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Gofre's 2020 Smartphone Buying Guide (last updated November 2020)
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Out of interest, what do you think of the OnePlus? I currently have the Nexus 5 which I love, but my battery is so crappy and it's so power intensive it needs 2-3 charges a day it's ridiculous, so getting a new phone soon.
Was giving the OnePlus Two a look from the leaked specs and it looks excellent - particularly the 3300 mAh battery, as battery is basically my top priority for a phone at the moment.
However, what things in a phone should I be looking out for that are particularly power intensive? I read the Snapdragon 810 gets very very hot very quickly (which ofc leads to worse battery life) which it has, and that was a worry. Is it anything significant? Also, having such a large ram - 4 gig - sounds like it would be very power intensive, although apparently it is "low power". Do you think that would actually make much a difference? Anything else to look out for?
Cheers
EDIT: Also, have you ever heard of the "Axon Lux" - was reading about it and it's supposed to be released/revealed in a few days, although by the sounds of things it's an Asia only phone. Everything online seems to be pretty contradictory though so wondering if you knew anything there
Was giving the OnePlus Two a look from the leaked specs and it looks excellent - particularly the 3300 mAh battery, as battery is basically my top priority for a phone at the moment.
However, what things in a phone should I be looking out for that are particularly power intensive? I read the Snapdragon 810 gets very very hot very quickly (which ofc leads to worse battery life) which it has, and that was a worry. Is it anything significant? Also, having such a large ram - 4 gig - sounds like it would be very power intensive, although apparently it is "low power". Do you think that would actually make much a difference? Anything else to look out for?
Cheers
EDIT: Also, have you ever heard of the "Axon Lux" - was reading about it and it's supposed to be released/revealed in a few days, although by the sounds of things it's an Asia only phone. Everything online seems to be pretty contradictory though so wondering if you knew anything there
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by AdamCee
Out of interest, what do you think of the OnePlus?
I really like my OnePlus One.
However, what things in a phone should I be looking out for that are particularly power intensive?
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this?
I read the Snapdragon 810 gets very very hot very quickly (which ofc leads to worse battery life) which it has, and that was a worry. Is it anything significant?
We don't know yet. OnePlus claim to have avoided the heating issues associated with the 810, but we won't know for sure until reviewers and customers get their hands on it.
Also, having such a large ram - 4 gig - sounds like it would be very power intensive, although apparently it is "low power". Do you think that would actually make much a difference? Anything else to look out for?
Having more RAM doesn't consume more power, just as having a large hard drive doesn't have any effect on battery life. All it does is allow the phone to perform more tasks at a time.
EDIT: Also, have you ever heard of the "Axon Lux" - was reading about it and it's supposed to be released/revealed in a few days, although by the sounds of things it's an Asia only phone. Everything online seems to be pretty contradictory though so wondering if you knew anything there
I hadn't heard of it until today, looks promising.
considering the N6 is the flagship Android how come you didn't include it in the cream of the crop section? The size? OR do you just not rate it?
Original post by Wilfred Little
@Gofre considering the N6 is the flagship Android how come you didn't include it in the cream of the crop section? The size? OR do you just not rate it?
Yeah the size was the primary reason, it's too large for a lot of people and remains a more "niche" device compared to other brand flagships which aim for mass appeal. I do think it's a really good phone, but it's very much for people that know they want a really big phone in my opinion. It's a big enough audience that I've created a category for large phones, but I wanted to keep Cream of the Crop to phones that don't have such big "road blocks" stopping large numbers of people from choosing them.
All fair reasons, sort of clocked when I looked again and saw the iPhone 6+ in there too.
Have you used the camera much on the Nexus 6? I don't actually think the quality is bad by any means, just the issue for me is how long it takes to focus and take the picture (it focuses immediately in daylight so perhaps a light issue). Also, I don't like having the button to take the pic incorporated into the pixels, preferred phones with a proper 'snap' button on the side or something.
Those are the only issues for me.
What's the best camera phone now? Is it still that Nokia that was out a year or so back? - DM see you've answered that already.
Have you used the camera much on the Nexus 6? I don't actually think the quality is bad by any means, just the issue for me is how long it takes to focus and take the picture (it focuses immediately in daylight so perhaps a light issue). Also, I don't like having the button to take the pic incorporated into the pixels, preferred phones with a proper 'snap' button on the side or something.
