[Samarth 619]

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr

Looking to buy a phone for my wife, budget is around 25k. (Her current phone is a Samsung mid range M31 Prime and it has served her well for 4 plus years despite the rough usage)

Main requirements are - good brand value and decent UI, good cameras, memory card support is mandatory.

I have shortlisted OnePlus Nord CE4 and Samsung A35. Both seem evenly matched, but I seem to be leaning towards Samsung A35 for the glass back design, IP67 rating and support for more 5G bands. Also, I prefer 25W PD charging in the Samsung phone over the 100W proprietary one in OnePlus.

Which other phone can be considered in this price range ?

I've recommended Nord CE4 to 2 people, both loved it.

Cameras are good, but specific features are not class leading. For example, you do not get 4K60 recording, or RAW capture, but it's good enough for casual users, for whom a click should get the job done.

If you need better cameras, then you need to sacrifice the microSD sadly, which I don't recommend.
The overall package of CE4 is pretty solid.

As for 100W charging being a demerit, you can always choose a smaller charger so no worries.
Get a 22.5W Mi charger-cable combo for Rs. 699 or so, and you're good to go.

Also, if battery longetivity is your concern, then keep the maximum charge upto 80-85% only (such a setting exists in the CE4 so you're sorted), you'll be amazed at how long your original battery lasts.
Hint: it's about 3 times its original life, as claimed in a research. As for my own experience, my LG G8x's original battery holds on for 5 years, let's see how long it manages..

I've not used Samsung A35 in my memory, but it looks evenly matched to CE4, except for performance, specially graphics, it's simply very weak courtesy of its chipset: https://nanoreview.net/en/soc-compar...dragon-7-gen-3
Also, A35 is heavier and bigger with a smaller battery, thus not preferable for ladies. But it has an additional macro-cam. You can decide.

[14000rpm]

Has any Samsung S24 user received their One UI 7 update?
I use a S24 Ultra in Finland and I haven't received my update yet. It was only US and Canada that was to receive it on 10th April with the rest being 7th April.

[ashvek3141]

I recently picked up the Moto edge 50 neo, 8/256GB (Pantone Red) for my Mum as a replacement to her 5-year-old Redmi K20.

The K20 stood well for 5 years given the sort-of rough & tough usage it was subjected too; plus being a 'Redmi' device, I think 5 years was over the top.

It was just that bang-on the completion of 5 years, the K20 screen gave up, going complete blank! Data wasn't backed up and hence had no option but to replace the screen. Supply of the original screens / spare parts were stopped as per official SC and hence went with the 1st copy in open market for 3k. Needless to say, it wasn't quite upto the mark. Ghost touches, poor touch response and fingerprint didn't work. It was still manageable, but within few days the power button started acting up. I thought that this was it! Before another part fails, it was time to let this phone go. Convinced my Mum too, who was kinda getting fed up with the screen response.

The main criteria was a compact phone and something similar to the K20 in terms of the features, if not better. I had got the K20 at a super deal back in 2020 for ~14k after exchanging the Remi Note 3. But finding a phone similar to K20 today with the similar package was tough, considering the price point.

Had set my eyes on the Nord 4 and had almost bought it; that's when few BHPians here suggested the moto edge 50 neo. Till this time, I wasn't even looking at the moto phones after they were bought by lenovo. But this 'neo' particularly impressed me, primarily for its compact size in a sea of these 'bulky' mid-rangers. Moreover, the prominent YT reviews sealed the deal as almost all the YT reviews gave it a GO with the chip being the only chink in the armour.

Considering the usage was primarily for calling, WA, YT, Insta and the sorts, the avergae chip - MTK Dimensity 7300 didn't quite matter. Plus, the phone looked sweet (although all moto's look the same).

Picked this up for ~17k after exchanging the K20 for 4.4k. Flipkart's delivery as usual was messed up! From promised 24 hours delivery, I finally ended up getting the phone after 72 hours, inspite of all the escalations and what not. Thankfully, I didn't format the K20 beforehand.

