[bijims]

Originally Posted by three10

Hello everyone! I’ve got a slightly different requirement - I’m looking for a phone to primarily use as a 5G hotspot. My setup is all apple, with a work thinkpad (which needs to be on an always on VPN) thrown in. I‘ve been seeing an increased requirement to connect on the move - on an average of 3-5 hours per day.

Im looking for a phone with solid 5g support, good battery life and something I can use for long (I tend to use my devices for at least 3-4 years). Don’t really care about the rest of the specs. Also, no Samsung- I’ve had terrible experience with their service.

I’d like to spend as little as possible, so can the experts here please recommend me something?

So, you would need a phone which supports most 5g bands available in India, with good battery life, good support and longevity but it shouldn't be Samsung and you want to spend the least money for it,

Here are a few options with their pros and cons:

1. Itel P55 5G/ Itel Color Pro 5G
Priced at Rs.7,799/ Rs.8,199 onwards and with a 10% credit card discount, it has support for 12 5g bands, decent battery life, and service availability in most cities, it is a good option but longevity is unknown. It is from the same family as Infinix and Tecno which is the cheapest of the three.

2. Motorola G35 5G/ Motorola G45 5G
Priced at Rs.9,999 onwards the G series 5G phones from Motorola have almost all the qualities you need and should be reliable as well, they come with good battery life, 12 or 13 5g bands and service availability is decent too. They are usually durable and last long as well. a good option worth considering as Samsung is out of consideration.

Other options worth a shot are the Poco M6 or M7 5G, the Redmi 13C 5G, Infinix Hot 50 5G but they are either not too reliable or have other issues which make them not worth recommending.

If you need even more battery life with good support and features, then the iQOO Z9X at 10,499 is an excellent option with a 6000 mAh battery, 44W charging and a good processor as well.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Well, that went badly...

I bought a screen guard and skin for my phone. I don't think I ever applied a screen guard before. Anyway, clumsy ineptitude (including dropping it on the dusty floor) made it a complete waste of money. It went straight in the bin.

Well, perhaps not complete waste: I guess I learnt from the experience. If I do it again, I hope the next time will go better!

Indeed, I did a slightly better job with the skin, but thought it a waste anyway. I expected it to have a matte, non-slip feel, but it is shiny and slippery. I left it on, but put the back cover over it.

Any recommendations for a grippy skin?

[akash_v12]

Hello Folks!

I'm in need of suggestions for a new phone. For context, I have been using my Samsung Galaxy A51 since 2021. Love the phone. It's been extremely reliable, no software bugs, no unnecessary bloatware, absolutely no problem at all. However, the phone received both the last security update, and the last software update in 2023, and I do not want to keep using it as my primary phone for now. It also received quite a few bruises thanks to me dropping the phone a couple of times, but it is still in decent condition. Battery Life has fallen though.

My requirements are not too long honestly. I just need a phone with really good cameras, a strong processor, strong battery life, and overall reliability with 7 years of software updates. Budget stands around 45k, the lesser the better. Not a fan of Oneplus or any of the BBK group companies, and open to purchasing the phone at the end of the month, or early May (depending on sales).

My primary options are the S24, Pixel 8/9/9a (can't say for sure), Motorala Edge 60 Pro (depending on the difference between the Edge 50 & Edge 60). Any other suggestions are welcome, but I would really like to stick with a Samsung or move to a Pixel.

[Fuldagap]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Well, that went badly...

I bought a screen guard and skin for my phone. I don't think I ever applied a screen guard before. Anyway, clumsy ineptitude (including dropping it on the dusty floor) made it a complete waste of money. It went straight in the bin.

Well, perhaps not complete waste: I guess I learnt from the experience. If I do it again, I hope the next time will go better!

Indeed, I did a slightly better job with the skin, but thought it a waste anyway. I expected it to have a matte, non-slip feel, but it is shiny and slippery. I left it on, but put the back cover over it.

Any recommendations for a grippy skin?

