I need to buy a new phone to replace my goosed Sony Xperia compact. I like the Sony but this is my third one to retire with a cracked screen to time to try something new.

Simple requirements, I want a good camera, expandable memory, not too big, affordable to buy (not contract), not delicate. Open minded about buying refurbished if that means there is a bargain.

Certainly not fussed about buying latest or bestest.

bookmarking, interested in comments on this.

I recently wrestled with this exact problem after stepping on my Z1 compact. For me the main issue was finding something compact but decent, with expandable memory for pics and music.

I almost got a new Z5 compact from Hong Kong (via ebay) but in the end I wanted something in my hand so I went for a Samsung A3 2017.

The camera is slightly sharper and more user friendly despite being down on megapixels. The OS is familiar and the layout is more tuneable. Whether this is down to a newer version of android or Samsung I don’t know. The phone boots up fast, loads websites and videos quickly and it seems easily capable of manipulating big (20meg+) image files from my proper camera.

I like it. I was initially put off it by stories about it cracking but I’ve bought a toughened glass screen protector and a rubber boot type thing which seems to work well, touch wood.

There was a similar thread about a week ago. Have a search.

moto g5. another victim of sony here. 🙄
pleased so far. dropped it once from waist height on to a path and the rear is a bit ‘creaky’ at the lower edge as a result but probably a new cover would fix that. marginally bigger than the z3c but it doesn’t live in a cocoon so…
oh, it’s stock android so you’ll get updates in a timely fashion, and it all works like it should. i also installed sony’s music player, which was about the only thing i liked about the damn thing.
180 quid from amazon with 3Gb of ram and dual sim capability.

Good shout on Sony’s player. I’ve stuggled to find anything better, and I really liked the fact that it could shuttle through tracks using the car’s audio controls.

Took a punt on the Huawei P9 after reading great reviews and with the recent android update I honestly cant see the reason of buying a more expensive phone. The leica camera is also superb on it.

Oh yeah, the Huawei and its Leica camera…

That time Huawei took a photo with $4,500 camera but said it was a $475 phone

Moto G5 here.

After owning a G4 which I preferred but is quite a bit bigger.

I just got a ZTE Blade which is pretty good.

Still on the G3 but heard that the G5 is not as good as the G4 plus (funky camera).

Oh yeah, the Huawei and its Leica camera.

P9 owner here, my observations and experiences are that it’s lecia licensed for saleability rather then a ground breaking mobile camera.

However it does hold its own against its htc and Samsung contemporaries. It’s a cracking camera and the overall device is excellent, and it costs significantly less than the equivalent flagship models from the established premium brands.

It’s a far better package than the HTC m10 or the Samsung if you’re even vaguely interested in cost vs performance.

Huawei mate 9 here. 4000 mah battery that lasts aaaaaalll day. And an amazing camera and 5.9 inch screen ! Love!

noted for later

I went from a Sony z1 compact to a xiaomi Redmi 3s prime, about a 1/4 the retail price of a z3 compact, but much better in every way apart from maybe the camera (which good rather than excellent).

No problems with it being a Chinese phone as everything was in English, Google was installed etc… if I lost it, I’d buy another Xiaomi to replace it.

Was going to say OnePlus 3T
But that probably doesn’t meet the criteria of expandable memory, budget, or size. Mine is a fraction larger than I’d like, but it is as close to vanilla android as you’ll get, and charges from nearly empty to nearly full in no time.

The P9 looks a front runner so far, thanks

Im going to pop into my local Three shop to have a look at a Lenovo P2 soon, on paper it looks very good indeed.

Moto G5 user here. Not too big and works well

Another thumbs up for the Huawei – I have the P9 Lite which is cheaper than the full blown P9 – lacks a few features but none that I needed.

Great screen, nice and quick and battery life superb. I’ve dropped it twice onto pavements, etc and pretty much unscathed still.

I like the G5, but was slightly disappointed that it didn’t have a compass.

In real life that turned out to be less of an issue than I feared (viewranger, etc work ok on heading rather than bearing).

Thanks for the tip on the sony player – off to find that now.

OnePlus 3T is mega. I’ve got one and it’s great!

How affordable is affordable? I bought a Samsung S7 for £320 second hand, great phone.

Lenovo P2, good all-rounder for £200, insane 5100mAh battery that lasts days.

Went to CPW to get a G5 plus, came out with a Huawei P10 lite. Better in every way.

I’ve had my oneplus 3 for nearly a year now. It’s brilliant. Given the 3t is pretty much the same with a few tweaks, I’d highly recommend going for that. But then it’s all relative and it’s a 400 quid phone. Much cheaper than the Samsung’s and the like, and imo a nicer phone.

With big storage I have absolutely no need for expandable storage which I generally always used to insist on. The nice thing about just internal memory is that it’s super speedy memory, and means everything works very well and quickly with no lag.

Build quality is excellent, and even after a year it genuinely feels as good as new – the buttons are still very tactile, there are no creaks etc…

Best phone I’ve ever had.

I’ve had my oneplus 3 for nearly a year now. It’s brilliant.

Only had mine a few weeks, but agree.

Wife has just got a P9, honestly can’t fault it!

slight hijack: – anyone got a Moto Z Play?
Looks a similar spec to the G5 but a bit more expensive, maybe a more polished finish? I really like the idea of the swappable backs (moto mod), I can see an additional battery pack being bought…