i'm looking for a smartphone around $400 , what you recommend?

camera quality and such is not a necessity but everything overall to be as best as possible

thanks

 

Iphone SE

 

Sony Xperia 10 V is great. Compact form factor without being too small, headphone jack, waterproof, one of the best battery life on the market, good OLED screen, good enough camera, stock Android, microSD card slot, no front camera cutout and powerful enough chip if you don't plan to run very heavy apps. And it's under your budget.

 

My fav phone of all time is

Galaxy S9

Because I only need this for loading up with multimedia (endless music/podcasts in mp3)
So I never ever use a SIM card in this phone it's always offline & always on Airplane mode
It is a steal right now on eBay and I was surprised it has brand new like performance/battery life
I think it is a refreshed phone maybe they put brand new battery in (I have no idea there is no sing/glue smell)
I only need to charge it like every 2 weeks
The official specs say it only accepts up to 128 GB SD card...but nah...it handles 512 GB
So Headphone jack, it's very important to me I can use with my DT770 Pro
The Super AMOLED screen is unbeatable still better than any $1300+ iphone screen quality
My main phone is for everything is a Galaxy S23 for calls/5G internet..etc camera quality is amazing video recording supports x265
It is at a good price now because I bought it when it was released in 2023 february today's price is way less

 

Actually, in this age of non-existent privacy, a smart phone is looking for you

 

$400 for a device to track your every move doesn't sound like a bargain. I'm looking for an exit from the smartphone experience. suggest you don't chain your freedoms to a window for big brother into your entire existence. but if you must use an rf blocking pouch when you don't need to be called/tracked. its called a Faraday bag,.

No Snooping Allowed Faraday Bag(2 Pack),RFID Signal Blocking Bag Shielding Pouch Wallet Case for Cell Phone Privacy Protection and Car Key FOB,...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JWF1WT4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

11$ for a pair of them....

 

I'm also thinking about buying a new smartphone. The price should also be around 400 euros. After a bit of research, I'm thinking about a Google Pixel 7a. It has a good camera and security updates until at least 2028. Updates are important. Unfortunately, only Google, Apple and Samsung have good update policies. I would buy an iPhone in a heartbeat, but I think the value for money is poor. Apple's smartphones are too expensive for me.

 

Phone is a big tamagotchi.

 

Google Pixel 8

 

I've done the Pixel twice a Pixel 3 and a Pixel 6 Pro but as of late the Google Algorithm which you will deal with constantly if you are on a G_Platform product is just focused on bombarding me with conspiracy theories and "news" from special reporters who don't need facts, etc...I've carried two phones for over a decade and a half and last year was the first time they were both iPhones.

The hardware was pretty good and if you travel internationally a Pixel might be marginally better than an iPhone on even the worst networks.

Alas, the functionality is about the same and if you need your phone to be a phone first and not a toy but enjoy a bit of random digital news on the crapper or in airports the quality of life is much better with an iPhone, as is durability.

Your experiences will vary, but to me it looks like the entire Google ecosystem has turned to shit.

 

Generally, I'd recommend getting a Pixel. To me, as someone who cares about the design (both the phone and system UI) it is the only Android device I would consider getting (well, also the Nothing phones too).

Especially if you live in Europe, you can safely buy an Android phone. I just recommend the Pixel line, because of long OS support.

If I could have a second phone, it would be a Pixel or a Nothing Phone 2. I do prefer smaller phones, so the Phone 2 unfortunately is not for me.

I do have to say, if you care about privacy and etc. you can watch some Louis Rossman videos about custom ROMs oriented for that. But bye bye good system design - stock AOSP isn't as pleasant to look at.

I myself have an iPhone though. As a designer, Apple does sometimes prefer form over function, which honestly I don't mind, because I like pretty pictures more than a functional, utilitarian design lol.

 

Good old Siemens... This one was as smart as the caller.

No WhatsApp, though. Shame.

I am also looking for a smartphone. 1st one ever. I feel weird. I do need the best camera I can get on a smartphone, though. The phone part is less interesting for me. A camera that looks good enough for making videos, videos of dark places. Maybe someone can recommend something? Samsung Galaxy?

I'll have a look at S9. Seems good quality for the price. Thanks PartyShit!

 

Last edited: Apr 14, 2024

Please take it seriously, that model is not really portable, you can't bring it with you everywhere.
I would go on something like that



though a bit expensive

 

as a side note, its very powerful, you can make popcorn by putting the bag next to the phone and calling Siberia for 3 minutes..

 

I actually try to use Google's services as little as possible. For example, I've been using Startpage instead of Google as my search engine for years. (Startpage uses Google for its search results.) I want to do the same on my smartphone. I mainly use my laptop. I only want the smartphone to use a few apps. And to make phone calls.

I don't really care about the design of a smartphone. I'll drop it on the third day anyway and there'll be a dent in the plastic.

I'd love to have the Fairphone. But it's quite expensive. I also like a good camera. And the camera on the Pixel seems better. But I like the concept of the Fairphone. Unfortunately, Fairphone doesn't seem to be very fast when it comes to new updates. But they do provide their smartphones with updates over a long period of time. The smartphones can also be upgraded with new components. If the price was a bit lower, I would buy a Fairphone in a heartbeat.

But I hope that when the new Pixel 8a comes out in May, I'll be able to get the Pixel 7a for around 350 euros.

 

If you want to create music on the go and/or hook up an audio interface and do on-location recording then an iPhone is really the only sane choice.

 

I would like to help you but I don't do or believe in personal, portable low-jacks (aka cellphones), never have, never will. Two landlines are quite enough for me.

 

Also can double as a blunt instrument to possibly get you out of a jam in a dark alley??