The Perfect Phone.

[pauloforte]

Hi y'all!

 

I have been a proud owner of an Android Smartphone since about a year ago, when I changed from an outdated Blackberry (no 3G, even...) to a cheap but very effective Wiko Cink Peax.

It took me a while to get used to not having a BB (there are some things that only BB users realise are missing in Android phones...) but the Wiko was a very good smartphone in the sense that it had all I needed (4,5" screen, great pic quality, 8MP camera in the back, 2 MP camera in the front, dual SIM, microSD card slot...) and was cheapo. Of course, some features were a little less than OK, with a 1800 mAh battery, GPS not working most of the time, passable CPU, only 1GB RAM and only 1 GB of internal memory (which meant i had to root my Phone in order to uninstall bloatware, control wakelocks, etc...).

 

But now I want to go for something more. Something better.

The difficult part is that, being used to the good things of my present phone, I don't want to give them away.

Which means that I'm now looking for what, to me, is the perfect phone...

 

So I come to you for advice. I'm looking for a phone with the following characteristics:

 

• CPU of 1.7 GHz or more;
• 2 GB RAM or more;
• At least 16 GB internal memory (or 4 GB plus microSD slot);
• Dual SIM;
• Battery of, at the very minimum, 3500 mAh; ideally 3900 or 4000 mAh;
• 4,5" screen minimum, 5" max;
• 1920/1080 screen resolution minimum
• At least 8MP camera in the back.
• Capacitive menu/navigation buttons, none of that virtual, screen real-estate-robbing, software-dependant virtual ones
• Good build quality (something at the same level of a HTC, Motorola...). This means no cheap-o plastic backcovers, bendable phones... I don't mind a little extra weight/volume if that means a solid, robust phone with a good battery. And a little ruggedness is perfectly fine....
• Android (although if BB would make a Phone with these hardware specs, I would be the first in line...)

Any ideas?

 

The only one that' I've seen that comes even close to these specs is the Motorola Droid Turbo, which is apparently not coming to Europe and doesn't have dual SIM

 

Feel free to list ITT what, for you, would the perfect specs in a Phone.

 

Thanks, Cheers!!

 

 

[CartertheCOCguy]

Moto G or Droid Turbo!

[Guest]

iPhone 6+ fits all of that but dual-sim. No hate, it's a fantastic phone. We all have opinions, no one's is wrong!

**Though if you MUST go Android, get a OnePlus One or One M8 (Google Play edition)

[ZetZet]

If you wan't battery life and small screen Z3 Compact is unbeatable. It even kicks Droid Turbo's ass. It's 720p screen, but that helps with the battery.

Nvm dual sim is impossible request. only thing that comes close is Huawei Honor 6.

[pauloforte]

CartertheCOCguy

Your avatar fits you perfectly.

 

Moto G: 1,2GHz, 1GB RAM, 2070 mAh, no Dual SIM, 5MP camera... It has NONE of the essential features I'm looking for on a Phone...

 

Motorola Droid Turbo: Read the OP...........

 

Jeez... Can't even thank you for trying....

[Kyuubixchidori]

Your avatar fits you perfectly.

 

Moto G: 1,2GHz, 1GB RAM, 2070 mAh, no Dual SIM, 5MP camera... It has NONE of the essential features I'm looking for on a Phone...

 

Motorola Droid Turbo: Read the OP...........

 

Jeez... Can't even thank you for trying....

the issue is your asking for something that doesnt exist. thats a tablet sized battery your asking for. hell, with how thin phones are, 4000 mah battery would take up the whole inside of a 4.5-5inch phone. 

 

clockspeed=/= perfomance

 

very few phones have dual sim

 

wish you the best of luck though

[pauloforte]

iPhone 6+ fits all of that but dual-sim. No hate, it's a fantastic phone. We all have opinions, no one's is wrong!

**Though if you MUST go Android, get a OnePlus One or One M8 (Google Play edition)

Hate to be a stickler, but paying more for a phone that doesn't fit all I'm looking for on a phone, is kinda stupid, no? Besides, I like to tinker with my phone, enjoyed rooting it, and I'm looking for an Android specifically.

