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

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KidCarter93

Retired Forum Moderator
Mar 26, 2012
14,587
7,732
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Coventry, UK
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
 
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dlads

Senior Member
Aug 24, 2010
16,646
6,399
Liverpool
Nothing Phone 2
I extended my budget to 230 euro (1000 zł) can u suggest some device with google pay?

Not a huge user of GP, but a check against GSM Arena should clear up if it's possible..

So long as NFC is on the device it should have it.

Vast majority of phones have had NFC since the Galaxy SIII Mini.

230?

Did you check the devices I suggested in my last post?

Poco, 2nd hand Pixel / OnePlus.

Some of the Xiaomi devices are cheap for what you get. Could not comment on support for the Xiaomi devices though although if it's anything like OnePlus in the UK RMA was less than a week for me and pixel should be on par.

Poco F1 is probably your best bet.

All the devices mentioned would have google pay, check them out on gsmarena and swappa.
 

DiamondJohn

Recognized Contributor
Aug 31, 2013
7,350
7,366
Sydney
So long as NFC is on the device it should have it.

Vast majority of phones have had NFC since the Galaxy SIII Mini.

I have a Galaxy s4 gt-i9506. The device supports NFC, however the actual arial for NFC is in the battery, and they do sell batteries without the NFC arial. So, without a supporting battery no NFC,
 
Mar 7, 2015
14
0
Aloha!

I'm here to ask the experts first before buying a new phone. My service is Boost and for the first time in my life, I am not trying to buy something cheap to save money, hence why I am asking before buying. I don't want to spend a grand or anything like that but I can afford something nice in the midrange category. The top thing I am looking for besides quality is a phone that I can reliably root. If I have to pay a little extra for a phone that I can root and do more with (and most importantly, delete all that bloatware!), it is worth the expense. I've used XDA once before a long time ago when I found someone who helped me root the phone I had. For simplicity, I hope this time to get something that is already known how to root. I'd be very happy to donate to anyone kind enough to help me with this process.

Thanks ahead of time.
 

CSA3

Member
May 21, 2018
10
0
Istanbul
Good luck with the bootloader on any Huawei phone.

Those phones were a fantastic option until they decided to no longer be friendly to XDA users.

I have never did such thing. I never really cared for bootloader nor did I need it before. As long as the phone works smooth as HTC 10 did, I'm perfectly fine. Like I said before, all I really care about is quality of my camera, battery life and design. Other things are just little details that wouldn't bother me that much. My second day with the phone (P30), I gotta say, I'm loving it. Camera is really good, specially night mode is really a difference maker, it actually takes kind of a render for 5-7 secs with that mode to make it perfect lol.
 

tsongming

Senior Member
Aug 19, 2016
3,346
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I have never did such thing. I never really cared for bootloader nor did I need it before. As long as the phone works smooth as HTC 10 did, I'm perfectly fine. Like I said before, all I really care about is quality of my camera, battery life and design. Other things are just little details that wouldn't bother me that much. My second day with the phone (P30), I gotta say, I'm loving it. Camera is really good, specially night mode is really a difference maker, it actually takes kind of a render for 5-7 secs with that mode to make it perfect lol.


Ahh I see, you already went ahead and bought the P30!

You don't really care about whether or not the phone retains it's playstore certification, or whether it will continue to be able to pass safetynet? Go to playstore settings and check if your device is still playstore certified, if so it will not be long before that changes, and you will certainly lose many of the features that most mid-tier to top shelf phones enjoy. Such as NFC payment.

There are many phones that have great cameras, and much better OS's and will continue to be safe to use and updatable well into the foreseeable future.
 

CSA3

Member
May 21, 2018
10
0
Istanbul
Ahh I see, you already went ahead and bought the P30!

You don't really care about whether or not the phone retains it's playstore certification, or whether it will continue to be able to pass safetynet? Go to playstore settings and check if your device is still playstore certified, if so it will not be long before that changes, and you will certainly lose many of the features that most mid-tier to top shelf phones enjoy. Such as NFC payment.

There are many phones that have great cameras, and much better OS's and will continue to be safe to use and updatable well into the foreseeable future.

