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Budget of say £200. I've looked at OnePlus (One is out of stock, Two probably a git to get hold of), Oppo Find 7 (out of stock), Elephone P7000 (rocking horse poo, rumblings of terrible customer service) and a few others...
Any recommendations?
Motorola Moto G ? £150
Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 has been getting really good reviews, included being called the Moto G killer. I'm waiting for a couple to arrive for my work.
[url= http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-as-you-go/vodafone-smart-6-ultra-payg/sku86605-grey ]here[/url]
Nexus 5 can be got for circa £200 on fleabay
got my Xperia Z1 compact for £160 new, is very good.
The new Ubik Uno? Not a clue what it's like as it's new but sounds good, avoids overheating Snapdragons and stock Android.
For less than £200 just get the newer 5-inch screen Moto-G.
They go for about £150 new and it'd still be a good phone at twice that price.
If you can push the budget go for a [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorola-Moto-Sim-Free-Smartphone/dp/B00I4NJE7A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437487907&sr=8-1&keywords=moto+x ]Moto X 2nd gen[/url]. Reduced because the new one will be out soon, better spec and build quality than the G and has loads of extra features (gestures, always-listening google now voice control etc) that IMO make it worth £100 more. It also runs stock android and gets firmware updates pretty quickly, in some cases quicker than Nexus devices.
I'm trying to avoid the Moto G 'cos the Mrs has one, though it is a bloody lovely little phone for the money. I may well just go for a 2nd gen one of those. Moto X is a bit on the pricy side, I actually had a first gen one till I smashed it up in a crash. I really liked that phone.
The Ubik is tempting too, though I need to read up on the 4G support.
Sony m4 for waterproofnes.
Some of the Archos ( http://www.archos.com) phones look good for that kind of cash.
Have a look at the Expansys clearance section. I bought a SIM free LG G2 from there recently for peanuts (about £100). Limited internal storage but that doesn't matter to me. Nice screen, good camera, fast and the battery life is good.
http://www.expansys.com/nearly-new/
New Moto G coming real soon...
28th July?
There's rumour that the new Moto G might be IPX7 too...
Those Archos do look good, but I think Mrs Monkey's dad has one...
Various Sony Xperias in their outlet store and a 10% off code. The code didn't work when I types it in so I called up and they did it over the phone.M2s for £99 and Z1s for £149 before discount.
https://outlet.sony.co.uk/shop/Xperia-Tablet-%26-Smartphones/Xperia%26%238482-Smartphones
Push the budget to £230ish and get a good secondhand Z3 Compact. All the power you could want and an astonishing battery life. Decent camera to boot too...
got my Xperia Z1 compact for £160 new, is very good.
I was rapidly going off mine since lollipop because it was getting silly slow. Then I reinstalled it from scratch and it's back to brilliant. So £160 gets you a very nice, good performing lollipop phone? Deal.
LG g3 directly from Amazon. Just over £200 but amazing specs and camera
G3 and Experia Z3 (cheap offer on HUKD) are in the running, though pushing the budget rather for a good one.
OK, got the Vodafone smart ultra 6 in yeseterday to set up for one of my work colleagues.
It's essentially a ZTE Blade 6 plus, but rebadged and cheaper.
firstly, it's bigger than my xperia Z3, but no surprises really, it has a 5.5" screen rather than my Z3's 5 ish. screen is bright, not quite as sharp as the sony, but about the same as a moto g. To be honest though if i hadn't held them next to each other I wouldn't know the difference in screen quality.
The phone itself is lighter than expected too.
near stock Android 5.0.2 with some vodafone apps on it, but not too cluttered really and all are removable if you wish.
camera is decent, 13MP, takes photos, y'know...
set it up with a few apps, nokia here, email, other bits, ran a few to try to slow it down a bit, but it was pretty quick. no lag doing normal things on it more than my Z3. smooth responsive screen, I'm impressed.
They can be unlocked apparenly, and only cost £125 on PAYG.
That looks good. I have a Moto G, and while it is acceptable, it really needs more internal storage for Android to work without constant user intervention.
Just did some research for an article on budget smartphones, seems the Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 mentioned above is top of the shop right now - and well under budget.
16GB storage.
http://www.trustedreviews.com/vodafone-smart-ultra-6-review
Get a [url= http://www.technewsworld.com/story/82273.html ]commodore smartphone[/url].
[img] 
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A phone on which you can play manic miner and elite?