As for the HTC or the OnePlus, there are some specs there that really don't fit the bill... Battery being the biggest: I've seen phones around with 4000 mAh batteries, why pay 600 eurs for something that is, in that aspect, a mediocre phone?

 

If you wan't battery life and small screen Z3 Compact is unbeatable. It even kicks Droid Turbo's ass. It's 720p screen, but that helps with the battery.

Nvm dual sim is impossible request. only thing that comes close is Huawei Honor 6.

Actually, dual SIM is the least of my concerns, since one of the cards I use very sporadically, and I'm looking for a phone that would make my everyday life easier. But when I do, it's REALLY handy not having to carry 2 phones around (on vacation to my home country...)

Wouldn't call 5" screen small, btw... really don't want a tablet, or a phablet, just something I can easily use with with one hand.

 

So, bottom line: I'm really looking for the perfect phone. I've been looking for weeks now at dozens of flagships phones that only make me think like: "if I'm going to give so much money for something like this, why settle for something that, ultimately, is not what I want...?"

[pauloforte]

the issue is your asking for something that doesnt exist. thats a tablet sized battery your asking for. hell, with how thin phones are, 4000 mah battery would take up the whole inside of a 4.5-5inch phone. 

 

clockspeed=/= perfomance

 

very few phones have dual sim

 

wish you the best of luck though

clockspeed=/=performance and I know that from the already quite acceptable performance of my 1,3 GHz MTK Wiko... but which other spec should give me an indication of CPU power?

 

As for battery, 4000 mAh 5" smartphone batteries exist, just look at Lenovo's S860, or p780, or Motorola's Droid Turbo... not to mention some other, chinese or indian brands... And like I said, don't really mind the extra heftiness or size. I mean, when did we began to settle and even find it weird that someone want their phone's battery to last more that a full day of continuous use... Especially when we all know it's possible to have better batteries that the usual mediocre ones they stick in media traps such as samsungs and iphones, etc

 

Edit: I also believe it doesn't exist, although I keep looking for it. This thread is more for discussion about which specs are the most important in a smartphone nowadays

[ZetZet]

 

Z3C is a perfect phone. It has no negatives. You also don't need 4000mAh battery, it has small battery and the longest battery life.

[dizmo]

You have to take someone like this @pauloforte or quote them if you want them to see you've replied to them.

Welcome to the forum!

 

There are quite a few options for you to ponder, which do have dual SIM options. The top ones I'd consider are the HTC One (E8, M8 Dual), Samsung S5 Duos, Xperia Z3 Dual, Huawei Honor 6. 

To be honest, the only one that really fits the bill entirely would be the Sony Xperia Z3 Dual. The Huawei fits as well, but doesn't have spec as nice as the Sony. Though it may be considerably cheaper, it's not available in this market so I don't know what pricing on it is like.

 

If you can live with a single SIM there are indeed a vast array of other options, however if you really do want dual, get dual. No point in sacrificing on options.

 

I'd almost just hold off for a couple of months; this is right around the time all of the new phones get released. They might release something more up you alley.
There was a pretty awesome phone featuring dual SIMs, I just can't recall what it was.

 

I'm actually looking for a lot of the things you are in my next phone, except the dual SIM; though honestly, if I could get it, I'd take it. It's definitely hard! The only option I came across that really tempted me was the Note 4, however I hate TouchWiz.

 

iPhone 6+ fits all of that but dual-sim. No hate, it's a fantastic phone. We all have opinions, no one's is wrong!


**Though if you MUST go Android, get a OnePlus One or One M8 (Google Play edition)

The 6+ is...huge...

 

If you wan't battery life and small screen Z3 Compact is unbeatable. It even kicks Droid Turbo's ass. It's 720p screen, but that helps with the battery.

Nvm dual sim is impossible request. only thing that comes close is Huawei Honor 6.

Nah, not impossible. There's definitely options out there for him.