So u think P30 will lose its' android functions because of the thing with America ? Well, first of all, I don't think Google would like to lose a client and it seems like it'll be America's and Google's loss if they don't work with Huawei because that would mean huawei would come stronger with their own system which is already happening and I think that's the reason USA kinda took a step back with their Huawei bs. Not that I ever used NFC properly but I think you're having a confusion. Android supports P30, it doesn't support Mate phones of Huawei, so yes my phone is play certified, not that I care really. I don't really feel Google or android is a must.
 

tsongming

Senior Member
Aug 19, 2016
3,346
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So u think P30 will lose its' android functions because of the thing with America ? Well, first of all, I don't think Google would like to lose a client and it seems like it'll be America's and Google's loss if they don't work with Huawei because that would mean huawei would come stronger with their own system which is already happening and I think that's the reason USA kinda took a step back with their Huawei bs. Not that I ever used NFC properly but I think you're having a confusion. Android supports P30, it doesn't support Mate phones of Huawei, so yes my phone is play certified, not that I care really. I don't really feel Google or android is a must.


You came here 2 days ago asking for pre-purchase advice. Did you not expect to receive the Pros and Cons?

You push back when presented with well publicised facts, and absolutely the US decisions over Huawei will impact them deeply, and it will financially affect Google as well. But It's not Google's decision. In the end, they must abide by the law, whether they like it or not. For the record, I agree that the whole situation is absolutely ridiculous and foolish. Frankly, I am extremely pissed about Trump's asinine policies.

However, even if there were no legal issues, I would still tell people to stay away from Huawei, simply because of the bootloader policy. This is XDA, and website is a development community and we deeply care about software remaining open source and publicly available. XDA is not some marketing outlet for locked down phones.

Now that you have your phone and you like it, then go enjoy it. I can respect that, because yes is a sweet phone. But with major potential issues, and if you spent the full retail price, then you should definitely consider all factors. right?

In the end, I simply gave you warning about potential issues, intended as before buying advice. That is the whole this point of this thread, You already bought the phone and that is final. So go enjoy it and whatever happens is not for us. to decide only time will tell if it was a good decision. I sincerely hope that it works out well for you and that you get at least 3 to 4 years of normal use, along with reliable updates.

---------- Post added at 09:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:03 AM ----------

Aloha!

I'm here to ask the experts first before buying a new phone. My service is Boost and for the first time in my life, I am not trying to buy something cheap to save money, hence why I am asking before buying. I don't want to spend a grand or anything like that but I can afford something nice in the midrange category. The top thing I am looking for besides quality is a phone that I can reliably root. If I have to pay a little extra for a phone that I can root and do more with (and most importantly, delete all that bloatware!), it is worth the expense. I've used XDA once before a long time ago when I found someone who helped me root the phone I had. For simplicity, I hope this time to get something that is already known how to root. I'd be very happy to donate to anyone kind enough to help me with this process.

Thanks ahead of time.

The Xiaomi Mi9 is probably one of the best deals that you can find right now and it has flagship specs across the board :
At $349, you will probably not be able to find a better phone for the money. https://www.amazon.com/Xiaomi-64GB-..._1?keywords=Xiaomi+Mi+9&qid=1575378368&sr=8-1

If you want to spend a little less you can get the Mi8 right now for about$250 and it has 2018's flagship specs.
https://www.amazon.com/Xiaomi-6-64G..._1?keywords=Xiaomi+Mi+8&qid=1575378915&sr=8-1

The camera's on both of these devices are absolutely stellar, both phones will play any game out there and both get incredible good battery life. The only real drawback is a 2 week wait to be able to unlock the bootloader. Outside of that I highly recommend both phones. If you want to spend a little more, at the moment you can find some great deals on One Plus and Pixel. But you will spend around $500 and both phones are truly no better , or much better than the Xiaomi phones.
 

CSA3

Member
May 21, 2018
10
0
Istanbul
You came here 2 days ago asking for pre-purchase advice. Did you not expect to receive the Pros and Cons?

You push back when presented with well publicised facts, and absolutely the US decisions over Huawei will impact them deeply, and it will financially affect Google as well. But It's not Google's decision. In the end, they must abide by the law, whether they like it or not. For the record, I agree that the whole situation is absolutely ridiculous and foolish. Frankly, I am extremely pissed about Trump's asinine policies.

However, even if there were no legal issues, I would still tell people to stay away from Huawei, simply because of the bootloader policy. This is XDA, and website is a development community and we deeply care about software remaining open source and publicly available. XDA is not some marketing outlet for locked down phones.

Now that you have your phone and you like it, then go enjoy it. I can respect that, because yes is a sweet phone. But with major potential issues, and if you spent the full retail price, then you should definitely consider all factors. right?

In the end, I simply gave you warning about potential issues, intended as before buying advice. That is the whole this point of this thread, You already bought the phone and that is final. So go enjoy it and whatever happens is not for us. to decide only time will tell if it was a good decision. I sincerely hope that it works out well for you and that you get at least 3 to 4 years of normal use, along with reliable updates.

