# Need a cheap but reliable phone



## sepheronx (Dec 30, 2019)

So I gone through an ASUS Zenfone 2, and Google Pixel 1 (and various other ones over a a decade and half) and found that if I splurge on a phone, I get shafted (Google Pixel and iPhone 3GS two examples).  My google Pixel shuts itself off at 70% use. Battery is done for and replacing it is too expensive and a hassle 

So I was looking at Motorola One. But also saw Umidigi phones.  Good price and decent looking with decent specs.

Any recommendations?


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## Vya Domus (Dec 30, 2019)

I'll be frank, you're wasting your time looking for a phone with good reliability. It's just not something that you'll find, they are all built in the same way with most of the same components and likely in the same factories too. 

Realistically, if you're concerned with reliability the only thing to do is buy a cheaper phone which will be cheaper to repair/replace. That's about it.


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## GreiverBlade (Dec 30, 2019)

well my current Honor View 20 is fine (and no no Trump'etisme mumbo jumbo albeit being Huawei off brand, well neither has my Huawei Mediapad M5 any issue with that on the matter ... but i reside in Switzerland ... i wonder for north america ... ) and a flagship design and build at 449chf is what i call cheap phone (well just as performant as a Pixel last gen or a crapsung sXX or a iForgot "theydidexist"), as for the reliable part: regular update, more than 2 days battery (shut down at 0% tho ... )

non expandable storage is my only grief but at the price given the specs ... can't complain Kirin 980, 6gb/128gb (they have a 8gb/256gb model, although i would gladly take a 6gb/256gb ... 8gb is useless) overly excellent camera with 48mp (single objectif but no gimmick and good, although there is a TOF camera aside ) gorgeous IPS screen with a minimalist punch hole selfie cam (well i don;t verse in the idiotic trend of the selfie ... but it's still useful for video call ... ) quite fast fingerprint scanner (rightfully placed on the back where it belong, not that inscreen or bottom front scanner are bad ... but the placement make them a little impractical when used to unlock with the index and even switching to thumbprint the grip is less secure ... )

i got a UMI phone (which is UMIDIGI) hum ... their recent lineup are not bad at all but i would rather go with a known brand like Xiaomi/Redmi or Huawei/Honor



Vya Domus said:


> I'll be frank, you're wasting your time looking for a phone with good reliability. It's just not something that you'll find, they are all built in the same way with most of the same components and likely in the same factories too.
> 
> Realistically, if you're concerned with reliability the only thing to do is buy a cheaper phone which will be cheaper to repair/replace. That's about it.


naaaaaaaaahhhhh some brands have better reliability and also cost quite less than other while still retaining good specs (proving some other brands are just taking their faithful customer for some milk cows )

i.e.: i see more people with fractured Samsung Apple phones than the 2 recent brands i got thru (and which cost way cheaper but offer the same performances ) or i see more "warranty return" from OnePlus or Googles phones.

although OnePlus and Google are slightly above Samsung and Apple (tho google is starting to think they are "a la" Apple and their pricing is becoming too cheeky for what they offer )


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## sepheronx (Dec 30, 2019)

thanks for suggestion but Honor 20 is about $500 CAD which is way too expensive.


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## Raovac (Dec 30, 2019)

Take look at the Samsung Galaxy A10e.
Staples.ca for $200.00 CAD.


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## GreiverBlade (Dec 30, 2019)

sepheronx said:


> thanks for suggestion but Honor 20 is about $500 CAD which is way too expensive.


well that's cheap ... technically... for me a Pixel 1 was 943,34 CAD when launched   double the price 

not specially the View 20, but they have some lesser model that still give a run for the money to the flagship for even cheaper than the View 20



Raovac said:


> Take look at the Samsung Galaxy A10e.
> Staples.ca for $200.00 CAD.


well that's 2 time the price of some phone from Umdigi (in addition of being Samsung )

the Umidigi A3X would be a better option than that one


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## TheoneandonlyMrK (Dec 30, 2019)

Nokia 7.1 plus or similar , Google one os , capable , reliable.


