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Cheap large smartphone recommendations, please?

2

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  • mailcheapmailcheap Member, Host Rep

    @Not_Oles said:
    My old phone only cost $100. Matching that would be great!

    Sorry, a secure phone at that price is impossible unless it's some sort of locked down feature phone that you only use as a dumbphone for calling and texts. As someone responsible for other people's online safety (mod, admin, etc.) you shouldn't run smartphones that no longer receive security updates.

    Pavin.

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • lowenduser1lowenduser1 Member

    @mailcheap said:

    @Not_Oles said:
    My old phone only cost $100. Matching that would be great!

    Sorry, a secure phone at that price is impossible unless it's some sort of locked down feature phone that you only use as a dumbphone for calling and texts. As someone responsible for other people's online safety (mod, admin, etc.) you shouldn't run smartphones that no longer receive security updates.

    Pavin.

    there's no such thing as a secure phone. thinking you need to spend more in order to be secure is exactly the fear porn brought by marketing

    lowenduser1.

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • commercialcommercial Member

    Where are you?
    I've an unused Redmi Note 8 able to do the job ...
    3 month later I had to upgrade with the same one but with NFC ;p
    That could be a great winwin deal for a cheap price if that matches with your needs

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • yusrayusra Member

    @Not_Oles said: That phone only cost me $100

    You can choose phones from Chinese vendors such as Xiaomi that allow bootloader unlocking. If you get a phone with Snapdragon series CPU, generally, the custom roms communities add great value by providing pure stock Android roms.

    That's how I have used my past three phones (including the current one). Support is only upto Android 10 but I have Android 14 flashed on my phone without any issue.

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • webdevwebdev Member

    @mailcheap said:

    @Not_Oles said:
    My old phone only cost $100. Matching that would be great!

    Sorry, a secure phone at that price is impossible unless it's some sort of locked down feature phone that you only use as a dumbphone for calling and texts. As someone responsible for other people's online safety (mod, admin, etc.) you shouldn't run smartphones that no longer receive security updates.

    Pavin.

    Got a phone that can run crDroid

    Thanked by 2mailcheap Not_Oles
  • jenkkijenkki Member

    Infinix phones are cheap with acceptable quality.

    Note 30 for example less than $150 but powerful.

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    @varwww said:
    don't know if it is launched in your region, but the recently announced moto g34 seems like a good device. 6nm 5G, comes with Android 14 + 1 year of android update + 3 years of security updates. https://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_g34-12759.php

    Android 14 looks good!

    Only 1 year of Android update! :(

    "Without much fanfare, Motorola launched its Moto G34 in China." I couldn't find the G34 in the US at Amazon, Walmart, or Best Buy.

    there is also the redmi 13 series from previous comments but the software experience wont be pure android.

    Got it!

    Thanks!

  • angstromangstrom Moderator

    @Not_Oles said:

    @hyperblast said:
    @Not_Oles budget?

    My old phone only cost $100. Matching that would be great!

    In the case of smartphones, the difference between $100 and $150 can be big

    For the most part, $100 will get you only a low-end Android phone

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • mailcheapmailcheap Member, Host Rep

    @lowenduser1 said:
    there's no such thing as a secure phone. thinking you need to spend more in order to be secure is exactly the fear porn brought by marketing

    Mostly I tend to agree with you. But there's a difference between running a device susceptible to year old exploits v. one where someone is spending millions of $$$ on an Android 0-day to get you. If you're in the latter camp, you shouldn't use a smartphone anyway.

    For everyone else, the least you can do for a relatively secure experience is make sure you get those Android security patches for as long as possible. If you can make that happen with $100 and less than an hour of setup I'm all ears.

    Pavin.

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • emghemgh Member

    I recommend getting an iPhone. They're a lot better compared to Androids, I think everyone would agree.

    Thanked by 1Peppery9
  • jenkkijenkki Member

    @emgh said: I recommend getting an iPhone

    Did you read about budget of OP?

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • NeoonNeoon Community Contributor, Veteran

    Redmi 12C was on sale for 69€ recently including shipping.
    Usually it goes for 100€ or even 130-150€ which I consider expensive.

    Surely there are better phones for around 100€.

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • benchbench Member

    @emgh said:
    I recommend getting an iPhone. They're a lot better compared to Androids, I think everyone would agree.

    You're trying to stir up trouble.