I appreciate your help but after I said I bought the P30 u almost sounded as if you're working for Xiaomi lol. kinda upset that I didN't buy the Mi8 you advised me to. I just said I don't care about bootloader whatever it is. Whatever... lol.
 
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350Rocket

Senior Member
Dec 11, 2010
1,582
263
I've held the p30 pro in the store recently and it felt like the most awesome phone I've ever touched. But I wouldn't want to take the risk in buying it right now. Maybe it will turn out fine, but there is a chance that it won't. The locked bootloader is a big deal too. My OnePlus 5 is coming up on its (probably) last update q2 of next year (Android pie) and I plan to hang on to it for another couple years since the hardware can handle it. I will have to unlock the bootloader to keep it updated at some point in the near future.
 
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tsongming

Senior Member
Aug 19, 2016
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I've held the p30 pro in the store recently and it felt like the most awesome phone I've ever touched. But I wouldn't want to take the risk in buying it right now. Maybe it will turn out fine, but there is a chance that it won't. The locked bootloader is a big deal too. My OnePlus 5 is coming up on its (probably) last update q2 of next year (Android pie) and I plan to hang on to it for another couple years since the hardware can handle it. I will have to unlock the bootloader to keep it updated at some point in the near future.

I agree, I had considered buying the P30 and needed to move to something else because my last phone was on its last legs.

I also strongly considered the Oneplus 6T and only ended up choosing my Xiaomi Mi8, because I managed to find one that was brand new and well below retail. Making it a deal too good to pass up. But I have no regrets it's been great. But I plan to get OnePlus next, because I haven't owned one yet, and I love Oxygen OS.

Oneplus seems to be an excellent device and everyone that I know who owns one absolutely loves it. In your case, if you decide to unlock the bootloader you have many fantastic rom options including Havoc, and the soon to be released Evolution 3.0.

Plus you have the new soon to be official Lineage 17.0 by Codeworkx, who is without a doubt one of the most highly respected developers on XDA. In fact OnePlus themselves provide him with free upgrades to a new device every time they release something new. So I don't blame you, I would use that phone until it dies an unrepairable hardware death.
 
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Raresh T

Senior Member
Jul 14, 2014
592
126
It's time to change my phone, from an Samsung S6, due to the fact that the battery can't last a whole day. Been thinking about Samsung M30s with his huge battery, but the reviews aren't quite promising. I am looking for a phone that can last 15 hours/day at least, on a data connection (between 2 bars of 3g and 1 bar of 4g) (don't have WiFi at all at work). Not into gaming, most of the time just browsing, listening to music, social and mail. I have a budget of around 350€. Can anyone help me?
 

alexsoftware

New member
Mar 29, 2012
4
0
Hard choice

Hi guys,
My LG G6 is... well i need a new phone! My first idea is of course the MI9TPRO, which i could find around 330€

But then i've seen that the LG g8s would cost like 30€ more. They both have a nice snapdragon 855, i was thinking that the LG
being a bit "flagshippy" could have a bit better overall build quality and is waterproof (but battery is bit smaller).

Now... it's hard for me. I still hate LG since Nexus 5x, i had it and got the infamous bootloop and they refused to repair it back then.
I switched then to LG g6 only because at the moment back then it was a good choice for my budget.
and now... look again like that? or should i go with xiaomi this time?

i need to decide before christmas.
I hope to hear some advice from you, thanks in advance
 

350Rocket

Senior Member
Dec 11, 2010
1,582
263
Hi guys,
My LG G6 is... well i need a new phone! My first idea is of course the MI9TPRO, which i could find around 330€

But then i've seen that the LG g8s would cost like 30€ more. They both have a nice snapdragon 855, i was thinking that the LG
being a bit "flagshippy" could have a bit better overall build quality and is waterproof (but battery is bit smaller).

Now... it's hard for me. I still hate LG since Nexus 5x, i had it and got the infamous bootloop and they refused to repair it back then.
I switched then to LG g6 only because at the moment back then it was a good choice for my budget.
and now... look again like that? or should i go with xiaomi this time?

i need to decide before christmas.
I hope to hear some advice from you, thanks in advance


Did the g6 have hardware failure too?
 

Raresh T

Senior Member
Jul 14, 2014
592
126
Hi guys,
My LG G6 is... well i need a new phone! My first idea is of course the MI9TPRO, which i could find around 330€

But then i've seen that the LG g8s would cost like 30€ more. They both have a nice snapdragon 855, i was thinking that the LG
being a bit "flagshippy" could have a bit better overall build quality and is waterproof (but battery is bit smaller).