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Just did some research for an article on budget smartphones, seems the Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 mentioned above is top of the shop right now - and well under budget.16GB storage.
yep, 11Gb usable and an SD card slot for lots more.
it's a great phone by the loks of it. not a lot of cases for it yet though, but they will come.
Huawei Ascend G7.
That looks good. I have a Moto G, and while it is acceptable, it really needs more internal storage for Android to work without constant user intervention.
4g and gen 2 versions sort this with an sd card slot.
Moto X2 looks great but no sd card slot (as with so many higher end phones)!
Pretty much sold on the Voda now, if I can find an unlock code. Not too keen on Voda pricing.
plenty online I believe.
Yup, seems to be a bunch on eBay. That'll do nicely. Means I can get a Chromecast in budget too (and it'll just about have paid for my midlife crisis skateboard too).
Naughty hijack...I'm selling a 3 month old Motorola Moto G 8gb (xt1032) on Vodafone . £80 posted.
Cheers for the offer but I'd prefer the better spec of the Voda I think 🙂
That Sony outlet site looks good (not just for phones). I'm rather impressed with the Z1 Compact I have (with a 64GB SD card). Wife has a Sony M2, and although it's a cheap phone, it's pretty nice.
To give some context, my work phone is a 64GB Samsung S6 Edge, which although lovely, isn't 4x better than the Sony.
No they don't.4g and gen 2 versions sort this with an sd card slot.
By default Android will run apps on the internal storage. Yes, you can move them to the SD card, but when they update, they move back to the internal storage. And then your phone starts running out of storage. So you move them all back to SD. In an endless cycle. It's crap.
Edit: And if the app is on SD storage, you can't run a widget for it on the home screen. Which sucks.
you used to be able to use Darktremors A2EXT script to spread internal memory over a partition on an SD card, but I don't know if that works with lollipop as it was only on old phones I used it.
I reckon 16gb should be enough for apps (I'm not a heavy user), then I can use an SD card for photos / music / fillums etc. Biggest app I have is True Skate, apart from that I don't really play games.
lollipop is supposed to let apps run from SD cards, though I've not needed to try it.
the 16Gb is decent enough if your pics/movies/music/whatever else, gets shoved on an SD. PC world are kicking out 32Gb SD's for about £7.
Dig in the drawer for an old Nokia and spend 200 quid on something worth while 😆
I like having a nice phone to play with. So it is worthwhile. But thanks for your input anyway.
That Vodafone is excellent VFM but the video capture is shocking. The worst I've seen in years. Would get one but for that reason.
Ah bugger. Now that is a shame. Though not the end of the world. Hmm.
The new Moto G is out now. I think I want to pay the extra for the 16Gb/2Gb version, but it's out of stock at Motorola. Should I just get the 8Gb/1Gb version for 2/3 the price instead?
no.
you only get 4Gb usable and no SD slot.
if you can find one of the first 16Gb versions that would be better.
It's got an SD slot now doesn't it?
The new G doesn't I think, but the X does. I bought a pair of wheels instead but eyeing up the X now, waiting for the 2014 ones to drop a bit hopefully.
Spotted a second hand Sony X1 Compact in town so bought that instead. £70 less than the better spec Moto G 🙂
Aldi are selling a smartphone for £70 this Thursday the 6th of August.
My moto g 2nd gen has an SD slot.
the new g DOES have a sd slot according to the motorola website...
Expandable memory
Slot for an optional microSD card with up to 32 GB capacity.**
It does seem to have gotten much more expensive though, isn't quite the bargain phone it once was.
big j - where for the Z1 compact for £160? I have one and my wife may want one...?
I've just plumped for the [url= http://ulefone.com/products/betouch2/features.html ]Ulefone Be Touch 2[/url], and going on a BT £5/month sim-only deal.
Got it for £135 (rather than £150+) with some paypal discount that appeared in the checkout. Android 5.1, 8-core @ 1.7GHz, big (removable) battery, 3GB RAM, 16GB + 32GB memory card, 5.5" 2.5D screen, decent 5MP camera + flash at the front and some fancy 13MP Sony thing as the main one. Reviews seem very positive, and in terms of spec vs price it knocks all the big-name budget phones into a cocked hat.
Root, fastboot and custom ROMs are already available on XDA Developers too, so the support is there.
Keep us updated Flying Ox! Be interesting to hear how it is in real life.
Just in case anyone was following this with baited breath I have ordered an LG G3 via a deal on HUKD. Assuming it all goes through and I get the cashback (which is currently pending) it will have cost me a grand total of £176.92.
