Phone Recommendation

N

NightReaver

2[H]4U
Joined
Apr 20, 2017
Messages
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Hey there, not much of a phone savvy person, so maybe someone here will have some good suggestions. Got a Xiaomi Mi9 about 4 years ago and it worked great. Just a day ago the power button went to hell. Phone itself is in pretty rough shape so I'm too concerned with trying to salvage it. Figured it's done it's time.

Anyways I used to care about processor speed and whatnot, but my current job has significant amounts of downtime (on call work) so I bring a laptop for time killing. Really the phone is just for reading, web browsing, and taking pics. With that said, I paid about $400 for the Mi9 back then and wouldn't be against spending around the same amount. Really only care about battery life and camera for snapping pics of projects I'm working on or things at work to take note of. Bonus points if it has a noteworthy macro lens.

I'll be doing my own shopping around and looking up info, but figured I'd ask here too. Thanks for taking a look!
 
Oneplus 7/9 Pros were my favorite phones. I am currently on a samsung S22 with google fi. Phone was $300, no contract. Monthly bill is $92 for 4 unlimited lines. I prefer the oneplus phones, but this S22 is pretty good for $299 (with port in promotion)
 
I like that A53 so far. I should note that me and my wife use Mint atm, so no real desire to switch over for service provider deals.
 
NightReaver said:
Hey there, not much of a phone savvy person, so maybe someone here will have some good suggestions. Got a Xiaomi Mi9 about 4 years ago and it worked great. Just a day ago the power button went to hell. Phone itself is in pretty rough shape so I'm too concerned with trying to salvage it. Figured it's done it's time.

Anyways I used to care about processor speed and whatnot, but my current job has significant amounts of downtime (on call work) so I bring a laptop for time killing. Really the phone is just for reading, web browsing, and taking pics. With that said, I paid about $400 for the Mi9 back then and wouldn't be against spending around the same amount. Really only care about battery life and camera for snapping pics of projects I'm working on or things at work to take note of. Bonus points if it has a noteworthy macro lens.

I'll be doing my own shopping around and looking up info, but figured I'd ask here too. Thanks for taking a look!
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The Pixel 6a would be my vote. Great camera tech for the money, still a good CPU, healthy OS update support and (from what I've heard) long battery life. It's even on sale right now — I've seen it go for $379.

The A53 has some advantages, like a faster and larger display, but it's also a bit sluggish and won't offer top camera quality. It's a "bread and butter" phone that's good enough in many areas, but doesn't really excel in any of them (apart from battery life, perhaps).
 
Aurelius said:
The Pixel 6a would be my vote. Great camera tech for the money, still a good CPU, healthy OS update support and (from what I've heard) long battery life. It's even on sale right now — I've seen it go for $379.

The A53 has some advantages, like a faster and larger display, but it's also a bit sluggish and won't offer top camera quality. It's a "bread and butter" phone that's good enough in many areas, but doesn't really excel in any of them (apart from battery life, perhaps).
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So I did some reading on the A53 and Pixel 6a and I've come to the realization we've been spoiled on the Mi 9 having wireless charging at such a low price point that I just assumed it was a common thing in phones nowadays. Apparently not. Unfortunately we've setup a decent number of wireless charging stuff and would like to keep using it.

Looking around I'm not against buying renewed older phones. The Galaxy S21 ultra and Pixel 6/pro seem to be around the price point I mentioned. Any opinion on those?
 
NightReaver said:
So I did some reading on the A53 and Pixel 6a and I've come to the realization we've been spoiled on the Mi 9 having wireless charging at such a low price point that I just assumed it was a common thing in phones nowadays. Apparently not. Unfortunately we've setup a decent number of wireless charging stuff and would like to keep using it.

Looking around I'm not against buying renewed older phones. The Galaxy S21 ultra and Pixel 6/pro seem to be around the price point I mentioned. Any opinion on those?
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Of those, I'd go with an S21 Ultra. I have a Pixel 6 and I'm happy with it, but the fingerprint reader is still a bit fussy (usable, just finicky) and the S21U is still a very capable phone with some OS updates left.

