Budget 15-20K Advice on Android Phone under 20k

R

Rickyk

Skilled
Questions:-
1. Budget?
A: Up to 20k

2. Preferred display size, type and resolution?
A: 4.5"-5.5", IPS LCD/AMOLED, FHD and above

3. Preferred operating system? (Android (with version), iOS, Windows Phone etc).
A: Android

4. Preferred connectivity options? (4G, 3G, 2G etc).
A: No preference

5. Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them.
A: I would like to avoid Chinese brands IF possible. Would this eliminate pretty much every phone? I dont know. I would consider a Chinese brand if there was no other option.

6. What is your intended use for this phone (internet, camera, multimedia, mails etc.)?
A: Camera, Voice calls, SMS. No Internet/Mail features reqd. as I don't don't use Internet services on my phone to begin with.

7. Single SIM/ Dual SIM?
A: No preference

8. New or Used? Online or Offline?
A: New. Don’t mind buying online

9. Any other requirements?
-Need good battery backup, MicroSD card slot if internal storage < 32GB
-If a stock Android option is available with good hardware then this would be my ideal choice.

10. If you have already considered a phone, then please mention the model
No models considered so far.

Hi Guys.
My good old Nokia 808 Pureview died an hour ago. :(

A very sad day indeed.

Problem is the CHARGING Port on the phone has broken off. Can this be fixed anywhere? I really have no idea about whether such an old phone can be repaired.

I am in Gurgaon and and willing to go to Delhi for this if anyone can suggest a RELIABLE place where this might be fixed. Doesn't matter even if it costs a couple of thousand - I am fine with that.

Any advice on a new phone as well as possibly repairing the 808 would be greatly appreciated.

One last thing - I dont want to buy a 20k phone just because its a 20k phone.

I have zero issues with suggestions for a 5k, 10k or 15k phone. It doesnt have to be a 20k phone. Thats just the max I am willing to pay. Having said that I would like decent build quality and a good camera.

The only other Phone I have ever liked is a Nexus 5. I can see Nexus 5 unlocked phones for sale on Amazon US for a $100 which do ship to India but they have no warranty whatsoever and that puts me off them.

Is there a more modern reasonably priced Nexus 5 like phone with a nicer camera available these days?

If so please do let me know as that would be my first choice.

Thanks in advance...
 
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I am pretty sure that you can get the charging port repaired. However, ensure its done by someone who is recommended. I can tell chaps who can do the same in Mumbai.[DOUBLEPOST=1539681749][/DOUBLEPOST]And if they are good but cannot, there must be some 808 videos on Youtube..
 
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Thanks for the reply Vivek.

Spent the last 2 days visiting several mobile repair shops in my area with zero luck. None of them can fix the phone.

Going to try another couple of shops & if I still draw a blank I'm just going to risk it and order a Nexus 5 from the US...
 
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Rickyk said:
Thanks for the reply Vivek.

Spent the last 2 days visiting several mobile repair shops in my area with zero luck. None of them can fix the phone.

Going to try another couple of shops & if I still draw a blank I'm just going to risk it and order a Nexus 5 from the US...
Click to expand...

You'll be charged ~40% customs on Indian invoice and the phone might also be confiscated if it is a used phone since importing used mobiles is banned. There are a ton of phones available in India which have stock Android from brands like Moto etc.

What phones do your friends have? None of them impressed you? I'd stay away from the Nexus 5.
 
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May I ask why you don't use internet on your phone? If you don't use internet on your phone, buying a smartphone and that too at 20K doesn't really make sense. You should then just go for a feature phone instead.

But, if you do intend to buy a smartphone, I will say that please start using internet on it, to enjoy it fully. Cell phone companies are giving decent cheap plans nowadays with unlimited talk time with sufficient internet usage. So, go for it. I too didn't use mobile internet on my phone earlier, because the internet packs were separate and costly then, and I mostly used my phone at home with wifi. But, with the cheap plans available these days, I cannot do without mobile data on my phone when I go out.

