New phone after 6 years on WP

skydiverian

New member
Mar 19, 2016
2
0
0
Visit site
I'm thinking of replacing my current phone, a year old Lumia 950 Dual Sim. My last use of Android as a daily driver is a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, so it's been a while since I had a good feel for Android, though did spend a few days using a Nexus 5X - unfortunately as a daily driver it won't work due to only having 16GB storage.

I'm British but planning a permanent move to the US, so a phone that works properly in both regions is essential, not optional. I need support for the following LTE bands:

2,3,4,5,7,12,17,20,28,30.

  • I have a US sim on H20 Wireless, an MVNO using AT&T, which at $30 covers my needs with free calling to the UK (data allowance isn't big but 3GB is more than viable).
  • My primary SIM is on Three, but may switch back to GiffGaff, which is an O2 MVNO.
  • I also travel semi-regularly to Europe and support for Australian networks would also be helpful.

The above covers everything I might need and my Lumia 950 supports the lot. Looks like most newer phones also support all of the above. Network speed doesn't really matter as the speeds modern chips support are simply not likely in real world use for a very long time...

What I'm after:

1) A phone that supports the above LTE networks, preferably dual SIM but not essential
2) Either 128GB storage or the option to use an SD card - ideally a separate slot like in my Lumia Dual Sim but am not totally against having to maintain 2 phones
3) Reasonable performance - Qualcomm 650 or 8xx would work
4) Screen size of 4.6 - 5.2"
5) Dedicated hardware camera shutter button and a decent camera.
6) Fingerprint or iris scanner
7) Price of £400 or less (the 950 set me back £350ish, not happy spending more off contract)
8) Unlocked - not interested in buying a contract and if single sim must be unlocked so that I can swap UK/US SIMs as needed
9) USB-C just makes life so much easier so is definitely preferred (and rules out the new Nokia's). USB 3.0/3,1 preferred but can stick with USB 2.0. QI charging would also be great as I have plenty of chargers for my Lumia collection, however I could get by without it.
10) Android - W10M has unfortunately become just too unstable with the creators update on my Lumia 950. I also have iOS covered with a cheap iPod touch and while I like it, the UI is just not flexible enough for me.

I've been taking a serious look at the Sony XZs and X compact which come in on budget and would fit in with all of the above except having to either choose a Dual Sim US model, or a single sim UK model with fingerprint sensor and no QI charging. Haven't found anything else that comes close to hitting the necessary tick boxes.

Suggestions welcome.
 

EpidemikE1

New member
May 30, 2017
1
0
0
Visit site
I'm in the same boat as you but I've been with WP ever since the Lumia 900, so its been 8 years. WP does a lot of good things and some of them are on your checklist. It ended for me about three months back when my 950XL just started to flake out. It's been dead pretty since then for me.

I also agree about iOS not being flexible and in some cases highly illogical.

I am going to address some of your points to the best of my ability and hopefully help. My answers are in bold and underline

1-4 are pretty much available.

5) Dedicated hardware camera shutter button and a decent camera.
The dedicated camera button is something I loved about WP and I am saddened that not many manufactures us it or at least remap a button. Samsung could have had this with the Bixby button but noooo. Camera was a huge thing for me as well and almost all of my WP took gorgeous pictures
6) Fingerprint or iris scanner
Fingerprint has become fairly commmon, iris; not so much

7) Price of £400 or less (the 950 set me back £350ish, not happy spending more off contract)
Thats about $500US, thats kind of that barrier between midrange and low high end phones

8-10 seem fairly common.

So here is going to be my suggestion from my personal experience. The Motorola G5 Plus has most of those features that you mentioned. Let me start with the one's it doesn't have.
  • No USB-C, just micro USB
  • No dedicated camera shutter button but it has an innovative "twist" for the quick capture. Simply twist the phone to open the camera app even when locked.
  • No dual sim
  • Processor is a 625 so slightly below what youre looking for.
  • Camera is ok but nowhere near matches my 950XL and 1520XL

Now for what it does have:
  • LTE with the Bands you are looking for
  • Expandable storage
  • fingerprint scanner
  • Unlocked
  • 5.2in screen
  • Under your budget
  • Stock Android UI which I prefer

I bought an Motorola G5 Plus after getting a Moto G4 Plus to "test". Both cases I went with the Amazon one with the "offers". I love the stock UI experience and the only bloatware would be Amazon's software but for me I use that so I dont consider it bloatware.

I've been so enamored with the Motorola devices that for my work phone I have decided to wait and see what Motorola will release as opposed to going with a Samsung Galaxy 8+.

Hopefully you find this helpful.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6NTIRH?tag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU5836838
 

erzhik

Well-known member
Feb 22, 2011
214
18
0
Visit site
In the same boat. Been with WP since Lumia 800 era, and now finally switching platforms. Can't decide between S8 and G6. Can't wait till Pixel XL 2, since my 950XL is ready to be thrown against a wall. It was a good run, but Microsoft destroyed their own platform.