Hi Everyone,
My S9 died over the weekend so I'm in the market for a new mobile phone.
I'm after something that offers value for money, so I'm not in the market for the latest nor greatest but something that will last another 3-4 years.
The budget is $300-500, needs to be an Android OS and preferably on PAR with the S9.
I've read a few of the other posts here but nothing similar.
I've also narrowed down my options to the below POLL but feel free to advise me on any others.
This is not even close to the given budget, mate.
Appreciate the recommendation, but $850 is a bit steep! Just don't want to invest that much on a phone.
Or spend $599 and get a Pixel 4a:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/608336?page=1#comment
If you're looking for something for 3-4 years, none of the poll options are particularly good.
@raisinberry777, thank you - I did look at the Pixel 4a and Samsung A71 (non-5G version) but I've seen mixed reviews on the Pixel 4a so wasn't sure if it's worth the $600
Out of those negative reviews, which aspects were deal breakers for you? Can you share a particular review you read that put you off Pixel 4a?
@NeutralName - apparently the battery capacity is very poor, so I read that it doesn't last for a full working day and it has no water or dust resistance.
@Yiannakis50: So that will eliminate a few of your poll options, like Samsung a 20?
What you said here is good info to put in your original post.
I have the Pixel 4a and am very happy with it. One-hand friendly, light-weight and great camera output. Battery life is phenomenal.
Which of the Pixel 4a review put you off? The only 'negative' I can think of is its lack of water resistance and wireless charging. Those are non-issues for me but can be a big deal for others.
@Yiannakis50: Which of those disadvantages are relevant to your needs?
Take that link with a grain of salt as it seems the author is simply basing their opinion on written specs, not actual usage experience.
For me, there is no issue with the lack of wireless charging (prefer full 18W wired charging) & water resistance (it will still be fine under the rain).
The non-expandable 128GB storage is non-issue with today's streaming services. In fact, I have only used 50% of its capacity even with my photos on it.
The lack of ultrawide-angle lens is a disappointment but not a deal-breaker for me. I can work with its standard wideangle lens and get great pictures out of it.
A few things I disagree with or the author got wrong:
- The Pixel 4a has a 3.5mm headphone jack. This was a requirement for me and I would not have gotten the Pixel 4a otherwise.
- Battery life is great and easily lasts the day even with heavy use. Author is taking a piss calling battery life poor.
- Anyone coming from expensive Samsung S- or Note-series has no right to call the Pixel 4a costly.
Cheers.
@ddhar: @ddhar, honestly the only disadvantage was the poor battery life and lack of waterproofing (even though I never used the S9 to take photos underwater) but I have taken it to the beach and gotten my wet/salty hands all over it, but if your sayings you're happy with the battery based on your experience I'll take your word for it.
Seems the more I look into the 4a that it seems to be a good "budget" phone that will last another 3 years, its a real shame about the S9 thought kicking the bucket.
@Yiannakis50: Water-resistance rating is typically exclusive to high-end phones like the S-series and Note-series. The lower-end ranges tend to eschew this protection. The Xiaomi Poco X3 has some water resistance (albeit IP53 only) which you may find useful. Beware it's a brick of a phone though.
I have a pixel 4a and find it a great phone with amazing battery life. Just be weary of Google's short support guarantees. This won't have any guaranteed support after August 2023 - so kinda doesn't fit OPs original 3-4year requirement.
https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/4457705?hl=en#zippy=…
Having said that, some of those listed are older model phones so will probably be in the same boat.
The S9 would have cost you more than $300-$500? Hard to get something comparable that will last as long for that much unfortunately.
@dust, yeah I bought the S9 for $980 back then (this was two years ago Dec-2018).
I assume over the last 2 years something of similar specs has depreciated in the range of $300-500?
Pixel 5
You might want to wait a bit (if you can borrow a spare from someone or something) and have a look at the new Samsung A32 or A52.
Hard to get something comparable to an S9 in this bracket. They are still a really good phone.
The Galaxy A51 is currently $474.05 on the education store, I have a mate that has one and he loves it!
