MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
11yo daughter could do with a new phone.
She currently has my old hand-me-down Samsung galaxy S5.
She's asked for an iPhone but I'm reluctant as never had one and we're all android based.
My work phone is a Motorola X4 - which is getting a bit long in the tooth, but have been really impressed with it.
So what's the go-to budget (under £200) decent android phone (Motorola, Samsung etc.)?
not listening to the requests of an 11yr old girl, will only end in a tantrum. I'm guessing her peers have apple hence the iphone request.
Be a cool parent and get an iphone
I got a Poco X3 NFC in the summer last year. Really good phone and a good price. Dunno if it will fit the bill for an 11 year old girl. Blue one can be had for £179 https://www.mi.com/uk/buy/product/poco-x3-nfc
That being said I expect there are better budget android phones now for similar money as these things move on apace. Our 12 year old has a moto x something or other. That's been trucking along for 2 years now. Bit slow but pretty bullet proof.
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/realme-8-uk-punk-black-6gb-128gb-177g-ps16150-at-amazon-3888600#comments for £161.50 is a decent current contender.
Pixel 3 off Amazon or other certified reman?
Something under 6" anyway for tiny hands.
Xiaomi or poco , all day long , great specs and not big money for what u get 🙂
If she wants an IPhone i'd get her a second hand iPhone SE or 8 from Smartfonestore, cost around 150-200.
I just got a refurbished (although the only sign of use is a pixel sized chip on the back, and a non-standard charge cable) Samsung S10e from eBay for about £160 if that works for you? Happy to post a site link if so.
If she likely to lose or do it maybe a refurbished phone. Could be a used iPhone
The internet is full of lots of budget phones
Got a mate to bring me a Moto g10 to work when my pixel stopped working. I was very tempted to just sell the replacement pixel. Does absolutely everything needed, does it well, cost about £120 iirc.
Thanks all.
@TheFlyingOx had a look at the G10 - looks like a good spec.
Reluctant to go iPhone as I've never had one - and they seem to hold a premium.
Also not sure about some of the Chinese phones - just call me suspicious lol
Avoid samsungs, mine keeps altering settings by itself and I can't seem to type anything without it turning into gibberish, it's not like I've got fat sausage fingers, my biggest phone mistake was trying samsung for a change. My friend and brothers Motorolas have been flawless.
It's a tough one, people are right about her wanting what her friends have. Huge android fan here but my lad went through a phase of wanting an iPhone and I reluctantly went along, second hand obviously. It was fine but I couldn't always help him out with it as fast as I'd like as I'm completely android based in my head. Nothing Google couldn't sort, mind you.
He got out of the phase though, saw the light and had Androids for years after that.
...Till last year when he bought his own iPhone. Where did I go wrong?😐
I always buy 2 year old ex lease phones. My current note10+ cost 150 quid
Size might be an issue and new phones are often mahoosive in comparison with older ones.
Older phones often have an update life of two to three years, so Nokia G50 at £180, up to date, good update life but a bit on the big side.
Ignore complaints about screen/pixel/resolution in reviews of cheaper phones, they do the job perfectly well
I rejected the boy's request for an iPhone. He now has an iPhone. They're nothing to be scared of and if all her friends use Facetime (yes I know you can video call via WhatsApp etc but if all her friends are using Facetime...) and imessage then she will want to join in with all that.
Just get a good used iPhone :).
I can’t seem to type anything without it turning into gibberish, it’s not like I’ve got fat sausage fingers
@endomick - agreed, the Samsung keyboard is pants but easy to change.
Cheapest electrical on eBay have a great reputation - their A graded products are essentially new - genuine box open returns. I've had a couple of phones from there and they come with original protection film still fitted.
They partake in eBay discount code events, so it will only be a week or two until we see 10, 15 or 20% off codes. This seller doesn't inflate their prices for these deals either.
Re iPhones, they are well built and their system OS software support is second to none. 6ish years of OS updates support.
(I'm an Android user, almost went iPhone recently).
Anyway, here's an example iphone se 2020 that gets close to 200 quid in these discount code events.
Cheers for that frogstomp, now I need to solve tapping on the right topic on this forum cos half the time the topic underneath the one I tapped on comes up. Bloody Samdung.
That one was deliberate.
Going refurbished and recycling is a good lesson.
Well this is timely. My S21 keeps spontaneously rebooting even after a factory reset. It's 3 months old <sigh>. Samsung tell me '10 days' to repair, no replacement or loan phone options. I also traded in my last good old phone when I bought this and swapped to the S21 when my S7 refused to turn on one morning - so no working old phones.
Cue one Poco M4 at £184 delivered though when, I'm yet to find out. I'll let you know how it compares though I'm hoping one of its features is not spontaneous rebooting...
As if by magic, 15% off on some eBay sellers with code TAKEIT
Applies to cheapest electrical above, so that iPhone is 220 in round numbers.
Reluctant to go iPhone as I’ve never had one
Not sure as I'm following this logic, if I'm honest.
