Can't choose a smartphone

[bug]

usually that is standard across their devices. Although, sometimes it can be bad if hardware is low. My old A51 from samsung just got an update, and frankly the exynos chip in it isnt upto scratch.

I wasn't sure whether Google gave 3 or 5 years of updates. I know they upped that to 7, starting with Pixel 8, I just didn't know what came before that.

 

[Fizban]

It depends. How much longer will it get software updates?

The Pixel 6 came with Android 12, it will receive major updates through Android 15, and then another 2 years of security updates.

 

[AleXXX666]

I cut to the chase: a friend of mine is in need of a non-Apple smartphone. And neither of us has a smartphone expert degree. He lives in the US.

Preferences:
• Display: 6.5" to 6.9"; 6.7" is ideal. Colour precision, refresh rate, resolution, and all these fancy things don't really matter. OLED is unnecessary. Shock resistance matters. This dude isn't your average careful one.
• Battery: matters but not to the extent of a billion years without recharge. Wireless charge is a must.
• Camera: should be at least comparable with iPhone 6. 60 FPS at 720p is a must. The more the merrier.
• Performance: at least on par with Huawei Nova 5T. The more the merrier.
• Storage space: mostly irrelevant, he keeps his stuff on his PC anyway.
• NFC is a must.
• Ability to use a SIM card of any existing in the US cellular provider is a must.
• eSIM is unnecessary but won't hurt.
• The heavier the phone the better.
• Colour doesn't matter.

Other features don't matter much. His earphones are wireless so 3.5 mm jack is unnecessary as well.

Phone will mostly be used for messaging and amateur photo shooting/video recording. Gaming is irrelevant.

Budget: about $300 but will be happy to spend less if possible. Only considers BNIB.

What do we choose? Thanks in advance.

just recently I've tired of iFruit phones too, and Samsung S series doesn't get the appreciation from me because I'm oldfag Galaxy Note fan. So just for fun I've got Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage. Check GSMARENA.com yeah for complete specs. I've got this on sale for like $300 but I'm happy with it. Hate the POCO "just for naming", also the camera set design is same sh*t ugly (for my taste) as new Galaxy phones. I've seen some Xiaomi phones dated 2-4 yrs back and their UI and camera quality were total cr*p. Now this one I have is just middle-end phone for me. Drawbacks after "premium" phones? IP53 vs IP68, anyday. I've always got into bath or some swimming area with my iPhones or old Galaxies, just for fun. Well, I'm not stupid kid who needs PC GPU performance in phone so "gaming" performance is definitely not what schoolkids would like. But, the phone works very OK for it's price and current price&performance realities, UI is very customizable and not stupid anymore that it was in old Xiaomi UI. Recommend!

EDIT: "shock resistance". They got some not-so-slim PU case in box. I use it. I've dropped this phone for 1st f**kin time on hard road area from like chest height. The case and stock protective film on screen saved the phone. I really thought I've just wasted $300 lmfao

 

[de.das.dude]

just recently I've tired of iFruit phones too, and Samsung S series doesn't get the appreciation from me because I'm oldfag Galaxy Note fan. So just for fun I've got Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage. Check GSMARENA.com yeah for complete specs. I've got this on sale for like $300 but I'm happy with it. Hate the POCO "just for naming", also the camera set design is same sh*t ugly (for my taste) as new Galaxy phones. I've seen some Xiaomi phones dated 2-4 yrs back and their UI and camera quality were total cr*p. Now this one I have is just middle-end phone for me. Drawbacks after "premium" phones? IP53 vs IP68, anyday. I've always got into bath or some swimming area with my iPhones or old Galaxies, just for fun. Well, I'm not stupid kid who need PC GPU performance in phone so "gaming" performance is definitely not what schoolkids would like. But, the phone works very OK for it's price and current price&performance realities, UI is very customizable and not stupid anymore that it was in old Xiaomi UI. Recommend!

they remade the note series into the s-ultra branding right? those are chunky bricks lol.

 

[unwind-protect]

It depends. How much longer will it get software updates?

3 years OS updates, 5 of security updates. It was the first pixel phone with the longer support promise.

 

[AleXXX666]

they remade the note series into the s-ultra branding right? those are chunky bricks lol.

yeah, they call them ULTRA and justify "PRO MAX" price tag LMFAO

 

[SchumannFrequency]

€347.00 https://tradingshenzhen.com/en/redmi-k60-k60-pro-k60-ultra/redmi-k60-12gb256gb

It is slightly above your budget but it meets all your requirements.

 

[Macro Device]

meets all your requirements.

Not sure if it works with all major cellular providers in the US. Will research tomorrow, having an extremely windy head today, can't think straight enough even for such tasks.

 

[SchumannFrequency]

Not sure if it works with all major cellular providers in the US. Will research tomorrow, having an extremely windy head today, can't think straight enough even for such tasks.

You should check that out.

It has better tech specs than all the other smartphones recommended in this thread for < 350 EUR.

It has wireless charging, NFC and a very powerful SOC.

 

[Macro Device]

You should check that out.

Spoiler: Wow, it's easier than I thought it is

Ain't worth it even for 200 USD. Losing connection almost everywhere is a major PITA.

