Recommendations to buy a phone

[WasteSomeTime]

Hello I need help on what android phone to purchase. I am not looking to purchase a $600 phone as I am not on a contract and each phone usually lasts about 6 to 11 months.

I need at least the following features.

1] Unlocked

2] 8 mp camera

3] 4G ( LTE if possible but it's ok if there isn't one )

4] Android version higher than ginger

I would like the see the community's recommendations.

Thank you or your time

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Have you thought about the 1st generation Moto G with 4G LTE? Or if you have access to a carrier with fast HSPA+ (like T-Mobile), then non-LTE Moto G (either 1st gen or 2nd gen) would also be an excellent choice. I would assume they're unlocked, since you'd be buying them straight from Motorola.

 

[WasteSomeTime]

They are unlocked and only the $199 version can receive simple mobile's 4G LTE Service. It also has an sd card slot. I can't get over the fact it has a 5 mp camera.

I was looking at the LG G2 Mini but I want to know if there are other phones out there.

 

[B. Diddy]

I haven't looked into prices, but now that the 2014 Moto X is out, maybe look into the 2013 Moto X. You might be able to get it at a discount brand new, or at a significant discount if it's used.

 

[WasteSomeTime]

I will check it out thank you. I don't buy used phones since some of them come with black listed imei.

 

[WasteSomeTime]

Is there any other phone you can recommend.

 

[B. Diddy]

Maybe a OnePlus One, if you can find one.

 

[bornweird]

Idk if it has 4g I believe it does but I hear the nexus 5 is a good one.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[bornweird]

Or a galaxy s 3 if you could find it unlocked and new but its still a really great phone.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[B. Diddy]

Yes, Nexus 5 is always a good choice. You might be able to find it cheaper now that the Nexus 6 is almost out. It's normally around $400.

 

[Lamboav]

I strongly recommend buying used. If you look on eBay most sellers will specify the condition of the ESN. I've bought 7 phones on eBay (not all for myself) and haven't had a problem with any of them. Just make sure to check the ESN and make sure that it is in fact unlocked. When you buy used you can get last year's flagships for this year's base.

 

[Lamboav]

Also, bornweird, I have a Nexus 5 and get LTE. I love it.

 

[Rukbat]

The first choice in selecting a phone is the carrier. Choosing the best phone in the world, and using it on a carrier that doesn't have coverage where you need coverage, isn't as good as a $20 feature phone on a carrier that covers the areas you need. (Simple Mobile uses TMobile towers, if you're checking coverage. But it's owned by American Movil, so if you're the type who has to call tech support, I wouldn't go near them. The checkers in Walmart know more about cellphones than AM's tech support people.)

Once you choose the carrier, choose among phones that work on that carrier. If it's AT&T or Verizon, stay away from Samsung. They've gotten into bed with AT&T and Verizon to produce "corporate phones" - great if you're the company CTO and worried about corporate security, bad if you're not.

I wouldn't buy a phone without a removable battery. Expensive batteries cost around $20. Having an internal battery replaced could cost 4 times that much or more. And if the battery ever goes into thermal runaway, it's easier (and cheaper) to pull the back off and shake the battery out. (Then get as far away from it as you can - lithium batteries seldom explode, but it's possible, and lithium burning into your skin requires hospitalization.)

I wouldn't buy a phone without an external SD card. You can't use them as freely under KitKat as you could before, but you can carry a few TB of video (or any other data, including alternate ROMs, if you're so inclined) in a shirt pocket.

Other than that, it's really a personal choice. Not all 8MB cameras produce the same quality pictures. Not all screens look the same. Go into a few carrier stores, handle the demo phones (they're real phones, with real numbers, you just can't walk too far from the counter with them because they're chained down.) See how the phone feels - the size, the weight, the "build quality" (does it feel like a cheap piece of plastic or does it feel "solid"?) See how the screen looks with different apps and videos. Make a phone call and see how it sounds (both ways - if the person you're calling hears you muffled or distorted ...) Listen to some music. Play a video. That's how you decide which is the best phone for you. Just because I think a phone is the greatest one ever made doesn't mean that you'll even care to consider it.

 

[KarlDag]

Nexus 4/5, Moto G (LTE) (1st gen), OnePlus One.

 

[vannylugo]

I have a couple of suggestions depending on usage.

Heavy usage i say the blu life 8(i own one) and blu vivo Iv both phone are octa core and have 2000 mh battery. Also the moto g (2014) is a great option but battery isn't that good it can work all day buy its slow charging. The vivo is $350 , the life 8 and moto g are $200.

For medium usage all blu studio series are great and are under $200. Also the s3 mini and the s4 mini both are great but not for heavy usage.

Hope that help adress me anytime for help.

 

[ceyo14]

LG G2. They are pretty cheap. And the screen is like 45$ if you break and the unlock code is $1.50 on eBay. And you can even use a Sprint or Verizon and just change ROM and it will work GSM. But no LTE on these two

 

[ceyo14]

And it's a great phone. I really miss it. Better than a GS4 and very close to current flagships...

 

[Nebul0us82]

Get a Nexus 5. The hardware is hard to beat for the price, but one of the best features of Nexus phones besides pure Android OS, is the update support. You can be sure to get well through Android L support. They are also extremly easy to root and customize. I think its exactly what you're looking for, I love mine and use it with Straight Talk AT&T 4G LTE unlimited plan for $45.99/mo

 

[Marvin2Shoes]

LG = Lucky Goldstar... Lucky Goldstar changed their name or they would be out of business by now. I would recommend any Samsung device over any LG device anytime, anyhow. The Galaxy Note 2 and 3 are both 4G and good cameras and have tough, quality screens that i haven't been able to break by dropping... Unlike any Apple iPhone. They also take a microSD card and are LTE. Good luck finding someone who will give up their Note... Unless they are upgrading.

 

[B. Diddy]

LG has made huge strides since their Goldstar days. I'd say the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 (both LG devices) are excellent quality, as are the G2 and G3. Samsung devices are excellent as well, but not without their problems. As a constant participant in these forums, I see a lot of issues raised about Samsung devices. This is partially due to Samsung's outsized market share, but there are also some common threads that keep popping up (e.g., SD card issues).