General What phone should I buy next? -- Not sure what device to buy? Ask here!

KidCarter93 · Aug 21, 2012

Hi everyone,

This thread is a continuation of this thread.

This is here so you can discuss what your next phone/tablet should be, if you're not sure what to pick.

Also, if you need advice as to which device is better than another, then feel free to ask those questions in here aswell.

This is an attempt to clear out all the similar threads being created around these forums.

*NOTE* I will be requesting thread maintenance as and when it is needed, to remove any SPAM comments

Wstegema · Mar 16, 2020

Raresh T said:
What do you want to do with root? Why do you want root?

First, I would like to do some testing with Lineage OS and use some root only apps, secondly for my brother to play PoGo while under quarantine

Raresh T · Mar 17, 2020

Wstegema said:
First, I would like to do some testing with Lineage OS and use some root only apps, secondly for my brother to play PoGo while under quarantine

First, the makers of Pokemon Go have improved their root checking feature, therefore you might not be able to hide root from them anymore. And spoofing your location might guarantee your brother a ban.

Second, root apps aren't some extraordinary apps. Don't expect a huge increase in performance. If you get around 40% more performance, that's in the best case scenario.

I would recommend going for this tablet from 2016.
(https://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_tab_a_10_1_(2016)-8090.php), easily rootable, lots of custom roms, cheap. Have fun

hsanjay19 · Mar 19, 2020

Is it a good idea to get a Nova 5T now? It's a rebranded Honor 20. I like the high-end processor and it comes with Google services. The only Huawei phone I've had is the Honor 5X, which was slow at first and became unusable about a year later. Do Honor phones with better specs generally last longer?

Raresh T · Mar 19, 2020

hsanjay19 said:
Is it a good idea to get a Nova 5T now? It's a rebranded Honor 20. I like the high-end processor and it comes with Google services. The only Huawei phone I've had is the Honor 5X, which was slow at first and became unusable about a year later. Do Honor phones with better specs generally last longer?

Huawei no longer gives codes to unlock your bootloader. So no more custom roms for anyone using huawei. They might have better specs, but Huawei takes its time providing updates to firmware. I ve got a tablet, bought in 2019, still running Android 8, in a year of Android 11. I would stay clear of Huawei. Try Xiaomi. Heard the K20 Pro is quite good.

350Rocket · Mar 19, 2020

Raresh T said:
First, you said you wanted a phone similar in dimensions with the Redmi 3S, but the Xiaomi Mi A3 has a noticeable difference.

For 6 inch smartphones you could go with the Samsung S10 or One plus 6.

Unfortunately, 5 inch phones from a reputable brand are a drying breed. You could go with an S6, the community is still alive, developing roms with Android 10 nowadays. Also, there is an option to swap the batteries with a S7 edge, giving you more battery life. So the S6 might be your best bet for 5 inches smartphones

I had the s6 for a while, it was probably the best Samsung phone I've ever had. It was also the best custom rom experience I ever had (xtrestolite rom on marshmallow), made the phone a lot faster and no glitches unlike most custom roms I've had. I still remember how good that phone felt in the hand.

CamoGeko · Mar 19, 2020

350Rocket said:
I had the s6 for a while, it was probably the best Samsung phone I've ever had. It was also the best custom rom experience I ever had (xtrestolite rom on marshmallow), made the phone a lot faster and no glitches unlike most custom roms I've had. I still remember how good that phone felt in the hand.

S6 is a great device, someone in my family was using it for years and years. Then it was passed down to another member who used it for another 2-3 years.

No issues ever with that device, although just running stock.

nihilazo · Mar 20, 2020

Hello XDA!
I'd like to buy a cheap (second hand is fine as long as they're not hard to find second hand), small tablet (7 inch/8 inch, 7 is better) that is supported by the custom ROM community (specifically, to run a degoogled ROM, even if microG isn't available) and supports USB host (connecting a wired keyboard).

LineageOS official doesn't seem to support almost any such devices, are there others that other ROMS/unofficial builds support?
Specs don't matter as long as it can run an up to date OS (or even an older OS that's still supported), this is mainly for notes/calendar and writing schoolwork.

Thanks!

Raresh T · Mar 20, 2020

nihilazo said:
Hello XDA!
I'd like to buy a cheap (second hand is fine as long as they're not hard to find second hand), small tablet (7 inch/8 inch, 7 is better) that is supported by the custom ROM community (specifically, to run a degoogled ROM, even if microG isn't available) and supports USB host (connecting a wired keyboard).

