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First Android Phone for myself - 35k max

52 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/first-android-phone-for-myself-35k-max.187627/

beingGamer
beingGamer Original post #1
Oct 11, 2014 at 10:55 AM
1. Budget?
35k
2. Display type and size?
Type any
Size not as big as phablet (like asus zenfone 6 size)
3. Dual sim?
not required
4. Preferred choice of brand?
anything except cowdung & htc
5. What camera option you want (flash, front facing camera)?
yes, i like taking photos
6. Preferred operating system? (Android, iOS, Windows Phone, etc).
Android
7. Preferred connectivity options (3G, 4G ready).
that will be good, if not upto 3G also fine
8. Primary use of handset (multimedia, camera, internet, gaming etc)?
Internet, multimedia, gaming, camera
9. Any specific mobile phones in consideration?
LG G2, Nexus 5
10. Any other info that you want to share
I am pissed by Nokia N8 now.
I think its due to the micro sim its sucking the battery faster.
every morning the phone is dead.
And my cousins are teasing me for still using a symbian device.

-if the suggested phone doesnt have expandable memory i will prefer 32gb version
-phone having Radio is preferred
-better battery life
-I am ok with non-replaceable battery

abirthedevil
Oct 11, 2014 at 12:14 PM
I was seeing the Lg G3 with discounts online, you might have to overshoot budget by couple of thousands but thinks its well worth it. The Lg G3 is a phenomenal device.

P.S- it has a huge display but due to its crazy slim bezels its barely bigger than say a galaxy s5
beingGamer
Oct 11, 2014 at 12:18 PM
I was seeing the Lg G3 with discounts online, you might have to overshoot budget by couple of thousands but thinks its well worth it. The Lg G3 is a phenomenal device.

P.S- it has a huge display but due to its crazy slim bezels its barely bigger than say a galaxy s5

Sorry mate, 35k is the max
J
Oct 11, 2014 at 12:34 PM
35k is around $550 right? Wait for Nexus 6 or get HTC One m8
K
kkn13 #5
Oct 11, 2014 at 12:40 PM
Moto X 2014,LG G2
dont get Nexus 5 simply because Moto X 2014 trumps the Nexus 5
LG G2 is similiar to Nexus 5 but has alot of improvements like camera,sd card slot etc so its worth considering
not that nexus 5 is bad but there are better phones for the price now
xtremevicky
Oct 11, 2014 at 12:49 PM
Z2 is your best choice.
K
kkn13 #7
Oct 11, 2014 at 2:17 PM
*www.google.co.in/webhp?sourceid=ch...v=2&ie=UTF-8#q=xperia z2 self cracking screen

*www.google.co.in/webhp?sourceid=ch...ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=xperia+z2+overheating

i dont think so!!
SaiyanGoku
Oct 11, 2014 at 3:05 PM
+1 to Moto X(2014), LG G3/G2/G Pro2
ashs1
ashs1 #9
Oct 11, 2014 at 8:06 PM
The new moto x is a good choice, but here's the drawbacks :
1. Camera is still not comparable to other flagships. its still strictly decent.
2. There's no expandable memory. And the internal memory is only 16gb.

The htc one e8 is a great choice, but for some reason, no one recommends it much here.. I wonder why..
Edit : just saw you don't want mobile from htc.. Any bad memories?? :p
beingGamer
Oct 11, 2014 at 8:33 PM
The new moto x is a good choice, but here's the drawbacks :
1. Camera is still not comparable to other flagships. its still strictly decent.
2. There's no expandable memory. And the internal memory is only 16gb.

The htc one e8 is a great choice, but for some reason, no one recommends it much here.. I wonder why..
Edit : just saw you don't want mobile from htc.. Any bad memories?? :p

I have seen htc phones from few friends and I didnt like the way it unlocks and a bad experience of one of my friend who went to one of the so called service center for htc.
A
AbhMkh #11
Oct 11, 2014 at 9:47 PM
-1 to Moto X for PATHETIC battery life

-1 to HTC One E8 for a pathetic camera, no IR, No 2160p video recording.

