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Gofre's 2020 Smartphone Buying Guide (last updated November 2020)

OP

Fans of tiny phones rejoice, Apple have announced a new smaller iPhone! The iPhone SE, with its 4" display, is the same size and looks extremely similar to the iPhone 5S, but with most of the internal guts of the current flagship 6S, making it every bit a high end phone in a much smaller package than the rest of the flagship market. It launches in a few weeks and should be a very tempting prospect for anyone looking for a miniature phone with minimal compromises.

Reply 101

username612415

OP

21

Mini update time, and this update adds a mini phone to the guide :ahee:

But yeah, the iPhone SE has met expectations and will be replacing the 5S in the Miniature Mobiles category, however I am currently in a port in Portugal enjoying my first bit of free time after working 13 hours a day since Sunday, so I won't be adding a description of image just yet! For now this will have to do: the iPhone SE is the best small screen phone on the market, and if you want a small phone you should buy it :smile:

Nirgilis

X

Could this be stickied please as I probably won't be around to bump it very often :yep:

Reply 102

Doones

21

How much better than the Xperia Z5 Compact ?

Reply 103

username612415

OP

21

Original post by jneill

How much better than the Xperia Z5 Compact ?

Both are great and which one a person prefers between them is going to come down to if you have a preference on operating system. However for someone looking for a phone specifically because it's small, the SE is going to win out because it's a lot smaller than the Z5C, which is small in the context of Android flagships but still a much larger phone with the same screen size as the larger 6 and 6S.

Reply 104

samb1234

13

The se actually isnt that much smaller due to its horrific screen to body ratio (60.8%) whereas the z5 compact is (68.9%) so despite having a 4.6 inch screen vs a 4.0 inch screen the z5 is only 3.2mm longer and about 6mm wider

Reply 105

username612415

OP

21

Original post by samb1234

The se actually isnt that much smaller due to its horrific screen to body ratio (60.8%) whereas the z5 compact is (68.9%) so despite having a 4.6 inch screen vs a 4.0 inch screen the z5 is only 3.2mm longer and about 6mm wider

It's the width that's significant in my opinion, it has arguably the largest effect on the feel of a phone's size in the hand and has a big impact on one-handed use. 6mm doesn't sound like much, but in a phone less than 60mm wide in total it's a fairly decent increase.

Reply 106

samb1234

13

Yeah i take your point, its a tradeoff just like any phone - for me the small increase in size is worth it for the bigger screen, and for most people i dont see the z5 being too big for one handed use. The z5 c is also substantially cheaper than the se, so if it was me i would get the z5 c over the se

Reply 107

Doones

21

Original post by samb1234

Yeah i take your point, its a tradeoff just like any phone - for me the small increase in size is worth it for the bigger screen, and for most people i dont see the z5 being too big for one handed use. The z5 c is also substantially cheaper than the se, so if it was me i would get the z5 c over the se

Just to say: I. :heart:

. My. Z5C

Reply 108

samb1234

13

Original post by jneill

Just to say: I. :heart:

. My. Z5C

Yeah the z5 c is a very good phone- my friend has one but its a little on the small side for me (but then i have massive hands haha) so i went for something a bit bigger

Reply 109

username612415

OP

21

(Late) April update time!

We've been given some complimentary wifi access on the ship I now work on, so naturally I shunned my family and friends chose to use my meagre band witch allowance to update the guide from the middle of the ocean :ahee:

Given the limited allowance, however, I'm only updating the most important categories now. First up, the One M9 is out of the Flagship section and the HTC 10 and LG G5 are in- both are worthy of consideration against the competition and have their own selling points. Next the iPhone 5S has been usurped by its newer, shinier clone the iPhone SE in the small phones category and the older Moto G model has been retired- it's too long in the tooth now to recommend against modern flagships and those looking for a budget device will be choosing from the budget sections of the guide anyway.

Next time I get into port, I'll flesh out the guide a bit more. The LG G5 will be joining the Camera and Audio categories for its dual-camera and audiophile module respectively, and the S7 will also be replacing the S6 in the Camera section too.

Reply 110

username612415

OP

21

Hello smartphone guide, long time no see!

In the coming days I'll be making a proper update to the guide with the several new phones that have been released in the last couple of months so here's a tldr update. However given my lack of regular internet access I may have missed something significant, so if there's a glaring omission in the list below, please let me know to remind me of it!

