Cell phone advice
My current phone is about 6 years old and has a lot of signal problems and I replaced the battery about 6 months ago and the new battery is even worse than the original one was and I think it's time to get a new phone.
Things I want in my phone:
- Android
- I would love to have a microSD card but that seems impossible
- if there's not microSD then I need min 512GB of internal storage and I would prefer 1TB if that's not like +1k to the cost
- Headphone jack
- If there's AI, then I can disable it
- Excellent battery life
- On the smaller end
Things I don't really care about:
- Camera quality (I'm a shitty photographer, the camera wont help)
Things that might be nice:
- Having a stylus but not at the cost of the phone being enormous. Reason I want this is because it gets cold in the winter in Chicago
I hope this phone lasts another 6 years and will be pissed if it lasts under 4 years; at that lifespan and amount of use I get out of it I'm pretty price-agnostic. I live in the USA but expect to travel to Europe a few times next year so it should do decently well when traveling. Network is T-Mobile.
This is not SUPER urgent right now so if your advice is "wait til January because the XYZ phone releasing then is probably better than anything available right now" I would be willing to do that. But my current phone is really not doing great.
Happy to answer any other followup questions if anyone has any!
Thanks!
I don't have a phone recommendation, but you can buy a mini stylus that'll work with any touch screen. It won't be part of the phone, but you could keep it on a keychain or find a case/phone pouch that'll hold it.
wait really?? why did i not know this?? brb looking into this right now
If you're like me, order a multi pack. They just wander off. I also like the pens that are styluses when not a pen. Like when they're "unclicked"? Idk if that makes sense.
do you have a product link? that does sound great
edit: jk, found one! Looking forward to losing these on a regular basis 😆
I'm really glad you were able to find one, because frankly, I would not have been able to describe them successfully to a search engine. I also think the last one I got was a swag giveaway from a different department on the campus I work at.
My solution to cold weather however, is often using the tip of my nose when my fingers are too cold for my touch screen gloves to work. If the tip of my nose is too cold, I should probably put my phone away
Touch screen gloves are so iffy. I managed to improve mine with more conductive thread, but they're still not precise enough to type with.
Voice to text is such a bad idea at a crowded bus stop.
The only flagship phones that have a microSD card slot and a headphone jack that I'm aware of are the Sony Xperia 1 series. I have a Sony Xperia 1 mk III (truly horrible naming scheme there Sony great job) and I absolutely love it. No stylus, but it has all of your other requirements. Headphone jack, micro SD card slot, it's great. The camera on my mk III is so so. If you take the time to fiddle with settings in Sony's pro camera app you can get a great picture out of it but the default settings are just okay.
The Xperia 1 mk VII is the most recent one and a cursory search says it'll work fine on European networks. As for how long it'll last you, I'm using a mk III from 2021 in 2025 and I reckon it'll last me even longer. Sorry to come across as a Sony shill, but I think it's a great phone.
There is also the samsung galaxy Xcover line. It even has a replaceable battery.
I haven't heard of the Xcover line before. Very interesting!
There is also Xiaomi Redmi Note 14S or alternatively Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro 4G.
Personally I`m quite ok with Xiaomi/POCO brand, ads are quite easy to disable in settings, quality for price is good, and performance is fine too. My last few phones are Xiaomi/POCO so... thats it.
Just chiming in, I have a POCO X6 I paid $200 for. It's got 512gb of storage, SD card, dual SIM, amazing screen, disappointing cameras that claim they're 48MP. All the usual Chinese features.
All in all it's a pretty damn good value. However, I will say I hate the software. Even after debloating using ADB it's still got Xiaomi tentacles all through the operating system. I can't change my lock screen wallpaper without installing the Xiaomi gallery app and registering with a Mi account.
If someone had ported LineageOS to it or there were literally any custom roms available, I could recommend it. Otherwise, I'd rather have a used pixel 7 or something.
I feel like Sony in general is pretty bad with naming schemes
I thought this phone doesn't work well in the USA? Otherwise I would have just gotten that one without making this post
I live in Canada and I have no problems with mine. I checked it out on kmovil and it looks like it works pretty well with 4G but does not have as much compatibility with 5G. People on Reddit say theirs works fine with T-Mobile but AT&T doesn't work as it's not on their approved devices list.
Reddit seems to have a lot of conflicting advice and random workarounds that people have tried, it's a bit concerning to me. If I hear from someone using this phone with tmobile in the USA I'd be willing to try, but as-is I'm a bit hesitant
Fair enough. If I was to get one from a place with a good return policy I'd be more willing to try it out and see if the network works. It's a shame Sony doesn't make a US version.