+1 to Xperia Z2 and Samsung Galaxy S5
abirthedevil
Oct 11, 2014 at 11:26 PM
Lol GS5? How much time have you spent with one? Its such a bad phone, seen tons of people buy and sell it off within a week.
kamikaz
kamikaz #13
Oct 12, 2014 at 12:38 AM
Hold your horses
Oneplus one might soon be coming to India, nothing concrete yet,(will know more by next week), servicing the phone might be an issue though, then we have the MI4,which also should reach india by this year end , again service could be an issue ,but by the time mi4 is released it "could" improve

Other phones in the same price range
-Moto X (2014), now the battery capacity of that phone is less, but in real life its gonna give relatively good time,due to its active notifications etc
but if you are gonna use it for purposes like browsing etc ie with more screen on time it might end up being giving a little less, also no expandable storage and only 16gb available in india and the camera atm isnt on par with rest of flagships, a software update might be able to solve this and Android L could add some more time to battery life i suppose (apart from these, its a brilliant phone, in terms of android updates , its the next best thing you can get after a nexus)

-Htc e8 dont know much about it, but its lacking in many features i guess like gorilla glass (i read it somewhere ,not sure), and the service of htc isnt that good

- Lenovo vibe Z pro Error 500 Server Error
pretty amazing price and specs(SD801, 16mp ISOCELL with OIS,2k resolution etc, its a beast), size could be an issue thought (6inch screen but still pretty good bezel to screen ration),

-oppo find 7a Error 500 Server Error
pretty decent specs all around
still stuck in 4.3 color os,but i think there is good developer support,

G2 is overpriced in india , in gulf countries and all its selling at 24k and less (32gb ver),(if you can get it for this price its a good buy otherwise i suggest you get some of the other phones mentioned)
Z2 is a decent phone, i guess, i dont know much about it
S5 , well my friend who uses it has not much qualms , he is not a power user ,it gets his things done pretty fast
i think it can handle pretty much everything you threw at it, you can also go into a store and use it and see whether you like it

but z2 and s5 seems to be priced higher than 35k

Nexus 5 , so much has been said about it, its a good phone,

So my choice would be lenovo>OPO>Motox>S5>oppo>g2>z2>nexus5
i dont think you have much choices beyond these
Mi4 could be an option when it launches
and then there is ZTE nubia max etc
great specs, but service is quesionable of them
well its upto you now
K
kkn13 #14
Oct 12, 2014 at 1:18 AM
avoid all the other phones mentioned,they arent safe buys etc
stick to Moto X,G2,G3,Nexus 5(if you prefer it)

you will get caught in update and quality wars with the other phones mentioned especially samsung gs5,oppo,lenovo,mi4,z2(overheating,self cracking screen,camera failures),ZTE

35k isnt a joke , a safe buy is always better
ithehappy
ithehappy #15
Oct 12, 2014 at 3:25 AM
There are actually no issues with GS5 at all, if one can swallow that bitterness of TouchWiz it's a decent choice. I am yet to see a hardware complaint about it. While Z2 has self crackling issues (however that thread is just 3 pages so far), M8 has camera lens scratch issues (far more significant issue than Z2's self crackling screen because it has affected almost everyone, remember I said almost), and G3 is as always funny, look at that topic where users mentioned that by uninstalling LG keyboard the phone is much smoother!, all software though, haven't heard about any hardware issues, the S5 is actually without any issues! But their software goodness might drive you super crazy.

I will pick G3 amongst those choices. Cause it has a great screen to body ratio, great hardware, and the camera has OIS, which is extremely advantageous. However their UI is just like TouchWiz, maybe slightly polished, but don't expect anywhere near stock Android experience on it. You said cowdung, that's why I am not recommending the S5. Personal preference should always be given priority.

And if you want stock Android experience then go for Moto X 2014. You will get a non flagship standard camera however, along with an extremely over saturated display, and compromise on the storage too.
A
AbhMkh #16
Oct 12, 2014 at 4:35 AM
Lol GS5? How much time have you spent with one? Its such a bad phone, seen tons of people buy and sell it off within a week.

My daily driver is a Galaxy S5. My third anroid phone(after Htc One X and a LG Optimus G) and there is nothing else that I'd rather have.


It is the most versatile and ambidexterous phone I have seen till date.

- - - Updated - - -

My daily driver is a Galaxy S5. My third anroid phone(after Htc One X and a LG Optimus G) and there is nothing else that I'd rather have.


It is the most versatile and ambidexterous phone I have seen till date.

The truth is, you can talk about design and interface all you want but screen quality, performance and battery life are the three key aspects which make a solid smartphone.Galaxy S5 delivers on all three aspects.
omega44-xt
Oct 12, 2014 at 9:16 AM
Many people don't like Samsung phones. I have no problem with S5 personally. I have used it.

Still for OP i would recommend G3 or Z2 or G2 or Moto X 2nd gen (that's my order of preference)
T
the.one #18
Oct 12, 2014 at 11:56 AM
I wouldn't mind a Samsung flagship too. Only mistake they made was not experimenting with hardware designs and not getting rid of bloat wares. For me it's a question of stock android vs custom skin experience. Moto x
/Nexus for stock android & with custom skinned versions I would also have Samsung into consideration as it's not much diff from a Sony or htc.