So, coming to the phone -

• It's a decent phone for the price I feel. Launched at ~25k IIRC and currently retailing at 20k - 21k, depending on the offers.
• Decent size by today's 'compact phone' standards. The narrow width helps.
• Excellent screen. Auto brightness hovers at 40-50% for regular usage which is quite bright IMHO.
• Much needed, practical FLAT screen display.
• Software is near stock android; I would say 85-90% there barring a few moto bloatware / ads, which thankfully can be turned off.
• Camera app as mentioned in almost all the reviews is patchy and takes time to get used too. I don't understand why Moto cannot fix this!
• 3 cameras (including Tele) for this price is great!
• Pictures come out decent is day as well as low-light.
• LTPO display needs to be set at 120. AUTO mode results in stutters during the auto-switching. Even if you set at 120, it still auto-adjusts the refresh rate as per the requirements (source=Reddit).
• Battery even though 4300 mAh is pretty decent and lasts an entire day with moderate to occasional heavy usage.
• 65w wired charging is decent. Comes with 65w charger in the box! 25% - 80% fast-charging in 30 mins. Haven't tested the 15w wireless charging though.
• 5 years of OS + Security updates! Honestly, I'm a little skeptical of this claim.
• Singular variant on offer - 8/256GB; pretty decent.
• No heating noticed so far. Not used for gaming anyway.
• Rest all the usual stuff - voice, network, audio quality, etc. is decent.
• The Dimensity 7300 does a decent job for the most part. Like I said, it's pretty decent for a regular user.

Surprisingly received the Android 15 update within a few days of set-up. This is contrast to the claims of delayed OS updates by Moto. Haven't updated it yet though.



My hands are larger than an average Indian, hence not sure about the reference.

[bhairavp]

Originally Posted by 14000rpm

Has any Samsung S24 user received their One UI 7 update?
I use a S24 Ultra in Finland and I haven't received my update yet. It was only US and Canada that was to receive it on 10th April with the rest being 7th April.

Sideloaded on my INS CSC S24 Ultra.
But I believe it is rolling out in Europe as well now.

[14000rpm]

Originally Posted by bhairavp

Sideloaded on my INS CSC S24 Ultra.
But I believe it is rolling out in Europe as well now.

Yes. I've received it now and installed it too. Didn't realize Samsung was staggering their release.

The update has improved the UI which looks more smoother and cleaner than one UI 6. Nothing radical in my opinion although Samsung does speak of deeper AI integration.

Everything works as expected thus far.

[Oxy]

Is anyone using the Nothing Phone 2a here? It's currently priced at ₹21,000 on Flipkart for the 12/256 GB variant which I think is quite reasonable.

A feedback/review from someone using it would really help!

[shipnil]

Originally Posted by Linuskm

I just got oneplus 13R last week.

Originally Posted by itsbaman

Finally sold my August-2023 iPhone 14 for INR 31K and got a new Oneplus 13R

How much did you pay for the handset? Any discounts or offers running?

[itsbaman]

Originally Posted by shipnil

How much did you pay for the handset? Any discounts or offers running?

40k after 3k discount. Overall I paid 9k only.

[JMaruru]

I am looking for a new phone to replace my aging samsung A52.

- Excellent call quality
- No bloatware
- No heating during regular usage(No video games)
- Auto call recording option
- Decent camera
- Stereo speakers
- Prefer snapdragon chipset based device

I have kind of shortlisted below 2 devices. Please share your comments on the same. Also, if you have something else in mind, please share as I need to buy one, ASAP. Budget will prefer it to be around 25K but can stretch until 30K.

Nothing Phone 3a
https://in.nothing.tech/pages/phone-3a

Motorola Edge 60 Fusion
https://www.motorola.in/smartphones-...OfoEVmybg9lPIJ

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by JMaruru

Nothing Phone 3a
https://in.nothing.tech/pages/phone-3a

Motorola Edge 60 Fusion
https://www.motorola.in/smartphones-...OfoEVmybg9lPIJ

Good choices. I will also consider these:

1. Oneplus Nord CE 4
2. Nothing Phone 2a

Also, please remember that the Moto Edge 60 Fusion comes with a curved display, so sourcing a screen protector for it is going to be difficult. If you prefer a flat display, the Moto Edge 60 Stylus will be a better choice.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Good choices. I will also consider these:

1. Oneplus Nord CE 4
2. Nothing Phone 2a

Also, please remember that the Moto Edge 60 Fusion comes with a curved display, so sourcing a screen protector for it is going to be difficult. If you prefer a flat display, the Moto Edge 60 Stylus will be a better choice.

