[Keeleri_Achu]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

How is the aftersales support for this considering that Motorola is no longer a top selling brand in India.

Though sales are not as high as popular models like Redmi Note series, I believe Moto G is still doing respectable numbers. So I don't think parts availability will be an issue. The only con I've heard is that though the OS is near stock, updates are still slow to come by. But that is a sore point for most budget android devices.

Also, have never bought electronics off Flipkart. Do the same buyer beware rules apply wrt to resellers on the platform?

I've bought 3 phones this year. All from Flipkart. Two of them were exchanges. My experience have been pretty good. I had to avail warranty on one of them (Poco X3 Pro). They didn't even ask for the invoice as the IMEI was already tagged in the system with Flipkart being the authorised reseller. Just get it from a Flipkart assured reseller.

[hothatchaway]

Thanks Keeleri, any thoughts on Nokia? Saw their G20 model listed on Amazon for 13k. Similar spec buy for a smaller battery. Lava is listed as the manufacturer for them in india. Nokia is the other stock android I believe

[Keeleri_Achu]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Any thoughts on Nokia?

The Helio G35 processor that is present in the G20 is so underpowered that you have to look at the spec sheet to find it. It isn't advertised anywhere. Frankly I find Nokias to be overpriced and underpowered at their respective segments.

[vishnana]

My Pixel 3A is shutting down randomly! With camera App opened its 100% shutdown guaranteed ! So I had disabled it . But even with this it randomly shuts down when some video plays in background. Recently updated to Android 12 OS but even before I had this trouble ! It’s just continuing .. this is a backup phone so Iam managing !

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by vishnana

My Pixel 3A is shutting down randomly! With camera App opened its 100% shutdown guaranteed ! So I had disabled it . But even with this it randomly shuts down when some video plays in background. Recently updated to Android 12 OS but even before I had this trouble ! It’s just continuing .. this is a backup phone so Iam managing !

Seems like a case of a degraded battery. I too faced this issue with my Moto X2. It used to randomly shut down even with battery at 20-25% if I open any memory intensive app.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by vishnana

My Pixel 3A is shutting down randomly! ....

Same here. I've been experiencing random shutdowns, battery drains, Bluetooth connectivity issues, and screen flickering since the last 3 months. It seems like a fried battery causes this issue. Causes are overheating of the battery due to navigation use, prolonged calls (WFH!) using bluetooth headphones etc.

Instead of the high battery replacement cost quoted by my local shop, I chose to get an iPhone SE (for free!) by shifting network providers in the US.

[dragonfire]

Guys, what is your opinion on the Pixel 3? It is available refurbished (superb) in Flipkart for 11xxx, which seems like a good deal to me. I wanted to get a pixel 4A, but somehow didn't want to spend that much money on a 4G phone with a lower midrange chipset. Pixel 3 has a SD 845 and 4 gigs of RAM which I hope is good enough for light to moderate use. And it is the cheapest route to android 12 at the moment.

Any know issues with this phone?

[tbppjpr]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

Guys, what is your opinion on the Pixel 3? It is available refurbished (superb) in Flipkart for 11xxx, which seems like a good deal to me. I wanted to get a pixel 4A, but somehow didn't want to spend that much money on a 4G phone with a lower midrange chipset. Pixel 3 has a SD 845 and 4 gigs of RAM which I hope is good enough for light to moderate use. And it is the cheapest route to android 12 at the moment.

Today's upper midrange chipsets like 730g of 4a or 732G of Moto G40/G60 are more efficient compared to age old top end 845 SOC. Performance is also not too far behind, maybe just 15-20% lower compared to 845 but its compensated by the more RAM available in these midrangers.

The Pixel 3 you are considering is refurbished, we don't know if the battery is new or not? If its new then what about the quality? Its a bitter fact that smartphones render useless once battery is gone, replacement batteries are not reliable most of the times. Sadly the battery and software update policy of the tech-giants is one of the biggest factor in day by day piling up of e-garbage.