Regarding Chinese smartphones... the whole market nowadays is being dominated by Chinese smartphones. Even Motorola has been bought by Lenovo, which is a Chinese company. One Plus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Huawei, Lenovo, Motorola.. all are Chinese. Asus is from Taiwan, which is considered to be of China too. Samsung is of Korea, and Nokia brand is now being used by HMD, which is a Finnish company, but the phones are manufactured in partnership with a Chinese company.

My previous phone was Google Nexus 5, and although it was really good, doesn't make sense to buy it today, when it is out of date in all aspects.... OS, specifications, battery, hardware, etc. Better phones with the latest version of Android and much better specifications in low price are there today which you can consider.

If you are looking for a Nexus 5 like experience, I will suggest to go for a Nokia phone in your price range, like Nokia 6.1 Plus. The build quality is really excellent, for which Nokia has always been known of. You get pure Android... great specifications, and very good camera too, along with Corning Gorilla glass protection of screen.

It runs Android One, and Nokia promises monthly security updates for 3 years and OS updates for 2 years.

I had Nexus 5, and when it got old, it started running into problems, like weak battery (which was on lower side anyways), and issue with the power button (which is quite a common problem with Nexus 5). I bought Nokia 7 Plus after that this year, and I really very happy with it. It's an ideal replacement for my Nexus 5 :).
 
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indy1811 said:
You'll be charged ~40% customs on Indian invoice and the phone might also be confiscated if it is a used phone since importing used mobiles is banned. There are a ton of phones available in India which have stock Android from brands like Moto etc.

What phones do your friends have? None of them impressed you? I'd stay away from the Nexus 5.
Click to expand...

Hi Indy,
Thanks for your reply and the info.

I had no idea that something like that could happen as I have never bought a phone off Amazon US. Well that rules that out option I guess.

Most of my friends have newer phones. However these tend to be very large, usually 5.8-6" + .

I have small hands and therefore prefer a small device that can easily be operated with one hand. My 808 for instance is under 5".

This is also why i mentioned my "Preferred Display Size" as between 4.5-55".
 
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nRiTeCh said:
Nexus 5? You serious. Whats so gold about a 5yr old phone?
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply nRiTeCh.

The Nexus 5 is just a nice size & has decent build quality. Only thing I wish is that it had a better camera. In any case importing it is ruled out now based on what indy1811 mentioned in his post.

TBH, if I had not had this problem with my 808 I would have continued to use it for years to come. It has everything I need and it also happens to be 5+ years old. :)[DOUBLEPOST=1539860627][/DOUBLEPOST]
vyral_143 said:
Dunn go for Nexus 5. Have a look at Asus Zenphone Pro M1, Nokia 6.1 Plus
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply. Vyral

TBH both those phones are too big for my liking.

However as my options keep getting limited, I may well have to consider the 6.1Plus so thanks for that info.
 
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adventureguy said:
This gotta be the dumbest sentence Ive read in a long time. nexus 5 was barely tolerable 2 years after it launched.

go get a redmi note 5 pro, mi a2, asus max pro or some shit. dont go for nexus
Click to expand...

Redmin note 5 pro - 6"
Mi A2 - 6"
Asus Max Pro - 6.2"

Unless I am mistaken (and I could be I), none of the phones you suggested are within the size range I am looking for namely 4.5-5.5".
 
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nRiTeCh said:
Or better get your pure view repaired.
Click to expand...

This is my TOP priority nRiTeCh because TBH my 808 is PERFECT for me. Great Camera and good voice quality for calls. I honestly do not need anything else.

I would actually like to thank Vivek publicly for the kind offer he made to me via PM WRT an option on repairing the phone.

GREATLY appreciated Vivek. :)

If all else fails I may well take you up on your offer because at that point there's really nothing to lose.
 
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CapriAnupam said:
May I ask why you don't use internet on your phone? If you don't use internet on your phone, buying a smartphone and that too at 20K doesn't really make sense. You should then just go for a feature phone instead.
Click to expand...

Hi CapriAnupam.

Firstly thanks for taking time with your detailed reply. I know how busy people are these days so your post is greatly appreciated. :)

TBH I never considered this option.

