Need a New Budget Phone under $400

LAlacris on 27/03/2020 - 01:35

Hi, I'm upgrading from an iPhone SE as it's been crashing a lot recently, and honestly the screen is just too small for me. My budget is under $400 but the less I have to pay the better.

I don't need anything too fancy, but I need something that's not going to be too laggy. Aside from calls and text, I plan on web browsing, watching YouTube videos and playing some basic games that aren't very demanding (AFK Arena and some word games). I don't care about camera quality. A good battery life would be nice, but I guess anything would be good compared to my current iPhone SE. And a headphone jack!

I have a family member with a Samsung Galaxy S10e and I really like that phone, which is why I was leaning in the direction of the Galaxy A20, which I can get for $179 from Coles. But then I came across the TCL Plex which appears to have excellent reviews, it used to retail for $500 but is currently at JB Hi-Fi for $349, though I noticed there was a sale in February this year for only $249. If I were to go for that phone I'd probably try to get them down to $299 if at all possible.

I've noticed there's also the Nokia 2.3 and some other cheap phones.

Should I just get the A20 from Coles and be done with it, consider something else or just wait it out until something better comes along?

Mobile Mobile Phone

Comments

  • MrPandaOZ on 27/03/2020 - 04:40

    If your staying under 400 you can fit in a nokia 6.2 or samsung a50. Phones are probably going to hold steady on price or increase soon thanks to covid19 as well.

  • iampoor on 27/03/2020 - 09:14

    Loving the TCL - screen quality etc is fantastic and so is battery life.

    I got it during the $249 sale and don't regret it one bit, even at $349 it would be worth it.

    However I haven't looked at the Nokia 2.3 so can't compare against it.

  • Airhead77 on 27/03/2020 - 10:58
    +1

    I got a Xiaomi Mi 9T 128GB for $399 from JB HiFi last month, a deal that I think has reappeared twice by now. Have a look at it at gsmarena and consider it. I really like the notchless screen, Android 10 and battery life. Really impressed but it.

    • Arthur Dunger on 27/03/2020 - 23:51

      It's not on JB's website anymore. Doesn't look like they are getting more.

  • MynyMouqe on 27/03/2020 - 12:07

    I'd say just go the A20 - picked up one for my son, and it's a fantastic device. I've got a Note 9 personally - and I don't normally use low end devices - but I was quite amazed at just how good the A20 was. Certainly punches well well above it's weight!

    • bowjjj on 27/03/2020 - 14:12

      +1. As long as you don't use the GPS a lot. GPS issues seem to be the only known issue for Galaxy A20
      Our family has had a bunch of Moto phones too. The Moto X4 @ $179 was a great deal for #1 daughter… https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/498333
      Our moto 5's and moto 7+ are going strong too :)

  • netjock on 27/03/2020 - 14:17

    Refurb iphone 7, $350 max.

  • Alacris on 28/03/2020 - 09:11
    +1

    Hi, thanks for the responses everyone. I ended up getting the Galaxy A20 yesterday and I'm quite happy with it. I am sensitive to performance and it does lag in some areas, like scrolling on a web page feels choppy but in terms of apps I wanted to use it for (YouTube and basic games) it works perfectly! The display looks a lot better than I was expecting it to. I think in some applications the smaller text can look a bit smudgy compared to the display on the Galaxy S10e but it's still really nice to look at. And the battery life is absolutely amazing, I also can't believe how fast it charges considering how long the battery lasts.

    The bigger screen is so much better for my eyes compared to that small phone I was using before. I am modestly short sighted in my right eye and do not wear glasses, and the iPhone SE used to REALLY strain my eyes looking at it for any period of time. So I'm glad phones these days, cheap and expensive have much bigger screens.

    To my surprise it's not any more difficult at all to handle the phone compared to the SE, but I was never one to use a phone one-handed very often anyway. One thing I'm going to have to get used to though is that I keep accidentally pressing on the touchscreen somehow with my other hand that's holding the phone.

    • MynyMouqe on 28/03/2020 - 19:15

      Great to hear! If the browser is a bit laggy try using the new Microsoft Edge - it's brilliant.

  • MattL600 on 28/03/2020 - 13:04

    Im using a second hand s9 plus i got for 250. It has a small crack on the screen but im happy that i got it for about 100 off

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