One thing to consider is spending extra on a Pixel 7. It's a lot of phone for the money at its usual $599 price, and it's sometimes on sale at Google's store or Amazon. Wireless charging, a fast display and excellent cameras, but without the huge outlay that's usually involved.
 
Aurelius said:
Of those, I'd go with an S21 Ultra. I have a Pixel 6 and I'm happy with it, but the fingerprint reader is still a bit fussy (usable, just finicky) and the S21U is still a very capable phone with some OS updates left.

One thing to consider is spending extra on a Pixel 7. It's a lot of phone for the money at its usual $599 price, and it's sometimes on sale at Google's store or Amazon. Wireless charging, a fast display and excellent cameras, but without the huge outlay that's usually involved.
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So keeping things fair, renewed vs renewed, there's about a $100 difference between the s21 ultra and pixel 7. Worth it in your opinion?
 
NightReaver said:
So keeping things fair, renewed vs renewed, there's about a $100 difference between the s21 ultra and pixel 7. Worth it in your opinion?
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S21 Ultra is better going off specs (screen, camera, ram, etc.) but keep in mind it is quite a bit larger too (155 vs 165 mm tall and 73 vs 76mm wide). I have no idea how google supports their software updates so can't comment on the longevity compared to samsung. For samsung they seem to usually get 3 android version updates (except the note 9 because screw me I guess lol).
 
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If you are open to getting an older model, don't forget about the Samsung Note 20 Ultra. It has a 6.9" screen, which is larger than the 6.8" screen on the S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra. It has 12GB RAM which is more than the S22 Ultra has, and only available on higher-end models of the S23 Ultra (regular models only have 8GB). One of the best things is that IT HAS AN SD CARD SLOT! Which is something none of the S22 or S23 models have, forcing you to go with a higher-end version to get decent storage compared to the Note 20 Ultra where you can simply buy a large SD card. The Note 20 Ultra has an S-Pen, just like the S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra. The Note 20 Ultra is still getting Android updates, and using the latest version. Downsides are a slightly slower CPU and slightly worse camera, but both are still quite good. I've been super happy with the Note 20 Ultra and have had zero desire to switch to a newer Samsung model because it would be a side-grade or even a downgrade in most of the areas that matter to me.
 
NightReaver said:
So keeping things fair, renewed vs renewed, there's about a $100 difference between the s21 ultra and pixel 7. Worth it in your opinion?
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It would be for me... the S21 Ultra has camera functionality the Pixel 7 doesn't (telephoto and that 108MP main cam), but the Pixel 7 should have the edge in photo quality, timelier updates and a few of those Pixel-only software perks. With that said, if you really like flexibility in photo types, the S21U is still a very slick phone.

I'd note that the Pixel 7 is currently $499 new at Amazon, if you're tempted...
 
Pixel 7 will get 4 years of updates. I doubt the S21 is going to get that since it's a few years old now.
 
Well after mulling things over decided to try out a S21 ultra. Has a 90 day return policy if it doesn't meet expectations, so we'll see how it goes. Going to keep my eyes out on how the Xiaomi 13 global launch goes. Apparently the Leica lenses they're putting on those are supposed to be pretty nice, but that could just be all opinion.

Anyways, thanks for all the input guys. Helped me steer in the right direction lol.
 
As a follow up to my previous comment, I ended up "upgrading" my Pixel 6a to a Pixel 7 when the price hit $449. The battery isn't as good as the Pixel 6a, but the face unlock and the fingerprint scanner are somewhat better. My wife's P6 has much better battery life for whatever reason.

I have some friends on the S21 family and they still like it. Hopefully it works out for you. (y)
 
Forgot about this thread, lol. Yeah, still weighing options. The S21 has been...okay. Recently the 5g service has been atrocious. Like 5 bars and a song on youtube has to buffer every 15 seconds.

I have Mint, don't know if that's an issue. Could be the renewed phone, but it's almost useless without wifi now.

