Mid-Range Phone That Might Last for The Long Term

Ltictoc2 on 07/12/2017 - 14:45
Last edited 09/12/2017 - 22:40

Hi, long time lurker here.

I'm doing some research now but does anyone have any recommendations for a mid-range phone, between $300-500? A decent camera and external memory is important. I'd rather get something that will last me a few years rather than get something flashy now that might slow down or break after a couple of years (not sure if that's possible though).

Looking at the polls, it seems that the Moto G5 Plus is popular, and also the G6. Also, the HTC U Ultra seems good too, although does that have a lot of bloatware? Does anyone have any experience with Nokia 5 or 6?

I was a Nexus fan and had the Nexus 4, 5 and 5x. I liked that there wasn't any bloatware and they were fast when they worked. 5x was good for the camera so that's my benchmark (I'm assuming that might not be hard to beat now). After ALL of those phones died, I don't think I'll be getting a Google phone again - the 5x only lasted me 1.5 years. 5x was a bit slow yesterday and now it won't even turn on.

EDIT: Is there a big difference between the G5s Plus and the G5 Plus? G5s plus is cheaper and they seem very similar based on reviews.

UPDATE: So I bought a Pixel 2 oops. Was thinking of the G5s Plus but I didn't like that the camera wasn't as good as the Nexus 5x. LG G6 seemed good but it's $670 or so not on special and as my 5x was also LG I was a bit afraid the G6 might eventually face the same fate. An extra $100 on top of the LG could get me the Pixel. The Project Treble stuff sounds interesting. But then an extra $300 gets me the latest phone. JB HiFi threw in 2 free Google Home mini (I think you get one free home mini if you purchase the Pixel 2 via Google store). 2 year warranty and dedicated support line are appealing and I like the pure Android experience. Just trying not to think of the money too much.

Mobile

Comments

  • dcep on 07/12/2017 - 14:51

    i think the Plus model doesn't have user replaceable battery

    • tictoc2 on 07/12/2017 - 14:58

      I think that's ok… as long as the battery lasts more than a couple of years.

  • GarrusVakarian on 07/12/2017 - 15:08

    RIP 5x bootloop. the new nokia line has pure android, so minimal to no bloatware; camera in the 5 and 6 aren't anywhere as good as the 5x. I'm eyeing the Nokia 8 if my 5x dies to bootloop

  • Cheapo Moose on 07/12/2017 - 16:07
    +1

    LG G6 is a premium phone for a mid-range price.

    • Marrk on 07/12/2017 - 16:55

      +1 Got one the other day from the Mobileciti deal, pretty happy with it coming from a Note 5.

      • tictoc2 on 07/12/2017 - 18:37

        The LG G6 looks like a premium option, with a premium price too. Not sure if I'm willing to spend $679 for a phone that I'm not sure how long will last and don't particularly want to wait long for a good deal.

        • Cheapo Moose on 07/12/2017 - 19:06

          A lot of people here managed to grab one for about $500 with a 20% off eBay sale from QD_AU, myself included.

          I guess you're right. Nothing around at that price at the moment.

          Here's hoping for another good eBay sale before Christmas…

  • BenK-Oz on 07/12/2017 - 16:42

    plus models are bigger, g5s / g5s plus is a good nexus replacement

    • tictoc2 on 07/12/2017 - 19:57

      Is the difference between G5S and G5S Plus mainly the size? I'd probably prefer a smaller size. Reviews say that camera, performance and display is better on the G5S Plus.

  • redknob on 07/12/2017 - 18:32

    I have a Moto G5 Plus and I'm pretty happy with it, but my wife's Nexus 5x camera blows it out of the water.

    • tictoc2 on 08/12/2017 - 11:27

      That's good to know. It's hard to compare when reading reviews. Might just have to go to the shops and check it out myself.

  • smuggler on 07/12/2017 - 18:38

    S7 edge when it's on sale. Just do it. Big ass battery and great phone.

