I was just wondering, what's an OzBargainer's current phone and what made you buy it? Price? Nice specs?
Also, what phones have you had in the past and how does your new one compare?
I've included some big brand manufacturers in the poll, comment your phone model.
*Other is mainly OnePlus One or Microsoft phone
Iphone 5, company phone. Battery gets drained very quick.
Your battery is probably faulty, many iPhone 5's suffered from battery problems. Apple will fix it even out of warranty.
Galaxy S5 because it runs Android, has an excellent screen and awesome battery life.
Brought through mobile phone plan.
HTC M8… Paid $350 for it shortly after launch because my boss didn't like it… Stoked with it as a phone.
Currently using Huawei G526. It is still usable to this day and was under a hundred bucks not long after launch. I'm waiting on my $160 Lenovo K3 Note to arrive. Same reasons as the Huawei for a slightly higher price.
Went from an iPhone 3GS - 4 - 4S - 5 -6 and now the 6 Plus. All the phones prior to the 6 have been used ones off Gumtree. I'll admit I bought into the fad because prior to iPhones I loved my iPods. iOS is definitely very restrictive but it's hard to hate on when everything "just works" 95% of the time. However after trying the 6 and returning it because I wasn't to taken by the battery life I moved up to the 6 Plus. As I type this I'm on 63% after taking it off the charger at midnight last night. Couldn't be happier and its really my number 1 requirement in a smartphone - beyond all day battery life
same here, after playing htc one m9, samsung note edge, nokia 1520 and 930, samsung s6 edge, etc, i have to pick iPhone 6 plus as my main phone :)
Sony xperia because at the time it was the only water resistant phone with one of the highest pixel cameras (with the exception of the lumia 1020) on the market.
Now its just poo cause its old and I dropped it.
Huawei P7. Wanted the huawei mate 7, but got the P7 instead as optus offered 3 months free access plus another $50 free gift card as referrer sign up. Got another 2 line with optus under my name,10gb of share data per monTh. Used to be with boost and paid $40 a month on my old iphone 4. Paid the same amount now and get a new phone.
What is the aim of this post? What are we discussing? It looks like a free survey to me.
We're just discussing phones mate, as in the thread title.
What is the point? You need help to choose a phone? Or you need help to finish a marketing survey?
Yeah mate, wouldn't mind a new one actually. Just wanted to see the most popular phone like-minded ozbargain guys like me would get.
Xperia Z2. Waterproof.
Slightly waterproof*
Don't drop it in the pool by mistake or you're screwed.
http://phandroid.com/2014/08/11/sony-xperia-z2-survives-6-we…
There are few cases where people are 'screwed' if they have sealed all ports correctly.
I got LG G3 for it's awesome quad hd screen, knock code security, clean launcher
Lumia 930 given by work. Works great with office apps one drive, good low light camera
Galaxy S3, had screen repaired at mothers day. Installed neatrom running fast. Using it for MHL cable to TV, and also as a music player via Bluetooth.
To top it off I use Telstra prepaid credit me 2 you and the cheapie sims to keep numbers alive via the spare phone method as per wiki
Using xperia z which was bought last years 20% off ebay deal but cracked USB port last night so back to HTC Velocity which was bought year and half ago from $120 HN deal.
I use Nokia Lumia 930 because it has a superb build quality and there is absolutely no delay or lag, nor does any of the apps crash.
Even though there is considerably less apps available in the Windows Phone ecosystem, I view that as an advantage as it keeps me focused on what I need to do on my phone - call and sms.
iPhone 5C. I got it when Telstra were selling unlocked 32gb ones for $399. Before that I had an iPhone 4. I use my phone a LOT so basically price is a secondary concern to actually getting the one I want, and I like iOS.
I use Galaxy Note 3:
1) Large SAMOLED Screen (nothing beats zero back-light blacks)
2) S-Pen (can't believe note series is still the only one with stylus)
3) Android (freedom)
4) Multi-window support
5) Expandable storage
LG g pro 2. Basically a lg g2 with a bigger screen, removable battery and has micro sd expansion slot. One year on and its still an awesome phone. Bought for $380 in the first ever ebay 20% off sale.
LG G Pro 2 for $350 about year ago. 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, 5.8 inch screen. Equivalent or better than competitor Samsung's Note 3. I could not find any better phone for the money I have spent and I still think same now. The best phone I have ever owned.
Totally agree! I got mine from the same sale, and have been 100% happy with it ever since. A year on, I don't even want to upgrade any time soon.
