Need a Phone for Mum

yikes914 on 27/11/2024 - 21:58
Last edited 28/11/2024 - 19:53 by 1 other user

Hi all, looking to get mum a new phone as a birthday present.

I've narrowed down to these 3 options and not sure if spending the extra will make a noticeable difference to her day to day use. Prices are from a mate who works at JB.

Looking for a good day to day phone with good battery life, decent camera etc. No gaming or what not. She's upgrading from a Edge 20 Fusion.

Motorola Edge 50 Neo - $335
Samsung A55 5G - $465
Pixel 8a - $580 + $60GC

Pixel seemed like the obvious choice but the battery life seems to be not the best. E50 Neo seems to be the best value.

Let me know what your thoughts are.

EDIT- needed it today and got the Edge 50 Neo, thanks for the help

Cheers

Mobile Google Mobile Phone Motorola Samsung Android

Comments

  • Bruceflix on 27/11/2024 - 22:01
    -1

    I got my elderly auntie a Samsung A55. So far she hasn't stuffed it up although she regularly calls me to tell me her phone isn't working.

  • jv on 27/11/2024 - 22:33
    -2

    Let me know what your thoughts are.

    iPhone

  • altomic on 27/11/2024 - 23:05
    +1

    Motorola Moto G85

    • yikes914 on 28/11/2024 - 09:24

      I don't think she's going to be a fan of the curved screen

  • GordonD on 28/11/2024 - 08:10
    +1

    not sure if spending the extra will make a noticeable difference

    And that's the nub of the issue.

    Here you are spending all this time trying to get the very best, and she won't notice any difference. A smartphone is a smartphone. That's the point of Android. And if she's enough into phones that she would notice, then you should be letting her decide which one she thinks would be best for her.

    • yikes914 on 28/11/2024 - 09:24

      yeah fair enough, Motorola would be the best as she's pretty familiar with it

  • shaybisc on 28/11/2024 - 09:04

    What phone do you have? Why?

    • yikes914 on 28/11/2024 - 09:23

      I've got a Pixel 8P, upgrading her phone because it's getting old

  • shaybisc on 28/11/2024 - 10:13
    +2

    Depends on whether she's into taking a lot of photos on the phone. If she is, get the one with the best camera. I assume that is the Pixel. If not, get the cheapest one.

  • TALL1one on 28/11/2024 - 10:27

    Pixel 8a IMO

  • non-core promise on 28/11/2024 - 10:45

    I'm not sure what age your mother is, but from my experience, older people tend to like larger phones, even if it gets to the point of being unwieldy, because of their failing eyesight.

    You should sus out her opinion of her Pixel 8 Pro and get her opinion on whether it is a too big, too small or just right.

    The Edge 50 Neo is on the smaller side (by today's standards) with a 6.4 inch screen and has no headphone jack.

    The Moto G75 is much larger with a 6.8 inch screen but is fairly expensive despite being a lower end phone than the Edge 50 Neo (you may have to wait for sales).

    The Moto G55 is an in between option size wise and can be cheaper when there is a sale (right now it seems to be hovering around the $300 mark because it is too new).

    Both the G75 and G55 have headphone jacks.

    If it matters a lot to deliver the present on the same day or as close as possible to the birthday, then you may have no choice but to pull the trigger on what you can find now. Otherwise, I would highly recommend waiting for sales on the 2 larger phones I have suggested.

    Basically, my point is that older people tend to care about different things like being able to actually see stuff on the screen of their pocket computer rather than the latest technologies and whatnot.

    • yikes914 on 28/11/2024 - 11:18

      Cheers, she's in her 50s but need it today so might grab the Edge 50 Neo as it seems to be the best all around

    • non-core promise on 28/11/2024 - 11:20

      Both the G75 and G55 have headphone jacks.

      I lied. The G75 does NOT have a headphone jack.

      Also, the G55 variants available in Australia has less RAM than the G54 (only 4GB variant, G54 had 8).

      So they're both far crappier than their predecessors. I guess the Edge 50 Neo might be the least worst option here.

  • Shadowsfury on 28/11/2024 - 11:04

    Samsung A35 might be another consideration - got it for my parents a few months ago and probably save you some coin vs the A55.

    I agree though - if photos not a priority I'd ensure its got a nice large screen.

    The other benefit of Samsung/Pixel over Motorola is the longer updates period (in terms of OS version and security updates thereafter).

    • yikes914 on 28/11/2024 - 11:20

      A55 works out to be cheaper for me, so I'd probably stick with that. She will most likely get an upgrade in another 3 years so longevity is not really a concern. Photos are not a concern but I want it to be decent with minimal camera lag, which her previous phone suffered from.

  • altomic on 28/11/2024 - 18:12

    [eBay Plus] Motorola Moto G84 5G (Dual SIM, 256GB/12GB, 6.5'') $239 Delivered @ Mobileciti eBay

    • yikes914 on 28/11/2024 - 18:29

      needed it today and have bought the Edge 50 Neo

  • OzRolla on 28/11/2024 - 19:26

    Refurbished IPhone is a good option. Relatively easy to use and doesn’t cost as much as a new one. IPhone 12 or IPhone 12 mini should be around those prices you mentioned.

  • lethal42 on 28/11/2024 - 19:52

    Try Betta Electrical on eBay for THE best A55 price.

    IMO as good if not better than Pixel

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