Android Thread

[Poser]

I'm looking at a sim-free budget phone to tide me over after finishing my iPhone contract in Japan and being undecided as to what I'll be doing in August next year (monthly phone contracts here are always two years).

I was looking at the Moto G5 range after seeing some recent reviews say it was the best budget phone on the market. Specifically the Moto G5 (which I can get for £134), the G5 Plus (£208) or the G5S Plus (£270).

Does anyone have any of them? I'm using an iPhone 5S at the moment so I'm well behind the technological curve. Ideally the phone would be futureproofed to the point where, regardless of what I do next year, I would immediately want to upgrade. Though obviously I'm going to be more forgiving of upgrading a £134 phone in the next year or so than a £270. I'm wondering how long all three would remain decent options.

And if the different in RAM and processing speed across the three will make any noticeable difference if I'm not a massive phone buff or always up to date with the technology.

I can't comment on those models - sure someone else can - but in terms of technology, I'm using an Xperia Z5, which is coming up to a couple of years old, and I have never not been able to do something on it that I wanted to. It's pretty much as fast and responsive as it's ever been.

I am happy to be corrected if I'm wrong here, but I get the impression phone technology isn't outdating quite as quickly as it once did. I saw a preview of the next Galaxy S phone (the S9) the other day and they were basically saying one of its main competitors is going to be the S8, because differences between generations are basically pretty close now.

I reckon as long as you don't go massively cheap, you should basically be fine for a few years. But do get a phone with a micro SD card slot because storage ram will always be what holds you back most.

[more heat than light]

The Moto G4 was the go to budget phone, but since then the G5 and G5 plus have been slightly minor upgrades for a lot more money, especially the plus. The standard G5 is a reasonable phone for that money, but if you're after a really capable budget phone I recommend the Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus and Swift 2 X.

[Hyperion]

I'm looking at a sim-free budget phone to tide me over after finishing my iPhone contract in Japan and being undecided as to what I'll be doing in August next year (monthly phone contracts here are always two years).

I was looking at the Moto G5 range after seeing some recent reviews say it was the best budget phone on the market. Specifically the Moto G5 (which I can get for £134), the G5 Plus (£208) or the G5S Plus (£270).

Does anyone have any of them? I'm using an iPhone 5S at the moment so I'm well behind the technological curve. Ideally the phone would be futureproofed to the point where, regardless of what I do next year, I would immediately want to upgrade. Though obviously I'm going to be more forgiving of upgrading a £134 phone in the next year or so than a £270. I'm wondering how long all three would remain decent options.

And if the different in RAM and processing speed across the three will make any noticeable difference if I'm not a massive phone buff or always up to date with the technology.

I got the G5S plus a couple of weeks ago after Google bricked my 5x. Does everything that does and has a decent battery with turbo charging

[Oblomov Boblomov]

I got my mum the G5 for her birthday. My dad liked it so much he quickly bought one for himself.

[karl_fletcher]

I'm thinking of getting a Pixel 2. I'm due an upgrade and if I trade in my current Pixel it'll only be $250. Not entirely sure it's that much better though.

[Errkal]

I'm thinking of getting a Pixel 2. I'm due an upgrade and if I trade in my current Pixel it'll only be $250. Not entirely sure it's that much better though.

It won't be, phones aren't developing very fast any more so there isn't really much between phones from the last year or two to now. It's all about getting there device you like the look of rather the pan the best one as they are all much of a muchness.

[Drumstick]

Anyone have any experience with the Huawei brand of Android phones? Looking for my Mum, basically she browses Facebook WhatsApp, etc and the usual phone stuff.

[Errkal]

The wife has a p10 and it's really good. Mate has had one since launch and loves it.

[mysteriousdave]

Negative thing with the UK G5 plus on sim free is that it hasn't had an update since release, security patch or otherwise. Very poor form.

[Drumstick]

The wife has a p10 and it's really good. Mate has had one since launch and loves it.

Is it reasonably powerful though? Because when it goes wrong she's going to come to me and I can abide slow piece of gooseberry fool phones and tablets. Her current phone takes at least 3 second to actually do what the user asks and it drives me strawberry floating insane.

In terms of performance how does it shape up to the OP3T?

[Errkal]

The wife has a p10 and it's really good. Mate has had one since launch and loves it.