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## GreiverBlade (Dec 30, 2019)

theoneandonlymrk said:


> Nokia 7.1 plus or similar , Google one os , capable , reliable.


i could second that ... (although my ex Nokia 8 that my mother use atm .... did have some reboot recently but i suspect it was for update ... although i am not sure since it was without warning of update/reboot notification )


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## bug (Dec 30, 2019)

theoneandonlymrk said:


> Nokia 7.1 plus or similar , Google one os , capable , reliable.


Get the Nokia 8.1, it's even better. I have one and it's amazing. It got Android 10 two months before the Samsung S10 did. Plus it's got great hardware (3,500mAh battery and 10nm SoC).

Edit: https://www.amazon.ca/Unlocked-Noki..._1_3?keywords=nokia+8.1&qid=1577724025&sr=8-3 CAD430, not sure whether that's cheap enough for you.


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## sepheronx (Dec 30, 2019)

I was looking at this.

UMIDIGI A3 Pro GSM Unlocked Cell Phones 3GB+32GB(Expandable Storage to 256G) 5.7" inch 19:9 Full-Screen Display 12MP + 5MP Dual Camera Global Band Dual 4G LTE 2 + 1 Card Slots Android 9.0(Rose Gold) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07KKFGGW9/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_J0HcEb8XRZ5H6

Yay or nay?


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## ixi (Dec 30, 2019)

sepheronx said:


> thanks for suggestion but Honor 20 is about $500 CAD which is way too expensive.


Damn, that is a stiff price. In my country we can get honor 20 starting from 210 euro... 500 euro for it... expensive.

There are many great phones starting from 200 euros.

Reliability - samsung.

Have been using samsung phones since galaxy s2 then after this jumped to galaxy s6 and then galaxy s9+. None of them broke down or had any problems. On other hands. Few of my friends did have HTC, Iphone, Mi, Huawei and all of them broke down usually within 2 years. I can bet that they used them somehow "wrongly"... but for me atleast samsung did never fail me.

I would avoid iphone 3gs. Old as hell.


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## sepheronx (Dec 30, 2019)

ixi said:


> Damn, that is a stiff price. In my country we can get honor 20 starting from 210 euro... 500 euro for it... expensive.
> 
> There are many great phones starting from 200 euros.
> 
> ...



Not recommending iPhone 3gs. Saying I had one and it broke after 1 year


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## ixi (Dec 30, 2019)

sepheronx said:


> Not recommending iPhone 3gs. Saying I had one and it broke after 1 year



You can check galaxy a50 or a70. Gf uses a70, really good phone and cheap for it specifications.


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## bug (Dec 30, 2019)

ixi said:


> You can check galaxy a50 or a70. Gf uses a70, really good phone and cheap for it specifications.


Unfortunately Samsung's software acts both as resource hog and a barrier to timely updates 
The hardware is great, but if you're not buying the top S-line, the only updates you'll ever get are old security patches.


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## ixi (Dec 30, 2019)

bug said:


> Unfortunately Samsung's software acts both as resource hog and a barrier to timely updates
> The hardware is great, but if you're not buying the top S-line, the only updates you'll ever get are old security patches.



Samsung uses android same as many other competitors. If Android has update then other manufacters needs as well to address it. If they don't then samsung is only the winner while other companies which uses android and doesn't force their customer phones to fix bugs then it's sad not winning.


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## bug (Dec 30, 2019)

ixi said:


> Samsung uses android same as many other competitors. If Android has update then other manufacters needs as well to address it. If they don't then samsung is only the winner while other companies which uses android and doesn't force their customer phones to fix bugs then it's sad not winning.


True, but these days there are many Android One phones out there. And even if they don't receive updates quickly, they're both guaranteed to get two major OS updates and running a clean version of Android (which means a butter-smooth experience using less than top-of-the-line SoCs).


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## P4-630 (Dec 30, 2019)

sepheronx said:


> Good price and decent looking with decent specs.
> 
> Any recommendations?



Motorola G7 Power, Samsung Galaxy M20.


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## Regeneration (Dec 30, 2019)

Nokia 3310 is cheap and likely to survive even a nuclear war.


