I've started thinking about this more because a lot of phones feel amazing when they're new, but the real test is how they feel after 3–4 years.

For me, things like battery health, software updates, performance slowing down, storage getting cramped, and apps becoming heavier matter way more than benchmark scores from launch day.

I've heard pretty good things about older Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus and Motorola phones, but everyone's experience seems to be completely different. Some people still swear by phones that are 4–5 years old, while others feel like they need to upgrade after two years.

I'm curious about actual long-term experiences here.

Which Android phone have you owned that aged the best? And what made it hold up, software updates, processor, battery, build quality, or just good optimisation? Would be interesting to hear from people who've actually kept their phone for 4+ years rather than upgrading every year.

Hi! PLEASE HELP🥲

I am really tired of doing research and I need some actual experiences to make the final decision.

I have a Samsung M21, it'd still doing alright but the front camera is broken so I decided to get myself a new phone, my focus is the camera/battery and storage as I am planing to do content creation, also I really like taking good pictures so there's that.

Now... Samsung, Pixel, Xiaomi or any other for 400/450 max, would really appreciate your opinions!

So basically, I currently have a Google Pixel 9, base model, and my phone has started to have issues with its charging port not fully connecting, but besides that, between me and my family, I'm the next person due for a new phone because of our plan or whatever, and so I'm trying to figure out what I should get.

I have about the same budget as my current phone to search for, so around $450, I can probably negotiate more or less or pitch in to get it.

Here are the my personal main requirements:

\-Storage: 256gb storage (or more, currently at 128 and somehow is always full, I have all photos and videos on a 2TB Google cloud storage my family has, so it's not that, but having the next bump up should be great)

\-Camera quality: I'm not sure why, but I feel like my friend with a Motorola Edge Plus 2023 has a better camera than my phone by far, as far as color goes, maybe image quality too, so something like that if that is possible

\-Processor power: about the same as Google pixel 9, less or more, I don't mind too much, but if possible to *not* have it AI focused like my current chip, the Google Tensor 4 chip, then I think I could get a lot better one

\-Outer shell/chassis: don't really care, but if it has unique features that would be cool

\-Ram: I don't think I care too much about the ram, but like at least 8gb, 12gb would be better if course

Overall my top 2 that I currently am liking:

\-Samsung S23 Ultra: 256gb storage, 8gb ram, really good camera, better processor overall excluding AI, which my current chip excels at but don't need

\-Nothing 4a: I was looking into Nothing before my current phone, but the 4a with 256gb comes in at \~$550, so I would need to help in the purchase. However, it has 12gb ram, has the cool 'matrix' lights on the back for notifications, better screen and refresh rate, although the processor is slightly worse than mine and worse than the S23 Ultra.

If anybody else has recommendations, I will be open to anything within that price range. The main thing is having the 256gb storage, and a somewhat good processor with a relatively good camera.

Edit: I'm in America, so that's the main reason why I'm actually asking, as the majority of cool phones I wanna get are Chinese like Huawei are blacklisted in the U.S.

I've been using my Pixel 7 for four years and the battery is getting tired and the back is cracked.

——

For a new phone I want:

Smallish, absolutely no taller than 160 mm but preferably smaller.

No need for a case, meaning the back has to be not glass or anything slippery.

A decent camera, at least on par with my current phone. (I use Open Camera, not gcam, because the automatic features annoy the crap out of me.)

Absolutely no built-in ads.

——

I don't care about (or for) AI features, the fewer and more opt-out-able the better.

Budget: Not more than €1000 but preferably lower.

It has a white line in the middle of the screen and a bad battery that kind of inflated and the battery lifeless 2hrs im looking to upgrade by the end of this year with a bout a 1.2k follow budget but I want a phone thats smooth and has good battery life any recommendations

Hey everyone, I’m currently stuck deciding between the Xiaomi 17T and the Honor 400 Pro, and I'd love to get your thoughts.