Those are the only issues for me.
What's the best camera phone now? Is it still that Nokia that was out a year or so back? - DM see you've answered that already.
Original post by Wilfred Little
All fair reasons, sort of clocked when I looked again and saw the iPhone 6+ in there too.
Have you used the camera much on the Nexus 6? I don't actually think the quality is bad by any means, just the issue for me is how long it takes to focus and take the picture (it focuses immediately in daylight so perhaps a light issue). Also, I don't like having the button to take the pic incorporated into the pixels, preferred phones with a proper 'snap' button on the side or something.
Those are the only issues for me.
What's the best camera phone now? Is it still that Nokia that was out a year or so back? - DM see you've answered that already.
Have you used the camera much on the Nexus 6? I don't actually think the quality is bad by any means, just the issue for me is how long it takes to focus and take the picture (it focuses immediately in daylight so perhaps a light issue). Also, I don't like having the button to take the pic incorporated into the pixels, preferred phones with a proper 'snap' button on the side or something.
Those are the only issues for me.
What's the best camera phone now? Is it still that Nokia that was out a year or so back? - DM see you've answered that already.
The camera's fine, it's just not quite in line with the other flagship grade phones on the market these days when it comes to image quality (although the HTC One line has been sullying the reputation of flagship phone cameras for a few years now), and responsiveness to focus or shoot isn't the greatest either as you've mentioned.
I've included a category of the best phone cameras in the last section of the guide
The best phone camera is hands down the Panasonic DMC-CM1, although it's probably the single most niche phone in the guide- it's comparatively very chunky for a smartphone, it's very expensive and nobody sells it on contract. It's a superb camera though, it uses the same sensor found in many of the top of the line compact cameras costing hundreds of pounds (which are a world of difference away from the majority of crappy point-and-shoots that smartphones have virtually killed off), so it makes a very good hybrid for anyone looking for a high end phone and a high end pocketable camera, without really having to compromise on either. The famous Nokia camera phone, the Lumia 1020, still has an excellent camera (it beats the cameras on conventional flagships but loses to the Panasonic), but it's actually two years old at this point and being so dated makes it difficult for me to make it a top-class recommendation anymore. The internal specs and display are starting to lag behind at this point and it will not be getting the upgrade to Windows Phone 10, meaning it will quickly get left in the dust when it comes to further software support. I've still given it a mention in the Other Options segment, but I think the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 take stellar photos that will satisfy 90% of smartphone snappers with much better hardware wrapped around them, while camera-focussed enthusiasts would be better served by taking the hit to their wallet and saving for the DMC-CM1
(edited 8 years ago)
The guide has received its first proper update, and is now just the "Smartphone Buyer's Guide" rather than "Summer Smartphone Buyer's Guide"!
*The Xperia Z3+ has been added to the honourable mentions of the flagship category. It's a high spec phone that's retained its waterproofing, but Sony weren't able to reign in the overheating issues of the 810 processor, which has ruined the reputation for spectacular battery life the Z3 had managed to build, and the camera is too inconsistent and hasn't improved from the Z3 enough to keep pace with the superb cameras in the new phones from Apple and Samsung. A worthy phone for those who enjoy browsing TSR in the shower, but it's difficult to recommend over the other flagships for anything else.
*The Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 joins the Best Budget Smartphone category and the Moto G series has been refined to the Moto G 3rd Generation. The Smart Ultra 6 was able to live up to the hype around its pretty insane spec sheet for such a cheap phone without any crippling flaws, and rightly deserves a spot in the category. I'm now also recommending the Moto G 3rd Gen specifically rather than the Moto G series as a whole, as the 3rd gen saw a pretty substantial improvement over the older models so it's no longer a case of being a matter of size on which to pick. For anyone picking a phone based on size, they will still find the 4.5" Moto G in the Best Small Smartphones category anyway.
