New Android Phone

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ronw

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#304589 17-May-2023 20:52

I am looking for a new Android phone to replace a Nokia 7.1
Any suggestions as to a suitable replacement below $1000
I have an awful lot of apps so would want a phone that can cope with that. Would also like wifi calling and 5G
Thanks

Nokia 7 Plus
Nexus 6P 32Gb
Nexus 6 Phone
Nexus 5 Phone
Nexus 7 2013 Tablet
Samsung TAB A 8"
Samsung TAB A 10"

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#3077292 17-May-2023 21:48

You have so many options checkout the Samsung handsets on your carriers websites and pick one

CokemonZ

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#3077295 17-May-2023 22:03

Pbtech have the fold 3 for 992 right now.
I'd buy that!

shk292

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#3077357 18-May-2023 08:08

I've been looking at S23 or S23+ to replace a S10e, but I just can't get my head around the price of these flagships

Thinking I might go for the A54 and just live with the slight shortcomings. I don't play 3D games or do anything too demanding

Advantage of sticking with Samsung is that the networks support them well in terms of VoLTE, VoWIFI etc

I don't trust anything with moving parts so the various folding phones are out for me

jamesrt

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#3077366 18-May-2023 08:55

shk292:

I've been looking at S23 or S23+ to replace a S10e, but I just can't get my head around the price of these flagships

Thinking I might go for the A54 and just live with the slight shortcomings. I don't play 3D games or do anything too demanding

Advantage of sticking with Samsung is that the networks support them well in terms of VoLTE, VoWIFI etc

I don't trust anything with moving parts so the various folding phones are out for me

Have literally just got yesterday an A54 supplied by work - it seems perfectly fine; 128Gb storage; 8Gb RAM; dual SIM (interesting double-sided SIM card holder); checked with two SIMs OK

Also, the phone complains when the SIM tray is ejected, stating to be sure it's inserted fully to help prevent water damage - it's IP67 rated, apparently.

5G/VoLTE (vodafone); supports WiFi calling.

Nice screen.

I think they're around $800 ?

EDIT: Confirm dual-SIM functionality

frankv

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#3077367 18-May-2023 08:58

5G and WiFi calling won't narrow it down much, unless you're comparing older phones to newer ones, so think about other criteria. I found this list useful when I was choosing a new phone last year.

Price
5G
Wifi calling
Battery life
Physical size
Sunlight screen readability
Memory size
Camera & video capabilities
SD card slot and/or dual SIMs
Android version
Bluetooth version
5GHz WiFi
Type-C USB connector & 15W charging
15W Qi wireless charging
Processing power
Other sensors... accelerometers, mag field, temperature, barometric pressure, ...
Ruggedness (waterproof, shockproof)
Onscreen or physical tasks, home, back buttons
Other buttons
Fingerprint reader
NFC
I've probably missed some...

Some of these are much the same across most devices, except maybe older vs newer ones. Some you may not even care about. But I suggest pick the "must-have" and "want-the-best" features and you'll probably be down to 3 or 4 phones in your price bracket, at which point choose the one with the most "nice/cool" features.

shk292

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#3077383 18-May-2023 09:12

This table is useful (for Spark) in showing compatibility with various services: https://www.spark.co.nz/help/mobile/device-help/device_compatibility_list/

IP68 (or close) is important to me for time on the water. Also having used NFC payments for a while, couldn't do without it now.

Hate to say it, but I'm also considering Iphone 13/14 because they stack up quite well against Galaxy S23

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jamesrt

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#3077386 18-May-2023 09:18

shk292:

This table is useful (for Spark) in showing compatibility with various services: https://www.spark.co.nz/help/mobile/device-help/device_compatibility_list/

IP68 (or close) is important to me for time on the water. Also having used NFC payments for a while, couldn't do without it now.

Hate to say it, but I'm also considering Iphone 13/14 because they stack up quite well against Galaxy S23

FYI, the A54 packaging states IP67 "Water & Dust Resistant"

shk292

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#3077390 18-May-2023 09:30

jamesrt:

FYI, the A54 packaging states IP67 "Water & Dust Resistant"

Yes, I think that's good enough for me - I don't want to (intentionally) go swimming with it, but I do use for navigation while boating so needs to be able to get heavily splashed.

The definitions of the IP ratings are:

IPX7: Can be submerged up to 1 meter in water for 30 minutes.
IPX8: Can be submerged deeper than 1 meter. The exact depth is specified by the manufacturer

So I would hope that IP67 would still work if I fell in from my dinghy and needed to make a phone call. IP68 would give more confidence

I see the A54 isn't detailed on the Spark page I linked (too new?) but the specs here https://www.sparkdigital.co.nz/solutions/mobility/mobile/phones/samsung-galaxy-a54-5g.html?deviceCode=Device967 say it's good for VoWIFI

openmedia

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#3077487 18-May-2023 12:53

ronw: I am looking for a new Android phone to replace a Nokia 7.1
Any suggestions as to a suitable replacement below $1000
I have an awful lot of apps so would want a phone that can cope with that. Would also like wifi calling and 5G
Thanks

I've been hoping that Spark pick up the Nokia G60 as I'm trying to avoid all of the Samsung bloatware. I'm still on a Nokia 7.2 and also looking for an upgrade, but my budget is closer to $500 than $1000