Anyway how about a z3 compact?? Its 4g with exceptional battery life.
abirthedevil
Oct 12, 2014 at 6:58 PM
Points to note with Galaxy S5-
Inferior processor for India
Lower RAM
Look wise its crap
UI wise its crap
Feature wise packed with gimmicks other than IP67 which rocks

Additional benefits of the S5 as experienced first hand
Reboots mid task for no apparent reason
Random freezes
Network and call drops

All things considered its a solid choice for a 35k phone?
K
Oct 12, 2014 at 7:33 PM
I would wait 5 more days for Nexus 6
omega44-xt
Oct 12, 2014 at 9:38 PM
I wouldn't mind a Samsung flagship too. Only mistake they made was not experimenting with hardware designs and not getting rid of bloat wares. For me it's a question of stock android vs custom skin experience. Moto x
/Nexus for stock android & with custom skinned versions I would also have Samsung into consideration as it's not much diff from a Sony or htc.

Anyway how about a z3 compact?? Its 4g with exceptional battery life.
Z3 Compact is a great choice. In terms of dimensions it's noticably smaller than my Nexus 4 (i checked it's dummy model)
K
kkn13 #22
Oct 13, 2014 at 12:25 AM
35k is no joke,dont buy mediocre handsets
get something which is tried and tested etc
M
Minion #23
Oct 13, 2014 at 11:19 AM
I would suggest to go with Huawei Honor 6 it can do everything a 35k phone can do.
$hadow
$hadow #24
Oct 13, 2014 at 1:29 PM
Wait for nexus 6 and then decide
beingGamer
Oct 15, 2014 at 4:05 PM
I got the following pricing from a local shop-
lg g2 27k
lg g3 45k
nexus 5 29k
note 3 35k

all are 32 gb versions.
amjath
amjath #26
Oct 16, 2014 at 1:58 PM
Get the Z3 compact. Recent reviews are all great. Excellent camera, exceptional battery life

Pros
•Incredible battery life
•Top-tier performance
•Flagship design and build quality
•Reduced in size, but not capability

Cons
•Poor low-light camera performance
•Sony's Android skin feels antiquated
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact review: small size, big deal


Good Stuff
•Incredible battery life
•Unique combination of size and performance
•Cheaper than most flagship phones
•PS4 Remote Play finally capitalizes on Sony's PlayStation advantage


Bad Stuff
•Camera takes some getting used to
•Optical image stabilization would have been nice to have
•Spammy Xperia Lounge notifications
•Loses some of the Z3's premium feel by having a plastic frame
Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact review | The Verge
$hadow
$hadow #27
Oct 18, 2014 at 2:16 PM
You are a Verge fan aren't you [MENTION=127004]amjath[/MENTION]
amjath
amjath #28
Oct 18, 2014 at 2:40 PM
You are a Verge fan aren't you [MENTION=127004]amjath[/MENTION]

Sort of. I like the way they write. They are based sometimes
beingGamer
Oct 25, 2014 at 12:00 PM
I have decided to go for LG G2, however when I checked the prices today again..
The shop keeper gave me different ones this time-
the above prices are for 16GB :O, not 32GB
LG G2 is for least i can get is for 35k
Nexus 5 is 33k
LG G3 is for 35k but its second hand piece, used by some people for 1-2 days.
should I go for lg g2?
amjath
amjath #30
Oct 25, 2014 at 12:07 PM
Why not oneplus one and save some money.
omega44-xt
Oct 25, 2014 at 1:44 PM
Why not buy online ??
LG G3 @ 36.8k with manufacturer warranty
Brand NEW LG G3 32GB 1 Year LG India Manufacturer Warranty Titan Black | eBay

These sellers are sometimes brick n mortar shops selling online........... So you will get a proper bill (no name of eBay in that bill)
SaiyanGoku
Oct 25, 2014 at 11:58 PM
I have decided to go for LG G2, however when I checked the prices today again..
The shop keeper gave me different ones this time-
the above prices are for 16GB :O, not 32GB
LG G2 is for least i can get is for 35k
Nexus 5 is 33k
LG G3 is for 35k but its second hand piece, used by some people for 1-2 days.
should I go for lg g2?

shopkeeper is charging way too much. don't buy from him.
amjath
amjath #33
Oct 26, 2014 at 10:57 AM
But you can't show her nexus 6 on hand
beingGamer
Oct 29, 2014 at 10:15 PM
Ok guys, finally bought Lg G2 today.
cost - 34.5k
storage - 32GB

its a nice phone, a little big for my hands but still manageable.
getting started with installing a few apps.
amjath
amjath #35
Oct 29, 2014 at 11:01 PM
^congos
SaiyanGoku
Oct 30, 2014 at 1:39 AM
Ok guys, finally bought Lg G2 today.
cost - 34.5k
storage - 32GB

its a nice phone, a little big for my hands but still manageable.
getting started with installing a few apps.