Samsung s5.
Don't get the apple Hype, I had a samsung s3, it worked fine, it still works fine (I play games on it)
I had a HTC (ok) LG (junk) and various other before that.
The samsung does what I want it to do, it's easy to use, takes ok photos too.
I've still got my S3 and have held off upgrading as it does pretty much everything the new ones do. Good solid phone.
No hesitation in upgrading to another Samsung if it dies tomorrow.
Me too. Got my S3 a couple of years ago when there was the Officeworks pricebeat deal. Now it's cracked but still working fine.
iPhone 4s. It just works. All i need is a phone and it does a bloody good job at it. Was an avid Android fan with rooting my galaxy nexus weekly but slowly overcame that and just wanted a phone that just worked and was stable
You rooted your galaxy nexus weekly? If only all phones were so allowing.
You realise that phones generally only need to be rooted once? Or is it re flashing that you're referring to?
Yeah, sorry I meant I only rooted it once lol. But re flashing and trying different roms what I was referring to
iPhone 6+. Have had iPhones for years and am used to them. Also very impressed with this one - battery life, screen size, camera, memory, etc
Bought the Note 4 cuz I wanted to try the Gear VR
Huawei Y550 for $40 because my S3 fell out of my pocket and went missing. Y550 Came with 3 months of Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS and 3gb of data to use for 3 months. I have one month left :) Offsetted the cost of the phone :)
Battery life is great
Very fast
4.4.4 out of the box
But crappy screen and 4gb of internal memory. I hope Android M can be ported to this rom to properly utilise SD Card storage.
Just root the phone and use SDcardfix.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nextapp.sdfix&…
Huawei Y550 - because it does what it needs to and I don't like carrying $600 in my pocket all the time
Got a $800 Sony temperamental phone sitting in my drawer, utter crap even though it was expensive.
Even though my Huawei G526 and Y550 were dirt cheap they are rock solid and better quality all round.
Goes to show that you don't have to spent a mint to get something good. :-)
Z3 Compact - wanted a high spec/high battery life phone that I could use with one hand if needs be. Phones with equivalent specs were just a bit large.
nokia lumia 920 - got it when first came out - was never happy with an upgrade and am waiting for windows 10 to come out.
love microsoft for the fluid software, apps are shit but doesnt bother me too much.
going to get the upgraded lumia 1020 if they actually upgrade or the 940.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. Switched from HTC for my last 3 phones (Desire, One XL, One M7).
Hate the software on the Samsung. Buggy, laggy and all-round just a frustrating experience. HTC's Sense was a much smoother experience. Only reason I've not sold it and bought an M9 is the S6's camera takes brilliant snaps and is leagues ahead of the HTC in that department.
Nokia Lumia 930… Couldn't stand Android after a few different phones, never looked back.
BB Z30
Purchased it from a reviewer for $200 last year. Perfect size & specs for my needs.
Sony Xperia Z Ultra because unnecessarily large phones are awesome.
Tab S 10 inch with 4g?
OnePlus One 64gb. I bought it when it first came out because it offered top tier specs at a price that was simply unpassable. I did have to go through a number of hoops to get it. For starters, the OnePlus One has never been officially available in Australia, and as I ordered mine from OnePlus themselves in US $, I had to use a freight forwarding service to resend the phone to me here in Oz. Also, you could only order one if you had an invitation to do so - something that no longer applies. It was well worth it however, as I got the 64gb version for just on $420 AUS landed including all postage costs. For that money, there simply wasn't a phone that could hold a candle to it. Before that, I was a loyal Google Nexus buyer, but I personally feel they missed the mark with the Nexus 6. Don't get me wrong, I love Motorola as a manufacturer but Nexus phones have always prior to the 6 been fabulous value for money. That ended with the 6. I also personally feel that anything over 5.5" screen size is a step too far. I did not even think I would like that size (the size of my OnePlus One).
I would still personally prefer a handset between 5" - 5.2". But getting back to the OnePlus One, it was the first phone on the market to come out officially with Cyanogen OS as its operating system. The fact that it had a highly developed and mature already modded version of Android fitted as standard was very attractive, and by and large successful. Sadly, the relationship between OnePlus and Cyanogen has soured and although the operating system is still being supported, it is not getting the official love it once did as the two companies have parted ways.