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## ixi (Dec 30, 2019)

bug said:


> True, but these days there are many Android One phones out there. And even if they don't receive updates quickly, they're both guaranteed to get two major OS updates and running a clean version of Android (which means a butter-smooth experience using less than top-of-the-line SoCs).



Well, I personally don't know what is in those two big updates but somehow I have a feeling that in those updates there are the bug fixes and security holes . If you get them one by one and faster is better than to wait for 6 months or more to fix few months old bugs or holes...  But in the end they both get them fixed.


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## bug (Dec 30, 2019)

Regeneration said:


> Nokia 3310 is cheap and likely to survive even a nuclear war.











						Grandpa! Tell Us Again About Your Fall From the Third Floor TANESE Nokia 3310 | Fall Meme on ME.ME
					

"Grandpa! Tell us again about your fall  from the third floor."  TANESE Nokia 3310 from Reddit tagged as Fall Meme




					me.me
				






ixi said:


> Well, *I personally don't know what is in those two big updates* but somehow I have a feeling that in those updates there are the bug fixes and security holes . If you get them one by one and faster is better than to wait for 6 months or more to fix few months old bugs or holes...  But in the end they both get them fixed.


You should look it up then


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## ShrimpBrime (Dec 31, 2019)

OK so I'm in the US and shopping in CA. Not easy, even your walmart has poor selection of phones..... But I'm gonna suggest this one to you.

Good name brand, decent price, should do everything you need.









						Samsung SM-J327UZKAXAA J3 5" Factory Unlocked Phone 16GB Black | Walmart Canada
					

Buy Samsung SM-J327UZKAXAA J3 5" Factory Unlocked Phone 16GB Black from Walmart Canada. Shop for more Unlocked Phones & Cellphones available online at Walmart.ca



					www.walmart.ca
				




EDIT it states price not available, but it's 110ca. Can be viewed at this page. 4th to the right.



			https://www.walmart.ca/en/electronics/cell-phones/samsung/N-2413+1020817


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## tabascosauz (Dec 31, 2019)

@sepheronx would you consider buying a Pocophone F1 from AliExpress (or Taobao, can't remember)? My friend had to replace his Nexus 5X (the NAND was definitely dying after this long) two or three months ago and ended up getting the F1 for about $250US. It's made by Xiaomi, but the line focuses on flagship hardware and a clean UI at lower prices. 

I have a OnePlus 6T and comparing the two, they are pretty similar. They belong to the same hardware generation, Snapdragon 845 (technically "last" generation, but phones have gotten so fast last few generations it's hardly noticeable) and are plenty, plenty quick and efficient for everything. Similar battery life and screens (6T uses AMOLED, though, which I love because portions of the screen turn off for deep blacks, for battery life and better contrast.

The only catch is that you have to jump thru the AliExpress hoops. Perhaps it's still available, since the F2 isn't released yet; I'll have to look.

It's not the cheapest, but what you get for the price is really stellar. They're really doing us dirty up north here; OnePlus kept the more affordable 7 away from Canada, and the 7T is hardly affordable anymore.


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## Vario (Dec 31, 2019)

I've been using a Moto G Play for a couple years.  Its pretty cheap.


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## Jetster (Dec 31, 2019)

My last three phones were Motorola Moto G phones. Moto G 1, G 3, G5   All were great phones. I used Replubic wireless and still do. My bill is $33 a month
I have a Samsung A50 now which was about $100 more but honestly I miss the Moto G

none of the Moto G failed and I sold them all


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## sepheronx (Dec 31, 2019)

Thanks for the suggestion guys.

I would normally look on AliExpress buy right now I'm waiting on a AMD Ryzen 3500X that should have arrived by now so I'm reluctant to order anything else till it comes in.


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## Vario (Dec 31, 2019)

Jetster said:


> My last three phones were Motorola Moto G phones. Moto G 1, G 3, G5   All were great phones. I used Replubic wireless and still do. My bill is $33 a month
> I have a Samsung A50 now which was about $100 more but honestly I miss the Moto G
> 
> none of the Moto G failed and I sold them all


I like how the battery on the Moto G4 Play can be removed without destroying the phone, its similar to old cell phone designs in that the rear plastic skin casing pops off without tools, just need a fingernail, but its still a slim phone.  I mostly use this thing with Erg Data for tracking workouts on my C2 rower.


