Help needed: Android smartphone for my dad

[mj0]

My dad (turned 60 this year) is looking for a new smartphone, and he asked me for help. Truth be told I'm not a big fan of Android myself and prefer iOS, which is why I'm a bit swamped right now. I did some research but have lost all hope after a couple of minutes - apparantly the fragmentation has gotten much worse than last time I looked at Android devices.

Either way he needs my help so I'm asking you for help now His old phone is a 2011 HTC Desire S and he really doesn't do anything with it. Most of the time the phone is on the shelf with a dead battery. Occasionally he remembers that it needs to be charged more often than biweekly and uses it to make phone calls or check his mails. Starting next year he will be using Skype more often since my wife and I are moving from Europe to the US and will use Skype to keep in touch with them. Problem is the phone has gotten so slow it's unbearable to use, and Skype doesn't work most of the time. It only rings when it's open and doesn't do anything when running in the background since the phone with its 768MB of RAM is seemingly unable to cope with Android 4.0.

What he's looking for:

• he doesn't want anything larger than 4.5" - the smaller the better, he'd prefer 3.5-4". He's using my brother's Nexus 4 right now and that is the absolute max.
• he doesn't want to spend more than 150€
• it should be good for more or less four years (I know, this one is impossible to predict but looking at a manufacturer's track record might at least show some sort of indication)
• Micro SD slot (I'm not sure why he asked for that but he specifically did)
• LTE is optional since he doesn't even have a plan that includes data
• he's not using any apps, he's not listening to music, and he's not using the phone's camera at all.

Even though he obviously doesn't need LTE right now my experience is that things may change so I think it'd be smarter to make sure the phone supports LTE just in case. Also, even though he doesn't use the camera at all, I've convinced him that an LED flash is a good thing since it can be used as flashlight. Just like LTE it's optional though. And last but not least I don't want any no-name or cheap Chinese phones, it should be a well known and solid company behind it, and the phone must be available in Europe (Germany, to be more specific) since he's looking to buy in September and I won't get back to the US until mid January.

With these in mind I was able to identify four models that would fit both, budget and requirements:

* Motorola Moto G LTE (1st gen) - 140€
* Motorola Moto E (2nd gen) - 120€
* LG Leon LTE C50 - 130€
* Samsung Galaxy Core Prime G360F - 130€

Any thoughts? Any other phones I may have missed?

 

[Gekko]

My dad (turned 60 this year) is looking for a new smartphone, and he asked me for help. Truth be told I'm not a big fan of Android myself and prefer iOS, which is why I'm a bit swamped right now. I did some research but have lost all hope after a couple of minutes - apparantly the fragmentation has gotten much worse than last time I looked at Android devices.

Either way he needs my help so I'm asking you for help now His old phone is a 2011 HTC Desire S and he really doesn't do anything with it. Most of the time the phone is on the shelf with a dead battery. Occasionally he remembers that it needs to be charged more often than biweekly and uses it to make phone calls or check his mails. Starting next year he will be using Skype more often since my wife and I are moving from Europe to the US and will use Skype to keep in touch with them. Problem is the phone has gotten so slow it's unbearable to use, and Skype doesn't work most of the time. It only rings when it's open and doesn't do anything when running in the background since the phone with its 768MB of RAM is seemingly unable to cope with Android 4.0. Long story short this thing has become a nightmare to use.

What he's looking for:

• he doesn't want anything larger than 4.5" - the smaller the better, he'd prefer 3.5-4". He's using my brother's Nexus 4 right now and that is the absolute max.
• he doesn't want to spend more than 150€
• it should be good for more or less four years (I know, this one is impossible to predict but looking at a manufacturer's track record might at least show some sort of indication)
• Micro SD slot (I'm not sure why he asked for that but he specifically did)
• LTE is optional since he doesn't even have a plan that includes data
• he's not using any apps, he's not listening to music, and he's not using the phone's camera at all.

Even though he obviously doesn't need LTE right now my experience is that things may change so I think it'd be smarter to make sure the phone supports LTE just in case. Also, even though he doesn't use the camera at all, I've convinced him that an LED flash is a good thing since it can be used as flashlight. Just like LTE it's optional though. And last but not least I don't want any no-name or cheap Chinese phones, it should be a well known and solid company behind it, and the phone must be available in Europe (Germany, to be more specific) since he's looking to buy in September and I won't get back to the US until mid January.

With these in mind I was able to identify four models that would fit both, budget and requirements:

* Motorola Moto G LTE (1st gen) - 140€
* Motorola Moto E (2nd gen) - 120€
* LG Leon LTE C50 - 130€
* Samsung Galaxy Core Prime G360F - 130€

Any thoughts? Any other phones I may have missed?