 

[SchumannFrequency]

Spoiler: Wow, it's easier than I thought it is

View attachment 320059View attachment 320060View attachment 320061View attachment 320062

Ain't worth it even for 200 USD. Losing connection almost everywhere is a major PITA.

Only one band may have to work to use it.

Experience with Chinese k60
https://www.reddit.com/r/Xiaomi/comments/12cb8ja It is only compatible with one band of my telephone company and it works all the time with 4G and it is supposed to work with all 5G bands but it is not available in my area.

Is it a good decision to buy xiaomi phones in the USA?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Xiaomi/comments/vu4ybw My wife has had a Xiaomi Mi9 lite for the last couple of years on T-Mobile in California. It works fine in urban areas, and we've only just started noticing rural locations where my phone might have better signal. But we're talking very rural - the kind of place that didn't have signal a few years ago.

You can also check kimovil.com to see how good smartphone is supported in your country:

Xiaomi Redmi K60: Price, specs and best deals

Xiaomi Redmi K60: A High-End Smartphone

www.kimovil.com

In my case (in my country in Europe) I could even use 5G with the three most popular providers in my country.

 

[bug]

€347.00 https://tradingshenzhen.com/en/redmi-k60-k60-pro-k60-ultra/redmi-k60-12gb256gb

It is slightly above your budget but it meets all your requirements.

He didn't ask for anything in the way of warranty, so yes, that one may tick all the boxes.

 

[Macro Device]

In my case (in my country in Europe) I could even use 5G with the three most popular providers in my country.

Which is completely irrelevant.

 

[SchumannFrequency]

Which is completely irrelevant.

Europe accounts for 50% of the world's tourist arrivals and is the most visited region in the world, according to UNWTO.

Did you check the kimovil.com link?

Can you take a screenshot of what you see listed under the following titles?

Kimovil Frequency Checker
Network compatibility

 

[Macro Device]

Europe accounts for 50% of the world's tourist arrivals and is the most visited region in the world, according to UNWTO.

This is great but my mate lives in the States and isn't planning on visiting Europe any time soon so he couldn't care less how his future phone works in Europe.

Spoiler: And according to Kimovil, K60 is a very poor performer in the US

 

[SchumannFrequency]

This is great but my mate lives in the States and isn't planning on visiting Europe any time soon so he couldn't care less how his future phone works in Europe.

Spoiler: And according to Kimovil, K60 is a very poor performer in the US

View attachment 320064View attachment 320065

It's mostly the 4G bands that matter in your area with the exception of AT&T.

I think the following providers are going to work very well with the Redmi K60 in your area:

AT&T
FreedomPop
Google Fi

All the providers that support two bands are normally going to work fine as well.

You probably also read this text on that page:
There is not need supporting all bands for having coverage in the different types of networks. For example, if it does not support one band, could make you not to have 4G coverage in rural areas or having bad coverage inside buildings, but having it without problems in cities.

 

[Macro Device]

All the providers that support two bands are normally going to work fine as well.

"Fine" won't cut it. He wants it flawless. As close to 100% chance of having excellent LTE/5G as it's possible. Having exceptionally great connectivity is top-1 priority for him.

 

[SchumannFrequency]

"Fine" won't cut it. He wants it flawless. As close to 100% chance of having excellent LTE/5G as it's possible. Having exceptionally great connectivity is top-1 priority for him.

Does he specifically want 5G? (you hadn't mentioned this in your first post I think)

It's going to depend on the area where he lives. Does he live in a farming village or in a city?

If he lives in a big city he is going to have good 5G reception from the following providers (with 99% certainty):
AT&T
Cricket Wireless
Google Fi
T-Mobile
Verizon Wireless

Those in bold are best for 5G reception.

 

[bug]

It's mostly the 4G bands that matter in your area with the exception of AT&T.

I think the following providers are going to work very well with the Redmi K60 in your area:

AT&T
FreedomPop
Google Fi

All the providers that support two bands are normally going to work fine as well.

You probably also read this text on that page:
There is not need supporting all bands for having coverage in the different types of networks. For example, if it does not support one band, could make you not to have 4G coverage in rural areas or having bad coverage inside buildings, but having it without problems in cities.

You probably haven't been stateside much. There isn't a lot of cities over there, almost everyone lives in suburbs or what Europe would call rural areas.

"Fine" won't cut it. He wants it flawless. As close to 100% chance of having excellent LTE/5G as it's possible. Having exceptionally great connectivity is top-1 priority for him.

What a weirdo, wanting connectivity for mobile devices
Can't he plug in an Ethernet adapter and tether the phone instead?

 

[de.das.dude]

This is great but my mate lives in the States and isn't planning on visiting Europe any time soon so he couldn't care less how his future phone works in Europe.

