Best NZ Android phone right now that's not the S10?

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Taubin

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Topic # 248378 23-Mar-2019 19:06

My Nexus 5X is in sore need of being replaced, so I'm starting to look at phones. I'm not really interested in the S10 due to the locked bootlocker and the price for what you get. Other than that phone, keeping the budget below say $1,500 what is the best android phone right now? I'm not interested in parallel imported, so the Pixel 3 and OnePlus are out.

I've been looking at the pocophone f1, but haven't seen one in person. I see the LG V40 is coming out at the end of the week as well, but haven't seen a whole lot on them. Any suggestions as to what I should be looking at? I prefer having a headphone jack but it's not a must, camera quality of decent or better, and of course decent battery life.

I know this is a broadish question but I'm looking for what others are using currently and what they are liking. The phone won't be replaced ideally for 3 or more years. The Mate 20 also looks decent but I'm not sure how I feel about Huawei.

Thanks for any suggestions. Cheers.

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Reply # 2203919 23-Mar-2019 20:23

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Just putting out there what I've been using for the last few weeks is the Xiaomi Mi Max 3. Its a beast. 6.9 inch screen so not for everyone but it's not as ridiculous as I thought it may have been, still fits in the pocket haha. Its awesome to have such a large display in my opinion. Its got a good camera and a massive battery I'm only charging every second day. Possibly the best thing about it though is the price at only $350 NZ ..crazy value. I can't justify paying what phone's these days cost

Cheers

TheoM

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Reply # 2203970 23-Mar-2019 20:53

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I have to go with the OnePlus 6T. I switched (willingly!) to it from an iPhone X. It retails for $999 at PB iirc. Personally I like it. Sorta. The in display fingerprint reader needs some work, other than that I love it

Hi! I'm TheoM, but you know that already. I run Linux mirrors in NZ together with 2degrees. Like a mirror added? PM me!

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Taubin

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Reply # 2203971 23-Mar-2019 20:55

TheoM:

I have to go with the OnePlus 6T. I switched (willingly!) to it from an iPhone X. It retails for $999 at PB iirc. Personally I like it. Sorta. The in display fingerprint reader needs some work, other than that I love it

Unfortunately even at PB Tech they are parallel imported aren't they? I'm not sold on the display fingerprints on phones, I've yet to hear really good things about them. I use the one on my current N5X all the time so if it's inaccurate like I've heard on the S10, it's unfortunately a no-go.

TheoM

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Reply # 2203974 23-Mar-2019 21:14

Taubin:

TheoM:

I have to go with the OnePlus 6T. I switched (willingly!) to it from an iPhone X. It retails for $999 at PB iirc. Personally I like it. Sorta. The in display fingerprint reader needs some work, other than that I love it

Unfortunately even at PB Tech they are parallel imported aren't they? I'm not sold on the display fingerprints on phones, I've yet to hear really good things about them. I use the one on my current N5X all the time so if it's inaccurate like I've heard on the S10, it's unfortunately a no-go.

They are, but CGA and FTA applies (since PB is a NZ company). The one on mine isn't inaccurate, it just has issues when the lighting conditions are very bright. Anything less than direct sunlight has no issues unlocking the phone

Hi! I'm TheoM, but you know that already. I run Linux mirrors in NZ together with 2degrees. Like a mirror added? PM me!

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Taubin

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Reply # 2203977 23-Mar-2019 21:19

Good point, I'll swing into PB tomorrow if I have a chance and see if they have any on display.

kingjj

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Reply # 2203980 23-Mar-2019 21:32

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Taubin:

My Nexus 5X is in sore need of being replaced, so I'm starting to look at phones. I'm not really interested in the S10 due to the locked bootlocker and the price for what you get. Other than that phone, keeping the budget below say $1,500 what is the best android phone right now? I'm not interested in parallel imported, so the Pixel 3 and OnePlus are out.

I've been looking at the pocophone f1, but haven't seen one in person. I see the LG V40 is coming out at the end of the week as well, but haven't seen a whole lot on them. Any suggestions as to what I should be looking at? I prefer having a headphone jack but it's not a must, camera quality of decent or better, and of course decent battery life.

I know this is a broadish question but I'm looking for what others are using currently and what they are liking. The phone won't be replaced ideally for 3 or more years. The Mate 20 also looks decent but I'm not sure how I feel about Huawei.