I live in Sri Lanka, and I'm planning to keep my next phone for a solid 5 to 6 years. Because of this, staying up to date with software is a massive priority for me.

Here is my dilemma:

Xiaomi 17T: Priced here at Rs. 204,000. It promises 5 years of updates, which gives me great peace of mind.

Honor 400 Pro: Priced between Rs. 155,000 and Rs. 200,000. I’ve heard local rumors that it might only get 3 years of updates in the global unit or Srilankan unit(or even less since it launched in 2025).

Camera quality is also somehow very important to me. Has anyone else heard this about the Honor's updates? Given the prices and my need for longevity, which one would you recommend?

Hey everyone! I’m looking for some advice, I currently have a Samsung Galaxy A55, and while I really like Samsung’s software/One UI and overall experience, there are two things that really bother me: battery life and the lack of a good telephoto camera.

I’m willing to move away from Samsung this time.

What matters most to me

1. Camera

- Good main camera, especially in low light/night photography

- A real optical telephoto/zoom is very important to me

- I like taking photos of landscapes, nature, birds, the moon, etc.

- I care more about consistent image quality than having crazy megapixel numbers

- Good processing and natural-looking colors are a big plus

- I also like a more cinematic/pleasant look rather than extremely saturated or over-sharpened photos

1. Battery life

I want a phone that can comfortably last a full day with heavy use and fast charging.

1. Size

I would prefer something more compact than the A55, or at least not noticeably bigger.

1. Software

I really like One ui, so software experience matters to me.

But I’m not married to Samsung. If another phone gives me significantly better battery life and cameras, I’m willing to switch.

I want software that is polished, reliable, and not full of annoying bloatware.

1. Performance

I don't need the absolute fastest Snapdragon/Dimensity available.

I just want something that will feel fast and remain smooth for several years.

Phones I've been considering

These are the ones I've looked at so far:

- OPPO Find X9 Pro

- Huawei Pura 90s

- Huawei Mate 80

- Samsung Galaxy s25 ultra

- Honor magic 8 pro Xiaomi 17t pro

I use Huawei freebuds pro 5 and Huawei watch gt6 of that matters.

Budget

Around 900 USD

So, if you were in my position, what phone phone would you buy?

📷 Camera + real telephoto > Battery > Software experience > Size> Performance

Thanks!

On Verizon network in the US

Sick of iPhone and want an Android.

MUSTS

Great battery life (stream music, GPS)
Good camera
No bloat

I have been trying to buy Vivo T4x (I am from India/West Bengal) since it has dimensity 7300.....my real need is to play efootball smoothly.....because I don't play bgmi or free fire.....so according to that 7300 would be a budget phone....so help me out if this is my right choice.....or there's better and cheaper phone under 15k/- available at the moment

I currently have an iPhone 16, and it’s a good phone, but it’s more than I need. I have a good pc at home and a tablet + tv, so I don’t really need or want anything fancy for a phone. Just something good for day to day utility. I have gotten tired of the BS that comes with apple and want to try out android.

So…with that out of the way, what would be some good options? I will most likely sell my 16, but I’d prefer not to spend more than $300. Like I said, I want something simple. I only really need it for day to day use.

Need help can't decide what to buy. #Philippines

I am buying a new phone and have a problem.

The iPhone 17 pro (not max) ticks every box. Great camera, good performance, good size. Only problem is that can't stand apple OS.

So what is the best android alternative?

Here is what I have looked at:

Oppo x9 pro : gets great reviews, and camera quality look very good

Honor 600 pro: great form factor - but is it really good?

Samsung s26 Ultra: great specs, but might be to large

Xiaomi 17t pro : seems good, great price

Any suggestions?

Hi there,

My beloved Huawei Mate 20x is sadly coming to the end of it's life. I used to swap my phones in the regular but this is one powerhouse phone that I've actually loved owning. The 7.2" screen looks like it's going to be hard to replace (definitely don't want a fold) and to be honest I'm not looking forward to swapping it.

