20-25K Android reccomendation - 25K

[dafreaking]

1. Budget?
A: INR 25k(+/-2K)

2. Preferred display size, type and resolution?
A: 4.7"-5.5", IPS LCD/AMOLED, FHD and above

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

4. Preferred connectivity options? (4G, 3G, 2G etc).
A: 3G + 4G

5. Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them.
A: No preference. Should have good service network

6. What is your intended use for this phone (internet, camera, multimedia, mails etc.)?
A: All round device with a good camera and battery

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?
A: Need good battery backup, microSD card slot if internal storage < 32GB

10. If you have already considered a phone, then please mention the model
A: Oneplus Two, Moto X Style, Xiaomi Mi5????

As the questionnaire says. Will be replacing my 18 month old Xiaomi Mi3 that still works well but the lack of storage is beginning to catch up. The budget cannot be extended by more than 2K (which is already over-stretching it, but, if something is worth it then why not). Would like to keep the phone for 18-24 months.

Would really like a great camera. Don't care about gaming or a qHD screen. Splash resistance is a plus.

The Moto X Style specs seem amazing but the reviews online seem quite meh given the specs.

 

[sourcewop]

The Moto X style is the phone to get. If finger print is must and 16gb is enough then Nexus 5x, for latest and greatest android updates both Moto and Nexus almost same in quick updates. Oneplus two is a great phone but slow updates, though Oxygen OS gets regular updates to address the bugs.

 

[yash mundhada]

LENOVO VIBE X3 AND ONEPLUS 2 are most powerfuland fully loaded option under 25 k otherwise YU YUTOPIA is also fully loaded but check the perfomance

Mod Edit: Please avoid SMS lingo and unnecessary formatting

 

[dafreaking]

So through this thread and other online 'research' the pros and cons of the X Style and OP2 are as follows (some may be personal preference)

Oneplus TWO

Pros
Price
Battery
Capacitive keys
Slightly smaller size
Higher onbaord storage
OIS
Fingerprint reader

Cons
USB C
Slow charging
Worse screen
No water resistance, etc
Poorer camera
Iffy performance even with top of the line specs???
No NFC

Moto X Style

Pros

Better Camera even w/o OIS
Fast charging
Great performance
Better audio quality
Expandable storage (doesn't matter as much since I'm comparing it to the 64gb OP2)
NFC

Cons

Price
Battery life
No capacitive keys
Pushing the size envelope
Need to purchase an SD card
No OIS
No fingerprint reader

Any others to add to this?

 

[blr_p]

The apps I use daily - Whatsapp, Plume (Twitter), Instagram, Press (RSS). Notifications aren't enabled for apps except Whatsapp. Check Facebook through the browser a few times a week. Don't have the apps installed. Use Livescore to check sports scores. Google Sheets to track workouts etc. Calm for meditation. So most apps really aren't the draining types (unless there's something I don't know)

No push notifications and manual updates is good practice. Gives the radio interface longer idle time.

Very subjective. There are days where I make calls for 20 mins or for 3 hours. Usually the phone is used for Twitter, Press, Podcasts/Music, etc. Singal strength is usually good.

good

As I mentioned none of the social media networks I use have notifications enabled. (I don't count Whatsapp as social media)

But its an app that depends on push notifications so its polling on a regular basis. So long as you are on wifi your run time should be ok. Expect less on data.

Could use Wifi most of the time but I don't like not using up my 3g by the end of the month. Need to extract every last drop from Airtel

Use wifi as much as you can and ensure the signal is strong. wifi will always be less draining than data.

Usually do. In the rarest of rare cases I carry a power bank. I just prefer charging overnight or at the end of the day. But then again those are old habbits.

This means 5h sot isn't a hard limit but nice to have. still, having it gives insurance on a heavy day.

The op2 with the latest updates gets close to 5h sot on wifi. Subtract an hour if you're on data. Early on it only managed 4h sot so firmware updates have improved things.

Given its only a 1080p screen it really should top out closer to 6h sot but that's not happened yet.

So in terms of battery the op2 is suitable.

Which phone (according to you) has the best camera (overall) under 30K?. Maybe I can start narrowing options using that.

There is no best camera under 30k, just good cameras. Once you knock the price down the first thing to go is camera.

Htc one a9, working ois. Good camera. Battery will struggle to get to 4h sot.

x play no ois, decent camera. battery will get you 5h sot.

problem ? you are used to sd800 on mi3, you will not want to go down to sd 6xx series. In fact even if there was a device that fit your requirements and budget it absolutely has to be better than sd800. Otherwise the millisecond lag here and there will make you regret it. sd800 is the same cpu as the nexus 5. people love it for the speed. very responsive. Unfortunately that speed takes a toll on battery. Enter sd810 on the op2. Faster than sd800 but less battery efficient as sd808 which isn't as fast as sd810.

