New phone or mp3 player?

[4k4uNuNu]

Never been a big fan of phones, so long as I can call your my mum, I've been happy. Currently rocking some mediatek POS that is slower than a snail through treacle, but it still makes calls, does messages and can watch a bit of youtube. I was happy with my sub hundred pound phone (moto E3).

But the pandemic and lockdowns have been making me go for more walks/jogs for exercise, and the mp3 player, while ok, isn't that great. Should I look into a better phone or a better mp3 player? I don't want to spend a huge amount of money on this, £150-£200 max, but preferably a lot lower than that if possible. I noticed some second hand iphone 6s (the last to have headphone jacks) are under a hundred, do they offer the same audio quality as the old ipods used to?

I guess I should ask about headphones too, I'm using an old pair of cheap sennheisers, I like them wired, I would drop wireless all the time, knowing my luck probably down into one of the numerous piles of dog poo on my walks.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Cowon Plenue D

 

[chaparral]

I would pick a mobile phone as you would only need to carry 1 item instead of 2 items

 

[SexyGreyFox]

It all depends what sound he wants.
If he wants superb sound from a phone then he will have to go what I went through last year to find a phone that plays music to a decent standard.
I am now happy with my £599 Sony Xperia 5ii and Cambridge Melomania 1s however my Cowon Plenue D and Fidue A83s walk over it.
If you just want to play MP3s and not bothered about good quality sound then get a cheap phone.
I've got to admit I was very happy with my Moto G8 Plus and Cambridge Melomania s but the Sony goes a few levels higher.

 

[Fubsy]

I had the same Cowon that SGF is banging on about and it's great, also still have those A83s. How did we end up with the same combo?!.

I've since sold and moved onto the Hiby R3 Pro as I wanted something a little more modern with wireless capabilities. I use it with the Fidue A83s and if required I can switch to a BT set like the Sony WF/WH XM3s, you can get sets that cut the cord but still go around your neck if worried about dropping - really can't complain with this device either, and even go as far as say it's overall a better package than the old Cowon.

I still however use my phone a lot for music and audio books. But would still choose the DAP for more serious listening or music focused activity as the battery life is better, the storage options are expandable and the sound quality is as much as you're willing to pay for.

If you need a new phone anyway, better to just 2 birds 2 stone it and get a device that will have decent battery life, expandable storage (unless you have a streaming service), call your mum and have a headphone jack.

The OnePlus Nord N100 @ £180 ticks 3 of those boxes, but like most phones nowadays is missing the audio jack. You'd then have to budget in some neck band style BT headphones/buds.

The iPhones you've mentioned would also do the trick, but would be wary of the state of battery and security updates going forward.

 

[Randomface74]

just grab a decent value phone, the Samsung A41 comes to mind but there's loads of choice. Stick your requirements in the phone finder: https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3

 

[kona786]

If it were me... Find a phone with Bluetooth 5.0 and decent storage.

SoundPEATS TrueFree2. For the money they're impressive.

 

[4K8KW10]

It all depends what sound he wants.
If he wants superb sound from a phone then he will have to go what I went through last year to find a phone that plays music to a decent standard.
I am now happy with my £599 Sony Xperia 5ii and Cambridge Melomania 1s however my Cowon Plenue D and Fidue A83s walk over it.
If you just want to play MP3s and not bothered about good quality sound then get a cheap phone.
I've got to admit I was very happy with my Moto G8 Plus and Cambridge Melomania s but the Sony goes a few levels higher.

So much with the myth that it's best to listen to the radio streaming on the phone lol

 

[Smeghead]

I'm not adverse to a separate device for music, but only when you're in an environment where you can actually appreciate. Are you really going to be able to pick out the difference between a 320kbps MP3 and FLAC when you're huffing and puffing out jogging, or when you're doing the dog walk and half distracted avoiding dog poo and making sure your dog doesn't run into the road etc.?

Plus, you get more utility with a phone. You can load up your music, load up podcasts/audiobooks, add exercise or route apps, a camera if you need one in a pinch and so on.

 

[james.miller]

So much with the myth that it's best to listen to the radio streaming on the phone lol

Oh dont try and muddy the thread with your dab worshiping BS.

@4k4uNuNu, i'd first try to identify what's wrong with your current setup, or rather what needs improving, then you might get more sensible suggestions. for example you said the mp3 player was not brilliant but...not brilliant how? is it jus the software? that can be changed. is the SQ fine but battery life is toilet? A new phone would fix that etc. etc.

I'm using an old pair of cheap sennheisers,

Which earphones? There are some brilliant bargains to be had these days.