Need help looking for a new phone.

[KuJoe]

Hello fellow LTT forum citizens! I'm in search of a new smartphone and after searching for about 2 weeks with no luck, I'm here to hopefully get some suggestions from other tech minded people. My current phone is a Pocophone F1 with LineageOS which is hands down the best phone I've ever owned but I want to replace it because it's too big, too fragile (no IP rating so I'm afraid to get it wet), and the service is spotty (limited LTE bands in the US). My previous phone was a Samsung Galaxy S6 Active which I also loved but the camera started going bad (grinding noises when focusing) and Samsung dropped the ball on the Active line-up making the S7 and S8 versions unappealing (plus they're pretty big).

 

My requirements:

Under 5.5" screen (the smaller the better)

Relatively up-to-date Android version

Some form of IP rating or water resistance

Plastic or metal body

Sub-$250 price tag

Over 1 year left on security updates or LineageOS support

 

Primary usage: Text, call, e-mail, Google Maps, and Spotify

 

I've found 3 phones I'd love to get, but unfortunately all 3 have a fatal flaw that prevents me from getting them:

 

Palm Phone: Verizon only.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact: Last planned "Compact" release from Sony and less than 1 year left of security updates (unsure of LineageOS support)

Nokia 8110 4G (not an Android device but looks really interesting especially with Google backing it for $22m and app support): Not available in the US (limited LTE bands like my Pocophone F1)

 

I currently have active service with AT&T, TMobile, and Sprint so I'm looking for a phone that works with any of those.

 

I hope this is enough info to give you an idea of what I'm looking for. I've spent countless hours on GSMArena trying to find something but no dice. In all of my searching I keep finding myself looking at Motorola phones and I currently have a Moto E 2nd Gen and Moto G 1st Gen that I enjoyed using but the performance is sluggish, newer apps crash frequently, and neither receive software updates.

[dgsddfgdfhgs]

4 minutes ago, KuJoe said:

(no IP rating so I'm afraid to get it wet),

most phone are fine if it isnt submerge in water 

4 minutes ago, KuJoe said:

Plastic or metal body

Sub-$250 price tag

this requirement is quite tough to meet, at least no flagships does.

LG v20? pretty old but durable 

 

[KuJoe]

5 minutes ago, dgsddfgdfhgs said:

most phone are fine if it isnt submerge in water 

I live in Florida so the chances of my phone going into the ocean or pool or hurricane are pretty high.

 

Quote

this requirement is quite tough to meet, at least no flagships does.

LG v20? pretty old but durable 

 

I should have specified I don't want a flagship, I want something that I don't care if I drop it or it breaks. Performance is not a concern as long as I can run more than 2 apps at a time (my Moto E and Moto G max out their 1GB of RAM very fast so I'm unable to use Google Maps and Spotify at the same time without turning either of them into a space heater).

 

The LG V20 looks too big.

[TheBean]

too specific requirements. sorry

[dizmo]

With your usage, I'd just go with the Sony. You don't really do much that'd be adversely affected by not having the most up to date security updates.

Your screen size and budget really affect what you can get. If you could stretch it a little more, I'd say grab the Pixel 3a.

[Commodus]

10 hours ago, KuJoe said:

Hello fellow LTT forum citizens! I'm in search of a new smartphone and after searching for about 2 weeks with no luck, I'm here to hopefully get some suggestions from other tech minded people. My current phone is a Pocophone F1 with LineageOS which is hands down the best phone I've ever owned but I want to replace it because it's too big, too fragile (no IP rating so I'm afraid to get it wet), and the service is spotty (limited LTE bands in the US). My previous phone was a Samsung Galaxy S6 Active which I also loved but the camera started going bad (grinding noises when focusing) and Samsung dropped the ball on the Active line-up making the S7 and S8 versions unappealing (plus they're pretty big).

 

My requirements:

Under 5.5" screen (the smaller the better)

Relatively up-to-date Android version

Some form of IP rating or water resistance

Plastic or metal body

Sub-$250 price tag

Over 1 year left on security updates or LineageOS support

 

Primary usage: Text, call, e-mail, Google Maps, and Spotify

 

I've found 3 phones I'd love to get, but unfortunately all 3 have a fatal flaw that prevents me from getting them:

 

Palm Phone: Verizon only.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact: Last planned "Compact" release from Sony and less than 1 year left of security updates (unsure of LineageOS support)

Nokia 8110 4G (not an Android device but looks really interesting especially with Google backing it for $22m and app support): Not available in the US (limited LTE bands like my Pocophone F1)

 

I currently have active service with AT&T, TMobile, and Sprint so I'm looking for a phone that works with any of those.