@Jerome87 - that looks like a good deal, a bit cheaper than the Pixel 4a - thank you
The best buy should be redmi note 9 5G. If you get a bit more budget, get the pro, a better CPU. I think the 8G 256GB is about 400 AUD in aliexpress.
@dada111 - thank you for the input, out of curiosity when you say the "best buy" is that based on hardware for what you are paying or performance?
I have been told Xiaomi is pretty good and have a colleague that swears by them, I've also been told to stay clear for Huawei
Based on the hardware.
I have used my Redmi Note 4X since 2017. The phone is still working well except the battery.
I think it is time to update my Redmi.
Redmi K40 is a better one, but I think there is a huge shortage on this model.
Just missed the LG VELVET for $558 :( afterpay ebay promo is over unfortunately.
Motorola G 5G Plus for $499 on open shop with a leonovo gwp smart clock included
Poco X3 NFC?
Thanks to everyone for their input.
In the end I decided to buy the Pixel 4a ($597), I went to Officeworks twice to pick one up and the second time they didn't have any available so I then went to JB Hi-Fi.
Even though I was sold on the Pixel 4a, I walked out of there with a Samsung A71 for $599.
I felt for that price it was a better buy.
I'm curious what made you choose the Samsung over the Pixel? Was it the larger screen size and/or the battery size? The A71 has also been superseded by the A52 & A72 (in April).
The sales chick said it had a better camera than the Pixel 4a.
She also said it was retailing for $740 last week but had been reduced due to the release of the A71 5G model.
My 'split' second decision was purely based on those two facts:
a) buy a phone worth 740 for 599
b) spend 599 for a phone with a better camera and similar specs to the Pixel 4a
The A71 can't best the Pixel 4a camera on stills/picture quality. It makes up for it with more rear lenses that allows greater focal length
flexibility. The sales chick was equating more lens = better pictures.
The 4500mAh battery on the A71, coupled with its SD CPU, will work very well for your needs though.
I bought the Pixel 4a for $520 and it's a fantastic phone.
I get 2 days use out of each full charge.
thats awesome, if I found it for 520 I would have done the same.
JB had both for 599
If you talk to the sales staff you can get at least the first $30 off.
If you can wait just a little bit longer, Samsung just released the Galaxy A52 and A72. Samsung offers 3 years of software updates and 4 years of security updates for them. The Pixel 4a is also good, but is already more than half a year old at this point.
I note Samsung getting a lot of votes. Just a word of warning, Samsung is probably fine as long as there are no issues with the unit. From personal experience, Samsung after sales service, even under warranty, is frustrating and pointless. I would never buy ANY Samsung product again, whether a phone or otherwise. Not only did Samsung avoid the issue, so did the retailer, and Mastercard which should have refunded the money for a dud purchase. Buckpassing to the extreme, with me left holding the can. But in the end, it was a faulty Samsung device that caused the issue.
Samsung HQ in Homebush was recently permanently closed. Too many angry customers!
I've got the S8, and surmising Samsung have done something to the phones over the last few months… suddenly I no longer get fast charging, and the battery is depleted in no time.
Not ready for 5G and paying 1.5+k is getting questionable.
Not on your list… but Samsung A80
Enjoy your new phone!
Personally I would have gone Google over Samsung, they are much better at getting every ounce out of the hardware while keeping the software minimal.
For next time, it's always worth checking the boost refurbished shop:
https://refurbished.boost.com.au/collections/all
You could have gotten another s9 or an s10/s10+.
Samsung make nice phones but the bloatware kills it for me.
OMG!! This shop is awesome! Fark, wish I knew about this - definitely getting my next phone from here.
As an S20 owner, which requires regular maintenance to keep it running smooth, I'd say cheaper Galaxy smartphones are no good. Not a fan of the horrible overprocessed photo colours either. Your best bet is the Nokia 6.2 which offers the best build quality, stock software, and software update guarantee.
I would say - POCO F3 5G
6.67" 120Hz AMOLED, SD870 for just 400ish.
Once u tried a non - Saumsung Andriod brand, You open a new door with many choices.
If you can push budget to $850 you can get a S21.