Help me finally get a smartphone

Alright, it has (finally) come time for me to upgrade to a smartphone. My LG Cosmos has served me well these past ~7 years, but it has finally shown its age and limitations. So now I'm upgrading to a smartphone.

I've so far found 2 phones that have really caught my eye:

Blackberry Priv:

ZTE Axon 7:

Now, before you all go bashing my choices, allow me to tell you my requirements.

First, is they both support an sd card slot which I intend to use for quick transfer of files such as music and photos between the phone and my computer. Second, is they both have pretty good cameras (not really a commodity these days as most smartphones have a nice camera). Third, they both have 'character'. What I mean by that is; they don't look the same as every other smartphone out there, similar yes, but they have unique characteristics that allow them to stand out which I like. And fourth is they both have ample battery life (I've been accustomed to charging my phone once a week or 2 up until recently).

Why I like the priv:

  • it's cheap. less than $300 for a pretty good smartphone.
  • keyboard. I like physical keys, but this board also functions as a trackpad supporting gestures on top of just typing.

Why I like the Axon:

  • fairly cheap. less than $400.
  • Supposedly better audio than most other phones.

Basically what I'm asking is whether or not the Axon is worth the additional $100. I don't plan to use my phone as most people do. Basically just calls, texts, photos, music, and very light browsing. Having the ability to do more in the event I want to is simply a nice touch.

If y'all have other recommendations that fit my requirements don't hesitate to put them in the comments. My budget is sub $400 (otherwise I'd seriously consider the edge 7 as well).

2 Likes

The ZTE Axon 7 is my choice for my next phone, primarily for the audio.
My current phone is a HTC One M8 harmon/kardon edition that I picked for the special audio features and it sounds great connected to the car stereo and out of the speakers.

The LG V10 at $288 is also recommended in this article. The HTC 10 and LG V20 are too expensive.

Check this site out for specs.

My only comment would be the same for anyone trying to select a new smartphone. Make sure it will get OS security patches and updates in a timely way. Preferably directly from the makers of the OS. Google in the case of Android. There is no way you would run an OS on a PC that is unsupported, why accept this on the computer in your pocket.

I would choose the ZTE Axon. Looks more elegant of these two.

I would also say that physical keyboards are more or less a marketing gimmick nowadays. See it as additional weight that can break besides the display.
After some time you will not miss it anymore.

Out of those two, go for the priv, it's cheaper. And it's going to take a while to get used to touchscreen. Practice as often as you can, but for when you do want or need to type fast, you actually have a choice which is great. Highly recommend you get protective glass.

I've been on Android since November (before that I had a Nokia Asha 302 and other dumbphones that did a pretty good job overall but I'm not a demanding user so yeah...). Android is a completely different beast, which is why I'd pick the cheapest option if I were you. That way you can pinpoint things that bother you more accurately (and it's going to be things that you haven't even thought of) so next time you buy, you actually have an idea what to expect from a certain screen size, a certain battery rating etc... And the giant phone is going to feel like you're holding a tray at first, it's not gonna become comfortable for at least a month or so.

Hey. :slight_smile: About android phones, Honor 6X, Moto G5 Plus, OnePlus 2 and LG G5 are some of the options you have. LG G5 in particular has decent specs, more notably RAM which helps multitasking a bit better and less frustrating as it often gets on Android phones, if you catch my drift.
about cameras.
Oneplus 2has 13-megapixel rear camera
LG G5 has a primary 16-megapixel camera
Moto G5 Plus has 12-megapixel camera
so there are some options if you're looking for a phone with a decent camera

LG G5 is my daily driver. It's pretty damn good for the price point. Gets hot at times though. Has the typical manufacturer bloatware you would expect on an Android phone. I have looked in to rooting it, but for the time being I am to lazy.

I just bought a refurbished LG V10 dual sim for god cheap.
Waiting for it to come in but the reviews are good.
And half a year chinese warranty.

A lot of 'character'.
SD cart slot up to 2TB.
Has military grade drop standards or sumtehin.
Refurbished it's cheap! (refurbished with OEM parts).
Battery life is average to good (need to uninstall some bloatware but with android 7 most people get two days on a charge).
Excellent camera. (still one of the absolute BEST on the market (beats the Iphone 6 like its nothing))
Excellent DAC. (many bits and good stuff)
Excellent screen.
and enough features to write home about

170 Euro's

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-LG-V10-4GB-RAM-64GB-ROM-5-7-Octa-Core-Android-5-1-LTE-4G/32752661897.html