LineageOS official doesn't seem to support almost any such devices, are there others that other ROMS/unofficial builds support?
Specs don't matter as long as it can run an up to date OS (or even an older OS that's still supported), this is mainly for notes/calendar and writing schoolwork.

Thanks!

Hello, I would suggest this tablet
(https://m.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_pad_4-9249.php). Active community, the latest rom and easy to root and flash a custom rom. Second hand or not, it is quite cheap as well

yon1000 · Mar 20, 2020

Galaxy A50 vs A51

I would to purchase one of these devices, in my country the A51 is appr. 80 USD more. I've seen the A51 got bad reviews regarding its day to day performance, and camera performance. The A50 reviews didn't mention sluggish performace but It seems Samsung made some key upgrades with their A51 so It left me baffled.
I would like to here your opinions regarding these phones. espeically from people who have experience with these phones.
thx.

black*halo · Mar 25, 2020

I don't use my phone that much. I was thinking I could get a nicer second hand phone for the same price as a really low tier budget phone but I just don't know anything about what phones are good or safe to get without a warranty. The only touch screen phone I've ever had is this Moto G2 that seemed like it was starting to die, but I reset it and it's running OK. I paid $180 for it and I was hoping to spend less this time. I have no use for a huge screen and this is clearly the main option culling my selections, trying to keep the height under 6 inches. I want a phone with a 3.5mm that can run a fairly sensitive IEM without noticeable hiss and a storage expansion slot. GSM unlocked. A better camera than my Moto G2 which has a really ****e one.

The options I have been considering around $110 or less:
* Whichever I can get cheapest and in best shape second hand between LG V30, V30s/+, V35, and G7 or Moto Z2 Play
* New/Open Box Huawei P Smart, LG Q7, Sony Xperia XA2, Nokia 6.1

The options around $140-$170:
* New/Open Box Moto Z2 Play, Sony Xperia XZ1, LG V30

Genuinely appreciate any input or suggestions.

Raresh T · Mar 25, 2020

black*halo said:
I don't use my phone that much. I was thinking I could get a nicer second hand phone for the same price as a really low tier budget phone but I just don't know anything about what phones are good or safe to get without a warranty. The only touch screen phone I've ever had is this Moto G2 that seemed like it was starting to die, but I reset it and it's running OK. I paid $180 for it and I was hoping to spend less this time. I have no use for a huge screen and this is clearly the main option culling my selections, trying to keep the height under 6 inches. I want a phone with a 3.5mm that can run a fairly sensitive IEM without noticeable hiss and a storage expansion slot. GSM unlocked. A better camera than my Moto G2 which has a really ****e one.

The options I have been considering around $110 or less:
* Whichever I can get cheapest and in best shape second hand between LG V30, V30s/+, V35, and G7 or Moto Z2 Play
* New/Open Box Huawei P Smart, LG Q7, Sony Xperia XA2, Nokia 6.1

The options around $140-$170:
* New/Open Box Moto Z2 Play, Sony Xperia XZ1, LG V30

Genuinely appreciate any input or suggestions.

I would suggest Xiaomi is a better alternative at that price range.

https://m.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_pocophone_f1-9293.php

https://m.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_8-9800.php

https://www.google.ro/amp/s/m.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_note_9_pro-ampp-10120.php?espv=1

Under 6 inches, there s the samsung s6. Wonderful phone, very active community

BVB-Ger · Mar 25, 2020

Hey guys ,

I have a simple question.
What Would you prefer ?
The realme x2 pro with 128gb and 8gb RAM .
Or the k30 pro with 128gb and i think 6gb RAM .

Im so confused what i should buy :laugh:

Swat_16a · Mar 25, 2020

Hi!

Need some advice to buy a tablet (netflix, films, comics, etc). I'm highly sensitive to PWM / flickering.

I'm between Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 2019 vs Huawei MediaPad M5 lite vs Lenovo Yoga Smart Tab.
All these are more or less the same price, usb-c, same resolution, although huawei has android 8.0 and the others 9.0.

These tablets have not PWM, but I have read on notebookcheck that Tab A 2019 "However, the display does flicker at 60 Hz according to our oscilloscope, so this may still cause issues for some people.", even if later they say it has not PWM so...

