Choosing A New Android Mobile

[securespark]

Anyone following my road trips will know I'm having a few issues with my Nokia XR20.

I have CP, am clumsy and I drop it a lot. This phone has a metal case, Invictus glass and is built to a "military" standard, so can get wet, be dropped from a height etc...

I drop it many times a day, often onto concrete from a height. So far, the screen has survived.

My budget I would say is around 400.

I'm looking for something with similar ruggedness, a bigger screen hopefully, a bigger battery, a fingerprint sensor that is not part of the on/off switch (that is sooooo frustrating). I also need dual SIM.

And a large amount of RAM to keep the phone running smoothly.

One of the attractions of the XR20 was it was an Android One phone, which meant it came with a guaranteed number of OS and security updates. The last OS update has been done, which is 14 and the last security update was March 25.

So if I could get a phone with several guaranteed updates, that would be good. That only leaves me two options as far as I know:

Pixel, which are out of budget and Moto. I don't know how many guaranteed updates they have.

One of the phones I was looking at was the Moto G86 Power.

It has an eSIM as one of the SIM slots. Not familiar with these.

I would appreciate advice or suggestions from anyone who is an Android fan.

Thanks!

 

[siteguru]

I have a Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G ... it came originally with A13 but has updated so far to A15, and is due to get A16 when it is fully released in Xiaomi's HyperOS version. The Redmi Note series may well be the 15 now as the latest, so the 14 is likely on offer. (Example link from Amazon. My Note 13 has the same RAM and storage ... 12GB / 512GB). The Redmi Note series phones tend to come pre-fitted with a screen protector, which doesn't impact on the function of the fingerprint sensor integrated into the screen.

You could then fit it with a military-grade/tough case to protect it. (Another example link from Amazon).

Neither of the above links are recommendations - merely examples of what you can consider other than Moto or Pixel.

 

[Ian Key]

I've had Moto phones for many years but last year I upgraded to a Pixel 8a. The main reason was that Google will update Pixel phones for 7 years from the year of release and it has a good lens.

If you are prepared to have the previous model Amazon have a new Pixel 9a unlocked for £359.10

https://amzn.eu/d/bd7P8n3

 

[5teep]

Xiaomi fab here as well, not too safe on the dropping front but you can buy a rugged case for whichever phone you choose..

 

[Gomev]

..

I'm looking for something with similar ruggedness, a bigger screen hopefully, a bigger battery, a fingerprint sensor that is not part of the on/off switch (that is sooooo frustrating). I also need dual SIM.

..

I have a Moto and the fingerprint sensor on the 'on/off' switch is not a problem as I use my thumb rather than a finger. After all when I hold the phone my thumb is there anyway on the side.
Re the eSim, any modern phone will be eSim enabled and doesn't require a slot. It is a software thing, I will be using an eSim from Airalo later this year when visiting a country outside of the roaming area and it's just a case of buying it, scanning a QR and there you go.

 

[siteguru]

Forgot to say ... the Redmi Note series is dual SIM (but no expandable storage via SD card, so get as much internal storage as you can afford - 512GB is easily plenty), and also supports eSIM functionality.

 

[Gomev]

I like the Moto phones and have used them for years now. They're reasonably priced for the spec and run straight forward native Android with no overlays or other personalisation or gubbins such as Samsung and others bundle in on top.
Reviews always criticise the camera but unless you are a professional photographer they are as good as you need.
They have 2 slots one for sim and one for extra memory card (trans flash/micro sd) so no issues with storage.
I'm sure you can find an armour plated cover for them somewhere......

 

[kiwi]

iPhone user here, switched from Android due to work security policy. Last 'droid I had was a Sony X something so can't give advice on a phone running the Chocolate Factory's latest.

However, if you are a dropzilla, I can recommend either a round-the-neck lanyard or a cross body lanyard like this:

If your target phone does not have a built-in attachment point, you can get lanyard attachments that glue to the phone. You may want to avoid a case for ease of use as most cases restrict access to the buttons which might be an issue for you. In any case, once you get comfortable wearing your phone all the time a case is much less necessary as the blessed thing can't be dropped.