Advice on mid-range replacement Android phone

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leemillerau

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#315731 10-Aug-2024 14:06

My Nokia 7 Plus from 2019 or so seems to have died, and I'm looking for replacement options. I've been very happy with the 7 Plus so something roughly equivalent is fine. Not really interested in iOS as I'm pretty well embedded in the Google ecosphere.

Budget $600 plus or minus. I can't justify spending $1k on a phone as I don't use it a lot for anything - calls, SMS, Whatsapp, Wallet, camera occasionally but mostly just to scan documents, assorted apps. Must have NFC (but probably everything except my wife's phone does these days). 64GB storage seems to be enough. Size and weight are not an issue as it lives on my desk or in my carry bag if out and about - never in a pocket. Locally I use Skinny network but must also be compatible for overseas travel - India next but also Australia regularly.

Any suggestions re brand, model and where to buy would be welcome.

Thanks

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#3270307 10-Aug-2024 15:27

Samsung A55 or A35 are both great phones and should meet your criteria

ratsun81

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#3270308 10-Aug-2024 15:32

Since you are coming from a google one device probably the next option that is closest would be a pixel 7a or 8a youd need to get it from parallel imported.

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Handle9

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#3270310 10-Aug-2024 15:36

Jase2985:

Samsung A55 or A35 are both great phones and should meet your criteria

It's pretty hard to beat the a series at that pricepoint.

allan

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#3270313 10-Aug-2024 15:39

Jase2985:

Samsung A55 or A35 are both great phones and should meet your criteria

As a mid-range phone, I'm a happy A54 user which is the predecessor to the A55

Qazzy03

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#3270349 10-Aug-2024 17:53

I have the Samsung A55 and love it.
I got mine new for under $600, but I have access a partnership program via work.
Similar to students store.
Having esim support will be nice when I go overseas next year.

nzkc

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#3270373 10-Aug-2024 17:57

Another vote for the Samsung A5x series. I have a A54. Only thing it _doesnt_ have that I'd like is wireless charging. But that's never a deal breaker for me personally. Everything else is great. To the point of I really don't see why people would pay >1K (let alone 2K) for a phone.

gzt

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#3270377 10-Aug-2024 18:13

Coming from Nokia Android One operating system you may find the brandedness and sometimes unnecessary app replacement on Samsung annoying. On the plus side Samsung are getting better at integration. You can't go past the bang for your buck either.

Pixel 7a updates until 2028
Pixel 8a updates until 2031 including Android versions.

https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/4457705

Parallel Imported probably the best place to pick those up.

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timmmay

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#3270472 11-Aug-2024 08:29

A locally purchased Samsung A series would be a great phone. I suggest avoiding Pixels, IMHO Samsung hardware quality is better and fully supported locally. Compared with Samsung S22, the Pixel 8 gets much hotter when charging, it's probably slower (but fast enough), fewer cameras (no telephoto), local repairs likely to be more difficult, warranty may be an issue.

huckster

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#3270473 11-Aug-2024 08:37

I moved from a 7 plus to a Samsung and the A series is good value and well supported here. If a Telco or Google themselves sold Google phones here I would be tempted though.

Really miss the 7 plus fingerprint reader on the back though. IT JUST WORKED.

timmmay

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#3270479 11-Aug-2024 09:31

Back mounted dedicated fingerprint sensors were awesome. The Pixel 4a had one, it was a great phone. Under screen readers are significant inferior, likely more expensive as well, but the marketing department likely drives phones these days.

Scott3

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#3270490 11-Aug-2024 10:12

One of the sales ends in under an hour, and a lot of stuff is sold out (and the trade in tool is apparently broken), but some people have had success getting S24's under $600 on cheapies:

https://www.cheapies.nz/node/47821

PolicyGuy

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#3270527 11-Aug-2024 13:18

I went from a Nokia 6.1 to an Oppo A78 5G, bought from Spark.

Because I bought it from the Telco I was confident that all the 'features' that matter to me - 5G on NZ bands, VoLTE, VoWiFi - would just work, and they do. I don't know if it will give me the same five year's service I got out of the Nokia, but otherwise I find it entirely adequate.

farcus

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#3270537 11-Aug-2024 14:11

another vote here for the pixel a series. Coming from a relatively pure android device you won't have to put up with the flotsam that other vendors put on their modified versions of android.
While in the "mid range" category you get a nice experience with the pixel a series.

7a is under $700 @ expert infotech
https://www.einfo.co.nz/google-pixel-7a-g82u8-128gb-8gb-5g-sea.html

jonathan18

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#3270843 12-Aug-2024 13:03

Qazzy03: I have the Samsung A55 and love it.
I got mine new for under $600, but I have access a partnership program via work.
Similar to students store.
Having esim support will be nice when I go overseas next year.

Can anyone advise what the student pricing via the Samsung programme is for an A55? My son’s looking at buying one so interested to know whether it’s worth registering/purchasing via that. TIA.

(For me, this is often the go-to model in the Samsung lineup for a decent but affordable handset; my other son’s A51 is still going fine four years on, though being 16 of course he wants something newer/fancier!)

toejam316

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#3270844 12-Aug-2024 13:07

Assuming it matches the EPP portal price, around $640 for the 256GB model.

Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.

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