The difficult bit about op2 camera is none of the people who know cameras inside out spent much time with it. Reason being it has no nfc which means no android pay and in the west that's a no go. Since i think you're in the banking sector it will be interesting to read your thoughts on using phones wth biometric sensors as payment instruments.

The bad news from a roming perspective is it requires lock down. More security since identity and money are involved. Since the op2 has no nfc it can never be used for payment which means a lot of development in the future, if that's your thing.

The one thing i don't like about op2 is usb-c. Its a different plug but still usb2. otg requires special adapter or pen drives that are usb-c. You must absolutely use the cable provided by op2 or bad things can happen. if you think you're going to run out battery buy spare cables as you won't be able to bum a charge of others as easily as with micro usb.

yes op2 has ois, but how well it works isn't clear. yes it has manual controls too so you can tweak stuff too. In terms of stills its decent. No idea about video, the ois should help stabilise shake but that's something you will have to check if video is important. if you are willing to retake shots if requires i think you will be ok. If you are the type that expects to get it right most of the time, first time then it will be trying. Really depends how demanding you are.

Which is more important to you camera or battery ? invariably priorotising camera means losing out on battery.

Take the redmi1 3, sells for 7k in China, sd400, 4000 mah battery, 720p screen. Amazing battery life. Camera ? heh don't expect too much at this end of the market.

 

[Vasishta.Sushant]

If you are already thinking of pushing the 30K boundary, at 33K odd you can get LG G4 which has a camera that can put to shame most of the serious contenders around. You might wanna have a look.

 

[dafreaking]

No push notifications and manual updates is good practice. Gives the radio interface longer idle time.


good


But its an app that depends on push notifications so its polling on a regular basis. So long as you are on wifi your run time should be ok. Expect less on data.


Use wifi as much as you can and ensure the signal is strong. wifi will always be less draining than data.


This means 5h sot isn't a hard limit but nice to have. still, having it gives insurance on a heavy day.

The op2 with the latest updates gets close to 5h sot on wifi. Subtract an hour if you're on data. Early on it only managed 4h sot so firmware updates have improved things.

Given its only a 1080p screen it really should top out closer to 6h sot but that's not happened yet.

So in terms of battery the op2 is suitable.


There is no best camera under 30k, just good cameras. Once you knock the price down the first thing to go is camera.

Htc one a9, working ois. Good camera. Battery will struggle to get to 4h sot.

x play no ois, decent camera. battery will get you 5h sot.

problem ? you are used to sd800 on mi3, you will not want to go down to sd 6xx series. In fact even if there was a device that fit your requirements and budget it absolutely has to be better than sd800. Otherwise the millisecond lag here and there will make you regret it. sd800 is the same cpu as the nexus 5. people love it for the speed. very responsive. Unfortunately that speed takes a toll on battery. Enter sd810 on the op2. Faster than sd800 but less battery efficient as sd808 which isn't as fast as sd810.

The difficult bit about op2 camera is none of the people who know cameras inside out spent much time with it. Reason being it has no nfc which means no android pay and in the west that's a no go. Since i think you're in the banking sector it will be interesting to read your thoughts on using phones wth biometric sensors as payment instruments.

The bad news from a roming perspective is it requires lock down. More security since identity and money are involved. Since the op2 has no nfc it can never be used for payment which means a lot of development in the future, if that's your thing.

The one thing i don't like about op2 is usb-c. Its a different plug but still usb2. otg requires special adapter or pen drives that are usb-c. You must absolutely use the cable provided by op2 or bad things can happen. if you think you're going to run out battery buy spare cables as you won't be able to bum a charge of others as easily as with micro usb.

yes op2 has ois, but how well it works isn't clear. yes it has manual controls too so you can tweak stuff too. In terms of stills its decent. No idea about video, the ois should help stabilise shake but that's something you will have to check if video is important. if you are willing to retake shots if requires i think you will be ok. If you are the type that expects to get it right most of the time, first time then it will be trying. Really depends how demanding you are.

Which is more important to you camera or battery ? invariably priorotising camera means losing out on battery.

Take the redmi1 3, sells for 7k in China, sd400, 4000 mah battery, 720p screen. Amazing battery life. Camera ? heh don't expect too much at this end of the market.

Banking sector? Haha, no man. I'm into film-making/video production. Ideally I would have bought an iPhone like the rest of the brethren but I am on a strict budget and just prefer Androids. The thing with a good phone camera is since the best camera one has is the one which is on you, I'd like the phone to have a great camera. Also, a lot of times I prefer it to just stay on auto as opposed to manual mode which I'm used to on my DSLR where I can tweak the exposure triangle. Still don't know how useful manual mode is on a phone. (no clue about Camera 2 API's improvements) I guess fast focus and some sort of stabilization is a must.