Moto G LTE.

 

[gone down south]

Used or refurb Nexus 5.

 

[Javier P]

Moto G 2013 was a great phone and I'm still using it. I use regularly Skype and Viber for video calls and never had a problem. Right now I think Moto E or Alcatel Idol 3 4.7" could be phones to be considered.

 

[mj0]

Nexus 5 has a 5" screen and is significantly larger than the Nexus 4, which as I've already said is as far as he's willing to go in terms of size. In addition it's also way too expensive at more than 330€ new and more than 250€ used but that doesn't really matter because it's too large to begin with.

The Alcatel Idol 3 looks good, isn't too large, but at 220€ it's too expensive. It looks pretty good though, I'll have to look around to see if I can find that one for less somewhere. I also forgot to mention that he doesn't like used stuff and prefers to buy new if possible.

Right now I'm leaning towards the Moto G LTE (1st gen). If you had to choose between that one and the Moto E (2nd gen), which one would you prefer?

 

[Gekko]

Nexus 5 has a 5" screen and is significantly larger than the Nexus 4, which as I've already said is as far as he's willing to go in terms of size. In addition it's also way too expensive at more than 330€ new and more than 250€ used but that doesn't really matter because it's too large to begin with.

The Alcatel Idol 3 looks good, isn't too large, but at 220€ it's too expensive. It looks pretty good though, I'll have to look around to see if I can find that one for less somewhere. I also forgot to mention that he doesn't like used stuff and prefers to buy new if possible.

Right now I'm leaning towards the Moto G LTE (1st gen). If you had to choose between that one and the Moto E (2nd gen), which one would you prefer?

tell your dad to stop being stubborn and recalcitrant. the difference between a 4.5" display phone and a 5" display phone is negligible. literally a few millimeters.

 

[Javier P]

Right now I'm leaning towards the Moto G LTE (1st gen). If you had to choose between that one and the Moto E (2nd gen), which one would you prefer?

I would go for the Moto G for a couple of reasons. You can have the model with 16gb and it comes with a front camera good enough for video calls. It's a bit old but still good value for the money.

 

[mj0]

tell your dad to stop being stubborn and recalcitrant. the difference between a 4.5" display phone and a 5" display phone is negligible. literally a few millimeters.

And so is the difference between a 5" and a 5.5" model. And guess what, a 6" phone is only a few millimeters larger than a 5.5" phone, who would've thought? So basically, a 6.5" phone and a 4.5" phone are practically the same size. Yeah, I guess you're right, I'll tell him to stop being stubborn and get a 7" tablet to use as a phone. After all it's only insignificantly larger than his current 3.7" phone, and the difference is, as you say, negligible

To be honest even 4.5" are a stretch, and he'd prefer something significantly smaller than that, like 3.5" or 4" (keep in mind what he's using this phone for!). He liked my iPhone 4S and 5S but those are way out of his budget, and he's made his peace with the Nexus 4 and is willing to go as far as that but not any further. That's the absolute maximum he's willing to cope with.

 

[Aquila]

Moto g 3rd gen is the only real option in the budget range for a 4 year device. I'd stay away from the Samsung and LG on your short list. Another option is the first moto x - it is also 4.7" like the nexus but a slightly smaller device overall.

sent via Nexus Assassin Edition. Gonfaloniere.

 

[Aquila]

The nexus 4 is 4.7", which is why I suggested that - 4.5 as a limit rules out everything current. I have a better suggestion though, which matches the use case: a tablet. Tablets are great for video calling and do much better at sitting idle for long periods of time. That would make the phone less relevant and eliminate the mess of the situation in which the requirements rule out all devices that have a prayer of resisting obsolescence the longest.

sent via Nexus Assassin Edition. Gonfaloniere.

 

[mj0]

It's not Moto G 3rd gen, that would be significantly too large (5" screen) and too expensive (more than 300€). I'm talking about the 1st gen with LTE and a 4.5" screen that can be had for less than 140€ at this point. The 2nd gen is not that much more expensive but once again too large (5"). The Moto X 1st gen would be the perfect size, however at more than 250€ it's still too expensive. I'll add it to the list in case he decides to increase his budget, thanks a lot.

A tablet won't solve our problem - he'll still need a new smartphone since his old one has become unbearably slow over time You're absolutely right though, it would make much more sense for him. However, I've talked about this with him before and he didn't seem interested at all. Plus my dad is sort of a horder when it comes to laptops and computers already, he's already got two laptops and a netbook that he barely uses.

