What Should I Upgrade to from Samsung Galaxy S8?

TimmyTims on 26/06/2022 - 20:24

My Samsung S8 is finally starting to show it's age and I've decided to upgrade, figure I should aim to take advantage of EOFY time and deals.

Problem is, since my phone has been working fine for so long, I'm totally out of the loop on new phones and need some advice.

My ideal phone (in order of importance);
Android
3.5mm headphone jack
Dual front speakers
$1000ish or less
No selfie cam hole punch/ notch
Wireless charging

I don't often play games, my main use is watching videos, playing music and taking photos of ID plates at work to reference later.

After looking around, it seems the closest phone is the Sony Xperia 1 III (their naming convention is terrible by the way), but I've read it doesn't work on our 5G network properly because it isn't sold here?

Appreciate any advice or recommendations

Mobile

Comments

  • JIMB0 on 26/06/2022 - 20:51
    +8

    5g just uses your battery quicker. The extra speed is rather useless on a phone.

    • AustriaBargain on 26/06/2022 - 22:59
      -6

      That's arguable. 5G vs 4G is just as important as a faster processor for increased speed.

      • watwatwat on 27/06/2022 - 09:45

        Hahahaha! So untrue.

        • AustriaBargain on 30/06/2022 - 18:20

          A faster processor can help load something faster, but you still need to wait for it to download first. A good processor is like having a car with a powerful engine, and 5G is like having an empty stretch of highway to run your engine at full speed.

      • Gustavo Fring on 30/06/2022 - 17:11

        Maybe a faster processor isn't that important for him too?

  • spackbace on 26/06/2022 - 20:51
    +4

    S20 FE is a great upgrade, ticks all the boxes except the pinhole camera & 3.5mm jack, which has never really been much of an issue imo

    • aoeueoa on 26/06/2022 - 21:12

      does yours have random screen brightness adjustments? Mine has a mind of its own.

      • spackbace on 26/06/2022 - 22:22

        No, but had a speaker issue which was resolved by turning off atmos, which is kinda annoying but cbf putting it in for warranty

      • yewman on 26/06/2022 - 22:27

        What do you mean? When I turn the screen on, I get blinded by a flash of white light before it shows the lock screen. That?

        • aoeueoa on 26/06/2022 - 23:39

          Yea that's one of the bugs i think. My S8 never did that, it remembered it was on low brightness.

          My s20 might suddenly go from 70% to 20% brightness when I haven't done anything different, just looking at the screen. It has a mind of its own.

          • cimrak on 27/06/2022 - 21:08

            @aoeueoa: "Adaptive Brightness" is on by default (Settings-> Display). You can turn it off and just use the manual brightness slider if you prefer that.

    • TimmyTims on 26/06/2022 - 23:03

      Thanks for that, my main reason for a headphone jack is to use earphones and charge at the same time. Otherwise using a dongle or adaptor isn't the end of the world

      How do you do that with just 1 port? Do you need a splitter or something?

      • djsweet on 26/06/2022 - 23:33
        +1

        Bluetooth headphones, or wireless charging, or both. I use both, so I don’t actually ever use the port on my phone.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2022 - 21:11
    +1

    https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?

  • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2022 - 21:29

    A bit above your price range but I upgraded from a Note8 to a S22 ultra and couldn't be happier. If you ever used the Note features, it's a Note in everything but the name.

    • UserNameCheckIn on 03/07/2022 - 09:00

      Similar story, I have just ordered the Ultra, though grabbed the Note 10 from the 8. Glad to hear you're enjoying it.

  • plmko on 26/06/2022 - 21:38
    +2

    After looking around, it seems the closest phone is the Sony Xperia 1 III

    You should skip the Xperia 1 iii and either get the new Xperia 1 iv or step back to the Xperia 1 ii. Only the later two are compatible with Australian 4G VOLTE.

    Since the Xperia 1 ii is discontinued and cannot be had a good price. That leaves the Xperia 1 iv.

  • FSTB on 26/06/2022 - 21:52
    +1

    Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus 128GB $1084.30
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/708901

    Bluetooth earphones are a game changer

    • Jasow4444 on 26/06/2022 - 22:58
      +1

      I agree, I have the S21+ and its a great phone, pretty much a solid all round android phone. I also came from an S8 that I had for years, I love the S8 wish phoners were as innovative as the S8 when it first came out.

  • vinnychase on 26/06/2022 - 23:24
    +4

    Just wanna say the s8 is a very sexy phone.

  • CauseNEffect on 26/06/2022 - 23:45

    S21 or 22..

    Amazing phones. Huge upgrade once you fo fo hard to go back.

  • DonkyWonky on 27/06/2022 - 07:12

    I would stick with Samsung if you need android, otherwise i'd recommenced an iPhone 13. Neither having 3.5mm jack, Why do you need a 3.5mm anyway?