The OnePlus One is an ideal phone even now for those on a budget and those wishing to take advantage of pre paid services such as Boost mobile and save themselves a fortune by escaping contracts. I always buy my phones outright for this reason and the OnePlus appealed because it gave me a superb all round phone at a brilliant price. They are still $299 US for the 64gb version, plus freight from oneplus.net
I currently have a Nexus 4 running Lollipop.
I almost upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, but gifted it and stuck with my Nexus 4 (Note 4 was too big)
Agreed with your assessment of the Nexus 6 — I think my next phone will be around the $400 mark. I have a preference for local purchases though for warranty reasons
any ideas for your next phone?
I've a Nexus 4…. stella device. Will have to change someday…
Yeah a few ideas - Zenfone 2, OnePlus One, something from Xiaomi.
Those phones are all great, and they are the right price, however I still am not keen on importing them.
I shall wait :-) The nexus 4 is still receiving updates though, so it's still relatively current
Agreed - bought my nexus 4 on a deal posted on ozb in 2013. Was $250 for 8GB delivered.
Still a great phone IMO - receives updates from google - solid build (absolutely terrible battery life though) and suits my needs just fine, but maybe time for an upgrade in 12mths.
I think it is high time I updated this post, especially since I just got my 2nd new handset since this thread started! Since I moved on from my previously much beloved OnePlus One, I have had an LG G4 which was also a superb phone. It made up for the One's real weak spot - the camera which in the LG's case, was leaps and bounds ahead of that of the One. Despite having user changeable battery, the life of the G4's battery performance left much to be desired, however, after years of hearing everyone sing Samsung's praises, I finally jumped and got a black Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I have had mine about a month now and I must say I am delighted with it so far.
The camera is even better than the LG G4's and so it should be - it is that bit newer. It particularly excels in low light situations and has a super fast focus. It can also shoot a huge number of snaps one after the other ever so easily. Got to love that! The Edge just has to be kept in a protective case. It is essential, something that wasn't necessary or essential for the LG G4. Having said that, I just adore the screen on the S7 Edge. You love to touch it and use it, even though I find the extra edge functions a gimmick for the most part but it looks great when displaying anything full screen under virtually any conditions. Battery life is very good. Certainly lasts more than a full day of heavy use (and I am a very heavy user, believe me) and I would suspect would compete well with an iPhone 7 Plus on that fare.
I'd have to agree with those that say that the Samsung Galaxy S7 is one of the best if not the very best Android phone released thus far and is at least equal to Apple's venerable iPhone. Here in Australia, the iPhone is sold with a ridiculous premium or "Apple tax" as it is colloquially known. In my opinion, at least for us techies who know better, Apple have effectively priced themselves out of the local market and the product simply does not justify the exorbitant pricing. I am not anti-Apple by any means. I own and use many Apple products such as my iPad 4 128GB and my MacBook Pro 15" i7, 16GB RAM,500GB SSD etc. These are great products and at the time I bought them, represented great value for money. Sadly the same is not true now and I would be reluctant to upgrade until Apple more accurately represent currency rates once again as they did a few years back.
Of course, some people do not have to watch their money quite so carefully as I do and care less about price. Good luck to them! I don't mind paying the right price for a product that deserves it, but at the moment, I do not think the latest phone is that product. Now as for the upcoming iPhone 8… I suspect that may be a different matter altogether. With it being the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, it seems obvious that Apple has been saving all their eggs for this one basket - the anniversary edition of the iPhone, which will be the iPhone 8 unless they decide to call it something different. Apple will be sure to make this something special, if they still can in the post Steve Jobs era, and I'm betting they still can. That is the one Apple fans and perhaps everyone else should be waiting for with eager anticipation. Just don't expect it to be cheap, especially here in Australia!
Samsung, just sorta been using for the last 6-8 years… Had the initial Galaxy S, then S3, then S5
Camera was always good, and only ever get bad exp with the ones with even numbers (S4), skipping S6 and waiting for the next one.
Hate Symbian OS and did not like having to jailbreak apple phones or dealing with iTunes all the time. Stuck with Android since I can easily flash the phone with another rom is stock rom is a turd.
A Samsung Galaxy S4, now 2 years old. Despite a cracked screen, it's still going strong. I worked previously for 2 Major Retaillers, and Apple were one of the worst companies to deal with, equal with Sony. I don't believe in paying extra for a 'name brand' when there is a product with more features at a cheaper price.
20 years ago if somebody said I would own a Samsung product over a Sony or Apple product, I would have laughed at them.