 

the issue is your asking for something that doesnt exist. thats a tablet sized battery your asking for. hell, with how thin phones are, 4000 mah battery would take up the whole inside of a 4.5-5inch phone. 

 

clockspeed=/= perfomance

 

very few phones have dual sim

 

wish you the best of luck though

They do exist actually. Tablet sized batteries in a phone are things as well.

It's true that few phones have dual SIM, but they are out there.

 

Hate to be a stickler, but paying more for a phone that doesn't fit all I'm looking for on a phone, is kinda stupid, no? Besides, I like to tinker with my phone, enjoyed rooting it, and I'm looking for an Android specifically.

As for the HTC or the OnePlus, there are some specs there that really don't fit the bill... Battery being the biggest: I've seen phones around with 4000 mAh batteries, why pay 600 eurs for something that is, in that aspect, a mediocre phone?

The OnePlus actually gets amazing battery life, I believe it's currently the best phone for that.

However, it's huge. Bigger than a Note 3. So I don't think you'd enjoy it on that aspect alone.

 

Z3C is a perfect phone. It has no negatives. You also don't need 4000mAh battery, it has small battery and the longest battery life.

True, but lacks the dual SIM he seeks.

I can't wait for the Z4 Compact though.

[Maheshvara]

Remember to follow your threads @pauloforte

I would recommend Z3? compact. It has everything you need, except that battery and dual sim.... But it's battery is actually pretty good. Just look at PhoneArena's Z3Compact battery test, you'll be in for quite a surprise

[Mew]

If you don't mind a thicker phone, why don't you just use a battery case with any of the popular phones?

[pauloforte]

Remember to follow your threads @pauloforte

I would recommend Z3? compact. It has everything you need, except that battery and dual sim.... But it's battery is actually pretty good. Just look at PhoneArena's Z3Compact battery test, you'll be in for quite a surprise

I do follow them, thanks.

 

 

You have to take someone like this @pauloforte or quote them if you want them to see you've replied to them.

Welcome to the forum!

 

There are quite a few options for you to ponder, which do have dual SIM options. The top ones I'd consider are the HTC One (E8, M8 Dual), Samsung S5 Duos, Xperia Z3 Dual, Huawei Honor 6. 

To be honest, the only one that really fits the bill entirely would be the Sony Xperia Z3 Dual. The Huawei fits as well, but doesn't have spec as nice as the Sony. Though it may be considerably cheaper, it's not available in this market so I don't know what pricing on it is like.

 

If you can live with a single SIM there are indeed a vast array of other options, however if you really do want dual, get dual. No point in sacrificing on options.

 

I'd almost just hold off for a couple of months; this is right around the time all of the new phones get released. They might release something more up you alley.

There was a pretty awesome phone featuring dual SIMs, I just can't recall what it was.

 

I'm actually looking for a lot of the things you are in my next phone, except the dual SIM; though honestly, if I could get it, I'd take it. It's definitely hard! The only option I came across that really tempted me was the Note 4, however I hate TouchWiz.

 

The 6+ is...huge...

 

Nah, not impossible. There's definitely options out there for him.

 

They do exist actually. Tablet sized batteries in a phone are things as well.

It's true that few phones have dual SIM, but they are out there.

 

The OnePlus actually gets amazing battery life, I believe it's currently the best phone for that.

However, it's huge. Bigger than a Note 3. So I don't think you'd enjoy it on that aspect alone.

 

True, but lacks the dual SIM he seeks.

I can't wait for the Z4 Compact though.

The Z3 compact does seem like a very good one, given so many reccomendations, but indeed, no dual SIM... (EDIT: dat dedicated camera button, though....)

When it comes to battery life I trust numbers more than test because these can be biased. I saw the Phone arena's test and tehy use a webscript to "simulate real life conditions" but that doesn't take into account the power usage of different components of the phone... A certain phone can be more optimized for a certain function, in terms of power usage and last a week while it's just browsing the internet, but then, turn on GPS at the same time you have the screen rotation on and are trying to download some email attachments and the thing falls apart in less than 1 hr... I know this by experience, since I know how my phone can las well more than a day with "normal usage" but if I ever need to use the GPS and look up an address at the same time, I can forget about taking long trips with it, since it's dead in a couple hours...

