I Need a new Mobile Phone - advice please

[Ayjay]

Sorry that this is a bit off topic but I wanted to hear any views. Since I stopped working and had to buy my own mobiles, I have always bought ‘budget’ and have had a few generations of Motorola Moto Gs over the years. Until last week, I was happy enough with my £180ish mid 2018 Moto G6 which did everything that I need of a phone but I have now cracked the screen in a couple of places – I thought that I could live with it but it’s really beginning to annoy me. Anyway, my first thought was to just go to Amazon and buy a latest generation Moto G8 (the Plus version) for around £220 but Amazon also showed me a ‘Renewed’ Samsung Galaxy S9 for £30 more which looks good (I think the S9 also dates from mid 2018 and was over £700 new). I’m paraphrasing but according to Amazon, ‘renewed’ means that it looks and works just like new and comes with a 1 year warranty. The Samsung is slightly smaller than my current G6 but has a slightly larger display. The G8 Plus is larger than both of those and also has a larger screen but TBH, I wouldn’t be too concerned about that and in any event, don’t really want something any bigger in my pocket if I can avoid it. Anyway, does anybody on here still use a Samsung Galaxy S9 and is it any good (not to mention worth buying nowadays). Even better if you’ve also used a Moto G6 or 8 to compare it to. I’d be most grateful for any views before I press the buy button.

I’d also be open to alternatives but am NOT interested in anything that involves a contract as I have a very good family mobile deal as part of our overall telephone and broadband package. Also I’m not interested in any suggestions with an Apple logo (used to have them from work and just don’t like them that much).

Thanks in advance.

 

[DaveD]

Can't you just get a new screen fitted to your existing phone? I've done mine twice, cheaper than a new phone and you say you're happy enough with it.

 

[dubber36]

How much is it to have the screen fixed?

 

[Alan Watts]

Google Pixel 3a is now £270ish. Cracking camera technology shenanigans takes really good pictures. It's a year old now but guaranteed 3 years of security updates. Take a look at technology reviewer, Tech Spurt, on YouTube. Regularly reviews phones and all sorts

 

[Mccoatup]

I bought second hand S9 with 3 month warranty on eBay after a series of previous phones, none of which I was satisfied with, probably largely due to the number of Apps I always installed. The S9 is the first one I've had that does everything I want and that I am completely satisfied with. The camera works well in low light so takes good pics indoors without flash too.

 

[A Bridge Too Far]

Swear by my Pixel. But it's a bit more $.

Heard great things about the new Nokia range, similar to Moto G in price depending ont he spec you go for.

I've also had a really bad experience with Samsung customer service (over 6 months to fix a phone under warranty). And if it is a 'renewed' phone someone has traded it in for a reason.

 

[DaveD]

And if it is a 'renewed' phone someone has traded it in for a reason.

Yes, probably because it was no longer the very latest model.

 

[Urbanfox]

Check out GiffGaff for phones, they are all sim free and no contracts. I have Huawei phones and they are very good but at the moment due to US restrictions, the new ones can't use Google Play Store for apps but they do now have their own site for apps and I think there's a workaround?
My phone was bought before the restrictions so I have no problem with Play Store.

 

[fezza68]

Have a look at oneplus phones and read the reviews. Excellent phones in my opinion.

 

[Phil_G]

I always go to Banggood or Aliexpress, just bought an octal core 4gb+64gb Sharp Aquos C10 for £90. It does everything a £500 phone does
Sharp Aquos S2(C10) Global Version 5.5 inch FHD+ NFC 12MP+8MP Dual Rear Cameras 4GB 64GB Snapdragon 630 4G Smartphone Mobile Phones from Phones & Telecommunications on banggood.com

(I see they've gone up a fiver)

 

[Chippy1970]

I've been looking too and was thinking a motog9 plus but today the Poco x3 was released. All the reviews say it's the best budget smart phone they've ever seen.

Look on YouTube Poco x3

 

[Grainfoot]

Stick with a Motorola. We have both had them for years both using X4s at moment. Brilliant after service, wife’s died after getting severely wet and it was replaced out of warranty. They are old models now but all models we have had have been equally as good.

 

[VanDamMan]

What ever you get...Try sim only ..Worked for us ,then we where going to ditch the landline and just go broadband only...but where given the landline as emergency only...Got good deals all around

Be a rate tart....Power to the People

 

[CAB]

What ever you get...Try sim only ..Worked for us ,then we where going to ditch the landline and just go broadband only...but where given the landline as emergency only...Got good deals all around

Be a rate tart....Power to the People

Nice one Foxy

 

[Ayjay]

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys. I kind of share the views above about sticking with Motorola - they are good but buying a new one probably means that the phone in my pocket gets bigger and that applies equally to most new phones nowadays (to, at least the decent ones). Call me old fashioned but I think mobiles in general are just getting too big but I guess that at some point, I'm just going to have to suck it up. For now, although I know It's not the best reason to buy, as mentioned in my original, one of the things that attracted me to the Samsung S9 was it's size in comparison to my current G6 and the spec is pretty good as well (Grainfoot - it's also supposed to be waterproof within reason).
Keep the comments coming please (but I suspect I'll be buying something tomorrow)

 

[Ayjay]

PS. DaveD. Thanks for the suggestion about the replacement screen but I really don't think it's would be very economic to do that on what was a cheapish phone in the first place. Also ( and depending on what's damaged), I tend to regard breaking stuff as a good opportunity to upgrade or buy something else a bit shinier!

 

[Grainfoot]

Grainfoot - it's also supposed to be waterproof within reason).

Motorola X4 has IP rating as waterproof but other half still managed to kill one.

 

[Ayjay]

Just to close this one - I bought a 'renewed' Samsung S9 from one of the Amazon suppliers (Gadget-Store) but on the day that it was due too arrive I recieved an envelope with a scrap of paper in it saying that the phone would not be sent as they only had one left in stock and that proved to be faulty when they checked it prior to despatch and that I would be getting a refund in due course. That peed me off a bit and I immediately email them to moan about their communications policy and also asking that I get an immediate refund as I didn't want to wait for 'in due course'. They didn't respond to the complaint but did arrange the refund the same day. I then found another one on eBay which was actually cheaper at £230 but still came with a 12 Month warranty and was advertised as 'pristine'. It arrived the next day and I started using it after transferring everything from my old (and cracked) Motorola. All I can say is that it's been great so far. Better in every way than my old Motorola G6, lighter and smaller overall but with the same size screen and it looks like it's brand new and unused. I'm pretty sure that buying from eBay might not give me quite as much protection as Amazion but I'm happy to take the gamble.