Hey there,

People would probably need a bit more detail before they can recommend specific options - in particular what's the budget?

There are also a number of relevant threads elsewhere here on GZ that are probably worth reading - the first two of these below I started when looking for a good-value phone for my wife (she ended up with a Huawei P8 when it was $350 from Noel Leeming - a lot of phone for that price).

Android phones under $400 http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=97&topicid=185294&singlepage=yes

Android phones under $700 http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=97&topicid=193645

Mid-range 5.5" phones http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=11&topicid=198198

I'd have recommended he may want to look at a G4, given he's had a G2. Note many people report problems with a boot issue with the G4 (may apply to certain sub-models only?). That said, it gives you a high-spec handset at a reasonable price.

Another option could be the new Vodafone Smart Ultra 7 (I think? which replaces the Ultra 5; unsure if this is similarly not usable on Spark/Skinny), offering a lot of phone for RRP $299 - but haven't read anything on this model yet (The Ultra 5 was kinda like what the earlier generations of the Moto G was - a phone that does 90% of what a flagship model does for only 30% of the price.)

There's also the Meizu Note 3, which seems to be excellent value for money - the main seller here in NZ is PB Tech, and the thread on this phone has a lot of useful feedback from a PB Tech employee (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=97&topicid=196846).

But as I said earlier - depends so much on budget, so these are just a few ideas...

One trap to be wary is of the growing number of handsets (especially from China) that don't necessarily support all frequencies used by all carriers in NZ (eg, the Smart Ultra 5 referred to above). Just be sure the phone supports the necessary frequencies of the carrier he uses (that said, in some cases one may not care about not getting 4G in the more provincial areas, so lack of support for this frequency may not be an issue).

G5 hands down.

There are reports of quality control issues, but in NZ you should have some protection under the CGA.  Mine has been fantastic, very reasonably priced, awesome cameras!

He is looking at another LG. Which supplier is best? The G5 is available from Gadgetsonline but not sure about the warrenty etc.