And another update! Phone has arrived and the screen is stunning; however it also has a stuck on "hot" pixel, which is really ****ing annoying. Currently waiting to hear back from their customer support re a return.
Sigh.
I'm still following this thread! good to hear the updatte
If they refuse to accept it as a fault, remember you've got 14 days from receipt to reject it under Consumer Contracts Regulations (the successor to Distance Selling Regs) and send it back regardless.
ZenFone 2 looks interesting, for those still looking....
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asus-zenfone-2,4267.html
Those zenfones are riddled with chinese phone aids (malware)
Loving my Sony Xperia Z3, dual sim, waterproof phone
If you are interested. I've got a Moto G dual sim phone going spare for £60. Less that a year old.
is that a gen 1 or gen 2? would be interested if it's a Gen 2 with card slot
Got my eye on the moto X Play for £249 from John Lewis (price match with carphone warehouse).. anything else about £250 to consider?
monkeychild - Member
Those zenfones are riddled with chinese phone aids (malware)
*citation needed*
How about one of these for £140??
Meizu M2 Note 4G
An outside choice...
How about one of these for £140??Meizu M2 Note 4G
Interesting, looking for a cheap android phone and this one seems to have a decent spec for the money.
Got my eye on the moto X Play for £249 from John Lewis (price match with carphone warehouse).. anything else about £250 to consider?
There are other's but not with a hd screen and battery that long lasting. Had mine a week now, how the hell I managed with the one I had previous which now looks minute I don't know.
Small Hi-jack please
Garmin/ Ant+/ andriod
Which phones are you guys using and is it useful/easy or just a royal garmin pain in the ar5e.
ty
Cheers @Cougar, I was thinking that - fortunately just I was looking at this thread I received a returns label and notification that they're sending me a replacement. So thumbs up so far for Fireworks customer service - I was a bit worried that 'cos it was such a convoluted buying process it might be a hassle, but so far so good.
So for those looking for a phone I would (tentatively) recommend the G3 deal I posted, although looking at the HUKD comments you might struggle to get it quite as low - but still below £200. Obviously the battery life will be nothing like the Moto X Play but the screen really is stunning.
For what's it's worth the OnePlus is the best thing I've ever used as a 'phone' I say phone as it's a much a small tablet as it is a phone and it's not like I ever really call people on it!
So if you do get the option it's a worthy phone in my opinion, I'm looking forward to being offered a 2 as I'd like one and by then I'm sure my wife's Nexus 5 will be all but dead.
Following this thread with interest as have just had to factory reset my Moto G as it has, again run out of space. Biggest and only real fault with this phone.
Well my replacement G3 has arrived, and first impressions are very good - pretty amazing for the price. Everything is very quick and smooth, the screen is gorgeous (though I'm not entirely convinced there's much advantage to QHD) and the LG skin has some nice touches, especially when you turn off all the crap. Which isn't too much compared to some manufacturers at all.
New Nexus should be out at the end of this month, just hope my Xperia Z1 holds out that long!
Hmmm. I should probably also take more of an interest in this thread.
My Xperia T is fine, but getting a little laggy at times after having it for 2.5 yrs. I think it was on the way out when I got it too, so is probably a way behind newer handsets.
I went into Three the other day regarding an upgrade & was told that I could have a mid-range Samsung on a reduced tariff for an extra £8/month.....hmmm.
Or a Z1 Compact for an extra £15/month again on a reduced tariff.
So, thinking I'll just get a new phone when the time comes completely separate from anything that Three offers.
I've got an LG tablet & really like it, so perhaps an LG will also be a good option.
I think the G3 deal I got has expired, though there still look to be some good deals out there. I paid £209.99 with cashback (still tracking) to bring it down to £177.
And another update. Cashback is still tracking but the phone is great.
I'm not a particularly heavy user but after a day of occasional email / facebook checks, bit of browsing, a play on TrueSkate and a few photos when I went to bed at just gone midnight the battery was showing 55%. So I'm happy with that.
Bit of fiddling and I've got it working just how I like, the knock-code unlock is a nice touch and the camera is pretty decent too.
Screen quality is crazy, I watched a few QHD videos to test it and it looks incredible. Detail is nuts. Probably completely pointless in real life but then I ride a mountain bike so I'm used to that.
Not tested out the audio properly yet but it seems pretty good.
Overall I'd definitely recommend, based on the few days use I've had.