If you are already thinking of pushing the 30K boundary, at 33K odd you can get LG G4 which has a camera that can put to shame most of the serious contenders around. You might wanna have a look.

That's the thing. I read that the price of the X Style was coming down to 27K. Which was already over budget but I could have stretched it by 2K if there was something special. 33K is just way out. Honestly though, since both the S7 and the G5 are being announced on the 21st and the fact that i'll be travelling in a few days till the end of the month I might wait till the annoumcements/price drops

 

[benryu]

If you are pushing to 30k then you might as well try the Nexus 6P. I got my nexus 6P for 32k from Paytm (after cashback)

Also check out Honor 7 and Honor 6 plus.

But even with doze and stuff i dont see 5 hrs SOT on my phone. With higher specs and better display even big batteries wont give you so much SOT.

 

[blr_p]

Banking sector? Haha, no man. I'm into film-making/video production. Ideally I would have bought an iPhone like the rest of the brethren but I am on a strict budget and just prefer Androids. The thing with a good phone camera is since the best camera one has is the one which is on you, I'd like the phone to have a great camera. Also, a lot of times I prefer it to just stay on auto as opposed to manual mode which I'm used to on my DSLR where I can tweak the exposure triangle. Still don't know how useful manual mode is on a phone. (no clue about Camera 2 API's improvements) I guess fast focus and some sort of stabilization is a must.

Ah, confused you with some one else.

if you're into film making then you know cameras well. Device for you is the V10. best camera out there right now.

Problem is its size. mi 3 is 5 incher, v10 is 5.9". can you handle something that big ?

Failing that the G4. Right size. Half the price of a iphone plus for same size screen, better form factor and camera. Expandable storage as well as replaceable battery. Apple has not yet got the form factor of its phablets right. More blocky & slippery. Stills quality is the same between G4 & V10. No manual with video on the G4 but there is an app called filmic pro which allows to tweak iso & shutter speed with video.

Manual mode on the g4 is very good. Low light can present problems with focus which manual focus solves because auto won't cut it some times. This thing actually has a live light meter so you can tweak things around. F1.8 with ois means you get clear shots when it does get focus in auto without too much effort. Not perfect but better than no ois.

V10 will be little faster as it has an extra GB of ram. Where the V10 shines is it takes the manual controls the G4 introduced for stills into video. The only downside is recorded audio where lumia's HAAC mics are still the best in the industry. if you don't record live gigs this might not be a problem.

The only device that is fully camera2 api compliant is the nexus. But they screwed up by leaving out ois. i mean why. the 5 & 6 had it. so long as stock camera has manual focus & shutter then camera2 is moot. it might allow for future potential but exploiting it is optional for vendors.

That's the thing. I read that the price of the X Style was coming down to 27K. Which was already over budget but I could have stretched it by 2K if there was something special. 33K is just way out. Honestly though, since both the S7 and the G5 are being announced on the 21st and the fact that i'll be travelling in a few days till the end of the month I might wait till the annoumcements/price drops

right, now is not the best time to be buying at all. I would hold off for later.

X style has little less sot than the G4 and its camera is more limited. its good in other areas but not what you asked for.

 

[dafreaking]

If you are pushing to 30k then you might as well try the Nexus 6P. I got my nexus 6P for 32k from Paytm (after cashback)

Also check out Honor 7 and Honor 6 plus.

But even with doze and stuff i dont see 5 hrs SOT on my phone. With higher specs and better display even big batteries wont give you so much SOT.

The Nexus was the dream phone. I haven't used an AOSP phone since the ZTE Blade though. I am coming to term with the battery life on newer phones, but if they support Quick Charge, etc it shouldn't be a problem. I am totally ok with daily charging.

Ah, confused you with some one else.

if you're into film making then you know cameras well. Device for you is the V10. best camera out there right now.

Problem is its size. mi 3 is 5 incher, v10 is 5.9". can you handle something that big ?

Failing that the G4. Right size. Half the price of a iphone plus for same size screen, better form factor and camera. Expandable storage as well as replaceable battery. Apple has not yet got the form factor of its phablets right. More blocky & slippery. Stills quality is the same between G4 & V10. No manual with video on the G4 but there is an app called filmic pro which allows to tweak iso & shutter speed with video.

Manual mode on the g4 is very good. Low light can present problems with focus which manual focus solves because auto won't cut it some times. This thing actually has a live light meter so you can tweak things around. F1.8 with ois means you get clear shots when it does get focus in auto without too much effort. Not perfect but better than no ois.