Now... it's hard for me. I still hate LG since Nexus 5x, i had it and got the infamous bootloop and they refused to repair it back then.
I switched then to LG g6 only because at the moment back then it was a good choice for my budget.
and now... look again like that? or should i go with xiaomi this time?

i need to decide before christmas.
I hope to hear some advice from you, thanks in advance

And you ve tried custom roms, kernels, overclocking your phone? Seems is quite supported. Also, search FDE. Ai as well. Works wonder on my Samsung S6
 

sykozylot

Senior Member
Apr 22, 2010
121
9
Hello with next phone

Hey everyone! Could use your help. I'm looking for:

-HDR screen for steaming Netflix, Prime, Disney+
-90hz or higher refresh rate
-Headphone jack
-T-Mobile US compatibility

Budget $600 or less USD.

Having a hard time finding one that checks all the boxes. Thanks!
 
Last edited:

niyonsv

Senior Member
Have asked a while ago but at that time my phone was working without any issues. But last week it fell down from very height, now it's usable but to replace it's parts it cost a bit lot.

So now planning to buy a new one. My requirements are:

- price around $350 (₹25,000)
- new or last year released one (pre owned)
- should have enough stable custom ROM support
- won't mind if it has notch
- AMOLED screen (haven't used any, that's why)

I also want to know which phone or band is most popular among custom ROM developers?
 

350Rocket

Senior Member
Dec 11, 2010
1,582
263
And you ve tried custom roms, kernels, overclocking your phone? Seems is quite supported. Also, search FDE. Ai as well. Works wonder on my Samsung S6
I had an s6 over 2 years ago and a custom rom based on TouchWiz did wonders for it. It ran faster, had better features and was very stable. It changed my opinion on Samsung. Unfortunately the Canadian variant of the s8 I had after the s6 was completely unrootable so I switched to phones that didn't need rooting or custom roms (OnePlus 5 and pixel XL) but could easily be unlocked when support ends and custom roms are the only option.
 

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  • 1
    I can't believe it's been so long since I joined, and posted an intro. I still have the same phone, and I need to "upgrade" badly. This sounds like the right thread to ask.

    First, I'm looking for suggestions to replace a Galaxy S7, SM-G930W8 (Exynos).
    My main uses for a mobile phone are: texting, email, web browsing/streaming (eg: youtube), "tools" apps - eg: unit converters/calculators, and some..specific apps like TrolMaster (indoor gardening, at/for work) and Appliance apps - eg: Danby, etc., video/music listening - eg: VLC, and taking photos. I sometimes like to connect a usb microscope to it via usb OTG
    The camera on my S7 has been broken for years. I'm struggling without it. I have to ask roommate to use phone for their camera.
    I'd like expandable storage, have manufacturers completely removed that option now too?

    Forgive my incorrect terminology; I want something "unlocked"(?) or easily unlockable (bootloader, right?), that I can put a custom ROM on (Calyx, or Lineage are two that interest me), good camera (I don't need the latest triple lense, 5-dimensional, 8K camera. But I don't wan't worse than what the S7 has - including video capabilities such as 1080p 60fps if possible). Headphone jack please (though I do finally have BT headphones now). USB-C charging would be nice. I would be ok with the same or larger size/screen as S7.
    And I'm not looking to buy a brand new "flagship" $1800 phone either. I think I bought this S7 used, a few years old/after release for maybe $300-400 cad.
    I'd love to hear some suggestions.

    Thank you.

    Edit: Where are some online sources to buy quality used phones? Like Pixel phones, for example. If there are any.
    The best place to buy used devices depends on where you live.

    Here in the United States Swappa and Back Market are great (BackMarket is also available in a few other countries). Based on your usage of the Canadian dollar I'd assume you live in Canada in which case eBay refurbished is your best option.

    Most phones from the past ~3 years don't have expandable storage (Samsung A series does but also has no ROMs) oZr headphone jacks (enfones had them but they pulled their bootloader unlock tool so you can't ROM them anymore).

    I'd say get a used Pixel 7 Pro or 7 and flash Lineage on it, it'd serve you well for the next few years (here is a link to a used 7 for about 350 CAD on eBay Canada). (edit: it's already out of stock)
    1

    OnePlus 12 vs Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Xiaomi 14


    I can get OnePlus 12 or Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Xiaomi 14 at similar price around 700 dollars in my region. For my important aspects are:
    1. Display: My eyes are a little bit sensitive to PWM, but it's relatively acceptable to me with the "Аnti-flicker" option in Xiaomi OS, but it's not perfectly


    2. Root and mod friendly: official/unofficial custom roms and mods by OnePlus/Xiaomi fan groups ( which fan group has more development in this aspect)


    3. Camera: I'm interested in who has offer the better hardware and therefore the possibility of improvement by software (GCAM) as well as modifications by fan groups

    1.As far as I can find both phones Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Xiaomi 14 run at 1920 Hz under 50% brightness, I'm not shure when Oneplus 12 switch to 2160 Hz PWM and which one is better in this aspect.