Thanks for any suggestions. Cheers.

Have got a Pocophone F1 which I brought parallel imported. It's an interesting phone. On paper the price vs performance is unbeatable, however it still has little quirks over 6 months from launch. For a while mine was hardly usable due to a touch screen freezing bug which has been fixed in the latest MIUI update. There are still some issues with Ghosting occasionally though which is apparently going to fixed in the next stable release later this month or early next. The screen is very good but not AMOLED standards by any stretch. SOT for me is around 10-12 hours as I'm not a gamer and I keep the screen rather dim. The camera is good - you can get a port of GCam which does amazing Night Shots. I switch between the stock and GCam apps depending on time of day and what I'm doing. If you don't mind flashing a new ROM there is a lot of development for the F1 including an EU version which has a lot of features and extras not available in stock (and strips out all of the Chinese apps and extras). The face unlock does not yet work in NZ (has not been enabled unless you use a custom ROM or switch countries). The fingerprint reader is fantastic though.

All in all if you don't mind a few quirks and having to import your accessories, the F1 is a great phone for the price. Once you put a nice case on it you don't even notice the plastic build (which is sturdy enough). For $540 landed for 6gb/128gb you really cant go wrong.

Taubin

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Reply # 2204114 24-Mar-2019 08:13

The screen freeze and ghosting in the Pocophone is a bit disheartening. I'm used to the screen on the N5X so the LED screen should be okay. Same with the plastic. I'll see if I can pop into the Mi store in Auckland and have some hands on with it at some point. I've done a bit of searching and I'm a bit torn on it. The price for what you get seems quite good.

regius

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Reply # 2204132 24-Mar-2019 09:47

I'm in the same position as you. My Nexus 5x is due for replacement. I'm considering the Nokia range, either 8.1 or the new 9 if the price is OK when it"s launched within a few weeks. The almost pure version of Android (Android One) appeals to me.

jeeg

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Reply # 2204151 24-Mar-2019 10:36

If I didn't have the iPhone XS Max and S10+, I'd get the Mate 20 Pro or Mate 20 X.

kingjj

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Reply # 2204216 24-Mar-2019 13:25

Taubin:

The screen freeze and ghosting in the Pocophone is a bit disheartening. I'm used to the screen on the N5X so the LED screen should be okay. Same with the plastic. I'll see if I can pop into the Mi store in Auckland and have some hands on with it at some point. I've done a bit of searching and I'm a bit torn on it. The price for what you get seems quite good.

It seems to be very hit or miss as the whether you get those issues or not. By the sounds of it the ghosting is more of an issue on the original screens, they switched in Dec (I think...) to a new screen which is rarely affected by the ghosting but still got hit with the freezing. 99% of people (from reading the MIUI forum) have the issue resolved with the latest update.

One thing I forgot to mention about the F1 is MIUI 10 and its screen gestures. They are amazing. I've yet to find them done so well on any other ROM. My last few phones have had physical buttons, the F1 is all screen. I was dismayed to have to use the on screen buttons until I turned on the gestures. They are very well done and you feel like you've used them you're whole life after a few minutes.

Would be interested to hear your thoughts if you do play with one.

Taubin

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Reply # 2204252 24-Mar-2019 14:07

Well, after going out to various stores today, and feeling a bunch of different phones, I've changed my tune a little bit. The S10 simply feels like a great phone. I'm not a huge fan of not being able to unlock the bootloader, however Android P and Q don't have anything I would absolutely need to unlock one for that I can find. I wasn't able to find anyplace that had a Pixel 3 (Including PB Tech and the local Parallel Imported). I'm currently down to the S10 (not the plus) and the LG V40 (Because of the deal PB has with the Bose quiet comfort headphones coming with it if pre-ordered).

So I'm off to find reviews with both, and see what the absolute negatives of both are before deciding. I did have a play with the Mate 20 Pro and after feeling it side by side with the S10, I'm just not sure I can trust Huawei more than I can Samsung (or equally).

Despite the title (sorry can't change it), I'm down to the V40 and the S20. I don't want the smaller S10 because of numerous reports of false unlocks in pockets. Though I'm a bit leery of the in-screen unlock on the regular one.