V10 will be little faster as it has an extra GB of ram. Where the V10 shines is it takes the manual controls the G4 introduced for stills into video. The only downside is recorded audio where lumia's HAAC mics are still the best in the industry. if you don't record live gigs this might not be a problem.

The only device that is fully camera2 api compliant is the nexus. But they screwed up by leaving out ois. i mean why. the 5 & 6 had it. so long as stock camera has manual focus & shutter then camera2 is moot. it might allow for future potential but exploiting it is optional for vendors.


right, now is not the best time to be buying at all. I would hold off for later.

X style has little less sot than the G4 and its camera is more limited. its good in other areas but not what you asked for.

Yeah, as usual my timing sucks. How soon does the price on the previous generation of phones usually drop? Am seriously considering the G4 now. V10 is too big though it seems superb. Will definitely be out of my budget.

Filmic Pro on android is not as great as it is on the iPhone. There is an app called Cinema FV-5 that is brilliant and the LG G4 is the recommended phone for it.
Honestly audio is not as much of a priority due to the external mics etc.

One of the reasons why I need high battery is because the phone will also be used to monitor and control gimbals and drones.

 

[iPwnz]

As someone has already mentioned I don't think that you'll be able to have the best of both worlds (camera quality and battery) in your budget mate. :/
I wanted to suggest the Moto Nexus 6 (32/64GB depending on your budget) but I see that you don't want a Nexus device. The others are above 30k.

 

[dafreaking]

As someone has already mentioned I don't think that you'll be able to have the best of both worlds (camera quality and battery) in your budget mate. :/
I wanted to suggest the Moto Nexus 6 (32/64GB depending on your budget) but I see that you don't want a Nexus device. The others are above 30k.

True to an extent. Maybe I should rename the thread to the best camera under 25K.

The X Style seems to have improved with Marshmallow.

 

[dafreaking]

X Style down to 27K!

 

[vigilante]

Plus SBI discount of 1250/-

 

[dafreaking]

Plus SBI discount of 1250/-

Sadly don't know anyone with a SBI CC. Would have liked to pay by EMI

 

[iPwnz]

Which site?

 

[dafreaking]

Which site?

Flipkart

 

[iPwnz]

Is the Moto E 4G available there and does it have cashback offer?

 

[manjeet]

Is the Moto E 4G available there and does it have cashback offer?

Moto E 4G is available for 6.3K after 10% off on SBI CC/DC offer.

 

[iPwnz]

Lolkart. Snapdeal's price comes to 5.7k after 5% HDFC cashback and Amazon's 6k without cashback.

 

[blr_p]

Yeah, as usual my timing sucks. How soon does the price on the previous generation of phones usually drop? Am seriously considering the G4 now.

Price will drop further when the new G5 is out. Right now 35k or little under for the plain plastic back.

There are a couple of caveats to bear in mind with the g4 though.

- if you get the indian version the bootloader cannot be unlocked as yet. On L this isn't a problem as it can be rooted. The problem is with M. Just to root on M requires the bootloader to be unlocked. Since only the euro version of the G4 has bootloader unlock, root isn't possible if you upgrade the g4 to M. Whether this will change in the future remains to be seen.

- you want a build with a date of October or later. The first batch that came out in May has some issues that required a motherboard replacement. LG has been replacing defective units so getting a warranty is essential. The way to tell is the first 3 digits of the serial#. 505 means may 2015, 510 is oct 2015 etc. To date the number of defective 505's has been higher than other numbers.

if you get the euro version then if there is a problem you will have to send it back to europe to fix. euro version means no 4g in India.

V10 is too big though it seems superb. Will definitely be out of my budget.

its supposed to come out this month. whether it happens remains to be seen. The timing will be odd as the G5 will be announced within ten days. Last year the G4 was announced towards the end of April and appeared in India two months later. That means G5 will appear here towards the end of April. LG seems to have pushed their launch back a couple of months ever since the G2.

Filmic Pro on android is not as great as it is on the iPhone. There is an app called Cinema FV-5 that is brilliant and the LG G4 is the recommended phone for it.
Honestly audio is not as much of a priority due to the external mics etc.

cinema fv-5 has very high bitrate 4k. But does it allow to control shutter & iso ?

was interested in the shutter and iso control with filmic pro as without that highs are completely blown out at night with f1.8.

One of the reasons why I need high battery is because the phone will also be used to monitor and control gimbals and drones.

G4 won't get you 5h sot.

4-5h on wifi and an hour less with data. You will need spare batteries which are cheap at under one k a pop. Or get a zero lemon.