The Pixel 6 looked interesting for a budget mid tier....but the low charging rate really is a turn off. Im pretty inconsistent with throwing my phone on the charger, so I do like 30+w quick charging.

So yeah....still weighing options.
 
NightReaver said:
Forgot about this thread, lol. Yeah, still weighing options. The S21 has been...okay. Recently the 5g service has been atrocious. Like 5 bars and a song on youtube has to buffer every 15 seconds.

I have Mint, don't know if that's an issue. Could be the renewed phone, but it's almost useless without wifi now.

The Pixel 6 looked interesting for a budget mid tier....but the low charging rate really is a turn off. Im pretty inconsistent with throwing my phone on the charger, so I do like 30+w quick charging.

So yeah....still weighing options.
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T-mobile/Mint is more hit and miss for me than Verizon (and related MVNOs) ever was. They tell me they are doing tower upgrades or something, and then it works again in a day or two (maybe it's not just a corporate service line to tell customers). Not sure what 5G bands your S21 has, but T-mobile has been doing more with the Sprint spectrum they acquired in the merger.
 
kirbyrj said:
T-mobile/Mint is more hit and miss for me than Verizon (and related MVNOs) ever was. They tell me they are doing tower upgrades or something, and then it works again in a day or two (maybe it's not just a corporate service line to tell customers). Not sure what 5G bands your S21 has, but T-mobile has been doing more with the Sprint spectrum they acquired in the merger.
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Ah, didn't know that. I'll have to check how well the LTE works. Honestly don't care too much about 5g. Most I ever do on data is web browse and the occasional youtube video.
 
NightReaver said:
Ah, didn't know that. I'll have to check how well the LTE works. Honestly don't care too much about 5g. Most I ever do on data is web browse and the occasional youtube video.
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So I did the same thing when I was with Verizon to save on battery. Their LTE is pretty good obviously, even if their 5g is lacking. I tried to do the same thing on T-Mobile and I get more frequent dropped calls then if I leave 5G enabled. That could be a quirk of where I live though.
 
kirbyrj said:
So I did the same thing when I was with Verizon to save on battery. Their LTE is pretty good obviously, even if their 5g is lacking. I tried to do the same thing on T-Mobile and I get more frequent dropped calls then if I leave 5G enabled. That could be a quirk of where I live though.
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When I had my Mi9 the mint LTE worked great. Can only hope I get at least the same performance. Will have to try it when I go out later.
 
NightReaver said:
When I had my Mi9 the mint LTE worked great. Can only hope I get at least the same performance. Will have to try it when I go out later.
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I'm sure you'll be fine then. It's probably just a quirk of where I live.

But to my point before, today I was connected to a Sprint tower with my pixel 7. Open signal showed it as Sprint even though I'm on TMobile.
 
I stick with Pixels when I'm on Android. The Pixel 5 might be worth a look if you want a smaller phone. Otherwise, I'm with those who recommended the 6 or 6A.
 
Mad Maxx said:
I stick with Pixels when I'm on Android. The Pixel 5 might be worth a look if you want a smaller phone. Otherwise, I'm with those who recommended the 6 or 6A.
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The problem with the P5 is that it only gets software support through November of this year.
 
kirbyrj said:
I'm sure you'll be fine then. It's probably just a quirk of where I live.

But to my point before, today I was connected to a Sprint tower with my pixel 7. Open signal showed it as Sprint even though I'm on TMobile.
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TMO is sprint. They probably have not finished all migration or could be a legacy tower
 
For me it'll forever be either a Pixel or iPhone. Samsung's software is teh suxxx and I don't feel like spending so much effort to hide it and thwart it from trying to open all the time. Plus, I don't like losing 8GB of space to it that I can never reclaim. If you don't care about gaming, even older Pixel phones will open and run typical phone apps just as quickly as a Galaxy S23. I mean, you can only open Facebook or Chrome so fast.
 
