I need a new phone, any suggestions?

I currently have an old moto g which I have had since 2015.

I would like a phone with a dual sim and spend no more than £200. I can't do a contract so it will have to be pay as you go.

I purely want the phone to play pokemon go, take a few pictures, watch youtube, access emails and whatsapp for uni (I've never used whatsapp before).

Would you be able to help me find something?

Also, how do you use a dual sim phone (I've never used one before but need one number for my private tutoring work and one for uni friends and family) How does whatsapp work (I've never used it before)(and how does whatsapp work with dual sim, I only want to use one of the sim card numbers for whatsapp)

Thanks xx

Reply 1

gordi1111

Samsung s6, s8 , mid range but still a beast

Reply 2

username612415

Original post by Joy L

You can check my TSR Smartphone Guide for recommendations at different price points. In this case, the Redmi Note 8T is a well under your budget and still as good as most of the options you'll find towards the top, or the Redmi Note 9 Pro is a little over but well worth the extra tenner.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 3

Joy L

Was hoping to get another motorola if possible as I really like them. (My 2015 moto g is still going strong 5 years later! but wanted a dual sim phone for uni to juggle my friends and family on one sim and my private tutoring work on the other sim)

Reply 4

livlifestudying

Vodafone are currently selling the samsung a21s for £149.99 . It is a really good size and you can use it with the pay as you go 'big value bundle' which starts at £10 a month and you get data, calls, and unlimited texts

Reply 5

Geraldthegoat

Hey get an iPhone 11 or anything that’s not the XR I have that and it’s a waste of money.

Reply 6

username612415

Original post by Joy L

The closest thing Motorola have is the G8 Plus, but it's almost identical to the Note 8T in every way and you're paying almost £100 extra just to have Motorola's logo slapped on the back.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorola-U-Notch-display-speakers-Smartphone/dp/B07YP2W8MS/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=moto+g8+plus&qid=1596814359&sr=8-3

Reply 7

Joy L

Ok, thx. Didn't realise the Note 8T was identical. Seems a very good option now :thumbsup:

Reply 8

username612415

Original post by Joy L

Ok, thx. Didn't realise the Note 8T was identical. Seems a very good option now :thumbsup:

Yeah the two phones are almost exactly alike in every area- same processor, almost identical design, very similar cameras, same battery size etc. Motorola's version of Android is cleaner, but that doesn't justify being almost twice as expensive. EE used to sell the G8 Plus for £119 (plus a £10 topup, so essentially the same £129 starting price) but they've been out of stock for a few weeks now, and everybody else is selling it for around the same price as the Redmi Note 9 Pro, which is a superior option to both these phones.

You can see a full comparison here, there's almost no significant differences in hardware.
https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=9916&idPhone2=9946

Reply 9

username612415

Yeah it's annoying that the price has climbed, it was going to be in the £0-£150 section of the guide alongside the Note 8T but people are just charging silly money for it now.

Reply 10

14424

Perhaps you could get a refurbished phone such as an iphone 6plus with 128GB
You will have to double check if it has a dual sim card but you can easily search that onliine.
In terms of using Whatspp,you can also research that online,but it may be a tricky one as I am not sure how it would entirely work on Whatsapp.
Refurbished phones are good,but the only problem I would say may be the battery as it may not last very long,so perhaps a samsung phone then because iphones have lithium ion batteries meaning the battery wears down quicker,so if you are getting refurbished as they are cheaper,then get Unlocked A-the best condition.
I currently have n iphone 7 128 GB and also do not have a contract, I personally thibk Lycamobile is rlly good there's no need for a contract just top up more,also the phone is all good but the battery could be better,it was from CEX and cost around 300 pounds,but next year I am hoping to purchase the NEW iphone SE 64GB as it only costs 420 pounds and should reduce next year,although it is not in your budget you said,it does have dual sim card and if you could invest bit more you WILL NOT regret this decision,it's really good plus you can personally ask Apple how the dual simcard would work and for WhatsApp,so keep looking but I hope you make a wise decision and Good luck for your university studies in the future :wink:

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 11

username612415

Original post by 14424

You won't find a refurb iPhone with dual sim for under £200, it was only introduced in the XR/XS onwards. And while the SE is a good phone for people looking for an inexpensive iPhone without resorting to the used market, it's not really good enough to justify the OP doubling their budget if they're not tied to that ecosystem.

Reply 12

14424

Oh ok,
true dat if I find anything I will link it down below
Otherwise good luck

Reply 13

username612415

Original post by Joy L

Also, how do you use a dual sim phone (I've never used one before but need one number for my private tutoring work and one for uni friends and family) How does whatsapp work (I've never used it before)(and how does whatsapp work with dual sim, I only want to use one of the sim card numbers for whatsapp)

Just realised you asked this but it hasn't been addressed yet. Dual sim Android phones are pretty straightforward, you insert the two sim cards and they both appear in your notification bar showing network and signal strength like a normal phone, and you will receive calls/texts to both numbers normally and the phone will show you which sim is receiving the call/message. In the Settings app you will assign the default sim for things like data usage, and whenever you send a text or make a call you can choose which sim to use each time (when replying to texts the phone will obviously default to whichever sim the original message was sent to).

For WhatsApp you log in with whichever number you have associated with your whatsapp account. I can't see anything about dual sim support in the settings but that functionality may exist.

Here's a screenshot of my phone, so you can see how dual sim looks in the top bar;

Screenshot_20200807_170716_com.teslacoilsw.launcher.jpg

Screenshot_20200807_170716_com.teslacoilsw.launcher.jpg

Reply 14

Joy L

Ok, thank you, thats so helpful!

Reply 15

username612415

Nova Launcher :yep:

I removed the dock and notification bar for a cleaner look (the notification bar is pulled down here), changed the grid layout and icon size to get the icons over to the side within thumb range for optimal one-handed use on my 7.2" monstrosity Huawei Mate 20 X, set gestures for Chrome and the app drawer, and then widgets for the time & date in the corner. You can do insane amounts of customisation using Nova with pretty much zero effort.

Reply 16

username612415

With difficulty :ahee:

Honestly it's not bad once you get accustomed to it for everything besides one-handed typing. I've adapted to two-handed use most of the time, but when I'm using it one-handed my default grip has changed so my pinky finger effective props up the phone, and I can do the majority of stuff from that grip quite easily. Extended typing is a pain the in arse because my thumb can't cover the full width of the phone without an awkward stretch, but if I'm forced to type one-handed for more than a couple of words then I've got a gesture where swiping diagonally from one of the bottom corners shrinks the screen to one-handed mode with a much more manageable 5.5" effective screen size.