Looking to buy one from Amazon or Flipkart during this Republic Day sale that starts tomorrow. She previously had a Poco. This time she wants something from a reputed brand only - in other words, Samsung only. I can probably convince her to include Oneplus and Nothing in that list.
Budget is a strict 20 - 22k after discounts. Usage is predominantly calls, whatsapp, youtube and some random games occasionally.
The Samsung A55 seems to be a popular choice, but I am worried that it is a 2 year old model, and may not support updates for long. Please let me know if there are any other options to consider.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Samsung only, I’d still prefer A55, because it is what it is, A series is better than m/f, specifically for water resistance and stuff.. And it’s not really mentioned on spec websites like gsmarena, even if two defices use the same chipset and stuff, samsung artificially locks down features to its premium phones.. Atleast they used to do that earlier, I had an a7 2018 few years back, that’s why I know this.. Maybe it has changed since, but I’m not sure..
If u are willing to look around for nothing, well I got a nothing phone 3 recently, I had my fair share of issues with nothing in past, but for this phone specifically, the experience has been great so far, the ui is clean and I didn’t have to root and stuff to get a good ui, Plus they keep bringing improvements with updates, in your budget u could look around the 3a/pro one thing to note is that they announce they’ll include bloat on budget devices going forward, even existing ones through software updates, but then again, all brands do that including samsung so u can’t really blame them..
Think Samsung M36 is enough, you don’t need M56 for WhatsApp / Youtube. You get 5 years of security update with Samsung, which is critical if you plan to keep your phone for a long time.
At this point, all Samsung phones are overpriced vs competition, even premium ones (because of battery).
IMO get CMF Phone 2 pro 8/256GB for 18k. Sure Samsung has more OS updates, but Samsung’s One UI is a heavy UI, so it will lag after few years in budget phones. Nothing’s UI is lighter in comparison, has got android 16 & will get 2 more OS updates.
IF she’s adamant about Samsung, get M56, as it is lighter than A55.
Thank you for your suggestions guys. Right now, I am a leaning a little towards the A55. The 8GB/128GB version should come to around 23.5k after discounts. The M56 is around 21k after discounts.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro looks interesting, although I am not sure if my mom will be convinced. Will show her the options and let her choose.
A change of plan, meaning a change of budget. The budget has been reduced to half of the previous budget, so it stands now at around 11 to 12k.
Brand is no longer a deciding factor. Need something that is value for money in this category, and can last for a couple of years. Redmi 13 Prime has been shortlisted for now. Any better alternatives?
Moto G57 Power 8/128GB for the chipset, battery & lighter + newer OS, 12.3k after CC discount.
CMF Phone 2 pro at 16.5k is still a great choice for a slightly higher price. It is worth the extra 4.5k for the display, camera, OS & lighter weight, though battery life will likely be better on Moto G57.
This is interesting. Seems to be the best pick right now in terms of VFM. But I am not seeing 12.3 anywhere. The cheapest on FK is 14k, and maximum possible discount is rs.750.
UI has some issues, but at this price, you can’t choose. Almost all Samsung budget phones are underpowered. One UI might be the best UI but underpowered hardware will give you a poor experience. I have multiple M/F series phones in family whereas I myself used S series for years now, the budget phones start lagging in a year or two.
