New Android Phone Advice Under $600

Lsteveray9a on 05/04/2019 - 08:20
Last edited 05/04/2019 - 09:45

Hi guys,

Just wanted some advice on a new phone at a decent price.

Im not fussed about a fancy camera like the P30 pro. I do not want a curved screen like the Samsung or the Mate 20 Pro…. Tho i really like these phones, not a fan of curved sceens and breakage.

I was thinking maybe the Huwaei P20 pro might be good idea and its a decent price or maybe oppo ? Maybe LG ??

Things i want are good battery life & NFC, for use in AUS.

I currently have a S7 Edge so i want to be careful im not getting something thats not much of an upgrade !

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Mobile Mobile Phone Android

Comments

  • dasher86 on 05/04/2019 - 08:48
    +5

    Adding a price range might be a good idea for one.
    Is NFC important to you?
    Band 28?
    notification LED?
    Battery

  • Kangal on 05/04/2019 - 09:47
    +1

    A lot of midrange devices omit things from the flagship counterparts, which is un-intuitive.
    Don't look at midrange devices are flagships with slightly slower processors, cheaper displays, and worse cameras. A lot of times they will omit things like NFC, FM Radio, Band 28, etc etc. And be careful of some midrange phones that include flagship processors… they've definitely cut corners when it comes to the flagships.

    I share your concerns about durability, so a Tempered Glass Protector is a necessity for me (and that means the device needs to have a flat front). And for me, it also needs to have IP68 waterproofing. And I will always use it in a Thin Case, particularly made from Aerospace-grade Polycarbonate. Sure it makes the phone thicker, wider, taller, heavier, and doesn't feel as good as the smooth glass back…. but its worth it.

    Also for me, software is important. I've lost most trust to OEMs, so I'm always looking for a device that can be rooted/and may have good community development. These two factors really limit your options. My third option was to advocate for front-firing stereo loudspeakers (and headphone jack), but that brings your option down to Zero.

    Possible options to recommend:
    - LG V30 (checks all the boxes, processor is a little slow, camera hardware is quite weak, display is only decent, speakers are poor like all other phones)
    - Samsung Galaxy S10e (checks all the boxes, comes with the fastest processor, best display, and great camera hardware, speakers again poor)
    - Xiaomi BlackShark2 (questionable build quality/water resistance, great speakers, fastest processor, weak camera hardware, display is only decent)
    - ASUS RoG Phone 2 (not yet announced)

    • waterbottled on 05/04/2019 - 11:50

      can concur that LG v30's camera is really bad (coming from a huawei mate 9). gave it to my grandma instead.

      • dcep on 05/04/2019 - 15:33

        reviews say manual settings took wonderful photos

        of course, manual mode not for everyone to fiddle with

    • terrys on 06/04/2019 - 07:30

      Loving my V30, however it does have curved glass…

      • Kangal on 07/04/2019 - 00:20

        The front glass… it is flat, and allows you to properly install a Tempered Glass screen protector, just like its smaller sibling LG G6.

        Compared to the The iPhone 6 <-> 8 Plus, they have mostly flat, but they have a "2.5D" glass. The 2.D Shape means a Tempered Glass screen protector can be applied, but it will be a few millimetres off the edges, and this means its just at the border of the display. While its not perfect, it is still functional.
        The new Samsung S10e is not as flat as it can be, but is similar to 2.5D phones.

        The Samsung Note Edge, S6 Edge, S6 Edge Plus, S7, S7 Edge, S8, S8+, S9, S9+, S10, S10+….
        ….these are all beyond 2.5D, or some people call them "3D". You cannot install a Tempered Glass protector. It will either cover a midsection, making it not as functional/protective, or require you to use a less protective/finger-friendly Plastic Screen Protector. There are some expensive "hard plastic" protectors, which need curing and they curve around the display. The affordable ones (<$100) don't work well, as they naturally lose their grip very soon. The expensive ones could work, but don't feel as good as Tempered Glass, and their thinness offers you less protection.

        • terrys on 07/04/2019 - 09:13

          <Sigh> I'm holding mine in my hand. I have my V20 and G4 beside it. The screen, which as you say is described as 2.5D, curves at the edges.That is why the Whirlpool discussion group contains commentary regarding the difficulty of finding good tempered glass protection.
          It is MIL-STD-810G compliant. So was my V20, the only phone I ever cracked the screen by dropping. I'd suggest the "will be a few millimetres off the edges," is the reason the O.P. want "flat". The smoothness of the screen without such a cover is why I ensured my case arrived before I got this phone, rather than 1 day afterwards as with my V20.

  • RedHab on 05/04/2019 - 09:58

    S7 Edge is still pretty good. Maybe wait a few months for the S10e to drop below $600?

    • steveray9a on 05/04/2019 - 09:59

      Yeah i was thinking that, just wanted some other opinions…. im still pretty happy with the phone minus a couple of minor scrapes BUT ive had for 2+ yrs and I am a gadget freak so im getting itchy fingers haha !