    Thanked by 4emgh mailcheap moodwriter Not_Oles
  • lowenduser1lowenduser1 Member

    @mailcheap said:

    @lowenduser1 said:
    there's no such thing as a secure phone. thinking you need to spend more in order to be secure is exactly the fear porn brought by marketing

    Mostly I tend to agree with you. But there's a difference between running a device susceptible to year old exploits v. one where someone is spending millions of $$$ on an Android 0-day to get you. If you're in the latter camp, you shouldn't use a smartphone anyway.

    For everyone else, the least you can do for a relatively secure experience is make sure you get those Android security patches for as long as possible. If you can make that happen with $100 and less than an hour of setup I'm all ears.

    Pavin.

    android barebone without direct telephony or apps makes any delivery quite hard. most of the cost is the hardware and that value is considered next to zero by the security patch cultists. for the true lazy one can just install VNC/termux by copying a apk and use a VDS for the actual work. KDE is pretty mobile friendly

  • thanethane Member

    My Motorola One 5G Ace is a good hefty size and cheap, I think $200 in my area. I've gone Motorola the last 6 years and very happy with them, good battery, good cam, good performance, big size and they still have microsd slot :)

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • YmpkerYmpker Member

    @Not_Oles said:

    @FatGrizzly said: redmi note 12 here

    Here's yet another. Just the plain Note 12? Not Turbo or Pro?

    Very happy with the Redmi Note 10 Pro (had the 8 pro before). I'm sure the Redmi Note 12 (Pro) will also be he nice

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    @raza19 said:
    My poco f2 pro was stolen in Turkey :'(

    This is 50% of the reason why I want something cheap. The other 50% is me absent mindedly leaving it on the bus. :)

    Thanked by 1raza19
  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    Hi Pavin!

    @mailcheap said: usable once debloated. > Otherwise a Pixel is probably the best choice

    Makes sense to me. But I might want something cheaper than a Pixel.

    Thanks for your help!

    Tom

    Thanked by 1mailcheap
  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    @Ympker said:

    @Not_Oles said:

    @FatGrizzly said: redmi note 12 here

    Here's yet another. Just the plain Note 12? Not Turbo or Pro?

    Very happy with the Redmi Note 10 Pro (had the 8 pro before). I'm sure the Redmi Note 12 (Pro) will also be he nice

    Thanks @Ympker!

    One Redmi example, at Amazon, $134.95, Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 4G LTE (128GB + 4GB) Global Unlocked 6.67" 50MP Triple (ONLY T-Moble/Tello/Mint USA Market) + (w/ 33W Fast Car Dual Charger Bundle) (Mint Green Global + 33W Car Charger)

    5G No :(
    Android 12 (14 is current) :(
    Audio jack :)
    CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 CPU: 2X Cortex-A78 @ 2.0GHz ??
    GPU 6X Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz ??
    Dual SIM :)
    Price US$134.95 :|
    RAM 4GB (Title); 8 GB (Product Information) ??
    Storage 128GB :)
    What else??

  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    @commercial said:
    Where are you?

    Today in Sonora, MX. 🇲🇽🏜️ Sometimes New York City. 🗽🇺🇸

    I've an unused Redmi Note 8 able to do the job ...
    3 month later I had to upgrade with the same one but with NFC ;p
    That could be a great winwin deal for a cheap price if that matches with your needs

    I'm gonna pass, thanks! But it does sound like a great deal for someone! Best wishes!

  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    @yusra said:

    @Not_Oles said: That phone only cost me $100

    You can choose phones from Chinese vendors such as Xiaomi that allow bootloader unlocking. If you get a phone with Snapdragon series CPU, generally, the custom roms communities add great value by providing pure stock Android roms.

    That's how I have used my past three phones (including the current one). Support is only upto Android 10 but I have Android 14 flashed on my phone without any issue.

    Interesting! I've tried not to go down the Android path, but maybe I should try Xiaomi + Snapdragon + unlocking and flashing. I will add "Custom ROM" to my list of stuff to check:

    Android Version
    Audio jack
    CPU
    Custom ROM
    GPU
    Dual SIM
    Price
    RAM
    SD Slot
    Storage
    What else?

    Thanks!

  • HalfEatenPieHalfEatenPie Veteran

    FYI if you're planning on using the same device in the US then maybe factoring in compatibility to US Mobile Carriers will play a role in your decision matrix.

    If you want the best level of compatibility and performance anyways...

