Searching for a new smartphone (specific requirements)

[tzigi]

My Samsung Galaxy S2 is dying (I'm actually surprised it has lasted so long) and I started looking for a new smartphone. To my surprise the market is taking a direction I don't quite fancy and after looking around for some time I haven't managed to find anything good. So I hope to crowd-source some ideas and find a new phone. Here are my preferences (in order of importance):
- microSD slot + removable battery (an absolute must - reading that S6 went the [for me] worst way and abandoned those was horrible)
- size similar to S2 (I came to S2 from Samsung Wave [the "real" one i.e. S8500] and to this day I consider it the perfect smartphone in terms of size [3.3" - a tiny thing when viewed from today's perspective but for me the very best] - had bada not become abandonware, I'd stay with it to this day [physical buttons also were awesome]).
- high-end specs (I know this is hard to reconcile with the previous point but I wouldn't want something middle-end - my phone usage tends to drain the system resources heavily so I need quite some powerful specs [using newer apps on S2 was a pain in the neck so I'd rather go with the best specs available] but I'd also wouldn't like to have a giant phone that I couldn't operate with one hand)
- physical buttons (I know, I know, that's almost impossible but one can dream)

What doesn't count:
- price (I can spend as much as I'd like on it)
- camera
- display technology (mind you, I love the look of AMOLED but I don't really care about such things)
- waterproofing (that's fun but not at all necessary)

Thanks in advance for you help

 

[Aquila]

For the size you're looking at S5 mini, nothing else meets all of the requirements. Moto G is the next closest(which lacks the removable battery and it has on screen buttons but has microSD). After that you're getting much bigger devices in the LG G3 realm.

 

[gone down south]

Honestly? IPhone 5S is about the only small phone out there that had high end specs and a great camera.

 

[Aquila]

Honestly? IPhone 5S is about the only small phone out there that had high end specs and a great camera.

Thought of that also, but it missed both counts on the first most important requirement. If that requirement went away, there are many much better devices than the s5 mini.

 

[MinhJWaterman]

Your requirement list is too long. You want all the features in your next phone but may be is not possible. I hope your dream phone completely satisfy you.

 

[tzigi]

Thanks, all, for your responses. So it seems that apart from S5 mini (which is ok on every count apart from its middle-range specs) there's pretty much nothing for me out there...

 

[the tall guy]

Thanks, all, for your responses. So it seems that apart from S5 mini (which is ok on every count apart from its middle-range specs) there's pretty much nothing for me out there...

What about the Z3 compact - I've heard it more or less is just a smaller version of the Z3? It's in no way a mid range phone. It doesn't support removable battery, but the Z range have incredible battery stamina

 

[mdk32014]

I vote go a bit larger and get the s4. There is something called the Samsung Avant it is a smaller s5 to.

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