Nord CE 4 has just one android update pending and Phone 3a itself comes short in storage type being UFS 2.2. Stylus also got just 2 android updates slated as such.

How about iQOO Neo 10R which comes with good specs, like SD8, UFS 4.1 and priced around 26K? Only concern might be the Funtouch OS.

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by JMaruru

Nord CE 4 has just one android update pending and Phone 3a itself comes short in storage type being UFS 2.2. Stylus also got just 2 android updates slated as such.

How about iQOO Neo 10R which comes with good specs, like SD8, UFS 4.1 and priced around 26K? Only concern might be the Funtouch OS.

If number of future android updates is an important parameter then please stick to Samsung. Check out the A36, it comes with a Snapdragon SOC.

Oneplus Nord 4 is another good option, it has four years of updates left I think.

[akash_v12]

Originally Posted by itsbaman

I used Android Auto on OP13R in both my cars, one wired, another wireless. both are connecting successfully. The only issue is sometimes music is pausing on Spotify on its own.

Hi! Can you share a bit more of how the user experience, battery life and camera is performing as compared to the iPhone? I'm looking to upgrade to the OP13R soon, and comparing it with the S24+ & Pixel.

[itsbaman]

Originally Posted by akash_v12

Hi! Can you share a bit more of how the user experience, battery life and camera is performing as compared to the iPhone?

I have been using it for 40 days now. Well, the battery is definitely miles better than the iPhone's. I use 80% limit charge option, and I have never run out of battery in one day.
Camera quality is good, not as good as iPhones', but not far behind. Telephoto is only 2x, but that is not my primary requirement. Daytime photos are as good as iPhones'.
UI is smooth due to SD 8 Gen 3, no lag at all. The display is too good with a 120 Hz refresh rate.
I am not a gamer, but I use my phone a lot. It handles all my day-to-day tasks without any fuss.

[IshaanIan]

Bought two new phones within the last 30 days and thought I would share my experience with the rest.

First off I would like to state that I’m a gadget freak and an avid smartphone enthusiast. My childhood days were filled with Motorolas from Razr to Rizr, when I became a teenager I began getting my first smartphones as hand me downs from my parents. They were mostly windows phones beginning with an iMate and culminating in the first Nokia Lumia apart from which there was an iPhone 3GS, a Symbian Nokia Pureview and a Palm Pre 2 inbetween. As a young adult I preferred Android went from a Motorola Droid to an Xperia X10 to an LG G Flex 2 and then an HTC U11. After this I moved to iPhone beginning with an XR and currently on a 12. Out of all of these, the ones that stood out to me were the Nokia Lumia which when it came out wowed me by how smooth the OS felt (smoother than iPhones of the time), then the Nokia Pureview showed me how awesome a smartphone camera can be (I am not much of a photographer), the LG G Flex was both impressive and stupendously flawed, the design was the most ergonomic I have ever used with the vertically concave glass and buttons on the back it also seemed to vanish in ones pocket as a result of the curve and didn’t feel at all like a brick like most modern smartphones do but that generation of snapdragon processor was known for overheating which ended up ruining the battery quickly and eventually the phone used to get stuck in a bootloop process. After this I was amazed by the HTC U11 because to me the iridescent glass back and rounded sides looked and felt extremely good. It was the least mundane black phone that I ever owned and it also taught me that sometimes LCD can be better than OLED. Also since it was quite nearly the same as a Pixel 2 XL, I was reintroduced to photography. My current 12 is still with me because I cannot get over how thick and heavy modern phones feel. The weight distribution makes it easy to play with and a breeze to use, I almost upgraded to a 15 because they got the weight distribution right on that after screwing up with the 13 and 14, but held back because of a lack of promotion 120hz. The iPhone Pro models all seemed too fat and unwieldy for my taste but I am looking forward to and might end up upgrading to the 17 Air when it comes out.