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    @HalfEatenPie said:
    FYI if you're planning on using the same device in the US then maybe factoring in compatibility to US Mobile Carriers will play a role in your decision matrix.

    If you want the best level of compatibility and performance anyways...

    Thanks!

    I'm using Telcel, a Mexican cell provider. About $9/month. Works in MX and in the US.

    Frequency bands are a good addition to my list, which now looks like this:

    Manufacturer Name
Phone Model Name
Phone Model Number

Android Version
Audio jack
Battery Replaceable
CPU
Custom ROM
Dual SIM
Frequency Bands
GPU
Price
RAM
Screen 
SD Slot
Storage

What else?

    Also looked at Cellular frequencies in the United States

    Thanks for helping!

  • FatGrizzlyFatGrizzly Member, Host Rep

    @Not_Oles

    https://www.amazon.com/Xiaomi-Unlocked-Triple-Tmobile-Charger/dp/B0BWRCN3XW?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1TJ3DBBQ648T3

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    @FatGrizzly! Thanks! Very helpful!

    I put your link on archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/20240114015653/https://www.amazon.com/Xiaomi-Unlocked-Triple-Tmobile-Charger/dp/B0BWRCN3XW?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1TJ3DBBQ648T3

    By the way, the price I am seeing is $274.91. Is that the price you saw?

  • FatGrizzlyFatGrizzly Member, Host Rep

    @Not_Oles said:
    @FatGrizzly! Thanks! Very helpful!

    I put your link on archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/20240114015653/https://www.amazon.com/Xiaomi-Unlocked-Triple-Tmobile-Charger/dp/B0BWRCN3XW?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1TJ3DBBQ648T3

    By the way, the price I am seeing is $274.91. Is that the price you saw?

    265$ in local currency.

    but as a matter of word, i wouldn't suggest this.

    Someone people say Mediatek chips heat up quickly, and it happens when im outside.

    if you're going for xiaomi/poco, go for snapdragon chips

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
  • neurostimulantneurostimulant Member
    edited January 14

    @Not_Oles said:
    When travelling internationally I used the Z981 as a portable ssh terminal with the ConnectBot App and a bluetooth keyboard. This worked great!

    Personally, I recommend using Termux instead of ConnectBot. You can use Mosh in Termux, which works wonder on spotty mobile connection. You can also install pretty much anything on Termux these days to the point you don't need to bring a laptop anymore. Get it from F-droid though, don't install it from Play Store.

    Thanked by 2Not_Oles paijrut
  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    @FatGrizzly said:

    @Not_Oles said:
    @FatGrizzly! Thanks! Very helpful!

    I put your link on archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/20240114015653/https://www.amazon.com/Xiaomi-Unlocked-Triple-Tmobile-Charger/dp/B0BWRCN3XW?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1TJ3DBBQ648T3

    By the way, the price I am seeing is $274.91. Is that the price you saw?

    265$ in local currency.

    Interesting that you saw a lower price!

    but as a matter of word, i wouldn't suggest this.

    Thanks!

    Someone people say Mediatek chips heat up quickly, and it happens when im outside.

    if you're going for xiaomi/poco, go for snapdragon chips

    Yeah, I've heard this! Many people seem to like Snapdragon chips better.

    Thanks again!

  • Not_OlesNot_Oles Moderator, Patron Provider

    @neurostimulant said:

    @Not_Oles said:
    When travelling internationally I used the Z981 as a portable ssh terminal with the ConnectBot App and a bluetooth keyboard. This worked great!

    Personally, I recommend using Termux instead of ConnectBot. You can use Mosh in Termux, which works wonder on spotty mobile connection. You can also install pretty much anything on Termux these days to the point you don't need to bring a laptop anymore. Get it from F-droid though, don't install it from Play Store.

    Hi @neurostimulant!

    Nothing against Termux. I have Termux on my phone in addition to ConnectBot.

    Mosh seems pretty cool. I've never used Mosh, but it does seem like a good idea to have Mosh set up and usable if needed.

    So far, ConnectBot has worked great for me!

    Best!

    Tom

  • dev_vpsdev_vps Member
    edited January 14

    @Not_Oles
    I would suggest Pixel 3XL
    Pure Android OS without any extra apps or bloatware

    https://www.amazon.com/Google-Pixel-128-Not-Pink/dp/B07KSR3929

    Thanked by 1Not_Oles
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