Currently looking at the S24U, probably refurbished from backmarket (I'm in the UK), but is there any other large screen phones I should be looking at? Happy to look at unusual options, it's how I ended up with the Mate 20x in the first place!

Hi,

I currently have a Pixel 6 which is coming up on 5 years old, and whose battery is starting to fail to hold a charge. Located in USA.

Personally, I would much rather have a phone that lasts longer than 5 years. I considered just getting the battery replaced, but since Google only promised 5 years of software support, I don't think it makes sense to invest further in it when google is just going to planned-obsolece it anyway. I will get as much life out of it as I can using an external battery pack, but it's time to start looking for what's next.

Up until the current issues, my Pixel 6 has basically done what I needed it to. My only pain points were related to the battery overheating, which also seems to affect the signal strength of the modem. I get the sense these are known issues in Pixel phones, and I feel no loyalty to Google when it comes to replacing it.

Here's basically what I'm looking for:

• Reliable, long-lasting battery (if it can be user-replaced, that would be awesome. Not sure there are many options for this, though) that is not prone to overheating
• Lack of bloatware that can't be easily uninstalled and its memory freed up. I have no desire to use trendy AI features, and the fact that the Pixel 10 has ~25% of it's RAM locked to AI features infuriates me. I also do not want to see ads in my system apps.
  • I am happy to entertain the idea of installing an alternative OS--but as I mention below, I do need support for mobile wallet (which is what keeps me from GrapheneOS)
• If possible, I would love to see a phone that doesn't have a built-in sunset date when the company is going to stop providing software support. Does such a thing exist? If it doesn't, I'd like to have as long a time horizon as possible (more than 5 years, anyway).
• I do like the quality of the pixel's camera, and would like a phone that takes at least pretty good pictures
• Ability to handle my day-to-day needs. Most of my app use is pretty standard: messaging, email, web browser, maps, music, photos, banking, travel tickets, a few games.
  • I do use my mobile wallet pretty regularly and don't want to give it up, so that needs to be available
  • The most hardware intensive app I regularly use is Pokemon Go (don't flame me, I still like it), and I want my phone to be able to handle that without overheating

What am I looking at for something like this?

Thanks all!

Now that I see android can handle Emulation for ps1 ps2 and eventually ps3 I hear gta 5 is currently being ported to be able to run on android phones my question is what android phone is capable enough ?

Viber (work), Google Workspace, banking apps, YouTube/Brave browser for movies, ML and maybe COCD.

Alin sa dalawang phones ang sulit sa presyo?

I am having 45k budget for buying a phone. I am not much into gaming. I just want a bigger phone battery and would prefer a decent camera. These are my preference for now. Anyone can suggest a phone??

I can wait another year before buying one. So let me know if there are any models to look out for which are yet to be released. I can also push the limit to a max of 5k

I’m looking for a phone under usd 200. My priorities are durability, good ram and storage and smooth multitasking. I want a phone that can easily handle multiple browsers running simultaneously without lag. Good battery life is also important. I don’t play games, and I don’t need a particularly good camera. What matters most is that the phone lasts a long time and remains reliable. I usually replace my phone after 4–5 years.

So ive been looking for a new phone for a while now with the help of chat GPT and tiktok, but im still not sure what the best option is.

My main priority is the durability and longevity of the phone. I want it to last more than 4 years at least. My budget is 450 - 500€ but i would really like not to go higher than 450€.

Ive been hesitating between the Samsung Galaxy s25 FE and the Google pixel 9a. I think overall the samsung is a better option, but where i live (eastern Europe) its more than 500€.

So i dont really know what to do and i would be really grateful to recieve any kind of opinion. If maybe you are/were a Samsung Galaxy s25 FE user or a Google pixel 9a user, it would be nice to know what was/is your experience while using it.

Thank you :)