    • Big Trev on 27/06/2022 - 07:42
      +2

      It's almost like he wants to plug headphones in.
      I too want a 3mm jack - when my current phone is due for replacement (Pixel 4a 5G) I know it's going to be really hard to find one.

      • DonkyWonky on 27/06/2022 - 07:43

        Yeah but most come with a type-c to 3.5mm adapter in the box. Also just get a Bluetooth pair of headphones.

    • TimmyTims on 27/06/2022 - 07:57
      +3

      I have a nice set of wired earphones for home and a different set for work I'd like to keep using. I don't like the idea of a dongle or buying new wireless to replace something that's perfectly good.

      I also use a magnetic charging cable which has a little nub that gets left in the USB C port. Having to pull this out to plug in a dongle would be a pain.

      Using a split dongle to plug in headphones and charge at the same time sounds like a problem that shouldn't exist

      • Fergy1987 on 27/06/2022 - 09:20
        +1

        I just whinged at samsung that I couldnt use my wired headphones on my S21 and they sent me the adapter for free - so that could be an option for $0 dollars lol

        doesnt solve the charging though.

        Maybe that plus a wireless charging pad?

  • XeSSiV on 27/06/2022 - 09:53
    +1

    I'm in the same boat as you. I'm wanting a headphone jack but it's becoming harder and harder unfortunately.
    I was given the S10 for work and it ticks the main boxes for me. I know you can't find it new anymore, but the benefits are there:

    • Headphone jack
    • 3 years (or less) old phone
    • Sub $1000 - around $400 refurbed from a quick search
    • Wireless charging, and can charge other devices wirelessly too

    Downsides is the hole punch camera, which isn't a big deal for me, and I'm not sure of the speaker configuration.
    Might be worth a look if you like?

  • Drakesy on 27/06/2022 - 11:16

    I'm surprised you made it this far.
    My s9+'s battery started to go downhill fast after its 3rd year.

    Jumped onto an s22+ and it's been great. Highly recommend.
    You don't notice the hole punch after a while.
    Although i'd still like the aux port.

  • rambutann on 27/06/2022 - 12:12
    +1

    I recently upgraded from the S8 to a refurbished S10E. The S10E is awesome, if i smashed it today i'd probably buy another one.

    Dirt cheap as well.

    • yewman on 28/06/2022 - 00:07

      I went from s8 to s20fe, but the s10e was really tempting especially because lineageOS can be installed on it once the Samsung updates end.

  • cookietime on 27/06/2022 - 13:37
    +1

    I recently upgraded from S9 to S9+ and have been very happy with the 'new' phone. My requirements for a phone are very similar to yours.

  • Tigercjn on 27/06/2022 - 16:21
    +1

    A Samsung S10 I changed to from a S8, amazing.

    Economical at less than$500 you can get a large memory.

    This site I use and they have a 12month guarantee.

    https://ozmobiles.com.au/collections/samsung-s10-plus-refurb…

  • yummypinacolada on 29/06/2022 - 22:46

    Unpopular opinion, but since you're the kind of person who uses phone for 3+ years I think iPhone is a good idea. iOS update tend to be much more stable than Android updates. You're also guaranteed to get software updates for 3+ years. iPhone SE 2022 or iphone 13 mini can be a good option to match your budget

  • TimmyTims on 30/06/2022 - 11:05
    +2

    Thanks for everyone's advice, to close this out, I ended up getting a pixel 6 pro 128GB.

    I got it from Harvey Norman as they had it at the same price as elsewhere but were also giving away a $100 gift card with the purchase (unfortunately no one else could match this as I really don't like giving Gerry Harvey my money)

    With the gift card I bought a wireless charging Pad and wireless earphones which helped make up for the compromises I had to make with features

    Since I kept my S8 for so long, I plan on keeping this pixel for 5 or so years. Software update commitments became a factor to consider and since it's pretty much Samsung and the Pixels with at least 5 years of software support, these were my 2 contenders.

    After comparing features and prices, the pixel just edged out as the winner for me

    • Sapper50 on 20/12/2022 - 09:15

      6 months on, do you regret getting rid of the 3.5mm port?

      I refuse to let go.

      • TimmyTims on 20/12/2022 - 10:07

        Hard to say, I really enjoy the Pixel 6 pro and I'm not sure what I would have gone with to keep the 3.5mm jack.

        I've spent probably $150 extra on Bluetooth earbuds and a Bluetooth receiver to make my existing earbuds "wireless"
        I still prefer wired earphones but I leave the BT buds case on charge all the time so I haven't run out of battery yet (my main grief with BT buds and moving away from the 3.5mm jack).

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