Best sub-premium smartphone?

FabMan on 16/07/2014 - 10:37
Last edited 16/07/2014 - 13:03

I've been looking to replace my HTC One X for a bit now and the Samsung Galaxy S4 i9506 looks like the best bang for your buck sub-premium smartphone. In terms of benchmarks it scores very highly, screen size is ideal for me at 5", camera's are great, you can use an SD card and the battery is easily replaced. Two downsides is the TouchWiz software I don't like and the fact it is made by Samsung, I don't dislike Samsung, I just prefer to support companies that aren't the top dog to encourage competition.

http://www.kogan.com/au/buy/samsung-galaxy-s4-4g-lte-i9506-1… Here it is at Kogan for $479.

I've looked at the LG G2 and that seems too large for my liking, the Nexus 5 is a great priced phone but the limitations of no SD card and the battery not being easily swapped seems like a big downside.

Is there a phone that HTC sells that is comparable or any other phone manufacturer not out of China? As I don't want to support Chinese manufacturing.

Thanks

-Edit-

Now I am liking the look of a HTC One M7, over the Samsung Galaxy S4. Slower, doesn't have SD slot or a removable battery. But is made by company I prefer, looks better, has a marginally better screen, has 32GB of internal storage, ideal size for my hands and costs less. HTC promise to update the phone with latest Android software till March 2015, so I should get an official update for Android L.
http://www.mobicity.com.au/htc-one-m7.html#.U8XrDvmSyZh $450 from Mobicity.

http://www.devicespecifications.com/en/comparison/3e3117f6
Though when I look at the stats above, the Samsung S4 is a lot faster in its CPU, GPU, RAM and network speeds. Dammit, looks like S4 is winning again.

Mobile

Comments

  • ESEMCE on 16/07/2014 - 10:40

    Moto X is made in the USA.
    Very decent handset, some awesome, unique and possibly even useful features (unlike some of the Samsung gimmicks), but probably less bang for your buck in terms of raw hardware..
    What's your definition of bang for buck?

    • FabMan on 16/07/2014 - 10:48

      My definition is loose, as in, probably not your best bang for buck or it is probably some very budget phone, or even keeping with my HTC One X and replacing the battery. But I'm after something sub-premium.

      When I look at the difference of the Samsung Galaxy S4 i9506 vs Samsung Galaxy S5 I cannot see why it would cost so much more other than it is the newest model. When I look at HTC One M8, sure it is the nicest looking phone but the cost difference really doesn't justify that to me.

      I'm looking up the Moto X now, thanks.

      • Moto X doesn't benchmark very high, 33% higher than my HTC One X while offering the same resolution. The S4 i9506 is 100% higher in benchmarks while offering 1080p screens. While the Moto X looks like a great phone, it isn't an upgrade for me. Plus I'd lose that lovely Blinkfeed. Though at least it does upgrade to Android 4.4.4 which my HTC One X will not do without buggy mods.
      • beaver2233 on 16/07/2014 - 11:41

        first mistake: judging a phone by benchmarks. I can assure you the moto x will feel miles faster than your current One X. You mention not wanting a Nexus 5 as there is no sd card slot and no removable battery (the one x doesn't have that either - in fact this criteria will limit your choice a lot, mostly to Samsung). Still think the nexus 5 is the best android experience.

        • ESEMCE on 16/07/2014 - 11:50
          -1

          The new MotoX has SD

        • beaver2233 on 16/07/2014 - 11:53

          @scubacoles:
          uhh think you're thinking the moto g?
          or the unreleased moto x+1?

        • FabMan on 16/07/2014 - 12:13

          While I'm sure the Moto X would feel faster, it is worth paying more for the Moto X than the HTC One M7? At Mobicity it costs $30 more for the Moto X than the HTC One M7 that does have a faster processor and 16GB more storage.

          The Nexus 5 does look like a great phone, I am considering it as I haven't ruled it out.

        • beaver2233 on 16/07/2014 - 12:21
          +1

          @FabMan:
          That's true. Comes down to the software (and speakers) I guess. Either way, all these phones are great, and doubt you'll be disappointed with any of them.

        • FabMan on 16/07/2014 - 12:24

          @beaver2233:

          Cheers, I am just wondering if it is at all worth it. When I was thinking about replacing the battery in the HTC One X, then getting a battery extender case for those extra hours.

          I just started using some cleaning software and battery optimizer and they've improved battery life. Though it still feels sluggish, trying to quickly access the camera and even the dialing screen can feel slow.

        • beaver2233 on 16/07/2014 - 12:30

          @FabMan:
          tried a factory reset or even formatting the internal storage?

        • FabMan on 16/07/2014 - 12:40

          @beaver2233:

          Naa, I'm not sure how that could help if I was just to re-install the same software again.

          I've just used the cleaning software to remove 'junk' files. It found lots of unused data and old apk files. 4.9GB of crappy data apparently. I then moved apps to phone storage, I removed apps I don't use.