I am worried about the situation of the environment once the e-cars will replace the conventional cars. The e-car manufacturers will also have the same battery policy to maximize their profits.

Coming back to your topic, I would rather put my money on something like Moto G40/60 for a 4G phone which come with bloat free stock Android without any irritating ads. Bigger batteries along with efficient chipset of these phones means they will go through fewer recharge cycles resulting into slower degradation of battery, means longer life of these phones unless something unforeseen happens.

[dragonfire]

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

Today's upper midrange chipsets like 730g of 4a or 732G of Moto G40/G60 are more efficient compared to age old top end 845 SOC. Performance is also not too far behind, maybe just 15-20% lower compared to 845 but its compensated by the more RAM available in these midrangers.

Am not sure we can call the SD730G as midrange anymore as most midrange phones now use SD765/768/778 etc. Performance is comparable with the 4A, with RAM being the real drawback of the 3. Efficiency isn't that far away cos it's 8nm vs 10nm. But to the advantage of the 3, its has a more premium build compared to the plasticky 4A.

The Pixel 3 you are considering is refurbished, we don't know if the battery is new or not?

Battery is indeed my greatest worry. The phone should be 2 years old and would have hit the 80% health mark.

Coming back to your topic, I would rather put my money on something like Moto G40/60 for a 4G phone which come with bloat free stock Android without any irritating ads.

Staying away from large phones. Also Motorola isn't exactly timely with software updates.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

... more premium build compared to the plasticky 4A...

The 4a has a plastic body, sure, and won't win any beauty contests (moot point honestly, given most devices end up in cases anyway), but build quality is top-notch. One of few current phones usable naked (the phone).

And if it's going in a case on day 1, does it matter what the sides and back are made of?

A well-made plastic phone is a win-win. Personal opinion only.

[dragonfire]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

The 4a has a plastic body, sure, and won't win any beauty contests (moot point honestly, given most devices end up in cases anyway), but build quality is top-notch. One of few current phones usable naked (the phone).

And if it's going in a case on day 1, does it matter what the sides and back are made of?

A well-made plastic phone is a win-win. Personal opinion only.

I agree, and am not a big fan of glass either. Polycarbonate is any day better than glass, yet would love to have a metal frame instead of plastic.

I think I'll wait for the next round of discounts to buy the 4A. Would have loved to have the 4A 5G which is only slightly bigger and has 2 cameras and a SD765 chipset. It's a shame Google doesn't sell it in India.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

...

I think I'll wait for the next round of discounts to buy the 4A...

It was a steal for the 25k I paid for it. Even sweeter deal for those that had a use for the Nest Mini that came free with it (I gave mine away).

[tbppjpr]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

Would have loved to have the 4A 5G which is only slightly bigger and has 2 cameras and a SD765 chipset. It's a shame Google doesn't sell it in India.

4a 5G has been available on Amazon India for a very long period, currently IP67 rated Pixel 5a 5G with metal unibody is also available there, not sure if it will work with Indian carriers or not. Though few reviews by Indians suggest that it will work.

[dragonfire]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

It was a steal for the 25k I paid for it. Even sweeter deal for those that had a use for the Nest Mini that came free with it (I gave mine away).

Yes, I missed out on the BBD deal as I couldn't make up my mind. I hope something is coming up during the new year.

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

4a 5G has been available on Amazon India for a very long period, currently IP67 rated Pixel 5a 5G with metal unibody is also available there, not sure if it will work with Indian carriers or not. Though few reviews by Indians suggest that it will work.

Yes, it is available in Amazon, but they are grey imports, have no warranty and costs a bomb.

[mav2000]

Just got my Pixel 6 today and I am pleasantly surprised. Its quite a heavy phone and coming from a Samsung S10 Lite, the phone feels a lot more premium in terms of design and quality. The screen is top class, the loudspeaker and vibration motors are top class as well. Overall, it feels a lot like a top of the line model for a budget price.