*The Xperia X will not be making it into the guide. As much as I love Sony, they've released a phone that barely escapes mid-tier specs and priced it to compete with flagships, and reception has been suitably mediocre. Here's hoping the X Performance can make a better impression.
*The LG G5 will be joining the Audiophile category for it's quality sounding yet well implemented DAC module. The 6S sticks around for its superior support of external audio products, but for audio quality in a standard smartphone form factor, the G5 with its HiFi "Friend" sits at the top of the pile.
*The OnePlus 3 will be entering the Budget and Giant smartphone categories and getting an honourable mention in the Flagship category. It may still only be a 1080p panel, but as an overall package it's a superb quality and value proposition. And there's no invite system to mess with either!
*The many new offerings from Motorola will also be assessed and added to guide if warranted, but I haven't been able to look through them properly yet.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 111

spotify95

18

Excellent, I anticipate the updates!
What about the LG G5s camera friend module? Will that add it to the camera section, as an honorable mention, thus saying goodbye to the Lumia? And the iPhone 7 that will come out soon, without it's 3.5mm Jack?

Reply 112

username612415

OP

21

Original post by spotify95

Excellent, I anticipate the updates! What about the LG G5s camera friend module? Will that add it to the camera section, as an honorable mention, thus saying goodbye to the Lumia? And the iPhone 7 that will come out soon, without it's 3.5mm Jack?

This reminds me, I do actually need to find time to properly update this :ahee:

I'm yet to decide whether or not I'll include the G5 in the camera section, but if I do it's for the dual lens setup rather than the camera module, which is fairly lacklustre- any great photos you take, you could get with or without that grip. The Lumia will be going soon regardless, it's too long in the tooth to justify buying as a smartphone now.

It depends entirely on what the iPhone 7 looks like when it actually arrives, but the 3.5mm jack disappearing won't be a deal breaker. It will, of course, be listed in the device's negatives if it makes it into the guide though.

Reply 113

princechromey

9

Any updates soon? The iPhone 7 (complete without its headphone port) is now out...

Also, I am thinking of upgrading from my Galaxy S4. Is the LG G4 still a good option? Is it worth upgrading to the G5 or saving a bit of money and getting the G4? (I've decided on LG because they have a way of totally disabling 2G networks, without impacting any other network selection - which you can't do on the Samsungs.)

Reply 114

username612415

OP

21

Original post by princechromey

Any updates soon? The iPhone 7 (complete without its headphone port) is now out...

Also, I am thinking of upgrading from my Galaxy S4. Is the LG G4 still a good option? Is it worth upgrading to the G5 or saving a bit of money and getting the G4? (I've decided on LG because they have a way of totally disabling 2G networks, without impacting any other network selection - which you can't do on the Samsungs.)

I've actually just finished my term working at sea today, so an overhaul of the guide is happening :yep:

Most likely next week after I've caught up on six months of sleep and familiarised myself with recent releases :h:

Oh, and after lots of playing with the shiny new OnePlus 3 that's been waiting at home for me for the last six weeks :teeth:

Reply 115

princechromey

9

Excellent! :smile:

That'll be good because the guide hasn't had an update in quite a while!

Don't think the OP3 has an invite system (unlike the OPO and OP2) so it'll be easier for anyone to get one now :smile:

Reply 116

username612415

OP

21

Original post by princechromey

Excellent! :smile:

That'll be good because the guide hasn't had an update in quite a while!

Don't think the OP3 has an invite system (unlike the OPO and OP2) so it'll be easier for anyone to get one now :smile:

Yeah there's no invite system anymore, you can just buy them online. In fact, as of this week you can even buy them from O2!

I'm just waiting for the Nexus/Pixel event next week before making the update. I doubt the new phones will be available for sale immediately, but if the olde models stop being sold or decrease in price, it will change my product recommendations.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 117

spotify95

18

Hi Gofre

It seems like some of these categories haven't been updated in quite a while (the camera section still mentions the Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6S Plus, despite the S7, iPhone 7 and LG G5 all coming out). Any chance of an update to the entire guide soon? Or are you going to wait until the new flagships are launched (possibly March/April) and then overhaul the guide?

Reply 118

username612415

OP

21

Original post by spotify95

Hi Gofre

It seems like some of these categories haven't been updated in quite a while (the camera section still mentions the Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6S Plus, despite the S7, iPhone 7 and LG G5 all coming out). Any chance of an update to the entire guide soon? Or are you going to wait until the new flagships are launched (possibly March/April) and then overhaul the guide?

Yep, it needs massively redoing. Unfortunately I don't get a whole lot of time or internet access anymore so finding an opportunity to get the sections rewritten is a challenge. I will most likely start preparing for an overhaul then wait for the new flagships at MWC to finalise everything.