      • waterbottled on 05/04/2019 - 11:52

        I'm in a similar situation as you. Got itchy fingers and bought the v30 because everyone here said it's great. When i got the phone in my hand I regretted it (weak camera, awkward power button position; light as a feather and hence feels unsubstantial and flimsy). If I were you, i'll save up a bit more money so i can get a flagship that i know i'll be 100% happy with instead of pulling the trigger on a budget phone and risking not liking it (and wasting money).

    • TwentyTwoCarats on 05/04/2019 - 11:28

      The S10E retails at $1199 and with some promotions and discounts you can get it to $950-1000. It's not going to go anywhere near $600 in a few months. It'll take 2 years to get there.

  • TwentyTwoCarats on 05/04/2019 - 11:32

    Honestly, when budgets are low/medium, I prefer older brand new flagships compared to current-year mid range phones. Because other than newer softwares, they're still flagships with all the bells and whistles and premiumness. For that reason, I strongly recommend the S8+ from Kogan, it's about $679 and since the S8 series also got the Android 9 One UI update, it almost looks identical to the S10 in terms of software experience. You get the IP68, premium build, NFC, SD card, 3500 mAh battery, and so on. Due to the new design with bigger screen and infinity display, it'll feel like an upgrade from the S7 Edge.

    Look for the SM-G955FD model on Kogan, they're going cheap at the moment, Brand New. To get Samsung Pay and Voice over 4G, you need to get it back to Australian firmware, you need to flash the Aussie software which is pretty easy, just read a few forums. If you don't need those things, then no need to do any of this.

    Hope this helped :)

    • steveray9a on 05/04/2019 - 13:04
      +1

      Thanks for that - sound advice !

      • TwentyTwoCarats on 05/04/2019 - 13:45

        No worries - my comment was based on real life evidence as my brother was in the same situation as you at the end of last year. He only had 500-700 to spend and instead of getting one of those mid rangers like Xiaomi, oneplus, moto, etc, he got the S8+ and it has been fantastic so far. He got the One UI update and everything. Looks almost like my S10+. IMO it's just more value for money.

        • Kangal on 05/04/2019 - 15:11

          The only things holding back recommending the S8+ today and since release are:
          - Curved glass is annoying to use/look, expensive, very very fragile, and can't use Tempered Glass Protectors.
          - Single palm/downward-firing loudspeaker (with little aid from earpiece) results in a poor experience. Should've had front firing stereo loudspeakers, even small ones.
          - Fingerprint scanner position is pretty bad/awkward
          - Software support is not good, the UI/UX isn't great, and the bloat is horrible. (though this can be fixed by voiding warranty, rooting, and using community firmware)

          I can't get over that first point, so I would always recommend the LG V30 ahead of the S8+.

          The dream phone at this point is for an ASUS RoG Phone 2, refined for processor and camera, and supporting IP68 waterproofing.

          • TwentyTwoCarats on 05/04/2019 - 15:42
            -1

            @Kangal: All opinions man.

            • Remember OP is on the S7 Edge so he's used to curved screens. Plus as soon as you put a decent case on, the edge never bothers you anyway. I've run through S7/S9/S10 all with no screen protectors and it's been fine.
            • Speakers - agreed, S9/S10 speakers are far superior to S7/S8.
            • Fingerprint is in a bad spot - agreed. Can use Face Unlock but it's less secure.
            • Software: I will have to whole-heartedly disagree here. Samsung's software has come a loooong way since the troubled TouchWiz days of the S2-S6. Android 9 on the S8/S9/S10 is fantastic, smooth, no bugs and glitches, super fast and also clean and nice to look at. There's no bloat that makes the phone slow or degrades battery, all you have to do is make your choice between the Samsung or Google apps, and disable what you can from what you didn't wanna use. The phone always remains fast and snappy.
            • terrys on 07/04/2019 - 09:28
              +1

              @TwentyTwoCarats: I'd agree. The O.P. is used to the [expletives deleted] Samsung way of doing things. I get frustrated finding my way around Samsung settings and menus when handed guests' phones at the community center for problem solving and would imagine a Samsung user would find a similar frustration in moving to LG or an AOSP method. However they want to move from curved screen, aren't to worried about the camera [ tho the V30 camera isn't to bad with the nexus app, just not as good as the V20 or G4] and would get a pleasant surprise from the LG should they record live concerts or use respectable earphones…

  • Farrba on 05/04/2019 - 13:51

    wait for more note 8 deals, target sold it for $600. although some got it for $153 from tgg in the past.

    • TwentyTwoCarats on 05/04/2019 - 15:48

      I'd say S8+ > Note 8 due to battery

  • wako on 06/04/2019 - 09:28
    -2

    Redmi note 7 global..

    Best 300 u will spend!

  • HeWhoKnows on 06/04/2019 - 22:28
    +2

    Stick with your Samsung S7
    Absolute the best phone.
    No need for a new phone or an upgrade.

    • RedHab on 08/04/2019 - 08:16
      +1

      I agree, but the battery is very hard to replace, being glued in.

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