700MHz (B28) Phone

halfnhalf71 on 28/10/2015 - 13:46

I am in metro Melbourne and have just swapped from Voda to Optus because of network issues and am not overly happy with Optus either. Boost seem to be having some great deals (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/217072) and as they use the full Telstra Network I was thinking of jumping over to them.

However, I have an Elephone P8000 but due to no 700mHz (B28) i would need to get another phone to take advantage of the high speed 4G.
Can anyone suggest a similar specced phone to the P8000? I don't want to go as high as the G4 in price (something up to AU$300 if possible)

I believe (I could be wrong) that only Australia and Taiwan use the 700mHz range which severly limits the choice of the 'Chinese' phones?

Other features that are non-negotiable:
* Dual sim
* 4G (clearly) with B28 - 700mHz

I have a wish list of other features but i'm willing to look at anything with just those 2 features.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Mobile

Comments

  • ESEMCE on 28/10/2015 - 14:03

    Sony Xperia M4 Aqua is the only "cheap" phone that has full support for all Australian Frequencies.

    Are you in a 700MHz zone?
    No point upgrading a phone if you aren't!

    • halfnhalf71 on 28/10/2015 - 14:12

      Yep I live and work very close to the city - Melbourne

  • rinbond on 28/10/2015 - 14:13

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/217141

    Sorry didnt see dual sim request

    • [Deactivated] on 28/10/2015 - 14:50

      you could buy two at that price lol

  • halfnhalf71 on 28/10/2015 - 15:09

    So when i said i was happy to look at any phones, i meant in the same vicinity as the P8000. That phone is not even close to being the same. BUT i do appreciate the help.
    Maybe it would help if i posted some specs for the P8000 for everyone? This cost me about AU$250 new.

    *4G
    *Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, Dual Standby)
    *Display: 5.5-inch, 1920×1080 pixels
    *Processor Type: 64 bits Octa-core Processor
    *RAM: 3 GB
    *Internal Storage: 16GB
    *Camera: Rear: 13.0 mega pixel
    *Camera: Front-facing: 5 MP Camera
    *Bluetooth: v4.0
    *WiFi: WLAN IEEE 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4G/5G dual band support
    *GPS
    *Touch ID Fingerprint scanner
    *Battery: 4165 mAh

    • ESEMCE on 28/10/2015 - 15:44
      +1

      Very few, if any phones are comparable to that without spending $800.
      Lg G4 is the cheapest flagship phone and is otherwise your best bet.
      Chinese phones don't seem to support Band 28.

      ASUS Zenfone 2 has a model that supports band 28
      http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-ASUS-ZenFone-2-ZE551ML-4G-LTE…

      ZTE Blade S6 local stock (JB HiFi and Officeworks) also has Band 28 but misses other 4G Bands.

      but misses out on some of the other bands.

      • halfnhalf71 on 28/10/2015 - 16:10

        The Zenfone 2 is a pretty good option. Thanks scubacoles

  • driver33b on 28/10/2015 - 15:57
    +1

    You could always use a tool called 'Phone finder' over here http://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3

    • halfnhalf71 on 28/10/2015 - 16:11

      Thanks! Very handy tool. I hadn't considered the Moto X Play…until now…

      • OpayuOnam on 29/10/2015 - 08:45

        That phone costs much more than LG G4 in Australia ($560 if not mistaken) and does not even come close to G4 in terms of most specs. I have also played around with it in a shop and didn't see the buttery smooth performance everyone is talking about.
        If Moto X Play was around 300-400 I would definitely recommend it but not at its current price.
        Take a Huawei P8 for thesamemonehfrom In or dicksmith for much better phone

  • cureforanitch on 28/10/2015 - 16:34

    I'm in the exact same boat with exactly the same criteria!

    My findings;

    • Oppo R7 (can buy local stock Dick Smith)
    • Oppo R7 PLUS - my current phone (can buy local stock Dick Smith)
    • Moto X Play Dual Sim (This is the phone I actually wish i bought! Hard to find, check Expansys or ebay as they dual sim is only Indian i think)
    • Moto G 3rd Gen dual sim (can be bought locally i think Personal Digital had a post on here recently)
    • M4 Aqua as noted above
    • Oppo Mirror 5s (can be bought locally from Allphones, although only 5inch and a bit cheapo
    • Taiwan version of the Zenfone 2 (used to have one, didnt like it, crap camera)
    • halfnhalf71 on 28/10/2015 - 21:16

      Yeah they are all decent but all have something missing. I think my price point is too low to truly get what i want.
      Now that i've experienced a phone with a 4000+ mAh battery, i don't think I want to go back to a 'small' capacity one! It's great using the phone heavily all day and still getting home with half the battery left.
      I think the large battery + B28 + dual sim + 5"+ is an elusive prey…
      How are you finding the Moto X Play? It seems like the best option

      • cureforanitch on 29/10/2015 - 09:53

        What's the moto x play missing? Battery is about 3600mah and has reported more screen on time than the p8000. If battery is a big factor that, or the oppo r7 plus are you best options. If size is a factor then definitely the x play as it's quite a compact 5.5inch

        • halfnhalf71 on 29/10/2015 - 10:30

          Yeah just so happens a guy at work has the Oppo R7 and it looks pretty sweet. That could be the new front runner

  • [Deactivated] on 28/10/2015 - 23:16

    You can consider some of the phones that sell (exclusively) in Taiwan, such as the htc butterfly 2, e9, me etc… Also something like the Infocus M810 etc, might be hard to buy though.
    The butterfly 2 I have to point out, has 700mhz, 1800mhz and 2300mhz (TDD) so that would be good for optus.

    • halfnhalf71 on 29/10/2015 - 08:54

      I thought of that and tried looking but couldn't find a way to specifically search for phones in the Taiwanese market. Do you have any suggestions for websites?

      • [Deactivated] on 29/10/2015 - 09:05

        I don't think there's any legitimate way to get it cheaply unless you have friends in TW (because my family is there I tend to get them to buy phones for me all the time lol). I had a quick look on grey import sites and it looks like they all sell the BF2 for about $500+, whereas if you buy in TW directly it's only $300…
        Otherwise you can probably have a look at Desire Eye which is available in Australia, ebay might have slightly cheaper prices.

      • [Deactivated] on 29/10/2015 - 09:24

        Oh I forgot, the Sony xperia C4 would suit you as well, available at dick smith for $399 (rrp), can go down a bit to maybe $350 when on sale. Plenty on ebay too.

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