          I was thinking that if I replaced my battery and got the extender I got overclock my phone from 1.5GHz to 1.8Ghz. I'm just worried about the heat. Then again if I'm getting a new phone soon, does it matter if I kill this one?

        • beaver2233 on 16/07/2014 - 12:45
          +1

          @FabMan:
          well if you say your phone has become sluggish and wasn't before, a factory reset could surely help that (though of course you'll lose all your apps and data). Sure overclocking could speed things up, though at the cost of battery life.

        • ESEMCE on 16/07/2014 - 12:46
          +2

          @beaver2233:
          Yeah, the upcoming X+

  • xyron on 16/07/2014 - 11:27

    If you can do without the SD card expansion, the HTC One M7 is decent.

    Also I would be buying a HTC One Max for $488 from JB Hi-Fi before I looked at a Galaxy S4:

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/152420

    • beaver2233 on 16/07/2014 - 11:45
      +3

      he stated the LG g2 was too big - so the Max is way too big ;P

    • FabMan on 16/07/2014 - 11:58

      The two HTC phones do look amazing and both phones do benchmark higher than the HTC One X. But they are both a lot slower than the S4 i9506 and at 5.9" that HTC One Max is just too big for me, I have tiny girly hands. The M7 available at a good price

      Mobicity has the red HTC One M7 32GB at $459.90 including delivery while the S4 i9506 16GB at Kogan is $501.98 delivered. Not sure of Mobicity:
      http://www.mobicity.com.au/htc-one-m7.html#.U8XalfmSyZg

      Thanks, now to decide if $40 plus the loss of 16GB storage and the loss of a better looking phone is worth it for extra speed, extra battery life, SD card slot and removable battery of the S4.

  • polol on 16/07/2014 - 12:12
    +1

    have you checked the physical size of a G2 versus S4? I doubt there's much difference. I certainly couldn't tell when using my friend's G2.

    Aren't all phones manufactured in China?

    • FabMan on 16/07/2014 - 12:15

      No, they aren't all manufactured in China though components they use probably are. The HTC One X I use is a perfect size for my hands with a 4.7" screen, anything that increases the size of the screen but doesn't decrease the bezel will ruin that experience. Can't underestimate the importance of comfort in the hands.

  • Buyingcrap on 16/07/2014 - 16:23

    I installed a custom kitkat rom on my crappy Huawei the other day and it feels like a new phone without costing a cent. Might be worth a try.

    • FabMan on 16/07/2014 - 17:57

      I was thinking about it, however I tried a couple of ROMs but on one occasion my calling functionality wasn't working correctly due to a bug and I missed an important call. I imagine it is rare to have such a bug, but it did but me off using ROMs again.

  • goku on 17/07/2014 - 11:58

    HTC One M8.. Can't replace battery easily. Has a microSD card slot which supports cards upto 128gb!. It is a premium mobile phone. But you can get it for sub-premium prices if you look hard enough.

    I got one from Gumtree for $560 including a $40 case and screen protectors. Guy working in Telstra selling brand new display models. Best phone I have ever owned.Period.

    • FabMan on 17/07/2014 - 14:54

      At $560, it is a great price. I don't think I'll be able to get it close to that price. One website with a low cost claims $653.95 including delivery. That is a lot more than a 32GB HTC One M7 at $460 delivered and more than the $502 for the 32GB Samsung S4 i9506 delivered.

      • Austin316 on 17/07/2014 - 16:09
        +1

        Saw this ad. Thought u might be interested.
        http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/helensvale/mobile-phones/sams…

        • FabMan on 17/07/2014 - 17:02
          -1

          Well aren't you a lovely person… that looks sarcastic, but it isn't.

          12% discount for it being a few months old… very tempting, very tempting indeed. I'm gonna message him!

        • FabMan on 17/07/2014 - 19:53

          Why did I get negged for that? I'm sad now.

          Hey neelesh316, thanks for pointing it out to me, I messaged that guy. I should have thanked you in the first message.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2014 - 18:26

    I don't know why you would say the S4 is faster than the M7 and One Max, they are supposed to be faster than S4… anywhere anytime. (assuming your S4 will be running TouchWiz)

    btw S4 and M7 and One Max are all using the same CPU, unless you are talking about the LTE-A version.

    • beaver2233 on 17/07/2014 - 18:33
      +1

      if you look at the link he's being looking at, it's the i9506, which has the snapdragon 800 (according to that Kogan link). No idea the compatibility with Australia networks, though I assume it'd be fine.

      • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2014 - 18:55
        +1

        Oh yeah thanks for pointing that out.

        In that case it might be worth looking at other S800 powered phones, if you are really concerned about speed. (Don't forget optimization is more important nowadays though, that's why HTC phones and iPhones are always gonna be faster)

        As for Chinese manufacturing, Samsung usually make their phones in Korea and Vietnam, LG's high end ones in Korea, HTC's high end ones in Taiwan… and I think that is pretty much it.

  • FabMan on 15/04/2015 - 15:08

    Not that anyone cares, but I eventually got the Sony Xperia Z3, because of the PS4 deal.

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