Fast & Small Android Phone

LSpaceFrog on 03/07/2016 - 14:59

Hi I'm after a new phone to replace my aging Samsung Galaxy SII. I bought it for $0 on a $33 Vodafone plan in December 2011. Very happy with the plan and the phone. But I want something fast in a similar size.

I've put Cyanogenmod 12.1 (Lolipop 5.1.1) and re-partitioned the system partition to 6gb and running a 32gb Micro SD. It runs great when I put a new version of Cyanogenmod on it, But after a while it starts to bog down, and constantly freezes, or crashes etc.

Features I like in the Galaxy SII

Removable Battery
Expandable Memory
High range of aftermarket accessories
OS upgrades either from manufacturer or third party developers. Upgraded from Android 2 and can go to 6
Decent Camera
just fits in my pocket. (4.3" Screen Dimensions: 125.3 X 66.1 X 8.5mm)

Features I would like to have on my next phone

NFC
Similar size or smaller
Not overly expensive
Wireless Charging Support

What I don't need

Giant Screen
Ridiculous Resolution
Waterproofing

What I use my phone for

Music & podcasts on daily commutes
Android wear and BT headphones
Browsing The Web
Taking Photos
Google Maps
Occasional Facebook (But just uninstalled to hopefully gain speed)
Facebook messenger calls from my Mum
It sits in a wallet case and I don't carry a separate wallet

Had a quick chat to the Vodafone guy, and only 2 phones that stood out were the Xperia XA 4G ($43 plan, and a pre-paid Galaxy mini J1) After googling the J1 specs it appears to be worse than the SII. And a quick google for small android phones shows favourable reviews of the Xperia Z5 Compact

What do you guys think of Z5 Compact, are there any other phones I should look at. And where's a good place to buy from. Kogan have it for $569. But that's on the high side of what I'd like to pay, and I would like a removable battery for when it crashes, Or when the battery needs to be replaced.

Comparison of Galaxy SII VS Xperia Z5 Compact VS Xperia XA
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=3621&idPhone2=…

Mobile

Comments

Diji1 on 03/07/2016 - 15:29

You don't need to remove the battery to hard reset Xperia devices, you either hold power for 13 seconds or power + volume up, can't recall. Since it lasts for 2000 cycles you probably won't need to replace it either.

Xperia's fall apart a lot sooner than the battery lasts, you won't get the same device longevity as Samsung.

I would say the Z5 Compact is the best choice though more due to lack of competition. To think 5 years ago people were lampooning Samsung's first Note device and now 5.5" is normal and there's almost no good 5" devices anymore :p

As far as comparisons the SII and Z5 Compact are light years apart.
Rorschach on 03/07/2016 - 16:08

The Z5 compact is a good choice. Also consider the Nexus 5X, I don't think it has the best camera, but makes up for it with official updates and the clean UI. Also, the Xiaomi Mi4S and Redmi 3.
5.5" has more offerings, but I gather that's out of the question?

EDIT: Just realised the Z5 compact is 4.6", my suggestions are all 5".
Oh, well…
Savas on 03/07/2016 - 16:49

-4

Windows phones FTW
MrMcHairyHead on 03/07/2016 - 17:30

-2

The Z5 Compact is the worst phone I ever owned. The screen quality is terrible, the button placement is not for humans, it overheats at the drop of a hat, and it's slower than a five year old phone. We're talking 10+ seconds to switch between apps in the week after a full wipe. DON'T BUY IT.
scrimshaw on 03/07/2016 - 19:08

The LG G2 is only $200 on eBay. No SD card slot. No removable camera. It is cheap, fast, and the battery lasts pretty long as well. It has all the usual high end phone features — NFC, IR blaster, support for smart window cover and a very, slim svelte profile with REALLY tiny bezels. It puts the Galaxy SII to shame.
If you like small phones the LG G2 is excellent for the money. Since it's only $200, I think it is forgivable that it doesn't have SD card expansion. Just buy the 32GB variant.