G Pro 2 was selling for lower price than G2 on snapdeal :lol:
Congrats anyway
beingGamer
Oct 30, 2014 at 11:22 AM
G Pro 2 was selling for lower price than G2 on snapdeal :lol:
Congrats anyway

Yea I saw many of those. but it was suspicious because some of them even listed 32gb at 29k
so thought to buy locally
A
AbhMkh #38
Oct 30, 2014 at 8:01 PM
Points to note with Galaxy S5-
Inferior processor for India
Lower RAM
Look wise its crap
UI wise its crap
Feature wise packed with gimmicks other than IP67 which rocks

Additional benefits of the S5 as experienced first hand
Reboots mid task for no apparent reason
Random freezes
Network and call drops

All things considered its a solid choice for a 35k phone?

Where did you buy the S5 from ?, the flea market ?.

From your description it seems you and I are using completely different S5's

I am enjoying my S5 to the fullest extent, the only phone I regret not buying is the One M8.All other phones in this price bracket have either poor battery battery life or an inferior display
beingGamer
Oct 30, 2014 at 9:00 PM
Where did you buy the S5 from ?, the flea market ?.

From your description it seems you and I are using completely different S5's

I am enjoying my S5 to the fullest extent, the only phone I regret not buying is the One M8.All other phones in this price bracket have either poor battery battery life or an inferior display

I am not aware of S5, but i read a lot of places that it has different CPU that the internationally sold.
Its a bit early to say about the battery life of lg g2 for me, but by what i sense is, its massive.
I charged fully charged it at 2.30 PM today and now its 9PM.
I used whatsapp, surfing over 2G, and about 1 hour screen ON time messing with the settings - its drained only 10% till now
A
AbhMkh #40
Oct 30, 2014 at 9:12 PM
I am not aware of S5, but i read a lot of places that it has different CPU that the internationally sold.
Its a bit early to say about the battery life of lg g2 for me, but by what i sense is, its massive.
I charged fully charged it at 2.30 PM today and now its 9PM.
I used whatsapp, surfing over 2G, and about 1 hour screen ON time messing with the settings - its drained only 10% till now

Yes the G2 is battery champ, you wont see any problems on that side.What I am trying to say is that every other phone in this price bracket has something or the other missing.No complete packages

1. Moto X+1 : PATHETIC battery life, poor camera

2. Nexus 5 : PATHETIC battery life, poor camera

3. HTC One E8 : Poor camera, No IR blaster

.... LG G2 is a good phone but it will be outdated fast.You should have gone for something more futureproof
beingGamer
Oct 30, 2014 at 9:56 PM
Yes the G2 is battery champ, you wont see any problems on that side.What I am trying to say is that every other phone in this price bracket has something or the other missing.No complete packages

1. Moto X+1 : PATHETIC battery life, poor camera

2. Nexus 5 : PATHETIC battery life, poor camera

3. HTC One E8 : Poor camera, No IR blaster

.... LG G2 is a good phone but it will be outdated fast.You should have gone for something more futureproof

lol.. what should I consider more for the first time Android experience?
It already has Kitkat.
has radio which lot of phones done have
good battery
enough RAM, 3GB IMO is a waste i am not going to use that much
I liked the guest mode on it
13MP is good for a N8 user
universal remote

I wont leave all this just for quick updates
A
AbhMkh #42
Oct 30, 2014 at 10:04 PM
lol.. what should I consider more for the first time Android experience?
It already has Kitkat.
has radio which lot of phones done have
good battery
enough RAM, 3GB IMO is a waste i am not going to use that much
I liked the guest mode on it
13MP is good for a N8 user
universal remote

I wont leave all this just for quick updates

Since you have already bought it, no point in commenting on it.Its a good phone. 1 yr ago, when there was no S5,I would have considered buying this phone myself
T
the.one #43
Oct 30, 2014 at 10:47 PM
I think no phone is future proof.. Since 64 bit phones will be out and the words "64 bit" will be what marketing depts of these companies use the most next year.
R
Oct 31, 2014 at 12:34 AM
Coming down in price you can lenovo vibe 2 quit a decent phone to say. Good camera and screen just get a bit over heated when taking images
ithehappy
ithehappy #45
Oct 31, 2014 at 1:58 AM
LOL. I still don't believe that OP got G2 for 34k! He could have got G3 in that price!

This is 2014 anyway.
amjath
amjath #46
Oct 31, 2014 at 7:51 AM
He bought it EoD.
amjath
amjath #49
Oct 31, 2014 at 12:45 PM
Now what does EoD means something similar to COD :-?:-?
EOD has many abbreviation but apt one for the thread is end of discussion