Stop thinking like a parent and try thinking like an 11yr old girl who's trying to fit in with her peer group.
Not sure as I’m following this logic, if I’m honest.
Wot I’m thinking. Of course a Tweenager will want exactly what the oldies say they have to have, and not what all their friends are using.
There is apparently a ‘thing’ with teens and the younger set involving the different coloured text bubbles in iMessage depending on whether the sender is using iOS or Android, which can involve a certain amount of winding up, what others might call bullying.
It never pays to ignore peer-group pressure within a circle of friends…
not listening to the requests of an 11yr old girl, will only end in a tantrum. I’m guessing her peers have apple hence the iphone request.
Be a cool parent and get an iphone
I hope your being ironic
Moto G10 is a great phone with a decent camera, no hesitation in recommending one but I am not a teenager so I've no idea if it's cool or sick or something else
my 12 year old went the other way. He got a hand me down iphone 6 and after 3 months wanted an andriod. He had money from xmas and birthday so only cost me £60 and I wanted to replace my iphone 5 SE anyway. So for £60 I'm the proud owner of an iphone 6. Samuel got a Xiaomi Redmi 10s https://www.mi.com/uk/buy/product/redmi-note-10s £150
+1 for buying graded off eBay or Amazon, top grade usually practically new and if it doesn't meet expectations can be sent back. Just got an Xperia X (£75 opened never used) which is our Android phone of choice at moment. Takes about 1/2 day doing updates when switched on as they are not recent phones but perform great and nice compact size.
My Poco Pro (snazzy name) was delivered this morning after ordering yesterday. It seems wizzy enough and good enough for a second, cheaper phone. In fact, it's probly a bit too good for that.
Screen's good, comes with a case and protector and Google had it mostly configured in an hour. The only thing missing is wireless charging which was a surprise but not the end of the world.
Recommended based on half a day fiddling about with it so take that as you will...:-)
Be a cool parent and get an iphone
It's when I read something like this in so glad I don't have kids and the associated bs.
I went down this route when my Sony phone died and I replaced it with a Xiaomi. It was a great phone, but I replaced it with a Pixel Pro when my contract was up for renewal. I couldn't give it away to my daughter. I got her a refurbished iPhone XR.
To be fair, the refurbished phone was like new.
Thanks all - she's decided that she now doesn't want an iPhone......
So Moto G10 shall be ordered.
Be a cool parent and get an iphone
Oh boy..... This!
As the father of three daughters (now >19 yo) I can guarantee that if you don't get an iPhone then you will regret it I'm afraid.
All her friends will be using the same apps (yes I know there's Android versions but this will matter not a jot) and she will not want to be the odd one out.
As an 11 year old whatever you buy will get broken/lost so go second hand/refurbished and explain about the cost of new phones.
This has worked for me and they now buy their own phones with earnings!
Thanks all – she’s decided that she now doesn’t want an iPhone……
[just seen this!]
Wow. a) Good for her b) result!
I'm related to some teenagers. My advice is to get whatever has the cheapest screen repair costs.
Sod what the kids say, they need to learn how to live without being pushed into stuff by friends and spending shit loads of money on uneccesary branding. Both my kids have Samsungs A-somethingorothers, neither of them give a shit, and they manage to keep up with all thier mates whether they have iphones or not. Buck the trend and let your kids be individuals not slaves to fashion.
Obvs if you're an iHome then have an iphone could be a good idea...
Bought my daughter a Samsung A12 recently, cost about £130 and it seems a nice phone, she's happy with it any way.
I’m related to some teenagers. My advice is to get whatever has the cheapest screen repair costs.
This is also very sound advice! Speaking as the father of a 13 yr old son who let the wind blow his phone out of his hand last week.....
I am a teacher in a Secondary School, and no end of kids have smashed screens. It is insane, but "Dad'll buy me a new one". Seriously, 100's of smashed screens.
We have been rolling out Chromebooks to all pupils, and some of the Chromebook screens are lasting less than 24 hours before being "inked". We are buying new screens in in bulk and charging for replacement. Because they have been "given" them, to some kids they have no value.
Recently I bought a Pixel 4A form myself. It is a great phone, but not at all waterproof, and my paranoia has got the best of me and I have swapped it for a Samsung Xcover 5. The user interface is annoying on the Samsung, the battery is a bit too small, and the overall spec is lower, but I am struggling to find a decent, smallish (sub 150mm) phone that is waterproof, tough and up-to-date. My previous was a Samsung A3 (2017), and the form factor was ideal, but it is just a bit too long in the tooth now.
There are some brand new Moto G10s available on the eBay 15%off offer, for see reason they don't appear when searching for items included in the offer though. Seller technolec_uk
Works out at £120.
I've just bought one to replace a more expensive, refurbished Galaxy s10e that I got last month after a recommendation on here and I have been really unimpressed with. The battery is terrible, possibly due to it being a refurbished phone, but mainly as it is only 3100mAh, rather than the 5000mAh that my last few phones have had.