 

I hope this is enough info to give you an idea of what I'm looking for. I've spent countless hours on GSMArena trying to find something but no dice. In all of my searching I keep finding myself looking at Motorola phones and I currently have a Moto E 2nd Gen and Moto G 1st Gen that I enjoyed using but the performance is sluggish, newer apps crash frequently, and neither receive software updates.

On the Palm Phone, there's a lot more wrong than "Verizon only."  It's way too small, the battery life is modest at best and the camera won't do you any favours.

 

I'd seriously consider that XZ2 Compact, it might be your only chance.  And after that, get ready to use larger screens, because you don't want to be That Guy who's nursing a five-year-old phone, waiting for a reversal of hardware trends that will never happen.

[KuJoe]

8 minutes ago, Commodus said:

On the Palm Phone, there's a lot more wrong than "Verizon only."  It's way too small, the battery life is modest at best and the camera won't do you any favours.

The size was the biggest selling point for me, the battery life is plenty for my needs, and I don't mind paying a few hundred dollars for a real camera to take pictures with.

 

13 minutes ago, Commodus said:

I'd seriously consider that XZ2 Compact, it might be your only chance.  And after that, get ready to use larger screens, because you don't want to be That Guy who's nursing a five-year-old phone, waiting for a reversal of hardware trends that will never happen.

The XZ2 Compact is at the top of my list if I can find a good deal on it. It's still out of my price range but I'm keeping an eye on eBay and Amazon for some price drops in 6 months or so. As for hardware trends, right now I'm "that guy" who carries around a feature phone still (ZTE F160) so I'm not worry about being that guy with a 5 year old phone. 

[Commodus]

3 minutes ago, KuJoe said:

The size was the biggest selling point for me, the battery life is plenty for my needs, and I don't mind paying a few hundred dollars for a real camera to take pictures with.

The issue is that the size is so small it genuinely hurts functionality.  Typing on that thing would be a pain, and that's from someone who's been using iPhones since they had 3.5-inch screens.  I also understand that real-world battery life is pretty lousy if you try to use it like a normal smartphone.

[KuJoe]

8 minutes ago, Commodus said:

The issue is that the size is so small it genuinely hurts functionality.  Typing on that thing would be a pain, and that's from someone who's been using iPhones since they had 3.5-inch screens.  I also understand that real-world battery life is pretty lousy if you try to use it like a normal smartphone.

I use Google Assistant and talk to text more than typing so I can make it work. I can't recall the last time I wasn't near a charger for more than an hour or 2 so an 8 hour battery life is more than enough.

[mkU1tra762]

Nothing in that price range will have an IP rating

[KuJoe]

2 hours ago, mkU1tra762 said:

Nothing in that price range will have an IP rating

Not true, but thanks for the bump.

[mkU1tra762]

1 minute ago, KuJoe said:

Not true, but thanks for the bump.

Or at least I have never seen a sub $250 phone where they paid for an official IP rating but there's a lot of phones out there so who knows.

[KuJoe]

Just now, mkU1tra762 said:

Or at least I have never seen a sub $250 phone where they paid for an official IP rating but there's a lot of phones out there so who knows.

In addition to new phones like the Moto X4 (IP68 for $119) there are options on the used market also. I don't need a new phone, as long as it has a relatively new version of Android or supports LineageOS I don't mind if it's used or not.

[mkU1tra762]

1 minute ago, KuJoe said:

In addition to new phones like the Moto X4 (IP68 for $119) there are options on the used market also. I don't need a new phone, as long as it has a relatively new version of Android or supports LineageOS I don't mind if it's used or not.

Ok cool. Check this on out too. It's a little more than $250 but not much.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N92347B/?tag=androidcentralb-20&ascsubtag=UUacUdUnU58750YYmYg

[KuJoe]

8 minutes ago, mkU1tra762 said:

Ok cool. Check this on out too. It's a little more than $250 but not much.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N92347B/?tag=androidcentralb-20&ascsubtag=UUacUdUnU58750YYmYg

Thanks! It looks like my next phone is going to be a Motorola. I just can't find anything comparable for the price and I've never had a bad Motorola before.