Both of these should be done at the local mobile market in your area. Skins and guards come priced per kilo when bought by shops at wholesale prices. To the customer they charge Rs. 50 to 1,000 according to the customer. Even if in the process of applying ot to the phone the shopkeeper does a bad job, he just replaces it with the next one at no additional cost to the customer. To them it costs pennies. You could just tell them you want a high quality one and not a low quality one. A decent mobile shop is the place to go, within a mobile market.

Same goes for pen drives, even the branded ones. They come priced per kilo. Dirt cheap, bit sold very high.

[IamNikhil]

Originally Posted by akash_v12

Hello Folks!

I'm in need of suggestions for a new phone. For context, I have been using my Samsung Galaxy A51 since 2021.

My primary options are the S24, Pixel 8/9/9a (can't say for sure), Motorala Edge 60 Pro (depending on the difference between the Edge 50 & Edge 60). Any other suggestions are welcome, but I would really like to stick with a Samsung or move to a Pixel.

My mother has been using the Pixel 9 Pro for a few months now and is extremely happy. I myself am thinking of moving to the same, as my secondary device.

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by akash_v12

My requirements are not too long honestly. I just need a phone with really good cameras, a strong processor, strong battery life, and overall reliability with 7 years of software updates. Budget stands around 45k, the lesser the better. Not a fan of Oneplus or any of the BBK group companies, and open to purchasing the phone at the end of the month, or early May (depending on sales).

My primary options are the S24, Pixel 8/9/9a (can't say for sure), Motorala Edge 60 Pro (depending on the difference between the Edge 50 & Edge 60). Any other suggestions are welcome, but I would really like to stick with a Samsung or move to a Pixel.

The Pixel 9A would be priced at Rs 49,999 in India with discount offers on top of that, so it should be in your budget. The Pixel 8 has seen its lowest price at Rs 35,999 with additional offers on top making it a 30k phone during the Big Billion Days Sale during Early May, that is perhaps the most opportune time to go for a Pixel. The Pixel 9 is definitely out of budget and won't fall within your price range at least until the launch of the Pixel 10 in August.

So you can go with the newer Pixel 9A or the slightly older Pixel 8 and you can't go wrong with both.

Coming to Samsungs, you have the S24 FE priced within your budget right now between 40k to 46k, depending on configuration, moreover, bank discounts will further drop the price down. The S24 is currently priced in the 54k to 56k mark and you would have to wait for the next sale to get it in your budget.

The Moto Edge 60 Pro, according to leaks, like last year, won't be the flagship in the lineup, which will be the Edge 60 Ultra. The Edge 60 Pro considering the pricing of the Edge 50 Pro on launch will be priced in the 30k to 40k segment and should be a good buy, however considering its a Motorola, I don't think purchasing at the time of launch is a good idea as historically these phones tend to be discounted within a month or two after launch and I can surely see it selling at a bargain deal during the BBD Sale.

No other options are worth considering as you need the 7-year update policy, and even Motorola doesn't assure that.

[akash_v12]

Originally Posted by yedukrishnan199

The Pixel 9A would be priced at Rs 49,999 in India with discount offers on top of that, so it should be in your budget.

Originally Posted by IamNikhil

My mother has been using the Pixel 9 Pro for a few months now and is extremely happy. I myself am thinking of moving to the same, as my secondary device.

Thanks guys for the recommendations.

My mother has had both a Pixel 6a (panda-spec) as well as a Motorola Edge 50 Pro. She's owned both of them within a year of each other, and the primary reason for switching from the 6a was the appalling battery life and simply the amount it used to heat up during normal daily usage. The icing on the cake to that was that when she broke her screen, Google requested that the phone be sent to Google Delhi and not any service centres in Mumbai. On the other hand, the Motorola has been a champion of everything it feels like. Long battery life, a very close to stock android experience, and just a good feeling overall. Good cameras too.

I understand that the 8 is much more reliable compared to the 6a, but would still love to get a bit of real-life understanding of how good the 8 is. I'm also awaiting to see the 9a in person, but my heart truly lies in the 9 thanks to how good it looks.