The LG G3 is also around $240, and improves on the feature set by having removable battery and SD slot, along with upgraded laser-focusing camera, but it suffers a downgrade in battery performance. Also has wireless charging. But it does not fit your criteria of a small device (it's a 5.5" phab).

The Huawei P8 lite is based on the highend P8, but with reduced performance and middling specs. It has NFC, SD card slot, a very slim profile and battery that is unfortunately a little small. The display is low-res at 720p to increase battery runtime.
It has a pretty cheap price at $240 on eBay but when you compare this to the LG G2 (an older phone), it seems a bit overpriced.

The Xiaomi Redmi 3 or Redmi 3 Pro ($200) is apparently not a half bad phone, with non-removable battery but it boasts superior battery capacity. The screen is 720p and this allows it for longer screen-on time.
Because it's a low end device it does not have fancy tricks like NFC or IR Blaster or Wireless charging.
- jebozb on 06/07/2016 - 07:47
  
  Hi Scrimshaw,
  
  Can you please confirm the AUS G2 is the D802 model and the G3 is the D855 model, which ebay stores (if any) would you recommend? Are most of these eBay stores selling new stock, or is it refurbished?
  
  I found this G3 for $220 delivered, any comments?
  
  http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/5-5-LG-G3-D855-4G-Unlocked-Quad-c…
  - scrimshaw on 06/07/2016 - 11:53
    
    LG G2 (LG D802TA) – local stock
    LG G2 (LG D802) – "grey" stock
    
    What I bought was D802 (grey import) from Kogan. 2 years ago I bought it for $328. I don't have experience with the other buyers. Some people got their stuff from T-Dimension, some from QD_au
    
    You will not find the D802TA, perhaps in very limited numbers, but D802 works fine in Au.
datafellows on 03/07/2016 - 20:37

S5 mini? :)
SharedSugar on 03/07/2016 - 21:47

Asus Zenfone 2, HTC Desire 630 and Lenovo Lemon 3 have those feature too. Xiaomi Redmi 3 and Sony Z5 compact are probably much better phone though.
johnn on 04/07/2016 - 00:01

The older Sony Z3 Compact is still a very good choice, and you can pick up the D5833 version with the coveted Band 28 coverage for various 4G in Aus for approx. AU$315 on eBay.

Is compact, has microSD slot, NFC, good camera, apparently upgradable to 6.0

Doesn't have a removable battery or wireless charging, but does have Quick Charge 2.0 and stellar battery life.
- SpaceFrog on 04/07/2016 - 12:50
  
  I've been looking at the Z3 and I have to say it's at the top of my list right now. The price is good, The reviews seem good, Some reviews of the Z5 say the camera is trash and the CPU is prone to overheating, not sure how often it does it on the Z5 Compact. The one thing on the Z3 that would shit me is the flaps over the charging port. But there's a magnetic charging port on the side which seems convenient. and the battery life is very good, so it's not necessary to charge it every night. But I've gotten into the habit of it now.
  
  Thanks for all the suggestions guys. The 5" phones are still too big for me. And the Samsung mini's don't seem to have the power of their big brothers.
  - johnn on 04/07/2016 - 19:32
    
    Yep the Snapdragon 810 is notorious for it's overheating issues, which the z5 compact also uses.
    
    The z3 compact uses the older 801, which I think still holds its own quite respectably.
    
    Flaps are definitely annoying- part of the waterproofing aspect.
    
    Just did a size comparison- the z3 compact is almost exactly the same dimensions as the Galaxy S2, see here. The 'view layered' feature is a great feature of this site btw
klaw81 on 05/07/2016 - 09:07

I got my mum a Z3 Compact 2nd-hand and it's been great - awesome battery life and really good reception. The magnetic charger makes the flaps much more tolerable. Just make sure it has a good case and screen protector, because they're known to be a bit fragile.

The Z5 Compact isn't enough of an upgrade to justify the extra price IMO.
SpaceFrog on 08/07/2016 - 19:05

+1

Just ordered the Z3 Compact from eBay. With the $50 off voucher it came to $276.43 AUD

Thanks for all the help guys.