I'd definitely buy something like this from amazon so that returns are possible and easy, but my concern is more like, say I get the phone and it works, then in 4 months I'm slightly in the middle of nowhere and suddenly my service is gone because I chose a phone with poor coverage in the country I live in. That's the time when I most need my phone to work, and I'd be both temporarily screwed and also out a lot of money
Me and my wife both have phones from the Samsung Galaxy Xcover line. Headphone jack, micro-sd slot, and removable battery, at the cost of being a little bulky. I have a 6 pro and she has a 7. Other than the usual android/sony bloatware, no complaints.
Interesting! This might be what I want tbh
Still interested in suggestions but I'd put like 70% odds I'll end up getting this one.
Do you know the release cadence, e.g. if I buy one now am I getting a 2-year-old phone that's been sitting in a warehouse since 2023 and I should definitely wait a couple months, or is now a good time?
The 7 released just this year, and the 6 in 2022, so I doubt a new models coming out next year.
As someone who's also started phone shopping I really appreciate you bringing this up. I've been hanging onto my Refurbished Galaxy S10 but it's battery and GPS are starting to go. I was pretty disappointed at the thought of losing the SD card slot and had no idea Samsung made a business line of phones like this! This checks almost every one of my boxes for desirable features!
do you feel like it's rugged enough to not use a case? can you say if the xcover without a case is bulkier or less bulky than a typical galaxy or iphone from the last few years with a case?
I have the Samsung Galaxy X-Cover Pro. Not the 6, the version before that which was just named 'X-Cover Pro'.
Others have already outlined what boxes this checks for you. I bought mine in the beginning of 2021 and tend to keep phones for 6+ years. I have advice for you if you intend to keep your phone for more than 2 years like me.
Figure out which case you want for the phone. I use and recommend the Otterbox Defender series. Get 3 of them, as good as they are parts are susceptible to wear and the USB port cover will be folded over and over for charging - this does eventually rip off (after years). They won't be in production forever and become harder to find after the manufacturer stops making that specific phone.
Batteries. Again, buy at least 3 original OEM batteries (the one in the phone + get 2 spares. They should be packed at a standard 40% SOC (state of charge) for storage because the manufacturer doesn't know how long they'll sit in the warehouse or on a shelf before sale and use. Leave them like that. I tend to want a new battery around the 2 to 3 year mark, and the aftermarket batteries just aren't as good in terms of capacity, reliability, and quality control. Find somewhere temperature stable to put them and leave them there for those years until you need a new one.
If you want to get one of those stick on screen protectors: same deal, figure out what one is best and buy a few. 4 years down the road they will no longer be in production for your model of phone.
Coming from you this is pretty high endorsement!
I don't really use phone cases or screen protectors, but great call on the battery. Dumb question, how do I buy OEM batteries and ensure they're legit?
While the phone is still being manufactured, they should be available through official Samsung dealers. In this case.....
Ok, I just went looking for a licensed dealer selling the battery for the XCover 7. Nothing certain yet, but here are 2 sources:
https://samsungselfrepair.shop/en/galaxy-xcover7-pro-battery.html
https://store.koamtac.com/products/galaxy-xcover7-pro-4350mah-samsung-original-battery
You would probably want to get in touch with Samsung customer support and ask if either of those companies are authorized or licensed parts dealers for Samsung as a means of making sure the batteries are indeed OEM.
Edit: you could also contact the companies selling the batteries and ask what proof or documentation they have to confirm the parts batteries they are selling are indeed OEM and not aftermarket.
I always like fiddling with gsmarena's phone finder when it's time for a new one.
And then finding something unexpected on Amazon when checking prices.
I’ve never been a fan of the Samsung Spin on Android, but I’ve always liked the Motorola line. Moto G Stylus might be the one for you? Though I never knew the Xcover was a thing, and that looks pretty neat.
Yep, I have a Moto G 5G from a few years ago and really like it. I got it specifically because Motorola puts less bloatware on the phone and seem to have more models with micro SD slots. If I had to buy another phone today I'd most likely go with another Motorola.
I also second the comment about the gsmarena phone finder. They make it easy to find phones with exactly the features desired.
Yep, came here to recommend this. I have the "Moto G Stylus 5G 2022" because I also insisted upon the headphone jack and sd slot. It's been a great phone for the 3 years I've had it.
My only complaint about this phone is that it's too big at 6.8 inches, and OP did state they want a smaller phone, but that's just not realistic anymore. The smallest you can get anymore is 6.2 inches.
If you want to go smaller, you could go with a Jelly Phone. Jelly Star is reasonably powerful and does have micro SD and a headphone jack, and has a whopping 3-inch display. I have no experience with this build, but I’ve heard good things.
Similarly, if you want longevity, Fairphone is supposed to be pretty good for that. The main issue is that they’re Europe based, so getting the phone itself, the replacement parts and a supported signal in the states is not a guaranteed thing. Plus there’s the initial cost, but if you want 7 years of Android updates, they’ll do it.
The Fairphone 6 ticks all your boxes, except for the stylus but as people have mentioned in this thread you can buy these for any phone.