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
Reasons:
I like Android. 5' screen is too large, bulky in pocket and can't browse with one hand. The only compact Android phone with full specs is Sony. I'd have a Sony Z3 Compact but the Z1 is still excellent, so I'll wait for the next release, or see if any other manufacturers finally understand there's a market for small phones with good specs.
thl w8.
got it way back when during that half price dealextreme sale, man, the times!
i remember it being ~120usd which equaled ~115aud.
i want to upgrade but the thing just won't die!
Same here, it's been rock solid on the custom rom, although it is starting to struggle CPU wise. Still very useable though. I'll probably upgrade to the latest Chinese brand phone when (if) it breaks :)
Up until 5 days ago I had a LG G2 owned it for 19 months never missed a beat one of the best phones ever owned. Sold it today for $250 (in mint condition mind you)
Now have a HTC M8 which i grabbed via the Telstra unlimited offer.
I have the M8 simply cause its a new phone to me and it satisfies the geek needines for something new and I absolutely love the speakers. Also I wouldnt have anything other than an android simply cause since owning an iphone 3G long long time ago it put me off. Work phone has always been an iphone (currently 5s about to be a 6+) so I can always compare.
How's the M8's camera vs. the G2's?
In comparing the two (im in no way a photography pro, so take my comments with a grain of salt)
The M8 camera is faster much faster, it focuses almost instantly in comparison.
Low light shots the M8 wins , the dual led produces nicer flash shots eg. skin tones are much more natural.
However no OIS so video is jaggy if phone is moved quick and you can really tell there is less pixels say if you crop a photo.
I have a simple DSLR that I use for proper photos , I used the G2 as a pocket shooter and that is what I use the M8 for as well and honestly it does just as good of a job.
Lenovo T780 china droid.
reasons : picked up a year ago from aliexpress with a $20 off coupon for US$79. good specs at that time. does everything I need -make calls, send texts, play games and internet,
Nokia 301. I don't do smartphones. Don't use it much either. Cheapest Optus plan $10 for 6 months. You want me send a carrier pigeon. Or face to face. iSheep more like.
iPhone 4S. Bought it because I wanted an iPhone/smartphone. I had a motorola feature phone which had a blue backlight hehe. The home button is starting to play up now though (maybe dust under it?) so I'm looking to replace it in the next year or so with Sony Z3/Z5 compact or Samsung S6 to try out android or the iphone 6/6S. I'm sort of torn on which to choose because a part of me hates onscreen buttons which the z3 compact has but at the same time physical home buttons are usually one of the things that fails (like my 4S). I'm really tempted by the S6 atm because it has a physical button and the cool fingerprint reader but annoyed that it lacks SD expansion (something I wish my iPhone had) and the battery life isn't the best. Choosing is hard.
Why not replace the home button?
Oneplus one , highly recommended.
I've got the Oneplus One. Simply put, High end phone for half the price of other flagships.
Xiaomi Mi Note LTE
iPhone 5: Originally from a 2 year contract with Optus in 2012, upgraded to a Sony Xperia Z3 in 2014 on the same contract but I accidentally killed it in the pool.
Its very reliable, just scuffs and scratches even though I've dropped it from the top of a car naked (the phone), the battery is still subpar even though I replaced it shortly after the Z3 died.
Looking forward to a new Note 4 or an Oppo R7 Plus (hopefully it will live as long as my iPhone)
I have the Samsung galaxy galaxy note edge. What I'm really bummed out about is the constant battery draining. I can't go through a whole day without it dying on me. I've closed apps before and it's still draining just as fast.
Can somebody help me?
try 'DU battery saver' app.
Samsung galaxy note 4 because it just works with everything i need it for like the performance, battery life, looks, security and not to mention fast charging. Recharges 50% of the phones battery in 30 minutes. Such a good phone.
Am waiting on some reviews for the Zeaplus M7 and if it goes ok i'll get rid of the Galaxy S4.
Otherwise probably wait for the OnePlusTwo.
Zeaplus M7 $200USD Chinese phone with some interesting specs:
was worth it if it was AMOLED
Htc one m7 and now galaxy note 4.
Nexus 4 and it does everything I need it to do but I'm not a heavy user and Ive disabled as much as the google stuff as I can, just dont like google and its email and apps
Because it's Sony
Android Galaxy s6 custom rom installed so i am free to do what ever i want!
Apple is too much hassle as its closed source! thats why there is a jailbreak for it out there, IOS is like a jail!