Spoiler: And according to Kimovil, K60 is a very poor performer in the US

View attachment 320064View attachment 320065

with redmi phones that i buy for both my parents, one thing i know is, you get exactly what you pay for. nothing more. the way they are cheaper is due to clear cost cutting and other bloatware advertising methods(that everyone seems to employ in budget phones these days)

oh and the battery deterioration is pretty steep for some reason. Idk if its from how my parents use it or not though

 

[SchumannFrequency]

oh and the battery deterioration is pretty steep for some reason. Idk if its from how my parents use it or not though

In turn, Li-Po is safer because it does not constantly catch fire.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/09/tech/lithium-ion-battery-fires/index.html

This popular product could cause your cell phone to explode

A new report warned of the dangers of the common product that could start a fire.

nypost.com

Smartphone Battery Fires On Planes Ascending At An Alarming Rate And Pilots Are Worried

Pilots and their crew are rightfully alarmed by the increasing cases of lithium battery fires (and thus toxic smoke and explosion risks) onboard passenger flights.

hothardware.com

Over 30 airlines have banned the use or charging of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on their planes due to fire risk.

 

[de.das.dude]

In turn, Li-Po is safer because it does not constantly catch fire.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/09/tech/lithium-ion-battery-fires/index.html

This popular product could cause your cell phone to explode

A new report warned of the dangers of the common product that could start a fire.

nypost.com

well i have used countless power banks and phones since 2007 (yes including the nokia BL 5C era) that use li-ion and i am yet to have a device catch on fire for me.

*fingers crossed* i hope the current one doesnt go up in flames lol.

 

[Macro Device]

Does he specifically want 5G? (you hadn't mentioned this in your first post I think)

No, he is fine with just LTE. But he needs flawless LTE at the very least.

If he lives in a big city

He doesn't. And his job requires him to be online during his buisness hours and since he works remotely he uses this time to travel around Maryland and Pennsylvania, thus sometimes having connectivity issues. He's not a "sit home" kinda guy, only uses his place to sleep, sometimes to "sleep." And very rarely, to play video games on his PC.

 

[SchumannFrequency]

well i have used countless power banks and phones since 2007 (yes including the nokia BL 5C era) that use li-ion and i am yet to have a device catch on fire for me.

*fingers crossed* i hope the current one doesnt go up in flames lol.

Nationally, CBS News has learned incidents involving hazardous materials are happening about twice a week on passenger planes, with the greatest risk by far posed by lithium-ion batteries, which can more easily catch fire on airplanes.

Many people also sleep next to their smartphones while they are rapidly charging.

The lithium delusion: a big problem with big batteries | The Spectator Australia

The development of lithium-ion batteries has changed the concept of energy storage. As their use expands, a potential downside is becoming more apparent, with resulting fires proving difficult to…

www.spectator.com.au

Battery fires have killed 11 New Yorkers since 2021

In less than two years, 11 people perished and 251 were injured in NYC fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries used to power e-bikes and e-scooters, the FDNY said.

nypost.com

Mobile phone blast kills eight-year-old girl; pay attention to these things while using phone

THRISSUR: An expert examination will be conducted in the case of an eight-year-old girl's death due to a mobile phone explosion.

keralakaumudi.com

Man dies as his phone blows up while talking: Here is what happened

A 68-year-old man, who was completely oblivious to the hazards of talking while charging the phone, met a sad end as his phone exploded while it was plugged to the charger

www.indiatoday.in

Tradie left wit horrific burns after phone battery explodes in pocket

Matthew, an aircon installer from Melbourne, was left with horrific injuries following the explosion at work two weeks ago while climbing a ladder.

www.dailymail.co.uk

https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/mobile-phone-explodes-while-charging-in-nashik-shatters-windows-and-glasses/3257391/

 

[bug]

Nationally, CBS News has learned incidents involving hazardous materials are happening about twice a week on passenger planes, with the greatest risk by far posed by lithium-ion batteries, which can more easily catch fire on airplanes.

Many people also sleep next to their smartphones while they are rapidly charging.

The lithium delusion: a big problem with big batteries | The Spectator Australia

The development of lithium-ion batteries has changed the concept of energy storage. As their use expands, a potential downside is becoming more apparent, with resulting fires proving difficult to…

www.spectator.com.au

Battery fires have killed 11 New Yorkers since 2021

In less than two years, 11 people perished and 251 were injured in NYC fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries used to power e-bikes and e-scooters, the FDNY said.

nypost.com

Mobile phone blast kills eight-year-old girl; pay attention to these things while using phone

THRISSUR: An expert examination will be conducted in the case of an eight-year-old girl's death due to a mobile phone explosion.

keralakaumudi.com

Man dies as his phone blows up while talking: Here is what happened

A 68-year-old man, who was completely oblivious to the hazards of talking while charging the phone, met a sad end as his phone exploded while it was plugged to the charger

www.indiatoday.in

Tradie left wit horrific burns after phone battery explodes in pocket

Matthew, an aircon installer from Melbourne, was left with horrific injuries following the explosion at work two weeks ago while climbing a ladder.

www.dailymail.co.uk

https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/mobile-phone-explodes-while-charging-in-nashik-shatters-windows-and-glasses/3257391/

That's mostly fearmongering.
Batteries are a form of condensed energy. Condensed energy will always try to find a way to escape, be it an explosion, catching fire or whatnot. Most of those stories are about phones while being charged using improper chargers. More the fault of the charger, really.