Is it reasonably powerful though? Because when it goes wrong she's going to come to me and I can abide slow piece of gooseberry fool phones and tablets. Her current phone takes at least 3 second to actually do what the user asks and it drives me strawberry floating insane.

In terms of performance how does it shape up to the OP3T?

I've not used the one plus because I don't like them or the way they are marketed, however compared to my s8 it is very useable. Very nippy the fastest boot up I've seen.

It's a flagship phone not a budget thing so think of it in terms of that.

Heuwai aren't a new or small company they know their gooseberry fool and are massive so this is a small start up that has to be a bit gooseberry fool as they build resources.

[Drumstick]

OK, cheers Errk, very helpful. I'll tell her to get the P10.

What's your beef with OP? This is the best phone I've ever used.

[Errkal]

I have never liked the look of them and they always seems pitched as a sort of fanboy thing.

Hype building and pre-orders with very little info, spec wise that never seem that fantastic just another flagship but one plus hype the gooseberry fool out of it and get their followrrs frothing for it.

The latest one for example looks very nothing and the screen is the old style "dumpy" screen wasting loads of space on the front, it's dual camera but otherwise it isn't much of a move from the last one but the fanboys Go ape gooseberry fool for it.

[Death's Head]

I have never liked the look of them and they always seems pitched as a sort of fanboy thing.

Hype building and pre-orders with very little info, spec wise that never seem that fantastic just another flagship but one plus hype the gooseberry fool out of it and get their followrrs frothing for it.

The latest one for example looks very nothing and the screen is the old style "dumpy" screen wasting loads of space on the front, it's dual camera but otherwise it isn't much of a move from the last one but the fanboys Go ape gooseberry fool for it.

That seems a quite uneducated view. The OP5 is much cheaper than the S8 but uses the same CPU. If you check some reviews you will see it is more responsive than the S8 due to the more stock like OS. Not sure where your fanboy comments come from, no worse than Apple or Samsung.

[Errkal]

It's uneducated to think spec wise they are like everyone else which they are because all phones are basically the same now?

Obviously apple and Samsung have their fan boys but apple excluded a bit here they don't really pitch directly at them.

one plus owners I find tend to lord it a bit because "oh well you should have the op*" just because.

I don't understand fanboydom for any manufacturer but with op it seems all the more ingrained in their existence, much like it was with oppo.

[Death's Head]

Obviously you know many OP owner because I don't know any, other than my son. You have recommended one phone over the OP5, dismissing it for odd personal reasons. I think you will find the start up on the OP5 and "nippyness" is nippier than the phone you've recommended. Yes, most phones are technically the same, but how many Android phones pair the latest CPU with 6GB RAM as the standard offering? As for improvements over the last model, CPU is the main difference, but this gives improved performance and battery life. Same could be said about differences between iPhone 7 and 8, just incremental changes. You can even use the same cases and tempered glass on 6,7 and 8 to demonstrate how little has changed physically!
I only recommend the OP5 on price because as you've said, most phones are the same so may as well pay the least.

[Errkal]

Fair enough as that is based on reasoning etc.

It's just something I have noticed not generally here but elsewhere that a recommendation comes from an op because it is an op with no reasoning much like an apple but goes "it's apple mate so best"

As I say it isn't a thing here so I'm not having a dig at anyone but is something me and a mate of mine have seems else where with op owners.

Although I still think the screen looks dumpy because they didn't go for the newer ratio and went traditional.

[Drumstick]

In terms of manufacturers issuing "upgrades" without there being many if any discernable differences that actually matter from the previous model; Apple are the undisputed kings of this.

[Errkal]

In terms of manufacturers issuing "upgrades" without there being many if any discernable differences that actually matter from the previous model; Apple are the undisputed kings of this.

They change the number of the box what more do you need.

[Death's Head]

Fair enough as that is based on reasoning etc.

It's just something I have noticed not generally here but elsewhere that a recommendation comes from an op because it is an op with no reasoning much like an apple but goes "it's apple mate so best"

As I say it isn't a thing here so I'm not having a dig at anyone but is something me and a mate of mine have seems else where with op owners.

Although I still think the screen looks dumpy because they didn't go for the newer ratio and went traditional.

Doesn't it look very similar the P10 you've recommended? How is that less "dumpy"? [emoji3]