On the other hand, a battery's capacity is 4000 independent of it being on a 4.5" phone or on a 6". Of course then you know that the 6" one will last less. And if you have 2 4.5" phones, one with 2600 mAh battery, and the other with 4000 mAh, I think you can make a pretty well educated guess.

 

All in all, although it doesn't fit all the specs, the closest thing to the perfect phone would be a hypothetical dual sim Droid Turbo. dat Kevlar, man.........

Or a One M8, with bigger battery and dual SIM, just for the build quality

 

ps: the z4 compact does have some nice specs (allegedly...)

[pauloforte]

If you don't mind a thicker phone, why don't you just use a battery case with any of the popular phones?

I would put that in the category : Good build quality.

Why ruin the overall look, feel and build of a phone (which has been carefully designed, no doubt) with an accessory which will be, no doubt: 1)hard to find, 2)worse quality than the phone itself...?

[dizmo]

I do follow them, thanks.

 

_snip_

While that might be good in theory, it fails in practice. Just as there are some phones that are good at one thing compared to another, a phone with a massive battery can still be horribly optimized and it can drain incredibly quickly. There's also the quality of the battery. A lot more goes into it than just mah, and it's foolish to assume that a phone with a positively massive battery is guaranteed excellent results.

For example, the Droid Turbo, while having a large battery, can be bested by other devices.

The Sony here has a 3100mah battery. Still a lot closer.

 

The Z4 Compact is of no surprise really. The Compact devices have always had the bigger phone in a smaller package.

With that one, I care less about the spec, and more the physical design and screen size. I'd like just a touch bigger.

 

Have you considered just carrying around a small battery bank?

[pauloforte]

While that might be good in theory, it fails in practice. Just as there are some phones that are good at one thing compared to another, a phone with a massive battery can still be horribly optimized and it can drain incredibly quickly. There's also the quality of the battery. A lot more goes into it than just mah, and it's foolish to assume that a phone with a positively massive battery is guaranteed excellent results.

For example, the Droid Turbo, while having a large battery, can be bested by other devices.

The Sony here has a 3100mah battery. Still a lot closer.

 

The Z4 Compact is of no surprise really. The Compact devices have always had the bigger phone in a smaller package.

With that one, I care less about the spec, and more the physical design and screen size. I'd like just a touch bigger.

 

Have you considered just carrying around a small battery bank?

Ultimately, the whole spec list that I enumerated in the OP was merely what I would consider the perfect phone. Considering I don't game on it (except the occasional tetris, or emulated retro console games...), CPU and GPU are not the most important things for me, although I would not settle for less than what I have now. I would however, like to have a fast phone (at least 2GB RAM, since I find I'm constantly hibernating apps in order to both have some working memory and to save battery...), which is built in such a way that it is usable in every day life.

 

Because in everyday life, you have times you need to use it constantly and are sometimes actually literally dependent on it. And because in everyday life you are using your phone constantly on the move, I want a phone that doesn't brake at the slightest fall, even with a cover. The Sony, while it has indeed a good battery usage, seems too fragile. Build quality is here indeed one of my paramount points. And honeslty, I'm sick of the GHz war, and the mm war, and the GB war and the inch war. I just want a reliable, well built, sturdy phone that will last me a decent and suitable time on battery.

Having said that, then, I have indeed considered a battery bank. But the upgrade I'm looking for is not only for the battery, although this thread seems to have wandered towards that point. (Proof that people are starving for decent batteries on their phones...) And I'm not looking for something that will last me a week without charging. I'm looking for something that would last me a day of intensive use (think full-on 4G and GPS with constant screen-on time). I think that's not too much to ask, if you think about all the possibilities included in a phone and all the people that are dependent on them for their work/daily life... Is adding an extra 5 mm thickness that much of a sacrifice?...

