Recommend me a phone, please :-)

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#2440521 18-Mar-2020 09:24

I was also in the "Ugh, I don't want a Samsung" camp based on old experiences, but I ❤️ my Note 10+. One UI has come a *loong* way. About my only quibbles are the in-screen fingerprint reader (which is only okay) and the occasional niggle around a Samsung/Bixby default that I had missed turning off somewhere along the way.

halper86

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#2440523 18-Mar-2020 09:27

Mi 9T ticks all the boxes apart from the UI for $800

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/MPHMIX039300/Xiaomi-Mi-9T-Pro-Redmi-K20-Pro-Dual-SIM-Smartphone

NikT

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#2440531 18-Mar-2020 09:36

turb:

"Huawei's new models from the Mate 30 Pro onwards have HMS instead of GMS as you're likely aware, but the Nova 5T - which does have GMS like the P30 series - is well worth a look. Same great Kirin 980 chip as the P30 series, 8GB RAM, nice form factor, good camera. You're only missing water resistance, wireless charging, and OLED from the flagship tier."

And don't forget: no playstore, so you have to do without google apps or get them from dodgy places.

Yeah that's the HMS vs. GMS bit.

I will note here that - at least as of right now - you can sideload GMS, with the only significant drawbacks being Google Pay and streaming services. APKs are readily available from reputable sources like APKMirror (run by the AndroidPolice news site's crew) rather than relying on sketchy sites. I have posted my experiences with sideloaded GMS on the Mate 30 Pro here for the curious.

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timmmay

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#2440538 18-Mar-2020 09:46

halper86:

Mi 9T ticks all the boxes apart from the UI for $800

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/MPHMIX039300/Xiaomi-Mi-9T-Pro-Redmi-K20-Pro-Dual-SIM-Smartphone

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The fingerprint reader is so AWFUL I sold a three week old model for a $150 - $200 loss. There are cheaper Xiaomi / Redmi models with a proper fingerprint reader from various websites with performance not far off but a better fingerprint reader. MIUI is ok, other than smart lock not working.

Also, the 10T is out before too long.

NikT

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#2440547 18-Mar-2020 09:59

timmmay:

halper86:

Mi 9T ticks all the boxes apart from the UI for $800

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/MPHMIX039300/Xiaomi-Mi-9T-Pro-Redmi-K20-Pro-Dual-SIM-Smartphone

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The fingerprint reader is so AWFUL I sold a three week old model for a $150 - $200 loss. There are cheaper Xiaomi / Redmi models with a proper fingerprint reader from various websites with performance not far off but a better fingerprint reader. MIUI is ok, other than smart lock not working.

Also, the 10T is out before too long.

Absolutely not discounting your crap experience with the fingerprint scanner in the Mi9T, and I'm really sorry that was the case, but having compared a lot of them side-by-side - it is typical of in-screen fingerprint scanner performance in anything short of the last two flagship rounds, and much much better than many other phones with earlier gen in-screen optical scanners. This is less a Mi9T problem and more an in-screen fingerprint scanners in general problem. Have a play with a Galaxy A50's scanner if you can (it's EOL now but there's a lot of them in the wild). It is representative of the gen before Mi9T and...not a good time. Some of the very first implementations should not have been in shipping products IMO, I have an engineering sample of the Meizu 16th and its success rate for unlocking is maybe 3/10.

Global launch will be a way off for a replacement model. Although speaking of Xiaomi phones with good old reliable capacitive fingerprint scanners, the Redmi Note 8 Pro is a pretty good time.

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timmmay

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#2440551 18-Mar-2020 10:07

NikT:

Absolutely not discounting your crap experience with the fingerprint scanner in the Mi9T, and I'm really sorry that was the case, but having compared a lot of them side-by-side - it is typical of in-screen fingerprint scanner performance in anything short of the last two flagship rounds, and much much better than many other phones with earlier gen in-screen optical scanners. This is less a Mi9T problem and more an in-screen fingerprint scanners in general problem. Have a play with a Galaxy A50's scanner if you can (it's EOL now but there's a lot of them in the wild). It is representative of the gen before Mi9T and...not a good time. Some of the very first implementations should not have been in shipping products IMO, I have an engineering sample of the Meizu 16th and its success rate for unlocking is maybe 3/10.