I am also looking at S24s post discounts (I'm a student), and thus might be able to get it for 10-15k cheaper than what most other people might get it for. Has anyone had experience with the Exynos 2400 processor? And could someone who's used both Pixel 8 and S24 also list out their experiences here?

Looking forward to see any other options.

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by akash_v12

I understand that the 8 is much more reliable compared to the 6a, but would still love to get a bit of real-life understanding of how good the 8 is. I'm also awaiting to see the 9a in person, but my heart truly lies in the 9 thanks to how good it looks.

I am also looking at S24s post discounts (I'm a student), and thus might be able to get it for 10-15k cheaper than what most other people might get it for. Has anyone had experience with the Exynos 2400 processor? And could someone who's used both Pixel 8 and S24 also list out their experiences here?

Looking forward to see any other options.

As I can see, if you are buying from India as a student or on the corporate portal, the S24 (8GB/256GB) is priced at Rs.50,999 with 6 months No cost EMI, 36 Months warranty on device, 12 months on battery and 6 months on accessories, Free Samsung Care and Accidental Damage and Liquid Damage Protection worth Rs.7999, a 25W Travel Adapter worth Rs.1699 for free. So it is a good deal as compared to everywhere else, where it sells upwards of 55k for the 256GB variant.

As far as comparison between the Pixel 8 and the S24, the Pixel 8 has excellent camera quality, a clean Android experience, and AI-driven features, but battery life and charging speeds could be better. However Samsung Galaxy S24 is more potent in terms of performance with its Exynos 2400 processor. The Exynos 2400 has improved significantly over previous Exynos chips, too, offering better stability and efficiency, but heating issues during gaming persist.

Now on a head-to-head basis, the Pixel 8 excels in software experience and Camera processing wth a better main camera, the S24 offers better performance, battery life, louder and clearer speakers, a dedicated 3x telephoto camera, a more advanced display and feature-rich One UI. So, for stock Android and a better main camera with AI features from Google, the Pixel 8 is the better choice; however, performance, battery life, display and speakers are better on the S24. So it mainly boils down to price and which one feels more value for money, and whats more important to you. From a head-to-head standpoint, the S24 seems better to me.

Other options worth considering in this budget include the Moto Edge 50 Ultra, Xiaomi 14 and 14 Civi, Honor 200 Pro (only 35k), OnePlus 13R, etc, but none of them have the update policy to match the Samsung and the Pixel.

[DigitalOne]

Originally Posted by akash_v12

My primary options are the S24, Pixel 8/9/9a (can't say for sure), Motorala Edge 60 Pro (depending on the difference between the Edge 50 & Edge 60). Any other suggestions are welcome, but I would really like to stick with a Samsung or move to a Pixel.

Since you have been using the Samsung A51, why not check out the newly released A56? I have been using the A55 since last year and it is a solid all round phone. Looks premium enough that many confuse it for a Samsung S series phone. Samsung also has introduced their AI features on the midrange A56 model.

[akash_v12]

Originally Posted by yedukrishnan199

As I can see, if you are buying from India as a student or on the corporate portal, the S24 (8GB/256GB) is priced at Rs.50,999.

As far as comparison between the Pixel 8 and the S24, the Pixel 8 has excellent camera quality, a clean Android experience, and AI-driven features, but battery life and charging speeds could be better.

Hi! Thanks for your response. My main confusion unfortunately still remains. Whilst the slow charging speeds are not really a problem for me (since my A51 itself charges at 23W max), the battery life concerns are. My budget is completely dependent on what my parents offer me, and I don't want to cross that limit. The Pixel 9 is seemingly going to be a better choice. Unfortunately for me, I don't see it coming down any time soon. The only major thing which I'm worried about with the Pixel 8 is the heating issue, and well, to nitpick, it doesn't offer the lovely porcelain colour of the 9.

