had from them (pixel 4a) lasted over 3 years. backmarket support is very good if you have any issues.
Like you I don't have a need for the latest greatest model, I would consider something newer, and inevitably will have to, but I chose the 5 as it's nice and compact, and 5g.
Anything over £100 is basically good enough unless you're a specialist phone nerd of some variety (games etc).
I strongly disagree with this - the bottom end of the Android market is full of dog-slow phones with really poor specs and support/updates limited to a couple of years. Sure, they're vastly more capable than the old Nokias we used to have 25 years ago, but that's not saying a great deal.