In terms of future updates, there's a whole bunch of phones that will most likely find their way onto the guide over the coming weeks. The Moto X Play and Moto X Style will most likely find themselves in the High Value and Best Big Phone categories respectively if they can live up to expectations when they're released, which I'm hoping they will because they both look excellent. The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is also very likely to replace its predecessor the Note 4, and the S6 Edge Plus will most likely find its way into the Honourable mentions- I really like the tapered design on the smaller S6 Edge, but whether or not it's suited to a phone this large remains to be seen. Looking ahead, the shadow of Apple is starting to loom as we edge closer to September when they are expected to reveal the year's new phones, with the announcement of the annual Nexus update from Google anticipated shortly after. We may even see a new Windows 10 flagship crop up from Microsoft before the end of the year too!
If you have any suggestions for the guide, feel free to let me know
*The Xperia Z3+ has been added to the honourable mentions of the flagship category. It's a high spec phone that's retained its waterproofing, but Sony weren't able to reign in the overheating issues of the 810 processor, which has ruined the reputation for spectacular battery life the Z3 had managed to build, and the camera is too inconsistent and hasn't improved from the Z3 enough to keep pace with the superb cameras in the new phones from Apple and Samsung. A worthy phone for those who enjoy browsing TSR in the shower, but it's difficult to recommend over the other flagships for anything else.
*The Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 joins the Best Budget Smartphone category and the Moto G series has been refined to the Moto G 3rd Generation. The Smart Ultra 6 was able to live up to the hype around its pretty insane spec sheet for such a cheap phone without any crippling flaws, and rightly deserves a spot in the category. I'm now also recommending the Moto G 3rd Gen specifically rather than the Moto G series as a whole, as the 3rd gen saw a pretty substantial improvement over the older models so it's no longer a case of being a matter of size on which to pick. For anyone picking a phone based on size, they will still find the 4.5" Moto G in the Best Small Smartphones category anyway.
In terms of future updates, there's a whole bunch of phones that will most likely find their way onto the guide over the coming weeks. The Moto X Play and Moto X Style will most likely find themselves in the High Value and Best Big Phone categories respectively if they can live up to expectations when they're released, which I'm hoping they will because they both look excellent. The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is also very likely to replace its predecessor the Note 4, and the S6 Edge Plus will most likely find its way into the Honourable mentions- I really like the tapered design on the smaller S6 Edge, but whether or not it's suited to a phone this large remains to be seen. Looking ahead, the shadow of Apple is starting to loom as we edge closer to September when they are expected to reveal the year's new phones, with the announcement of the annual Nexus update from Google anticipated shortly after. We may even see a new Windows 10 flagship crop up from Microsoft before the end of the year too!
If you have any suggestions for the guide, feel free to let me know
The Moto X Play is now available to purchase, and I have one for myself on the way (turns out the OnePlus One is allergic to concrete floors, who could have known?) so it may find itself joining the Buyer's Guide if it keeps up the same high standards of the X line! Reviews have been positive so I'm excited
Hey all
I have the Motorola Moto G (Second Generation) but I'm finding it hard to find a fancy phone case. Does anyone know of any good websites where I can get a good phone case?
I have the Motorola Moto G (Second Generation) but I'm finding it hard to find a fancy phone case. Does anyone know of any good websites where I can get a good phone case?
The guide has received its second monthly update The Galaxy S5 and Moto X Play join the High Quality, High Value section of the guide with the Nexus 5 being relegated to the Honourable Mentions of that segment, while the Note 5 dethrones the Note 4 in the Hulking Handsets section while the Note 4 stays in the Honourable Mentions as a more affordable option, joined by the curvy Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.
Next month sees the release of the Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact which stand a good chance of making their way into the guide if Sony can keep the temperamental Snapdragon 810 chip inside them under control, and of course the new iPhones are ready to take the places of their predecessors.
The Galaxy S5 and Moto X Play join the High Quality, High Value section of the guide with the Nexus 5 being relegated to the Honourable Mentions of that segment, while the Note 5 dethrones the Note 4 in the Hulking Handsets section while the Note 4 stays in the Honourable Mentions as a more affordable option, joined by the curvy Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.Next month sees the release of the Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact which stand a good chance of making their way into the guide if Sony can keep the temperamental Snapdragon 810 chip inside them under control, and of course the new iPhones are ready to take the places of their predecessors.
