Hi,
I'm on the look out for a cheap smart phone for my mum. She has shown interest in the galaxy s5 mini from aldi this week. I was just wondering i this was definitely a good option, or could we get a better phone for that price? She doesn't want the scree to be too big. I think she might prefer android, because her old phone was an android form aldi (Bauhn).
<$200 and possibly a removable battery.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.
Thanks mate. Budget is probably <$200 if possible. We also prefer removable batteries if possible.
Probably hard pressed to get <$200. The Moto G 3rd Gen is $219 from Kogan.
Probably be inclined towards the Nexus 5X though. It might be more (~$318) but it will be supported for far longer than the rest.
Not too worried about updates.. my mum doesn't even update her current phone's software.
The Moto G 3rd Gen (8GB version) is a great buy and it has a near stock android experience. If you really dont mind the mid-range specs then this is a good option. Has dual sim,expandable memory removable and long lasting battery. Also, the Nexus 5X is a good option, however no removable battery and no expandable storage. Try searching up MKBHD on YouTube, he has great reviews on budget smartphones which may help you decide which one to buy
I read tat some phones only support some bands. Ho do i know if Telsttra, Optus and Vodafone are all supported?
My mum has a tablet, so i don't think expandable memory would bother her. But if the phone has a decent camera, she would probably strat taking a lot more photos on her phone.
Thanks for the youtube tip.
No Xiaomi love?
@kimba88: :) https://www.kogan.com/au/help/does-this-phone-work-with-my-p…
Also, I honestly don't have any experience with Xiaomi so not sure about recommendations?
my mom has an xperia sp and she is ok with it…shes not that techie (shes 83 now), and got used ok with that one…the color at the bottom changing helps her knowing theres a message/call/etc…
Haha.. my mum is still below 60 (just). She's recently become accustomed to facebook and what not.. so if your mother can handle the xperia sp, i'm sure my mum could.. although i've never been a fan of their dull looking screens.
ehehhe yea your mom will be fine then… hehehe mine got used to whatsapp and facebook only…its a start! :) but the galaxys are good too…s5 is cheap enough now
I do love my galaxy s4! Haven't wanted to upgrade since they took away removable batteries and expandable memory. Only in the galaxy s7 have they now put the SD card slot in again.
Something to bear in mind. If she's got hearing aids the Moto G always used to have an induction loop to interface with the 'T' switch on the hearing aid - making the phone easier to use for the elderly. Not sure if Lenovo screwed that up.
She doesn't have hearing aid, but recently got told her hearing is not optimal.
Old people like Apple products, because they just work. Get her a 16gb 6SE
Not an apple fan.. too much fiddling on the pc to get it to work. I like drag and drop for backing up, etc. I understand apples are quite simple to use.. but to me they are also very overpriced.
There is no fiddling, the phone doesn't require a PC. You just turn it on and set up an account. It backs itself up to icloud. The 6SE is pretty cheap.
Under $200? Also, they don't have removable batteries do they? Good to know it backs itself up to cloud then :-)
@thorton82: to replace it when it finally loses its proper charge.. it'll sav replacing the phone, if the phone is still good
@kimba88: Apple does that for free. In fact, if your mum has any problems with her iphone, she just takes it to the Apple Store and they give her a new one on the spot. She puts her password in, and it restores from the cloud, in store. Brand new phone, but same same.
@thorton82: That's good. The only time i guess they don't do that is if the item is no longer in production i guess. I've tried gettingthem to fix my ipod shuffle once before, but thy told me they couldn't because it was so old and they don't make them anymore. I'm still not willing to pay $600 for a phone though. The iphone 5c might be an option on the other hand.
under $200?
Some good options there.. although i'm not sure the HTC 530 is even better than the galaxy s5 mini (despite it being released this year). The HTC is the one that stood out to me most.. Aussie warranty always helps too
Never realised Optus made their own phones! Yeah, i'll have to probably include an unlocking fee on top of that price. The phone looks quite similar to my mums current one from Aldi she bought 2-3yrs ago.
Telstra Dave is $140. It's an Android-based smartphone. I don't have any personal experience with it, I just know it exists.
Looks like a good phone for trades.. But I think the screen will be slightly too small for my mum. Thanks for the suggestion!
My Suggestions
1.Moto G 3rd Gen (Or newer model depending on budget)
2.One Plus X
3.Nexus 5X
4.Alcatel Idol 4
5.Motorola Moto X 2nd Gen
Also, the iPhone 5s is also a worthy mention as its prices are coming down but it's up to you :)