    2. I am not familiar with the oneplus fangroup and how root/custom roms/mods friendly it is compare to Xiaomi

    3. Through the GCAM I manage to get more satisfactory photos and videos to my taste with my custom settings both through GCAM and through Modded MI Cam from my old Xiaomi smartphone, don't know how is with Oneplus

    I find all other specs almost similar
    OnePlus is pretty root/rom friendly (more than Xiaomi these days) and GCam ports for the 12 are available (see this XDA post for more info). I'd say it's personal preference but the OP will definitely get more ROMs if that's what you're after.
    1
    Hey all,
    Looking to replace my OnePlus 7 Pro.
    tl;dr Most importantly (if such a thing exists) i need Call Recordings to be possible without Root
    I'm mainly looking for a clear Android experience (Oxygen OS is a good example), a decent phone, no need for any bells/whistles.

    My work requires all sorts of apps and the CISO is being a pain about using a rooted phone, I'm willing to forge adblocking, but giving up on call recordings (Which saved my ass in court 3 times so far) is a big no no.

    thanks!
    Most Galaxies allow call recording, and new OnePlus phones do too. However, I wouldn't call modern Oxygen or OneUI close to stock, so you could also try CubeACR on a phone that doesn't have the feature (e.g a Pixel)
    1
    What phone and/or OS for mobile has the best likelihood of resisting zero click attacks?
    GrapheneOS is designed with security and privacy in mind and uses techniques like sandboxing to prevent attacks - maybe it'd work? It's open source and doesn't require unlocking the BL to work. Only downside is you'd need a Pixel to use it.
    1
    Thank you for replying. Yes, in canada.
    Your answer made me realize how much I want expandable storage. And how limited my options really are, especiallly if I don't want whatever "flavor" of android is default on a phone (eg: samsung flavor).

    Edit: I'd like fairphone, if they were available in canada. Duno how well one would work here, if at all. Duno if there are roms for it.
    Yes there are roms for the Fairphone 5 but when I check on Canadian eBay I see no listings for Fairphones at all.

    Maybe see if you can find an Xperia, they are usually ROM friendly and have expandable storage + SD slots
  • 80
    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
    14
    Excellent, I hope this will attract some discussion on new devices so new threads won't be opened.

    I am not looking for a new phone right now, well maybe not depending on the outcome of HTC repairing my Sensation I guess. I sure hope to find out tomorrow. I think if I was going to get a replacement now I would probably get the SGS3 over the OneX. I really don't like the non-removable battery and maybe worse, no SD slot. I know why they did it for economic reasons but I am just not going to go that direction. Batteries do not last forever and their maximum charge level goes down over time. I want to be able to plug the SD into my computer and do a local backup. I also want to be able to get a bigger or faster SD if one comes out.
    I am used to Sense but I am sure I could get used to Touchwiz as well, and I just read in the portal that ROM Cleaner works with the SGS3 now, as long as I can rid of the bloat I am content. I am sure that when my contract is done in a year there will be something newer and better out anyways. ;)
    14
    I hope it does aswell. These forums definitely have too many of those threads being created :rolleyes:

    I think I'd choose the S3 aswell to be honest. Even though the One X is a powerful phone, the S3 can quite easily out perform it, as it can with most phones.

    The only time I'd be looking to upgrade is when mine become redundant, which with having an S2 (which can still keep up with the newest flagship devices) and Xperia S, I won't need to upgrade for a while I don't think.

    Sent from Stephen Hawking's rooted wheelchair
    12
    I would take the Lumina. My girlfriend has one and its pretty good.

    √ HTC Evo 3D GSM
    √ Android JB 4.1.2
    √ Disarmed Toaster
    √ 4EXT Recovery Touch
    √ Anthrax Kernel 3.7.0 @ 1.6ghz
    9
    Never owned a tablet before.. flirting with the idea of a galaxy tab 2 10.1. As of current, I'm all good with my s3 but I'm kinda interested in what this next galaxy note 2 will bring. Guess I'm some sort of galaxy fan.. ever since my vibrant :p

    ---> Brought to you in part by my T999 / T-Mobile Galaxy SIII :)