So you haven't heard of "rooting" Android?
Xaiomi mi3
Note 4. Loads stuff when I want with minimal delay, and lasts the whole day easily. Got it new for $620 + sim only plan. So didn't break the bank like an iphone would.
I picked up a new g906s s5 3gb korean version for just under $500 about this time last year.
Was contemplating samsung over oneplusone.
i chose to go samsung as it was branded and came with an extra battery and charger pack.
Very happy with it to date.
OnePlus2?
Nexus 5. Impetus for purchasing it in ~May last year was because my previous phone (an HTC Velocity 4G) suddenly died on me. The Nexus 5 has decent specs and importantly a stock Android install without any of the crap that manufacturers like to add. It's worked pretty well for me so far.
Just got a Motorola Moto G after my Nexus S died last week after 4 years. Was looking for something under $300 and spotted the Motorola. Has good reviews, feels good and has Android (Lollipop) which I'm very comfortable with.
Nokia candybar. old school
Apple-Easy to use n stable performance overall
iPhone 6+, picked it over the 6 purely for the optical image stabilisation. I had IPhone 4 and IPhone 5 before this, but I'm not sure if I'll get the next IPhone. After the price hike the asking price is getting ridiculously high for just a phone.
THL 4000
Because battery life.
How much screen on time do you get?
This phone is not the best with background consumption so the SoT is a bit of a mixed result on my daily usage I get 6-7 hours depending on the day, but if I am constantly using it I can get about 8-10.
Best thing is that GPS almost takes no hit on battery life, meaning I can have 60 minutes of gps and then still end up with that 6-7 hour SoT.
iPhone 6 - I like the reliability and quality of the apple ecosystem. Phone just works flawlessly 24/7. You pay for what you get applies here.
samung S5, it has all the bands for 4G including the 700mhz, and it cost $450 with one of those discount weekends from kogan. Also its full HD and has android 5.0 without needing a hack.
Too many of these mickey mouse chinese phones don't support all our 4G bands e.g. 700mhz or aren't full hd.
Android 5.0 has lots of goodies not just the interface e.g 64 bit support vs 32 bit support, store apps not just media on expansions cards, etc
A lot of these chinese phones will never see android 5.0, their idea is buy a new phone, so you won't get 64 bit support.
I have a OnePlus One. I really wish I had a Samsung Galaxy s6 edge, but I can't afford it. I love the Oneplus One, but the 5.5" screen is just too big for my hands…
Nokia 735, can't live without the Windows Metro UI. I have tried BB, iPhone and Android, the windows phone best suits my needs.
I'm surprised to see even though the Chinese phone (elefone, lenovo k3 note, etc) get so much positive reaction when posted here, Ozbargainers still generally use the major flagship phones.
I've been using the Nexus 5 since 2013. Fairly happy with it, in the future I'd like to get a phone with a larger screen and larger battery but as for the actual phone I don't have any issues.
HTC M7 which I got for $300 last year. Great phone.
Iphone 5 -> lg G3 -> iPhone 5s
The 5 was good but I got bored of it after a while. Tried the G3 but became too slow though I loved the big screen. Wasn't impressed by the iPhone 6 at all. So got a 5s 32gb real cheap 4 months ago and like it. I'll prob get the iPhone 6s/7 eventually but use this or the g4 or g3 32gb til then if it's cheap enough.
Upgraded to the iPhone 6 and I'm surprised by its long lasting battery life compared to all my previous phones.
Ive had a S3 and now a Note 4 and because they are so popular theres plenty of custom ROMS and development if you dont like standard firmware.
LG Optimus Spirit running gingerbread bought several years ago at woolworths for $30.
I use it as a phone and recorder
as an MP3 player
as a camera, a pretty ordinary one but a camera none the less
as a voice recorder
as a calculator
as a mobile wifi hotspot for my laptop
I have looked at upgrading several times but why?
This ones still does everything I want with no problems
Nokia 6300.
Yes, seriously. Got it in late 2009 and have not felt the temptation to change since. I am resisting, for as long as possible, any pressure to get a smartphone.
Considering s6 but by the looks of it , no one has them. .. One did mention Samsung has too many useless softwares that u can't delete
Samsung Galaxy Alpha.
Had an S4 before which I loved however a bit too big. The Alpha is pretty much like a smaller S5 with the added bonus of being metal.
http://www.howtogeek.com/197074/how-to-see-which-apps-are-dr…