    • smpantsonfire on 07/12/2017 - 23:36

      And fragile af

      • smuggler on 08/12/2017 - 19:23

        2 years on, no problem.

        Get a genuine Samsung case or a rubber one if you're worried.

  • tictoc2 on 07/12/2017 - 19:49
    +1

    I'm not sure if I can justify spending more than $500 when I only really use it for Whatsapp, personal email and browsing. I don't watch many videos and don't have social media accounts.

    I don't have a decent replacement phone - the only phone I have is an Alcatel Pixi 3.5 I bought for $25 once and don't think I can be bothered getting a SIM card fitter to use my Nano Vaya sim card for that phone. Still sad that the Nexus 5x didn't last for long although I was tempted to get a new phone recently as I was close to being full for my data storage (used 12GB out of 16GB after 1.5 years).

    LG G6 seems decent and good to know that it can be $500 when on special. I might go for that if a sale pops up soon. Otherwise, the Moto G5S Plus seems like the best phone for that price range.

  • competecarrot on 07/12/2017 - 22:05

    Make sure whatever you get has Project Treble and an unlocked bootloader. Phones that launch with Android 8 Oreo come with it, but phones that get an Oreo upgrade almost all don't (eg, Moto G5).

    Project Treble means that you'll be able to download an official Google Android image for future Android versions (ie Android 9, Android 10), and flash it to your phone and will be guaranteed to have everything work.

    Sadly, out of the ~5 phones with Project Treble, I don't think any yet meet your requirements. I'm in the same boat.

    They'll be a large amount of Project Treble phones launched next year though, if you can wait.

    • tictoc2 on 08/12/2017 - 11:24

      Thanks for the info! I had a look at it last night and noticed the Pixel is getting that update. Makes me tempted to get it, cos I know Google makes good phones but would it be like the Nexus in that it doesn't last long?

      Hope the Treble works and that it won't break phones. Whatever happened to having modular phones?

  • smpantsonfire on 07/12/2017 - 23:38

    I know this isn't a current phone, but I'm still using my note 3, 4 years and counting.

    I have bought a new battery for it, but that's fair enough.

    • tictoc2 on 08/12/2017 - 11:36

      That's awesome! Must be pretty good if you haven't jumped on any of the deals on here. My husband's Note 2 became very slow after a couple of years before it died. How do you find Samsung's bloatware?

      • smpantsonfire on 08/12/2017 - 11:41

        To be honest, I don't use it for much anymore, just texting, google and webpages. I don't play games often. Yes it's a bit laggy here and there, but not enough that makes me want to upgrade. I have disabled a lot of the apps too

        My partner has an S7 Edge, while it's an ok phone, it isn't a huge step up I think.

        I do love the removable battery, and I have a battery charger, so I never have to plug my phone in to charge, I just swap the batteries over. I will be getting the note 8 once its becomes $70pm or less.

  • soan papdi on 11/12/2017 - 15:57

    FWIW I had a similar requirement and ended up buying a Nokia 8 for $661 from eBay today, should arrive in a few days. The hardware is on-par with other flagships, runs pure android, has nfc and band 28. The camera is good but not the best. That doesn't faze me tbh and it might improve with time and software updates.

    • tictoc2 on 11/12/2017 - 16:18

      We should see which phone lasts longer with costs considered :p my Nexus 5x cost me roughly $15 a month while it worked (20 months use). Nexus 5 cost me $34 a month (14 months use, camera wasn't good and I jumped on a 5x ozbargain deal). Can't remember if it died but when trying to turn it on afterwards, it wouldn't work.

      If only we can track how long phones actually last, performance over time and why people end up buying a new phone. There would be a lot of different answers though as some people might use their phones a lot more than others and use it differently too.

      Pixel 2 probably costs more than the 3 Nexus phones together. I'd be happy with at least 3 years use, longer better though.

      • soan papdi on 11/12/2017 - 16:31

        I held on to my iPhone 5 for 5 years (about $13.33/mo). I'm hoping this Nokia lasts 3 years at least.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join