[CameronUK]

Huawei Honor 6 looks like the right phone for you, problem is, screen size may be a little too big?

[dizmo]

Ultimately, the whole spec list that I enumerated in the OP was merely what I would consider the perfect phone. Considering I don't game on it (except the occasional tetris, or emulated retro console games...), CPU and GPU are not the most important things for me, although I would not settle for less than what I have now. I would however, like to have a fast phone (at least 2GB RAM, since I find I'm constantly hibernating apps in order to both have some working memory and to save battery...), which is built in such a way that it is usable in every day life.

 

Because in everyday life, you have times you need to use it constantly and are sometimes actually literally dependent on it. And because in everyday life you are using your phone constantly on the move, I want a phone that doesn't brake at the slightest fall, even with a cover. The Sony, while it has indeed a good battery usage, seems too fragile. Build quality is here indeed one of my paramount points. And honeslty, I'm sick of the GHz war, and the mm war, and the GB war and the inch war. I just want a reliable, well built, sturdy phone that will last me a decent and suitable time on battery.

Having said that, then, I have indeed considered a battery bank. But the upgrade I'm looking for is not only for the battery, although this thread seems to have wandered towards that point. (Proof that people are starving for decent batteries on their phones...) And I'm not looking for something that will last me a week without charging. I'm looking for something that would last me a day of intensive use (think full-on 4G and GPS with constant screen-on time). I think that's not too much to ask, if you think about all the possibilities included in a phone and all the people that are dependent on them for their work/daily life... Is adding an extra 5 mm thickness that much of a sacrifice?...

The Sony phone is actually incredibly durable. I've first hand seen them dropped several times from a pretty significant height with next to no damage; scuffs, that brushed away pretty easily.

There isn't really a war. They're testing the limits of what they can manufacture, which we should all be thankful for. The higher mhz comes along with the better processes; it's not the only metric you should look at when looking at the chips. There are far, far more advancements than just speed.

If you're expecting to get 12 hours of on screen time out of any phone, you're dreaming. It's just too demanding. Especially since you want 1080p on a 5" screen.

Unless LTE is well covered in your area, it's an unnecessary battery drain. HSPA+ (or whatever your provider may cal it) is more than sufficient.

We're not all starving for better batteries, I'd say a majority of the population does just fine with what they have; those with 3200mah Note's are usually power users and can still go all day, with a considerably larger screen than the one you seek.

I'm sure they do polls and research panels to see what customers actually want. While some might want a 12mm, heavy phone, I bet a majority of them picked the slightly thinner, slightly less battery packaged device. That's the phone they'll chose to produce, as it will garner more sales.

 

TL;DR

You're in a very niche market, and will indeed find it hard to get what you want. Most people don't need more than the 4 - 6 hours of screen on time current devices can muster, and thus don't need considerably thicker, considerably heavier phones.

[erty176]

Droid turbo if you can stand being locked to Verizon. No dual Sim though.

[erty176]

Droid turbo if you can stand being locked to Verizon. No dual Sim though.

[Probenja]

Moto maxx if you can find one (unlocked droid turbo)

 

This if you don't mind big phones:

http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_ascend_mate7-6543.php

http://www.gsmarena.com/zte_nubia_x6-6236.php

http://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_vibe_z2_pro-6396.php

 

The lenovo probably is the best of the 3, and it is about the same size as an iphone 6 plus so if you can try one it should be the same size.

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/size#/phones/size/Apple-iPhone-6-Plus,Lenovo-Vibe-Z2-Pro,Apple-iPhone-6/phones/8908,8681,8346

[pauloforte]

Droid turbo if you can stand being locked to Verizon. No dual Sim though.

 

 

Moto maxx if you can find one (unlocked droid turbo)

 

This if you don't mind big phones:

http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_ascend_mate7-6543.php

http://www.gsmarena.com/zte_nubia_x6-6236.php

http://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_vibe_z2_pro-6396.php

 

The lenovo probably is the best of the 3, and it is about the same size as an iphone 6 plus so if you can try one it should be the same size.

