Looking for an old, workhorse smartphone

[RKW]

Hi,

I am not at all interested in phones, but I cannot escape needing to have one for social and work purposes.

I have had an HTC Desire S for the last 5 years or so (I think), and it has served me pretty well over that time. However, it is definitely now on its last legs and it's probably time to get a new phone.

A bit of background - I did not choose this phone, it was sent to me by accident and Orange ultimately didn't want it back so let me keep it. I understand that at the time it was actually quite a high-spec device that was broadly comparable to the contemporary iPhone (but I could be completely wrong about this).

I cannot justify spending £400-500 on a phone, nor do I want to do so. However I am very sceptical about modern 'budget' smartphones in terms of reliability and longevity.

What I want is something that has decent battery life, an operating system that is current enough to run the few apps I use (bus times, train times, uber - I travel a lot) and is going to last me another 4 or 5 years. I do not want an iPhone.

Technology has moved on so much I imagine that most phones in the last few years will do what I need. Can anyone recommend an old phone that was previously high-spec but now is considered outdated and thus much cheaper? Is that something that even happens anymore?

Any help is much appreciated.

Regards,
Richard

 

[grudas]

Budget phones are perfectly fine! They'll be better than your desire which is very old, stick with a brand like xiaomi, zte, hauwei and you'll be able to pick a VERY nice spec device for £130 or so

 

[konicky]

For your needs I would go with a big brand budget phone like the Motorola Moto G 16GB which is currently £149 on Amazon.

 

[thebennyboy]

LG G4 maybe? Around £200 and has a removable battery so will last quite a while. Battery can be changed when needed if it starts to loose charge. Has NFC, quick charge 2.0 and full 4G support (all bands used in this country). I know you may not use those things but they are there should you ever want to use them.

 

[wijcc]

Where is the LG G4 available for £200? It is no longer available through Vodafone for £225

 

[AMDPower]

Where is the LG G4 available for £200? It is no longer available through Vodafone for £225

I have seen it for £199 at arg*s

EDIT

that is the LG G4 stylus.

 

[kona786]

Where is the LG G4 available for £200? It is no longer available through Vodafone for £225

Agreed. It hasn't been available in the low 200s for a long while.

 

[Christmas themed thank]

It is still available from Vodafone at £225. You just have to find a store that has stock.

 

[kona786]

Fair enough.

 

[jsmoke]

I am surprised nobody suggested the smart ultra 6, is probably a phablet though due to screen size, around £110.

 

[Danny207]

get a old nokia. more signal than looks and indestructible haha

 

[jsmoke]

get a old nokia. more signal than looks and indestructible haha

I find the signal better on old feature phones, why is that?

 

[Tunney]

I find the signal better on old feature phones, why is that?

There's lots of reasons but ultimately it's because signal strength used to be a bigger selling point and so was prioritised by manufacturers.

 

[roadie]

For your needs I would go with a big brand budget phone like the Motorola Moto G 16GB which is currently £149 on Amazon.

This would be my recommendation too, as my father has one and its great. Good screen and camera and feels great in my hand.

I believe there is a new model due soon though...

 

[kona786]

Yes definitely wait for the 2016 moto g. The Official announcement is very soon.

 

[boxman2000]

Yes definitely wait for the 2016 moto g. The Official announcement is very soon.

This.

Even the 3rd Gen is worth looking at if 4th Gen is over your budget (unlikely to be).