I'm coming to the end of my contract and I'm due an upgrade. I'm currently using a Moto G 4G (2014). I'm finding it laggy and I'm having bother with the call function, so I definitely want to upgrade.
I'm really just looking for reliability. I don't use much beyond email, browsing, and maps. I need 4G, but that's about it. What I don't want is the constant hanging and crashing I'm getting on my Moto G, or the seemingly random issues I'm having with calls and the speaker. I'd prefer 4.5" as I have truly tiny hands, but could possibly stretch (heh) to 5". I'd rather have 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage at least and I can't see any 4.5" that meet those requirements.
Alternatively, I could pick up a sim-free phone and pop my current sim in it, but I can't find much to write home about that fits my £100-£150 budget.
Any thoughts?
I'm really just looking for reliability. I don't use much beyond email, browsing, and maps. I need 4G, but that's about it. What I don't want is the constant hanging and crashing I'm getting on my Moto G, or the seemingly random issues I'm having with calls and the speaker. I'd prefer 4.5" as I have truly tiny hands, but could possibly stretch (heh) to 5". I'd rather have 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage at least and I can't see any 4.5" that meet those requirements.
Alternatively, I could pick up a sim-free phone and pop my current sim in it, but I can't find much to write home about that fits my £100-£150 budget.
Any thoughts?
Original post by missimpossible
I'm coming to the end of my contract and I'm due an upgrade. I'm currently using a Moto G 4G (2014). I'm finding it laggy and I'm having bother with the call function, so I definitely want to upgrade.
I'm really just looking for reliability. I don't use much beyond email, browsing, and maps. I need 4G, but that's about it. What I don't want is the constant hanging and crashing I'm getting on my Moto G, or the seemingly random issues I'm having with calls and the speaker. I'd prefer 4.5" as I have truly tiny hands, but could possibly stretch (heh) to 5". I'd rather have 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage at least and I can't see any 4.5" that meet those requirements.
Alternatively, I could pick up a sim-free phone and pop my current sim in it, but I can't find much to write home about that fits my £100-£150 budget.
Any thoughts?
I'm really just looking for reliability. I don't use much beyond email, browsing, and maps. I need 4G, but that's about it. What I don't want is the constant hanging and crashing I'm getting on my Moto G, or the seemingly random issues I'm having with calls and the speaker. I'd prefer 4.5" as I have truly tiny hands, but could possibly stretch (heh) to 5". I'd rather have 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage at least and I can't see any 4.5" that meet those requirements.
Alternatively, I could pick up a sim-free phone and pop my current sim in it, but I can't find much to write home about that fits my £100-£150 budget.
Any thoughts?
Any of the big name flagships from the 2014 and 2015 on contract will give you want you're after in terms of specs and reliability. Off contract the Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 and 16GB Moto G 2015 are the best options in your budget range, both have 2GB of RAM and are generally very well spec'd and built for such a low price. Although the issues with your Moto G sound like you've got a faulty model as that product line are well regarded for being very stable, it could be worth doing a factory reset to see if that helps, or contacting the seller/manufacturer and arranging for a replacement/repair if it doesn't, depending on whether or not it's still in range of warranty.
It's time for the first of probably a couple of updates for October! To nobody's surprise the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus have supplanted the 6 and 6 Plus in all categories by managing to offer a significant improvement in most areas. The 6 and 6 Plus stick around in several honourable mentions as more affordable alternatives, because unsurprisingly they aren't making it into the Budget Mobiles section 
Looking forward, it's a busy month for smartphone releases. The three Xperias are all set to launch at different points in the month, alongside the two new Nexus phones from Huawei and LG (in partnership with Google, of course). LG have also announced a new flagship grade phone, the V10, which looks pretty cool, which will hopefully find its way over to the UK late in the month or at least before Christmas.
Looking forward, it's a busy month for smartphone releases. The three Xperias are all set to launch at different points in the month, alongside the two new Nexus phones from Huawei and LG (in partnership with Google, of course). LG have also announced a new flagship grade phone, the V10, which looks pretty cool, which will hopefully find its way over to the UK late in the month or at least before Christmas.