Interestingly, Flipkart is offering the S24+ at a price of Rs. 54,999. I might bite on this offer + an expectation of a sale sometime next week is also on the cards. Let's see. Also, forgot to mention this previously, but a lot of my daily usage is on mobile data (video calls, music, a few texts here and there, photos). Whilst I'm at place, I'm on Wi-Fi, but during those times I also have my laptop, and I tend to prefer that over my phone.

Originally Posted by DigitalOne

Since you have been using the Samsung A51, why not check out the newly released A56? I have been using the A55 since last year and it is a solid all round phone. Looks premium enough that many confuse it for a Samsung S series phone. Samsung also has introduced their AI features on the midrange A56 model.

The main reason for not going back to an A series model is simply because of how closely priced the S-Series phones are. The A Series phones do not feel VFM at all to me (for reference, I bought my A51 just as the A52 was launching. Paid 21k for that, and now the base A56 is approximately 41k with a far more inferior processor as compared to the S Series Phones). Also, I feel like it's time to move to the true flagship experience at this point, hence overlooking the A-Series phones.

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by akash_v12

Hi! Thanks for your response. My main confusion unfortunately still remains..

The S24+ has a bigger battery and a bigger display, but battery life is still not the best; it should be slightly better than the S24, but that's it. However, at 55k, which got discounted just on 31st March, it is a better deal than the S24, especially considering it is the 12GB/256GB variant. Considering a sale does come soon, I assume it's price will drop to a maximum of Rs.49,999, and there would be some Credit card discounts additionally, so you might be lucky to get it at your desired price point.

[antz.bin]

I was picking between the following in early February.
Pixel 8
Pixel 9
S24

Went with the S24+ at the last moment for 57k, couple of days before the S25 launch.

I have the Pixel 7 and have done comparisons side by side.

Camera wise

Pixel 8A < S24+ < Pixel 7 < Pixel 8 < Pixel 9

Battery backup on the S24+ is very good. Best of the lot above if I am not wrong. End of day battery remaining on it is around 30-35%. This is because the battery (4900 mAh) is almost as big as S24 Ultra (5000 mAh). Charging speed is also same as S24 Ultra (45W). Charging speed is much faster than any non-pro Pixel.

But the clincher was the 12GB RAM on the S24+, which is same as the S25 series. This is not available on S24. When the S25 series AI features do come to the S24, not many may be lost due to lack of RAM. But this part is speculation.

The drawback of the Samsung is that it is still on Android 14 whereas my Pixel 7 that is 2.5 yrs old has had Android 15 for ~6 months.

Samsung is running very late on their updates. They are no match to Google. There was speculation that S24 series is going to completely miss the Android 15 based OneUI 7 that is on the S25 series and will directly go to Android 16. But can you believe that when they are already running 6 months late? They are also running late on the monthly security updates.

I have gone for the Samsung this time around but when it comes to upgrading the Pixel 7, I am unlikely to pick another Samsung. Pixels are just better and maybe the 10 will end the performance handicap once and for all.

Edit: S24+ was replacing my ~4 yr old Realme X7 Max. Unfortunately it's screen broke before I could sell it off.

[shikh_oberoi]

I bought a Samsung s24 ultra 256 GB through a friend coming from Dubai for 70k.
On Amazon India, i was getting it at 95k after cashback.

S25 ultra 256 GB was available at 92k in Dubai.

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by shikh_oberoi

I bought a Samsung s24 ultra 256 GB through a friend coming from Dubai for 70k.
On Amazon India, i was getting it at 95k after cashback.

S25 ultra 256 GB was available at 92k in Dubai.

Do you have any idea if Samsung phones have an international warranty like the iPhones?

If yes, then you’ve got a solid deal on the S24U! Even the 2 year old S23U isn’t available at that price on amazon currently.

Also, as per me the S24U make more sense than the S25U as it retains the BT feature of the S-pen unlike the S25U.

[shikh_oberoi]

No, Samsung doesn't offer international warranty as of now.
My last Samsung was a Galaxy S6.
Thanks for the S pen update. I have not explored the full features of the phone yet.