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

MurrayM

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#3077554 18-May-2023 15:02

openmedia:

I've been hoping that Spark pick up the Nokia G60 as I'm trying to avoid all of the Samsung bloatware. I'm still on a Nokia 7.2 and also looking for an upgrade, but my budget is closer to $500 than $1000

Yeah the bloatware that Samsung add is what turns me off them.

jamesrt

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#3077556 18-May-2023 15:05

openmedia:

I've been hoping that Spark pick up the Nokia G60 as I'm trying to avoid all of the Samsung bloatware. I'm still on a Nokia 7.2 and also looking for an upgrade, but my budget is closer to $500 than $1000

When I gave up on my personal Nokia 7.2 I bought an Oppo CPH2197 (aka A74 5G) - seems a perfectly fine phone; and better supported than my Nokia 7.2 was - VoLTE, VoWiFi, 5G, and rock stable WearOS connectivity too. It does have a few minor issues with Bluetooth not talking to my car - rebooting clears that, and that could potentially be the car anyway - BlueTooth is a horrible kludge of mis-matched standards anyway. My Sony Headphones "just work" with the Oppo.

It is, however, ColorOS rather than a "pure" Android; but that's really not that much different to Samsung/One UI anyway from a practical end-user perspective; the N7.2 experience was so bad it's put me off using a Nokia again for the short term - I'll do the research again next round, of course.

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openmedia

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#3077567 18-May-2023 16:32

jamesrt:

When I gave up on my personal Nokia 7.2 I bought an Oppo CPH2197 (aka A74 5G) - seems a perfectly fine phone; and better supported than my Nokia 7.2 was - VoLTE, VoWiFi, 5G, and rock stable WearOS connectivity too. It does have a few minor issues with Bluetooth not talking to my car - rebooting clears that, and that could potentially be the car anyway - BlueTooth is a horrible kludge of mis-matched standards anyway. My Sony Headphones "just work" with the Oppo.

It is, however, ColorOS rather than a "pure" Android; but that's really not that much different to Samsung/One UI anyway from a practical end-user perspective; the N7.2 experience was so bad it's put me off using a Nokia again for the short term - I'll do the research again next round, of course.

What were your issues with the Nokia 7.2. Personally happy, although I have similar BT issues with my car that you describe with your Oppo. Thanks for the warning about ColorOS, looks like Oppo won't be on my list alongside Samsung.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

jonathan18

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#3077574 18-May-2023 16:51

openmedia:

I've been hoping that Spark pick up the Nokia G60 as I'm trying to avoid all of the Samsung bloatware. I'm still on a Nokia 7.2 and also looking for an upgrade, but my budget is closer to $500 than $1000

I'm no Samsung fanboi but also I'm really not convinced by the argument that Samsung 'bloatware' is justification enough to not elect to use their phones; what's the bet that any frustration or delays on a modern phone caused by this 'bloatware' is insignificant compared to the pleasures of nursing a way older and slower phone. And this is not even taking into account that such old phones are likely to no longer be receiving updates so are increasingly a security risk (eg looks like Nokia 7.2 stopped getting security updates in Sept 22).

I get it IRT the Samsungs of yore - not only was TouchWiz bloated in the sense of extra crud, but it made for a slow and cumbersome UX. One UI really doesn't have these problems.

Of course, this is totally a personal call and yours and yours only to make; it's just a little hairshirt-y for me.

openmedia

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#3077588 18-May-2023 17:39

jonathan18:

I'm no Samsung fanboi but also I'm really not convinced by the argument that Samsung 'bloatware' is justification enough to not elect to use their phones; what's the bet that any frustration or delays on a modern phone caused by this 'bloatware' is insignificant compared to the pleasures of nursing a way older and slower phone. And this is not even taking into account that such old phones are likely to no longer be receiving updates so are increasingly a security risk (eg looks like Nokia 7.2 stopped getting security updates in Sept 22).

I get it IRT the Samsungs of yore - not only was TouchWiz bloated in the sense of extra crud, but it made for a slow and cumbersome UX. One UI really doesn't have these problems.

Of course, this is totally a personal call and yours and yours only to make; it's just a little hairshirt-y for me.

I'm always having a fight stopping the Samsung apps taking over as defaults on family member's phones. If you're mostly using the Google Ecosystem I don't need their Calendar, Email, Contacts, Gallery etc, many of which can't be disabled except via adb hacks.

Recently discovered a family members One Drive had been automatically filled to capacity with photo backups by Samsung Gallery on a Galaxy S21. They we actually using Google Photos backup and had never configured the One Drive backup.

Give me a vanilla phone any day of the week.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

jamesrt

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#3077643 18-May-2023 19:39

openmedia:

What were your issues with the Nokia 7.2.

Software instability; bad support from the manufacturer; lack of timely updates; stalling and stuttering; display hard to read outdoors; and minimal support for modern features like VoLTE from Spark [partially also Nokia's fault from what I understand].

openmedia:

Thanks for the warning about ColorOS, looks like Oppo won't be on my list alongside Samsung.

Wasn't supposed to be a warning; just a reminder that the Oppo is a skinned phone and not a "pure" Android. It's got some quite nice features in the software stack, actually; and has certainly not given me any major issues. I've had a major release (Android 13) and a follow-on security update in the last two months; so pretty happy.

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