I've just made another update to the guide. The Moto X Style has now been released and takes its rightful spot in the Hulking Handsets section and in the honourable mentions section of the Flagship category (although it's still too large to be a primary recommendation). However the large phones section of the guide is getting pretty crowded, and with the incoming release of many potentially excellent phones in this size range such as the Nexus 6P, Xperia Z5 Premium and LG V10, I've elected to split the category into two parts, one for 5.5" phones and one for phones with displays ranging from 5.7" or more. The Moto X Play joins the 5.5" LG G4 and iPhone 6S Plus, while the X Style joins the Note 5 and Nexus 6 in the larger section.
Finally in the wake of recent new flagship Lumias, and an announcement from Microsoft on new phones being imminent, the Lumia 930 and 1520 have been removed from the honourable mentions sections of the guide since I can't recommend them as premium phones when significantly better models are potentially just around the corner (and both are over a year behind the Android/iOS competition anyway). The Lumia 640 sticks around in the budget section though, as it represents solid value for money and any new budget Lumias aren't likely to be a huge degree better.
Finally in the wake of recent new flagship Lumias, and an announcement from Microsoft on new phones being imminent, the Lumia 930 and 1520 have been removed from the honourable mentions sections of the guide since I can't recommend them as premium phones when significantly better models are potentially just around the corner (and both are over a year behind the Android/iOS competition anyway). The Lumia 640 sticks around in the budget section though, as it represents solid value for money and any new budget Lumias aren't likely to be a huge degree better.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Rakas21
If you were going to rank the manufacturers in terms of hardware, what would you say.
To be honest I wouldn't be able to rank them, there really aren't any "bad" manufacturers out there right now. Different phones will just have different features that appeal more or less to different people.
Update time! The Nexus 5X, Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact have all been released and have lived up to our hopes, earning the 5X and Z5 spots in the Cream of the Crop category and the Z5 Compact replaces its predecessor in the Small Smartphone section. There's no clear consensus on whether the Z5 has ousted the S6 for the best smartphone camera yet though, so for now the S6 remains my recommendation for those looking for the best Android camera phone.
The Nexus 6P and Xperia Z5 Premium are yet to hit the market yet, but fingers crossed I'll be able to add them to the guide by the end of the month if they can live up to the promise of their siblings.
The Nexus 6P and Xperia Z5 Premium are yet to hit the market yet, but fingers crossed I'll be able to add them to the guide by the end of the month if they can live up to the promise of their siblings.
!
I'm trying to decide between the 5X and the OnePlus 2. I'm a bit surprised by the relatively low amount of RAM in the 5X, but I don't know if it actually makes a difference performance-wise.
I kind of really want the OnePlus 2, but it seems impossible to get an invite, so I think it will have to be a 5X anyway.
I'm trying to decide between the 5X and the OnePlus 2. I'm a bit surprised by the relatively low amount of RAM in the 5X, but I don't know if it actually makes a difference performance-wise.
I kind of really want the OnePlus 2, but it seems impossible to get an invite, so I think it will have to be a 5X anyway.
Original post by e aí rapaz
@Gofre!
I'm trying to decide between the 5X and the OnePlus 2. I'm a bit surprised by the relatively low amount of RAM in the 5X, but I don't know if it actually makes a difference performance-wise.
I kind of really want the OnePlus 2, but it seems impossible to get an invite, so I think it will have to be a 5X anyway.
I'm trying to decide between the 5X and the OnePlus 2. I'm a bit surprised by the relatively low amount of RAM in the 5X, but I don't know if it actually makes a difference performance-wise.
I kind of really want the OnePlus 2, but it seems impossible to get an invite, so I think it will have to be a 5X anyway.
As much as I would love to be able to recommend the OP2, I can't put it in the Buyer's Guide while it's still so damn difficult to buy.
The OP2 will get you more power and more memory for less money, but the core user experience will be very similar between the two. If you need to buy sooner rather than later there's very little to dislike about the 5X as a more affordable flagship-tier phone.
Thoughts on this deal for the G4? 310 for a decent flagship seems good and I like the removable better option and expandable storage. Seems like a better bet than the moto x play
http://www.ebuyer.com/718386-lg-g4-lte-32gb-phone-black-leather-lgh815-agbrld
http://www.ebuyer.com/718386-lg-g4-lte-32gb-phone-black-leather-lgh815-agbrld
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