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/size#/phones/size/Apple-iPhone-6-Plus,Lenovo-Vibe-Z2-Pro,Apple-iPhone-6/phones/8908,8681,8346

Thanks for the answers.

The Droid Turbo was indeed my first choice but unavailability in Europe (the MAXX is also only available in S. America) and price kind of deter me from getting it.

I had also done such a search on GSMArena and actually those were the phones that caught my eye, since they fit almost all the categories. But after seeing a friend with an IPhone 6plus and how he was unable to use it properly with one hand and how he awkwardly fumbled with it while trying to the point of almost dropping it 3 times in the whole lenght of 3 minutes, I decided that 5.5" is the utmost maximum display size for me. Anything more is just unpractical and unnecessary.

 

That being said, I'm now leaning towards a One+ One or a Huawei Honor 6plus.

Can somebody please explain to me all the negative fuss around One+ and if it's already possible to get one without an invite? I see them on Amazon but I'm still not sure...

Also, anyone has experience with Huawei's build quality and user experience (UI, hardware...)?

 

Thanks!

[Techteen14]

That being said, I'm now leaning towards a One+ One or a Huawei Honor 6plus.

Can somebody please explain to me all the negative fuss around One+ and if it's already possible to get one without an invite? I see them on Amazon but I'm still not sure...

I have the 64GB OnePlus One.

I have not had any kind of bad experience with my phone in the ~week I've had it, besides a glitch with the circle-to-launch-camera gesture, which was only once. It's fast, without lag and everyone who has held it (including my Apple die-hard friend) have said it has great build quality and that the textured back is great. I agree. You get used to the size, which is a huge plus. It also has capacitive buttons, which I don't use, but I'm sure you still want. It surpasses/matches most of the requirements on your list.

I am very satisfied with my phone, but is it available in Belgium?

[pauloforte]

I am very satisfied with my phone, but is it available in Belgium?

 

Well, I see it for sale on Amazon (UK, De or Fr - that's british, german and french) and they all say they ship to Belgium... But I still see people handing out invites. So I'm kinda confused about the whole thing.

The specs of the One+One and its price/specs ratio really hit me as a no-brainer, in spite of the lack of Dual-SIM, which is something that comes in handy when I go back home and I don't need to take the belgian SIM out to put the other one in.

My beef with the lack of capacitive keys is maybe an irrational one, but I like it that my phone always has menu/home/back home buttons visible at all times. I like to be able to have that sort of Esc buttons that are not so software-dependent for when an app crashes, for example.

 

Anyway, my question still stands: I'm doubting between an One+One and a Huawei honor 6 plus. Anyone can offer some insight on Huawei build quality?

[Techteen14]

Well, I see it for sale on Amazon (UK, De or Fr - that's british, german and french) and they all say they ship to Belgium... But I still see people handing out invites. So I'm kinda confused about the whole thing.

The specs of the One+One and its price/specs ratio really hit me as a no-brainer, in spite of the lack of Dual-SIM, which is something that comes in handy when I go back home and I don't need to take the belgian SIM out to put the other one in.

My beef with the lack of capacitive keys is maybe an irrational one, but I like it that my phone always has menu/home/back home buttons visible at all times. I like to be able to have that sort of Esc buttons that are not so software-dependent for when an app crashes, for example.

 

Anyway, my question still stands: I'm doubting between an One+One and a Huawei honor 6 plus. Anyone can offer some insight on Huawei build quality?

OnePlus does ship to Belgium, so you can but one with an invite.

The people selling them on Amazon have bought them with an invite and then put them on Amazon. I would not advise buying this way, as most of them seem to be the Chinese version with Color OS in lieu of CyanogenMod 11S. People on this forum regularly give away invites, OnePlus will occasionally allow you to buy without invites (which is how I got mine) and they will also give away invites to those active on their forums.

I have no experience with Huawei, as they are relatively unknown here in the US.