Domingo said:
For me it'll forever be either a Pixel or iPhone. Samsung's software is teh suxxx and I don't feel like spending so much effort to hide it and thwart it from trying to open all the time. Plus, I don't like losing 8GB of space to it that I can never reclaim. If you don't care about gaming, even older Pixel phones will open and run typical phone apps just as quickly as a Galaxy S23. I mean, you can only open Facebook or Chrome so fast.
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Yeah I have to pass on pixels. As said before, it really comes down to poor charging performance. I've unfortunately been spoiled on 30w charging since 2019 and my plugging in habits have been set in stone by it, lol.

When looking at the 6a I saw 18w and thought no way....that can't be right. In an age where global phones have 67w to 120w wired and even up to 50w wireless?

As for software, turns out I'm not picky. MIUI is considered much worse than any Western software, and I actually didn't mind it, lol.
 
I've had pretty good luch with 4 different One Plus models. 5t, 8, 9 Pro, and an N200 for my kid. I wouldn't get the 10T as it's missing the notification slider. Which IMO is a One Plus feature. Usually not to expensive and they charge real quick. I've bought nothing but unlocked models. I've run them on Cricket (ATT) for a few years and now a couple years on Mint (Tmobile), no issues.
 
NightReaver said:
Yeah I have to pass on pixels. As said before, it really comes down to poor charging performance. I've unfortunately been spoiled on 30w charging since 2019 and my plugging in habits have been set in stone by it, lol.

When looking at the 6a I saw 18w and thought no way....that can't be right. In an age where global phones have 67w to 120w wired and even up to 50w wireless?

As for software, turns out I'm not picky. MIUI is considered much worse than any Western software, and I actually didn't mind it, lol.
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My wife had her 5a just go belly up out of nowhere last year. We got her a 6a as she wants the great camera. My stepson's 5A just did the same thing, we got him a 6a too. I can say this, nothing, I've used beats my OnePluses on charging.
 
OFaceSIG said:
My wife had her 5a just go belly up out of nowhere last year. We got her a 6a as she wants the great camera. My stepson's 5A just did the same thing, we got him a 6a too. I can say this, nothing, I've used beats my OnePluses on charging.
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Its really something western phones are behind on and I don't quite get why.
 
NightReaver said:
Its really something western phones are behind on and I don't quite get why.
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I think it comes down to worries about longevity. Fast charging can shorten the overall lifespan of a battery. Not dramatically, but I wouldn't be surprised if Apple/Google/Samsung and the like want to avoid lawsuits from people upset they had to upgrade their phones sooner.

As it is, wireless charging is probably more appealing to many people. Unless you're the sort who comes home from work and expects a fully charged phone before they spend the whole night out.
 
Can't say I've ever even noticed charging speeds. I plug my phone in when I go to bed and I unplug it when I wake up. In the super rare instance where my phone runs down mid-day (usually streaming videos on a plane or in the car), plugging it in for 20 minutes typically restores at least that same % of my battery. I remember the days of phones draining out in the middle of the day if I was using GPS apps. I haven't had anything like that happen for a while, even full days using the GPS-hungry Disney World app.
 
Aurelius said:
As it is, wireless charging is probably more appealing
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I agree. I've had 20w wireless since 2019 and my wife and I got quite a few things to support that.

Sucks that wireless seems to be nonexistent in the mid range budget segment, but high end models like the xiaomi 13 pro have 50w wireless which is pretty nuts.
 
My Motorola One 5G Ace has been absolutely fantastic. I think it serves incredible value. Thank goodness I took some members advise here on the forums and went for one because I couldn't be happier. It's got a 50mp camera in portrait mode takes great portraits with good background blur, and has a huge 5.7" screen Also has a fast processor and expandable storage. A 5000mah battery that lasts all day. The moto gestures are my favorite thing about motos and it's rediculous that other phones don't have it. I love shaking to activate the flash light, or rolling to activate the camera. I mean I highly recommend the Moto phones they pack a ton of punch (value) for your dollar.
 
I'm a big proponent of "pure" Google phones. I don't want to deal with hacked up software and delayed updates.

Currently on a P6, and it is supposed to get security updates for 6 years. I read that the P7 is on sale in your price range right now, so that is what I would get.
 
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