Are there feature phones around with good quality cameras? If so some suggestions would be really appreciated.

CapriAnupam said:
But, if you do intend to buy a smartphone, I will say that please start using internet on it, to enjoy it fully. Cell phone companies are giving decent cheap plans nowadays with unlimited talk time with sufficient internet usage.So, go for it. I too didn't use mobile internet on my phone earlier, because the internet packs were separate and costly then, and I mostly used my phone at home with wifi. But, with the cheap plans available these days, I cannot do without mobile data on my phone when I go out.
Click to expand...

This has nothing to do with money CapriAnupam. I just don;t want Internet on my phone. Or Whatsapp. Or other such stuff. I have no use for it. I check my email once a day sometimes not even that. The only reason I bought a "smartphone" - namely the 808 is because I wanted a GOOD CAMERA with a decent phone. Thats it. Nothing else.

CapriAnupam said:
My previous phone was Google Nexus 5, and although it was really good, doesn't make sense to buy it today, when it is out of date in all aspects.... OS, specifications, battery, hardware, etc. Better phones with the latest version of Android and much better specifications in low price are there today which you can consider.

If you are looking for a Nexus 5 like experience, I will suggest to go for a Nokia phone in your price range, like Nokia 6.1 Plus. I had Nexus 5, and when it got old, it started running into problems, like weak battery (which was on lower side anyways), and issue with the power button (which is quite a common problem with Nexus 5). I bought Nokia 7 Plus after that this year, and I really very happy with it. It's an ideal replacement for my Nexus 5 :).
Click to expand...

Thanks for that suggestion. As recommended by both yourself as well as Vyral I will consider the Nokia 6P if all else fails. :)[DOUBLEPOST=1539862745][/DOUBLEPOST]Once again - thanks for all the replies guys - Greatly appreciated.

If anyone can think of some other phones that might meet my stated requirements please do let me know...
 
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Anything BUT Apple Vivek! :p

I dislike the Brand for various reasons.

A friend of mine very kindly offered me his iPhone SE FOR FREE as he doesnt use it anymore but I politely declined.

I just dont want to use an Apple product...
 
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Rickyk said:
This is my TOP priority nRiTeCh because TBH my 808 is PERFECT for me. Great Camera and good voice quality for calls. I honestly do not need anything else.

I would actually like to thank Vivek publicly for the kind offer he made to me via PM WRT an option on repairing the phone.

GREATLY appreciated Vivek. :)

If all else fails I may well take you up on your offer because at that point there's really nothing to lose.
Click to expand...
Ship your phone to vivek and he might get it repaired and send it back.
 
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Rickyk said:
Redmin note 5 pro - 6"
Mi A2 - 6"
Asus Max Pro - 6.2"

Unless I am mistaken (and I could be I), none of the phones you suggested are within the size range I am looking for namely 4.5-5.5".
Click to expand...

All the phones mentioned have massive displays but due to slimmer bezels aren't that much bigger than the earlier 5-5.5 inch mobiles. I'd suggest you walk in to a Croma, Reliance, Large Mobile store and check out a few phones in person. They aren't as big as you think. If you want to stick with ~5 inch phones i'd recommend you check out the following for ~>20k

  • Samsung Galaxy S7
  • Motorola G6
  • Motorola X4
  • Panasonic Eluga
  • Nokia 5
There are a few more models i can't seem to recollect.

BTW, didn't know you were planning on getting the Nexus from Amazon US. That should be ok since Amazon will take care of the formalities. It's if you get it shipped on your own then you'll run in to problems. I still wouldn't recommend getting the Nexus though.
 
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Rickyk said:
Redmin note 5 pro - 6"
Mi A2 - 6"
Asus Max Pro - 6.2"

Unless I am mistaken (and I could be I), none of the phones you suggested are within the size range I am looking for namely 4.5-5.5".
Click to expand...
These phone come with rounded corner screen and very small side bezels and small top and bottom notches. So their footprint is similar to past 5.5" phones. Visit a mobile store and compare these models with previous generations' 5.5" inch phones
 
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