Looking for a Phone - B28/SD Card/Good Low Light under $500

f0d on 29/09/2019 - 20:49
Last edited 29/09/2019 - 21:03

my phone is getting so bad/degraded that its pretty much not useful anymore (lg g5)

so i have been looking for a phone to replace it that is decent (doesnt have to be the best) at low light with a low light mode and maybe pixel binning, also needs to have a SD card slot and do B28
dont want a huawei because of unknown future with android

so far the xiaomi phones seem to fit the bill (mi9 lite global or note 8 pro global) or maybe the nokia 7.2 but it seems like thats going to be expensive so maybe not
https://www.banggood.com/Xiaomi-Mi9-Mi-9-Lite-Global-Version…
https://www.banggood.com/Xiaomi-Redmi-Note-8-Pro-Global-Vers…

i dont think i care about too much else

im open to second hand phones but definitely need B28/SD card/low light quality and $500 and under (i could stretch to $550 if its REALLY worth it)

any suggestions other than the ones i mentioned

Mobile Mobile Phone

Comments

  • Oofy Doofy on 29/09/2019 - 21:45
    +1

    Umidigi S3 Pro, Australian eBay store for ACCC warranty and all that jazz. There's no way you need to spend $500.

    I'm surprised to see the 'Note 8 pro' state it has band 28, because AFAIK it does not. I'm pretty sure there is an Australian store on eBay for this phone also.

    • f0d on 29/09/2019 - 22:07
      +1

      There is a global version of the note 8 that is releasing soon with more bands

      I will check out the phones mentioned when I get a chance tomorrow

      • Oofy Doofy on 29/09/2019 - 22:08
        +1

        If you are correct, I will be jumping on the B28 version of the Note 8 Pro as soon as someone is selling it from an Australian online store.

        • f0d on 29/09/2019 - 22:12
          +1

          If you look at the link in the OP it's at Banggood but not coming out until the end of October not sure when it will hit Aussie retailers tho

  • zenx on 29/09/2019 - 21:52
    +1

    Have you considered Mi A3 instead of Note 8 Pro? I suspect that A3 will have both a better camera (due to ability to run gcam) and better battery life. Some JB Hi-Fi stores have them on display, if you want to see what it's like in real life. If you want something more flagship like, check out the Mi Mix 3 amazon deal.

    • f0d on 29/09/2019 - 22:10

      Thanks will check it out at JB hi-fi - I would like to see it first so that's a definite bonus

    • f0d on 30/09/2019 - 18:07

      would gcam improve low light pictures? i saw some reviews and low light pictures are not very good
      the reason i wanted the things i mentioned is i go camping a lot and i take a lot of low light pictures

  • AlienC on 30/09/2019 - 02:47
    +1

    I recommend the $200 - $300 range for best value unless you really need more ram.

    Been looking at Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 and a few others in this range for a friend.

    I own a Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 or 4X I forget which one it is some region naming thing if I recall correctly but won't be upgrading anytime soon but friends Samsung J7 might be getting slow or broken screen or something so between $200 - $300 is what I am aiming for the best value.

    Honestly the sub $300 range is very good unless you need a phone for the camera and latest features or want to do some PUBG mobile gaming or auto chess or other intensive gaming which for me anything above $50 these days is good enough for.

    I love Xiaomi's price and value but the MIUI OS and overall Mi ecosystem is not very useable outside of China don't get me wrong they have really great features but they don't work as well outside of that region they were mainly meant for.

    You could probably somehow still utilize it but that requires extra steps and tinkering which might make the whole experience feel less counterintuitive and less convenient for us here in Australia.

    Btw have you checked out the forum posts on the best smartphones under $300 and between $300 - $500 category they are a good starting point and have some pretty good information.

    Best Budget Smartphone (Under $300) in 2019
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/444162

    Best Mid-Range Smartphone ($300 - $500) in 2019
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/444157

    And if you want to take a peak at the high level

    Best Flagship Smartphone in 2019
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/443837

    • f0d on 30/09/2019 - 18:40

      a lot of the phones in the list are missing something i need because i go camping a lot and need the features

      low light quality is a must because i take a lot of pictures in low light when camping
      b28 so i can get (hopefully) better reception while camping - i have looked it up there are 700mhz towers near where i camp for example.. https://oztowers.com.au/Home/FullSiteInfo?siteId=9989
      sd card slot so i load up my phone with music and video to watch while camping

      pocophone for example does not have sdcard
      lg v30+ is too expensive ($799 jbhifi)
      the note 7 seems good but i might as well get note 8 also when i looked at the global version of the note 7 it doesnt seem to have b28? https://www.banggood.com/Xiaomi-Redmi-Note-7-Global-Version-…

      most phones i look at seem to be missing one crucial thing

  • s0144886 on 01/10/2019 - 22:13
    +1

    Mi A3 will be REDUCE FROM $499 TO $399 at jbhifi in 2daYS

    Deals link
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/486842

  • branners on 02/10/2019 - 11:32
    +1

    I would suggest the LG V30 Plus.
    Pretty much a flagship when it launched (at $1200!) in 2017 but still good value today. Really good OLED screen, camera and software work great. Quality build too; there are teardown vids online that talk about all the nice bits inside.
    It's currently $799 at JB but they have already specialed it at $399 twice, and another sale can't be far away. Plus you can find them just either side of $500 from online sellers.
    Keep an eye open for discounts on LG's V40 Thinq too, specs are similar except for bigger screen and shorter battery life.
    No, I don't work for LG, I just think their phones are underrated.

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