Mobile phones for my parents around $200+

Cave Fire on 23/08/2016 - 20:26
Last edited 23/08/2016 - 21:12

Looking for two phones for my parents. Mainly want something reliable, a good battery life and able to run basic apps, browsing, Youtube, Viber and Skype at most. Have dropouts in our area, so 4G and Band 28 is important. They're on Virgin, so either unlocked or with Optus is preferred.

Phone 1 is an upgrade from an Xperia SP, Phone 2 will be an upgrade from a sort of old Nokia. Budget would be $200 - $300+ for phone one and maybe a bit less for the second phone. Or may even buy two of the same phone. Lastly, only looking at phones/brands that are sold domestically.

Have looked at and decided against:
Galaxy j1
S5 Mini
Another Sony/Xperia (doesn't seem super reliable from reviews)

Thinking about:
Oppo F1 mainly at the moment.

Find Me A Bargain

Comments

  • Savas on 23/08/2016 - 20:48
    +2

    Go Windows phone, my parents love it and I know they wont have any problems.

  • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2016 - 20:53

    My suggestions would be:
    1.Moto G 3rd Gen or Newer model if willing to spend ~$350-60 (very long battery life in my experience)
    2.LG Nexus 5X, there are deals right now on ozbargain for your price range (great UI and easy to use as stock android)
    3.iPhone 5S, prices are coming down
    4.Huawei P8 Lite, phone listed on Mobileciti and good price

    EDIT: Nexus 5X deals are pretty much overseas stock, so might not be good option?

    • Cave Fire on 23/08/2016 - 21:16

      Ok, looking at all of these, for some reason thought the 5s would have ios upgrade issues.

      • moar bargains on 23/08/2016 - 21:31

        I have the Moto G3 and it's great. Highly recommend. They will even be able to play Pokemon on it! :P
        If you're looking for a replacement old nokia-style phone and want to stay away from smartphones, check on ebay. Several old style nokias available there. This is what I'll be doing when my mum's old nokia needs replacing.

        • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2016 - 21:46
          +1

          Agree, the Moto G3 (16GB version) is a great option. They are usually on sale for ~$285-300 nowadays which is still a good buy. The phone has 2GB RAM which is more than enough to run a few basic apps as you stated, plus expandable storage and dual-sim functionality. Battery life is excellent and the phone would last a decent 2-2.5 days with light-moderate screen time. Camera is very good too for this price. I highly recommend it! :)

  • Adz81 on 23/08/2016 - 21:41

    Oppo F1 is a good choice… I'm looking at switching from a Windows phone to that for my mum… I have one as a back up phone, battery life is excellent and raw to use.

  • Cave Fire on 24/08/2016 - 13:06

    Can anyone comment on how the Iphone 5s is compared to the 5x and Moto G3? I guess this comes down broadly to ios vs android? And if we preferred battery life (Moto G3) or 4k camera + stock android (5X).

    • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2016 - 15:55

      Nexus 5X vs Moto G3

      iPhone 5s vs Nexus 5X

      iPhone 5s vs Moto G3

      Also, if you are buying these for your parents I would suggest buying something very easy to use such as iPhones or near stock Android devices. Other android phones tend to have bloatware and heavy skins which could be a pain to deal with if it's not removable. I would suggest to go with the Moto G3 only because it has expandable storage and near stock android experience, otherwise larger storage options of the remaining phones will cost you $400+ if your only considering buying it from domestic retailers. Good Luck! :)

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