Issue with my old phone - and I'm guessing I could use a recommendation for a new phone

[Delicieuxz]

For a while, my ancient Nexus 5 phone that's running Android 5.1 has done this thing where if it powers-down, or the battery dies, when I next power it up, the SIM card won't be detected. And if I'd remove and reinsert the SIM card two or a dozen or so times, it would eventually be detected and my phone would function normally so long as it didn't power-down / lose power again. And if it did, then the same thing would happen and I'd have to pull and reinsert the SIM card usually a bunch of times until it would suddenly be detected upon insertion.

 

So, my strategy has been to never power-down my phone, while I planned to buy a new phone later this year. But every so-often the battery runs out, or something isn't working and so I try restarting the phone as a hoped-for solution.

 

Well, my phone was powered-down recently, but this time, after powering-up my phone again, no amount of removing and reinserting the SIM card has been able to get it detected. I've also tried deleting the phone's cache, but that hasn't helped.

 

 

So, I'm looking for either a suggestion of what might fix the SIM-card detection issue, or a recommendation on what new phone might be suitable for me.

 

Any bits of advice or info would be helpful.

 

 

I don't follow phones and know next to nothing about what models are available and what they offer. I also don't know when new phones are coming out and if they'll represent a significant improvement in some important way over what's currently available (if they did, I'd  be very tempted to try to wait for them).

 

I use my phone for calls, texting, some browsing, audio recording and playback, taking photos and videos. And some things I want in my next phone are:

 

- High quality photo-taking (not necessarily the highest, but pretty high)

- Good quality audio recording when using loud audio sources, like a guitar amplifier

- Plenty of storage space and ideally an add-on SD card slot (maybe this is standard, but my Nexus 5 doesn't have one)

- I'd really like a phone I get to have a replaceable battery, as I plan to use a new phone for at least 4 years, and hopefully more. But if that gets in the way of other features I want, then I'd probably opt for the other features I want

 

I've been using Android and never really liked the Apple way of things. However, Apple's tracker-blocking policy is really enticing to me. But I own a bunch of apps for Android, and I don't want to have to repurchase things for an iPhone and also have to learn to use an iPhone, while also risking running into things I'm used to being able to do but can't do on an iPhone. So, I'm probably better off sticking to an Android phone. And if I stick with an Android phone, I want to make sure that whatever phone I get will get Android 12 for its new security features.

 

I'd look at anything in the $400 - $800 CAD price range.

[dizmo]

You won't really find a phone with a swappable battery, they don't exist anymore. Every phone's battery can be replaced, you just have to send it in or take it to a repair shop, so if you can do without your phone for a few hours, it's pretty easy. I usually have a backup phone (for various reasons), this might be something you want to start doing as well.

 

I'm not sure about the audio recording, you might want to take a look into the older LG devices for that. Something like a V60. You'd likely have to buy it used, but some people might be selling them new on used markets.

 

For camera, pretty much any newer device from a better manufacturer will do great pictures. Pixel 4A 5G might be worth a look. Samsung S20 FEs can be had pretty cheap depending on your carrier arrangement, and the S21 FE comes out pretty soon.

 

Are you with a carrier?

[trag1c]

I have the Samsung S20FE and I can confidently say its a solid phone with a very reasonable price. I think its 1200 Canadian Rubles all in but I think Bell has it for 0% financing over 24 months if you're okay with being locked in for a couple years and you would rather a small monthly fee over an upfront cost.

[SorryBella]

46 minutes ago, Delicieuxz said:

my ancient Nexus 5 phone that's running Android 5.1 has done this thing where if it powers-down, or the battery dies, when I next power it up, the SIM card won't be detected. And if I'd remove and reinsert the SIM card two or a dozen or so times, it would eventually be detected and my phone would function normally so long as it didn't power-down / lose power again. And if it did, then the same thing would happen and I'd have to pull and reinsert the SIM card usually a bunch of times until it would suddenly be detected upon insertion.

Definitely a sim card issue, ive had this with my S6 and the strategy to fix it was to ask for a replacement with my ISP and its solved. But if that doesnt fix it, then might as well shop for a new phone for its bells and whistle.

 

47 minutes ago, Delicieuxz said:

I use my phone for calls, texting, some browsing, audio recording and playback, taking photos and videos. And some things I want in my next phone are:

 

- High quality photo-taking (not necessarily the highest, but pretty high)

- Good quality audio recording when using loud audio sources, like a guitar amplifier

- Plenty of storage space and ideally an add-on SD card slot (maybe this is standard, but my Nexus 5 doesn't have one)

- I'd really like a phone I get to have a replaceable battery, as I plan to use a new phone for at least 4 years, and hopefully more. But if that gets in the way of other features I want, then I'd probably opt for the other features I want

Replaceable battery is a bloody pipe dream at this stage but imo samsung phones are easy enough to get into to make it "replaceable". Used Note 10 or S10 Lite would be slot in at around your price range, but imo the best route at that price range would be to shop for carrier contract thats on sale and easy to cancel and think about battery replacement later.

[Delicieuxz]

41 minutes ago, dizmo said:

For camera, pretty much any newer device from a better manufacturer will do great pictures. Pixel 4A 5G might be worth a look. Samsung S20 FEs can be had pretty cheap depending on your carrier arrangement, and the S21 FE comes out pretty soon.

 

Are you with a carrier?

I'm with a carrier. I don't have a contract, but a really good grandfathered plan that I pay month by month, and get basically unlimited everything in North America for $40. I'd like to keep that.

 

I'll check-out the Pixel 4A and S21 FE.

 

10 minutes ago, SorryClaire said:

Definitely a sim card issue, ive had this with my S6 and the strategy to fix it was to ask for a replacement with my ISP and its solved. But if that doesnt fix it, then might as well shop for a new phone for its bells and whistle.

I had the SIM card replaced a few months ago. I'm not sure if it made a difference with the issue, but the issue has gotten worse and worse since then. Almost each time I power down, it's more difficult to get the SIM card detected again after I power back up.

 

My phone has now detected the SIM again, but that took sporadic pulling and reinserting the card during a 2-hour time-period until it worked. The next time, maybe it won't work.

 

10 minutes ago, SorryClaire said:

Replaceable battery is a bloody pipe dream at this stage but imo samsung phones are easy enough to get into to make it "replaceable". Used Note 10 or S10 Lite would be slot in at around your price range, but imo the best route at that price range would be to shop for carrier contract thats on sale and easy to cancel and think about battery replacement later.

There are some like-new Samsung Galaxy S10 phones on my local Craigslist for around $400 CAD. It sounds like the S10 gets Android 12. But I guess it wouldn't get anything beyond that.