It even ticks the one about the camera as it's not in the league of flagship phones.
The Fairphones (up to 5) originally haven't been released in the US and thus wasn't officially supported by carriers although it did seem to work on T-Mobile.
Fairphone 6 has been released in the US and is confirmed to be working with T-Mobile but it's not supported on Verizon.
Even though strictly speaking the Fairphone 6 checks all your boxes it's a "vote with your wallet" thing.
If you want to support a smartphone manufacturer that focuses on alternative OS's, repairability and sustainability buy the Fairphone.
If your personal focus isn't on this you might be better off with one of the other recommendations in this thread as there're cheaper and better available options available.
The Fairphone 6 also doesn't have a headphone jack. That made it a deal breaker for me when i was considering it.
Ah yeah I do want a headphone jack. TBH I almost never use it, but I always have a pair of cheap wired earbuds with me just in case I need it as a backup, and I deeply depend on that insurance for my peace of mind
I’ve also got a set of cheapie wired I carry for emergencies but they’re USB C and cost me about US$10 I believe. A small investment in a pair could open your scope quite a bit! If you’ve got a pair you can’t part with there’s also USB C to headphone jack dongles for a couple of bucks, that’s also in the emergency kit bag.
Have you done a couple of full charge/full discharge cycles? The phone has to learn the new battery's capacity, so you have to put it on the charger until it's full, and then use it until it actually dies. Do that a few times and it'll figure things out.
ah I was told letting it get down to like 10% was enough so I hadn't let it fully die. Is it too late now? The new battery has been in for a while now
The issue is the phone doesn't actually know what the new batteries real 10% is, so if you run it until it dies, it learns the full capacity - real 0% and real 100%. And no, it's not too late!
People have covered most of the options already, but as I recently went through this same search as well I figured I'd share what I found.
First, I had one additional feature that was important to me, that being that I could put a de-Googled custom ROM on it, which ended up being the hardest one of all to satisfy in combination with the others. I was not able to find a single phone replacement for my phone that actually did all of it (Pixel 4a). I initially decided I'd have to forgo the custom ROM support because a headphone back was extremely important to me.
Your decent options (in the US) with headphone jacks and decent storage are these:
Sony Xperia line: Good to decent phones (depending on which level you go for), but expensive. I first tried to go this route. These phones were larger than I wanted, but not gigantic like some. The phone hardware was nice, but every single "unlocked" phone I purchased online ended up actually being locked to AT&T and had to be returned. After the third phone purchase from a different vendor, I decided Sony was out.
Moto G line. These were very affordable compared to the Sony, but obviously made compromises. They are slower, and larger, but they seems to be good "bang for the buck". I was able to try these out because my kids also wanted phones and needed wired headphones. The main issues with these were with connectivity and general low level bugginess. The kids would not be able to maintain bluetooth connections or video calls over wi-fi. The connections would just randomly drop. This happened on two different, but similar models, so it could be a hardware issue with those SoCs or some Moto software.
Samsung phones: Samsung actually kept headphone jacks on most of their midrange phones for a while, but now I think it is only the Xcover rugged line that has one. You can also get an older (probably used) A line phone with one as well. I haven't had a good experience with a Samsung phone in a looong time (like since the first 5 Galaxy phones), so I didn't actually consider Samsung.
Smaller brands: Asus, TCL, and a few others have some phones with headphone jacks. They are usually great on paper, but I only tried an Asus Zenphone and I hated it, sold it for a loss. It was big, had rough software (Asus is NOT good at this stuff IMO), and was rarely updated.
In the end I decided that if I couldn't get a decent phone with a headphone jack, I'd just get a portable music player instead and get a phone that could do ROMs the best. I ended up with a Pixel "a" phone and put GrapheneOS on it. It really sucks that this is what it came to.
Which music player did you end up going with?
I ended up getting a cheap, gimmicky, but ultimately fun music player called the Mixxtape for like $60. It functions as a working cassette in a cassette player and plays music off of the sd card. It also can just use headphones and bluetooth, which is how any sane person will usually use it. I figured that this would work for a while and if I found I needed a more robust player I could get one later. I mostly use my IEMs while doing inside chores or laying in bed, so this has worked fine. I don't think I'd recommend it to people using it while running/jogging or anything where it might need to be rugged.
I you want some really sturdy phone with an extremely large battery with Android basic with no bullshit, you can look into a Doogee phone or Ulefone:
I've taken just two random example, and the ulefone is quite pricy, but the enormous capacity of battery justify it a little bit.
And so it means there are probably less pricy options with less battery, but > 5000mAh should give you at least 1 full day of good usage with remaining battery.
I did have a friend that had a Doogee one I think, and with its 12000 mAh if I remember correctly it was also used as a battery bank for other phones.
It doesn't cover every phone, but I'd suggest starting with versus to help narrow down your list.