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## killster1 (Dec 31, 2019)

sepheronx said:


> So I gone through an ASUS Zenfone 2, and Google Pixel 1 (and various other ones over a a decade and half) and found that if I splurge on a phone, I get shafted (Google Pixel and iPhone 3GS two examples).  My google Pixel shuts itself off at 70% use. Battery is done for and replacing it is too expensive and a hassle
> 
> So I was looking at Motorola One. But also saw Umidigi phones.  Good price and decent looking with decent specs.
> 
> Any recommendations?



i dont see any prices you wish to spend, i purchased all my family galaxy s9+ samsungs for 200 or less on ebay, (some said screen burn but looked 100% flawless to me even on pure white screen) Fast big screen gets updates great camera battery life decent and easily repaired. eveyrone has been happy with their phone and i was happy when i used the one i had before this galaxy s10+, excited for a used galaxy s11 if they really have a 64megapixel camera with crazy zoom  (of course im a cheap skate and wont spend more than 350 on a phone unless its for a VERY PRETTY GIRL)


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## sepheronx (Dec 31, 2019)

Budget is about $250CAD max.  I read that UMIDIGI phones are built poorly so I may stay away from them if that's the case.  I may end up with a Motorola then. 

I hate how phones now require special tools to remove battery if they are dead. Google Pixel being one of the worst to work with apparently.


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## E-Bear (Jan 1, 2020)

sepheronx said:


> So I gone through an ASUS Zenfone 2, and Google Pixel 1 (and various other ones over a a decade and half) and found that if I splurge on a phone, I get shafted (Google Pixel and iPhone 3GS two examples).  My google Pixel shuts itself off at 70% use. Battery is done for and replacing it is too expensive and a hassle
> 
> So I was looking at Motorola One. But also saw Umidigi phones.  Good price and decent looking with decent specs.
> 
> Any recommendations?




ZTE Axon 7 Mini


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## droopyRO (Jan 1, 2020)

I use a Motorola G7 Power, 5000 mAh battery, 64GB of storage, decent camera, it should be about 150$.




__





						Motorola Moto G7 Power - Full phone specifications
					






					www.gsmarena.com


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## sepheronx (Jan 6, 2020)

Update: I know no one really cares but if some are curious what I ended up with, it was a Motorola One Action.  It cost me $100 to pay off last contract and start new contract for 2 years to use this phone.

It's pretty decent. Battery life isnt great but at least it doesn't shut down on me after 10 mins use and showing 70% life....





__





						Motorola One Action - Full phone specifications
					






					m.gsmarena.com


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## bug (Jan 7, 2020)

sepheronx said:


> Update: I know no one really cares but if some are curious what I ended up with, it was a Motorola One Action.  It cost me $100 to pay off last contract and start new contract for 2 years to use this phone.
> 
> It's pretty decent. Battery life isnt great but at least it doesn't shut down on me after 10 mins use and showing 70% life....
> 
> ...


Ha, the same phone my wife got for Christmas! Enjoy.


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## Frick (Jan 7, 2020)

Nokia 130.


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## biffzinker (Jan 7, 2020)

Samsung Galaxy A30 would of been another option.





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Discounted to $214.50 USD





						Amazon.com: Samsung Galaxy A30 (64GB, 4GB RAM) 6.4" FHD+ Infinity-U Display, 16MP+5MP Dual Camera, Dual SIM GSM Factory Unlocked A305G/DS (International Version, No Warranty w/ 64GB MicroSD Bundle) (Blue)
					

Buy Samsung Galaxy A30 (64GB, 4GB RAM) 6.4" FHD+ Infinity-U Display, 16MP+5MP Dual Camera, Dual SIM GSM Factory Unlocked A305G/DS (International Version, No Warranty w/ 64GB MicroSD Bundle) (Blue): Unlocked Cell Phones - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



					www.amazon.com


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## Readlight (Jan 7, 2020)

I would go for lg under 200 euro phones


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## sepheronx (Jan 7, 2020)

Yeah, well you Europeans and Americans with your cheap prices.  I had to resort to either going with whatever Freedom Mobile had that was cheap or I would have to sell my body on the streets to earn extra cash in order to buy more expensive brands.