 

[mj0]

So I've learned that both Samsung and HTC have recently started pushing ads onto their mobile devices using preinstalled push services. That is an absolute no-go that I cannot and will not tolerate. Both Samsung and HTC are therefore out.

 

[Aquila]

4.7" or smaller means Moto G, Moto X 2013, Nexus 4, Moto E.
4 years resistance to obsolescence means something from this year - smallest phone from this year is 5.0".
Micro SD slot means Moto G 2015, but it is too big.
Other than the E, low price tag means used, although G 2015 is approx €199. So going under that is definitely going to mean used, or at least very old - which strikes point 2 and probably 3.

The only thing that seems to hit all points is the Moto E 2nd Gen. 4.5" screen, 8GB storage with up to 32GB MicroSD, it's new-ish. Motorola Moto E (2nd gen) - Full phone specifications

 

[Almeuit]

So I've learned that both Samsung and HTC have recently started pushing ads onto their mobile devices using preinstalled push services. That is an absolute no-go that I cannot and will not tolerate. Both Samsung and HTC are therefore out.

There have been reports of only a few cases -- it is not the masses and I doubt it will go that far.

 

[Almeuit]

4.7" or smaller means Moto G, Moto X 2013, Nexus 4, Moto E.
4 years resistance to obsolescence means something from this year - smallest phone from this year is 5.0".
Micro SD slot means Moto G 2015, but it is too big.
Other than the E, low price tag means used, although G 2015 is approx €199. So going under that is definitely going to mean used, or at least very old - which strikes point 2 and probably 3.

The only thing that seems to hit all points is the Moto E 2nd Gen. 4.5" screen, 8GB storage with up to 32GB MicroSD, it's new-ish. Motorola Moto E (2nd gen) - Full phone specifications

I agree with this.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Something to keep in mind....the Leon and the Core Prime will most likely have internal memory issues, depending on the apps your dad uses.

I am inclined to agree with Assassin Droid: some of the requirements are already limiting you to used/refurbished devices. Even if you can find them still new in the box, they are already growing old.

 

[mj0]

I know, I know. I'll tell him but I doubt he'll be willing to fork out more money than that. He's stuck a bit in the early 2000s when it comes to mobile phones, and back then he never paid more than a couple of bucks for a phone. Either way even a three year old Moto G will be a significant improvement over what he's got now, and it should last him for a long time.

Thank you for your analysis Assassin Droid. In terms of specs the Moto G (1st gen) and the Moto E are quite similar - the Moto G has the higher resolution display and LED flash, the Moto E has the faster SoC and is two years younger by design. The latter will probably get updates longer than the former, and given that he really doesn't need the LED flash (he has yet to take his first picture with his current smartphone...) I'm guessing the Moto E (2nd gen) would at this price point be my best bet.

It all makes sense now, thank you so much

 

[Rukbat]

The Moto G is a good choice for his requirements - except for the 4 year old one and the SD card.

If he's satisfied running the current version of Android (many people are still running Gingerbread with no complaints - 2.2.3 - and the phone should be upgradable to 5.0 if it's not already running it), and no SD card (if he's not running many apps, all he's going to be storing is pictures, videos and music, and you can store a lot of music in a 16GB phone), he'll probably be happy with it.

He should, though, get in the habit of checking the battery at least once a month if he's not using the phone (the first of the month is a good way of remembering) and charging it to at least 50% if it's lower than that. When he's using it to talk to you he can plug it in and charge it to 100%.

The battery isn't user-replaceable, so it's not a matter of a few Euros for a new one if he kills the one in the phone - he has to pay a shop to replace it. And he wants it to last for 4 years. So he has to pay just a little attention to it. (I have batteries much older than that, but they get kept at 50% for storage [and I've stored some for a few years t a time, checking them periodically]). At 60, he's quite old enough to understand that and, if he doesn't check the battery on the first of the month, to check it sometime soon after that. (I speak from experience - I can remember being 60, but it was a while ago.)

 

[mj0]

Quick update. First of all I would like to thank everybody for their help, it's highly appreciated.

Yesterday, I brought a discarded iPhone 4S home from work that needs a new battery but is otherwise in as-new condition since it has been used with a flip case and both a screen protector and one for the rear glass panel from day one. We'll see if he gets along with iOS at all (a while ago we've tried Windows Phone and have successfully failed) and if he does he'll invest 30 bucks in a new iFixit battery and a new flip case. If he doesn't, which I highly suspect, he's picked the Motorola Moto G (1st gen) due to its LED flash in the back that he finally admitted can be very useful as a flashlight.

Once again, thanks everybody for their great help.