Android Phone for under £150?

PiKe · 17 Aug 2017 at 14:05

I currently have a Moto 4G (XT1039) which is getting a bit old in the tooth and I keep having random issues with functionality which require a full reset of the phone, so I'm looking for a replacement.

My requirements would be that is has at least 3GB RAM, MicroSD slot, 4G. I would also like to have NFC and a fingerprint scanner so I can use Android Pay.

Is there anything out there that fits the bill?

BaldJedi · 17 Aug 2017 at 14:34

not quite under £150 but at £159.99 and only 2GB ram, the nokia 5 is a solid phone worth considering

MoistVonLipwig · 17 Aug 2017 at 18:09

More options at that price if you consider refurbished phones (or Chinese imports, though they're not my thing and I couldn't tell you anything about them).

Moto E4 Plus from John Lewis? £149 with 2-year guarantee.

Aside from price, enormous battery (5000 mAh), "premium feel" metal body, and largely stock Android 7 are the main selling points but it does seem to have what you want: 3 GB memory, MicroSD slot (up to 128 GB), 4G, NFC, fingerprint sensor. Personal thing: I like that it has a magnetometer.

Limitations: only 16 GB built-in storage (there is a 32 GB version out there but don't know if it's for sale in the UK?) and you lose out on screen and processor. Battery also makes it rather heavy. Personal thing: I don't like the lack of notification LED.

PiKe · 17 Aug 2017 at 18:37

Actually, good point on the notification LED, I just figured that was a standard thing these days.

How do people rate Huawei?

MoistVonLipwig · 17 Aug 2017 at 19:45

PiKe said:
Actually, good point on the notification LED, I just figured that was a standard thing these days.

Yeah, whatever happened to notification lights? Last time I was in the market for a budget android they seemed ubiquitous. Had a look lately and seems they've been promoted to some kind of mid-to-high-end feature. Putting my conspiracy theorist's hat on, I wonder if it's to force business users, who mostly just want voice, email and browsing, to buy phones absurdly overpowered for their needs but in a more profitable price segment. Or maybe most consumers just hate them, though I'm sure there's a setting to turn them off..

When I posted a thread for Lasting, budget phone with notification light and compass ("budget" for me meant "up to £250, and I'll pay more if it'll last me longer") a couple of people did suggest Huawei and there are some suggestions in there that might work for you.

PiKe · 17 Aug 2017 at 20:10

What did you decide on in the end or are you still looking?

RastaManBob · 17 Aug 2017 at 21:05

MoistVonLipwig said:
Moto E4 Plus from John Lewis? £149 with 2-year guarantee.

Thanks for the heads up - This certainly helped me. I had convinced myself on the G5 but the extra RAM, compass, NFC (Android Pay!), front camera flash and huge battery sold me. My wife will certainly not miss the processor or the pixel density (and indeed will probably prefer the larger screen size). I see many mixed messages on the camera but I've found several comparisons that show the E4 Plus camera being on-par with the G5 (but much worse than the G5 Plus) - This is my only worry. I did notice the 16GB storage with apparently 10GB available. This in itself should probably be enough but paired with a 32 GB uSD for £12.50 (including a 10 year guarantee!) any minor niggle has been removed. The notification LED will be of no concern to her. Add to all of this the lower price and two year guarantee and it's a no-brainer for my needs. Thank you!

Tek81 · 18 Aug 2017 at 11:34

PiKe said:
Actually, good point on the notification LED, I just figured that was a standard thing these days.

How do people rate Huawei?

I've been using a Huawei P9 for the last twelve months. It's decent enough, although the fingerprint scanner can be a pain. Sometimes just refusing to work.

PiKe · 18 Aug 2017 at 11:44

tek81 said:
I've been using a Huawei P9 for the last twelve months. It's decent enough, although the fingerprint scanner can be a pain. Sometimes just refusing to work.

Is the notification light very visible? It's been suggested it's quite dim.

Tek81 · 18 Aug 2017 at 11:48

PiKe said:
Is the notification light very visible? It's been suggested it's quite dim.

Can't say I've noticed any issues with it. Seems quite vibrant to me.

RastaManBob · 21 Aug 2017 at 22:28

MoistVonLipwig said:
Personal thing: I like that it has a magnetometer.
Personal thing: I don't like the lack of notification LED.

My wife's Moto E4 Plus arrived today. I've just spent the evening setting it up. It's a little larger (particularly in depth) and heavier than I expected but that's largely as a result of the battery and certainly not helped by the large (somewhat rugged) case that I've put on it.

Interestingly (particularly so given your two 'Personal thing' comments above!) the device does have a (nice bright!) notification LED however it does not have a magnetometer. Google Maps will not calibrate and I've checked with CPU-Z and no magnetometer/compass is included. If you look on the Moto website there is no mention of this sensor on the E4 Plus. It's a shame but I don't think it will ultimately affect my wife!

mrk · 23 Aug 2017 at 11:05

Xperia L1 is a good shout at £119~

I have bought a number of these in at work and set users up. A really decent handset that looks and feels well above its price point.`

UTmaniac · 23 Aug 2017 at 14:52

RastaManBob said:
My wife's Moto E4 Plus arrived today. I've just spent the evening setting it up. It's a little larger (particularly in depth) and heavier than I expected but that's largely as a result of the battery and certainly not helped by the large (somewhat rugged) case that I've put on it.

Interestingly (particularly so given your two 'Personal thing' comments above!) the device does have a (nice bright!) notification LED however it does not have a magnetometer. Google Maps will not calibrate and I've checked with CPU-Z and no magnetometer/compass is included. If you look on the Moto website there is no mention of this sensor on the E4 Plus. It's a shame but I don't think it will ultimately affect my wife!

http://www.johnlewis.com/moto-e4-pl...?colour=Grey&navAction=jump&_requestid=128930 has magnetometer in specs... But http://www.motorola.co.uk/products/moto-e-plus-gen-4 does not :/

MoistVonLipwig · 23 Aug 2017 at 17:53

RastaManBob said:
My wife's Moto E4 Plus arrived today. I've just spent the evening setting it up. It's a little larger (particularly in depth) and heavier than I expected but that's largely as a result of the battery and certainly not helped by the large (somewhat rugged) case that I've put on it.

Interestingly (particularly so given your two 'Personal thing' comments above!) the device does have a (nice bright!) notification LED however it does not have a magnetometer. Google Maps will not calibrate and I've checked with CPU-Z and no magnetometer/compass is included. If you look on the Moto website there is no mention of this sensor on the E4 Plus. It's a shame but I don't think it will ultimately affect my wife!

Gah! Thanks for that. I detest trying to figure out specs from the web. Lots of places online say it doesn't have a notification LED and you have to make up with Moto Display as an alternative... but I wonder if it ships without the LED in some markets and with it in others. And John Lewis explicitly say it has a magnetometer, which is why I was so sure that it did! That's a bit of a naughty mistake, bearing in mind there are people out there who treat a compass as a make-or-break deal.