[mkU1tra762]

14 minutes ago, KuJoe said:

Thanks! It looks like my next phone is going to be a Motorola. I just can't find anything comparable for the price and I've never had a bad Motorola before.

I think you will really like Moto. They're one of the best "bang for the buck" brands. this one has a lot of features for the price. Like you said, if you fin one a year or so old it might be a lot cheaper too. Plus it's very close to "stock" android.

 

[v0id]

On 5/28/2019 at 10:04 PM, KuJoe said:

Hello fellow LTT forum citizens! I'm in search of a new smartphone and after searching for about 2 weeks with no luck, I'm here to hopefully get some suggestions from other tech minded people. My current phone is a Pocophone F1 with LineageOS which is hands down the best phone I've ever owned but I want to replace it because it's too big, too fragile (no IP rating so I'm afraid to get it wet), and the service is spotty (limited LTE bands in the US). My previous phone was a Samsung Galaxy S6 Active which I also loved but the camera started going bad (grinding noises when focusing) and Samsung dropped the ball on the Active line-up making the S7 and S8 versions unappealing (plus they're pretty big).

 

My requirements:

Under 5.5" screen (the smaller the better)

Relatively up-to-date Android version

Some form of IP rating or water resistance

Plastic or metal body

Sub-$250 price tag

Over 1 year left on security updates or LineageOS support

 

Primary usage: Text, call, e-mail, Google Maps, and Spotify

 

I've found 3 phones I'd love to get, but unfortunately all 3 have a fatal flaw that prevents me from getting them:

 

Palm Phone: Verizon only.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact: Last planned "Compact" release from Sony and less than 1 year left of security updates (unsure of LineageOS support)

Nokia 8110 4G (not an Android device but looks really interesting especially with Google backing it for $22m and app support): Not available in the US (limited LTE bands like my Pocophone F1)

 

I currently have active service with AT&T, TMobile, and Sprint so I'm looking for a phone that works with any of those.

 

I hope this is enough info to give you an idea of what I'm looking for. I've spent countless hours on GSMArena trying to find something but no dice. In all of my searching I keep finding myself looking at Motorola phones and I currently have a Moto E 2nd Gen and Moto G 1st Gen that I enjoyed using but the performance is sluggish, newer apps crash frequently, and neither receive software updates.

You may have already made a decision but I'll weigh in here anyway. With some creative thinking, you might be able to swing a Pixel 3a. It checks most of your boxes but for the ones it doesn't, think about this: trade in your current phone to reduce the price and you may hit your price limit (and places like Best Buy run sales all the time), and buy a cheap case that will protect it from water and drops. You'll get updates from Google pretty quick and for quite some time, and the screen is only .1 inches larger than your specs. Just my two cents, it's the best value so far in my opinion.

[KuJoe]

46 minutes ago, v0id said:

You may have already made a decision but I'll weigh in here anyway. With some creative thinking, you might be able to swing a Pixel 3a. It checks most of your boxes but for the ones it doesn't, think about this: trade in your current phone to reduce the price and you may hit your price limit (and places like Best Buy run sales all the time), and buy a cheap case that will protect it from water and drops. You'll get updates from Google pretty quick and for quite some time, and the screen is only .1 inches larger than your specs. Just my two cents, it's the best value so far in my opinion.

Thanks for the recommendation. The Pixel 3a was originally at the top of my list until I spoke with friends who actually use it and they convinced me not to bother. One co-worker had to RMA it after it never turned back on after a reboot and he has been without a phone for over 2 weeks now without any communications from Google, not a good sign. Another got his Pixel 3 (not sure of the exact model, most likely the XL) for free from his work and ended up giving it back and buying a Samsung after a few weeks because of constant issues.

[v0id]

On 6/7/2019 at 11:43 AM, KuJoe said:

Thanks for the recommendation. The Pixel 3a was originally at the top of my list until I spoke with friends who actually use it and they convinced me not to bother. One co-worker had to RMA it after it never turned back on after a reboot and he has been without a phone for over 2 weeks now without any communications from Google, not a good sign. Another got his Pixel 3 (not sure of the exact model, most likely the XL) for free from his work and ended up giving it back and buying a Samsung after a few weeks because of constant issues.

Sucks for your friends, I've had an absolute blast with this thing. I don't think I'll ever go to a third party for Android ever again. But to each his own. Good luck in your search.