Global launch will be a way off for a replacement model. Although speaking of Xiaomi phones with good old reliable capacitive fingerprint scanners, the Redmi Note 8 Pro is a pretty good time.

Based on what I've read I think all in-screen fingerprint readers should be avoided.

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MikeB4

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#2440574 18-Mar-2020 10:36

The way things are going at the moment this maybe your best investment 😀

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Groucho

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#2440591 18-Mar-2020 11:27

MikeB4:

The way things are going at the moment this maybe your best investment 😀

You'd need a long piece of string so you had adequate 'social distancing' haha.

qwertee

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#2440596 18-Mar-2020 11:30

gcorgnet:

qwertee:

Been a LG user G2, G3, G4 and then V20 which I plan to keep until it dies

G3 and G4 had the boot loop issues but got repaired for free .

I love my V20 and I suggest you look up the more late models.

Thanks for that. What's the OS like? heavily customised?

I would say not so much . Its not so bloatware heavy. I rarely used the LG quick remote, LG health , Tasks or LG Smartworld.

Groucho

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#2440599 18-Mar-2020 11:38

I'm only a light phone user (as I prefer desktops and a 27" screen) however upgraded my years old bloated Samsung to a Nokia 6.1 last year. It cost about $330 and the reviews I read compared most of its features to phones $800+. The only niggle they pointed out was the camera wasn't as good but again were comparing to phones 2 - 3 times the price.

It runs Android One and shipped with Android 8 and currently running 10. The casing is some form of metallic/alloy and feels very sturdy and a good quality build however the downside is if you hold it for a while your hand gets cold.

shk292

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#2440721 18-Mar-2020 14:33

turb:
I've just finished looking for a similar phone as you but I wanted small and IP68.

Pixel 3 from Dick Smith. Don't bother getting the "AU/NZ" version as the bands are the same in all models outside the US. GST is included and it's well under 1000 bucks so no issues with customs etc.

I was about to pull the trigger but ended up with a Samsung S10e for $850 from Spark.

How are you liking the S10e? I usually go for a lower price point but this seems like a great phone at that price, especially with NZ warranty support etc. I spend a lot of time on the water so the IP rating is a draw too

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Handle9

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#2440741 18-Mar-2020 15:12

timmmay:

Based on what I've read I think all in-screen fingerprint readers should be avoided.

The Huawei one in the P30 Pro is excellent.

timmmay

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#2441003 19-Mar-2020 08:40

The S10e seems to be the "entry level" of the Samsung flagship. Are there any midrange to upper midrange Samsung phones that are worth considering? They have so many models it's hard to look at them all. Strong preference for one without an in-screen fingerprint reader.

One thing I liked about my S4 (which my toddler still uses to watch videos when we need to bribe him) is it has a pedometer (with altitude sensor), temperature sensor, and a few others from memory.

ShinyChrome

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#2441017 19-Mar-2020 09:14

Handle9:
timmmay:

Based on what I've read I think all in-screen fingerprint readers should be avoided.

The Huawei one in the P30 Pro is excellent.

Despite a lot of reviews noting to the contrary, I feel the S20 one is pretty damn good as well, especially for being an ultrasonic one. Certainly more responsive and less picky than my old Note9, for whatever that is worth. Being able to use my thumbprint is a massive difference itself.

I feel like a lot of the bad press stems from a mix of gen. 1 teething issues, poor tolerances for screen protectors, and a few really just plain poor implementations.

jonathan18

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#2441194 19-Mar-2020 12:16

timmmay:

The S10e seems to be the "entry level" of the Samsung flagship. Are there any midrange to upper midrange Samsung phones that are worth considering? They have so many models it's hard to look at them all. Strong preference for one without an in-screen fingerprint reader.

This page states the S10E has the fingerprint reader on the side of the phone, which sounds preferable to the solution in the rest of the 10 range (though may make a fully protective case a more difficult proposition).

Given the S10E is well under $1k now ($849 from Spark, according to PriceSpy), it seems to offer pretty decent value for money, especially if you're not after a huge screen; I'd be looking closer at one for my wife if I could persuade her to move on from her Nokia 7 Plus (I find it frustrating to use a phone these days without an AMOLED screen; bit like watching TV on the 'kids'' LCD vs the OLED!).

I've read some stuff on the recent mid-range models such as the A71, which haven't exactly been rave reviews. That said, for those who don't care too much about top performance the lower-range models do have their fans - my sister loves her A50.

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