What is your recommendation? Which one could be better? It's worth it to pay a little more for the 4Gb ram / 64 rom on Tab A and M5 Lite?

Thank you so much!

Raresh T · Mar 25, 2020

BVB-Ger said:
Hey guys ,

I have a simple question.
What Would you prefer ?
The realme x2 pro with 128gb and 8gb RAM .
Or the k30 pro with 128gb and i think 6gb RAM .

Im so confused what i should buy :laugh:

The chipsets deliver the same performance, the x2 has better screen and Dolby Atmos, lesser battery than the k30 pro. I would go with the x2 pro in this scenario. Would go with the k30 pro if the 8 gb ram version

BVB-Ger · Mar 25, 2020

Raresh T said:
The chipsets deliver the same performance, the x2 has better screen and Dolby Atmos, lesser battery than the k30 pro. I would go with the x2 pro in this scenario. Would go with the k30 pro if the 8 gb ram version

Thanks for your opinion .
I Had a Xiaomi before and i was Happy with it nur i dont want to Spend more then 400 Euros for a Phone.
And i think the k30 pro with 8gb will be near the 500 Euros .
I could get the x2 pro for 370 € and thats Not to Bad i think .

black*halo · Mar 25, 2020

Raresh T said:
I would suggest Xiaomi is a better alternative at that price range.

Under 6 inches, there s the samsung s6. Wonderful phone, very active community

The S6 doesn't have a card slot and I really think the Xiaomi phones are too big :/ My partners Samsung J7 isnt technically that much bigger than my phone but the small difference feels like a lot. I really wouldn't want something bigger than his to be comfortable in my hand.

Siscco · Mar 27, 2020

Hi everyone
Any help unlocking my
one touch X230E Z227
IMEI MOD EDIT:IMEI number removed. It is dangerous to make it public.

350Rocket · Mar 28, 2020

black*halo said:
I don't use my phone that much. I was thinking I could get a nicer second hand phone for the same price as a really low tier budget phone but I just don't know anything about what phones are good or safe to get without a warranty. The only touch screen phone I've ever had is this Moto G2 that seemed like it was starting to die, but I reset it and it's running OK. I paid $180 for it and I was hoping to spend less this time. I have no use for a huge screen and this is clearly the main option culling my selections, trying to keep the height under 6 inches. I want a phone with a 3.5mm that can run a fairly sensitive IEM without noticeable hiss and a storage expansion slot. GSM unlocked. A better camera than my Moto G2 which has a really ****e one.

The options I have been considering around $110 or less:
* Whichever I can get cheapest and in best shape second hand between LG V30, V30s/+, V35, and G7 or Moto Z2 Play
* New/Open Box Huawei P Smart, LG Q7, Sony Xperia XA2, Nokia 6.1

The options around $140-$170:
* New/Open Box Moto Z2 Play, Sony Xperia XZ1, LG V30

Genuinely appreciate any input or suggestions.

I'd go with the v30 if you're an audiophile. One of the best headphone jacks. I have a 3 year old OnePlus 5 (same processor as the v30) it's still really fast for it's age. Very little lag ever. The headphone jack is good enough for me, with Grado SR60 or Sony mdr-7506. Camera is pretty good. Not as good as a new pixel but decent.

flash713 · Mar 28, 2020

Siscco said:
Hi everyone
Any help unlocking my
one touch X230E Z227
IMEI MOD EDIT:IMEI number removed. It is dangerous to make it public.

You would need to post this in that device forum or if it does not have one then maybe in Q&A section some place but this thread is specifically for what the title says and we try to keep things organized or it can get really confusing quick. Rules of XDA are search first and if there is no information already on whatever it is you're looking for then you can make a post in the correct section. I'm not trying to be a prick just letting you know maybe you should reread the rules of XDA just so you understand better. Also I did a quick Google search for: "unlock one touch x230e" and I immediately had tons of information on it. Throw that in your search and you will surely have the answers you're looking for.

Sent from my MIX 2 using XDA Labs

haris2887 · Mar 29, 2020

My note 8 has a cracked glass. I think its time for an update.

Looking for some advice
Pixel 4 4G
Samsung Note 9 4G
Samsung S10 4G

All three phones are prices similarly. Pixel 4 being the cheapest (50% off special). Followed by Note 9 and then S10 being a tiny bit over that.

The two things most important to me are
Camera and Battery life.

help me decide.

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