Now that I have hopefully established my credentials as a smartphone enthusiast, let’s move on to the current scenario. I would also like to preface this with a small character description if it helps others; I am someone who uses their phones without a case and without a screen guard so the feel of a phone is very important to me. I am also someone who doesn’t give a rats behind about battery life or charging speed since we all live very convenient and cosseted lives these days with infinite power sockets in our homes and wired and wireless charging options in our cars. I mean none of us are a Bear Grylls. Obviously if you enjoy gaming or videography then battery life and charging speeds might be something to consider but my opinions on that matter are void.

Recently due to certain business requirements, I had to get myself an Android phone again but my favourite Android brand, HTC, was out of business and I had plans to buy the iPhone 17 Air to replace my ageing iPhone 12. For these reasons, I did not feel comfortable spending big bucks on a flagship Android. After a lot of deliberation, I went with the Pixel 8a in Porcelain. My first white phone since the Xperia X10 (I miss the white bezels on white phones though). My reasoning for going with the Pixel 8a was the 7 (now 6) years of Android updates that google promised and also I liked the rounded corners. The phone is okay but I must say that it is one of the most disappointing phones I have ever owned in recent times. This is because the weight distribution is way off. Different weight distribution between top and bottom is acceptable but this thing feels like it weighs more on the left side than the right making it quite awkward to hold. This is the first phone I am considering using a case on (have always used my phones naked) since it feels so bulky anyway and I may as well make it last so that I can atleast benefit from the promised OS support until 2030 this way I wont feel bad about having spent nearly 40k on this. Apart from the weight distribution, the buttons are overly clickety and not properly damped. For example if I were to toggle the volume button, people from across the room would be able to hear it. Also I have nothing against plastic but the plastic used on the Pixel 8a’s back is so thin that it flexes in the middle. Never expected this considering Google had bought HTC’s hardware division after HTC went bust. They used to build the best Androids in my opinion and this was quite a shock to me. Even the aluminium that is used in the frame and around the camera visor sucks and feels like it was just deployed as a namesake because it is so soft that it has already incurred dents within less than 2 weeks of usage and zero drops (so basically just against the iPhone/keys/lighter or other objects in my pockets). Stock Android 15 isn’t that impressive either because gesture navigation lacks the polish I have grown used to on iPhones and the touch sampling rate feels inadequate basically rendering my first 120hz display phone feeling very underwhelming. All in all my first midrange phone has been a let down and I am hoping it lasts me another 6 years so I get to experience atleast one major android update and have some positive takeaway from it.

In the meanwhile my Dad also required a new phone and we decided to buy one today. He has always used flagship devices but his current requirements being basic, he did not want anything too expensive. I ended up getting him the Nothing Phone 3a. Finally something that has once again impressed me since my iPhone 12 bought 5 years ago. The phone might seem quirky in online pictures but boy oh boy were we in for a surprise. The design is quite tasteful and despite the transparent back and lights, one could even call it restrained. It is built fantastically. The buttons are well damped, and the seal between the glass back and front and the frame is tight and uniform. This is the first Android since my HTC U11 that feels as well built as an iPhone. The weight distribution is also a dream making this large display 200+ gram phone feel like a dream in ones hands. It actually ends up feeling lighter in the hand than my clunky Pixel 8a despite weighing more. It feels easy to handle and not scary like most large display phones these days do. The display is also impeccably smooth. Apparently the touch sampling rate has been improved over the previous gen 2a, and it definitely shows because if one isn’t gaming, this feels exactly like a flagship device. I am here to let anyone interested know, that as someone who thought it is always best to stick to flagship devices, and felt justified in holding this opinion by the recent disappointment with my Pixel 8a, midrange phones are finally an option. Atleast this one. I wholeheartedly recommend anyone on the lookout for a budget device to go for a Nothing Phone 3a I earlier used to recommend older base model iPhones to anyone on a budget but now I am confident that this 2025 release is an absolute banger. Both my Dad and I are very pleased with this purchase.

Thankyou for taking the time out to read my experiences.