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## killster1 (Jan 7, 2020)

sepheronx said:


> Yeah, well you Europeans and Americans with your cheap prices.  I had to resort to either going with whatever Freedom Mobile had that was cheap or I would have to sell my body on the streets to earn extra cash in order to buy more expensive brands.


you cant buy it used off ebay? id have shipped you a galaxy s9+ for about 230. not sure about vat or import tax etc but have shipped giant box coco pebbles to canada before to my friend.( you cant get coco pebbles there?)


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## sepheronx (Jan 7, 2020)

killster1 said:


> you cant buy it used off ebay? id have shipped you a galaxy s9+ for about 230. not sure about vat or import tax etc but have shipped giant box coco pebbles to canada before to my friend.( you cant get coco pebbles there?)


Lol

Cocopuffs we have...I think. It's been many moons since I had cereal and I remember Frankenberry and count chocula but not coco pebbles unless it was a Flintstones cereal.

If I knew you would sell it, I woulda taken you on that offer. It's a good deal bro and I appreciate it


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## Deleted member 158293 (Jan 7, 2020)

droopyRO said:


> I use a Motorola G7 Power, 5000 mAh battery, 64GB of storage, decent camera, it should be about 150$.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yup, this is the best deals around.  The G7+ being the other depending on your preferences.


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## Kissamies (Jan 12, 2020)

Repairibility of Pixel sucks. I rather let someone who has skills to change the battery, I love the phone and I'm not going to upgrade anytime soon.

Yeah, I'm not playing that much mobile games, and those what I play,  runs perfectly.


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## sepheronx (Jan 12, 2020)

Chloe Price said:


> Repairibility of Pixel sucks. I rather let someone who has skills to change the battery, I love the phone and I'm not going to upgrade anytime soon.
> 
> Yeah, I'm not playing that much mobile games, and those what I play,  runs perfectly.



If it wasn't for the battery issue, I would have kept the phone. But what others were quoting me to replace the battery it was extortion.  So I just ended up getting a phone from my provider.  Ended up being cheaper than replacing battery.


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## Kissamies (Jan 12, 2020)

sepheronx said:


> If it wasn't for the battery issue, I would have kept the phone. But what others were quoting me to replace the battery it was extortion.  So I just ended up getting a phone from my provider.  Ended up being cheaper than replacing battery.


Yeah, that's why I'm not going to do that myself. There's 99% possibility that I'll break something if I try it myself, better pay someone to go through that for me.


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## de.das.dude (Jan 17, 2020)

Maybe late, but dont go for the RedMi phones, they have lots of spy stuff installed. Motorola has gone to shit after lenovo bought them out. Cheap poor design meant my phone didnt last over a year (G4 +)

You may want to check out the Samsung M30s. I have a J7 from 2017 that is still running. In any case dont expect any reliable phones now, they have a max life of 2 years.


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## GamerGuy (Jan 18, 2020)

I have a Galaxy Fold as my daily driver, I had gotten an Oppo AX5s (64GB internal storage, 4GB RAM) as a backup , it's a hella nice phone, good batter life, mSD expansion slot, dual SIM support. However, its cons are, ColorOS UI and no NFC. Pretty reliable phone, took it with me to Thailand and  got a local SIM, worked perfectly....the phone cost me abt 186USD, prolly lower now.


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## potato580+ (Jan 18, 2020)

oppo realme pro 2 6gb ram, it under $100 now, with decent snapdragon 710, decent batery capacity 4000 mh, also the important think is the front camera quality is good, my recomendation


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## Dominique (Feb 27, 2020)

xiaomi or oppo


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## Mac2580 (Mar 28, 2020)

Reliability wise, i've had S3 (2013), S6 (2015), S8 (2017) and currently S10. The S3 still worked when I gifted it to our gardener last year. The S6 died when my uncle dropped it this year. The S8 is working perfectly as my mums phone, and I would recommend it over a brand new mid range phone. After 3 years its still very fast, battery life is good, + supports wireless charging.


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