Best value 5.5" Phone for +/- €250 landed inc customs?

54and56

Hi all,

Looking for a good value 5.5" phone for my 17 year old son. I've the OnePlus 5 which he'd love but like all young lads he's liable to lose it or break it so there's no way he's getting a €500 phone.

Can anyone recommend a decent phone with at least a 5.5" screen, 64GB storage (preferably with a micro SD also) and at least 3GB RAM?

I checked the various forums and GSM Arena to see if anything stood out and this UMIDIGI S2 Pro 4G Phablet caught my eye for €233 although I know there'll be customs on top of that.

It's got a 6" screen and seems very high spec but it might be a bot too exotic in terms of spec and not live up to the hype. I'd be happy with something a little less high spec.

Any suggestions?

Scotty #

Redmi Note 4.

Android 7. Outstanding phone for the money. Apparently the most popular phone model in India. I've used one for several months without an issue. 4000mA battery lasts all day with heavy use no problem. Camera is 12mb and would not be quite as good as top end models but that's really the only downfall.

GBX

I just ordered the RN4 for my gf. Was toying with the idea of the Umi S2 but like yourself went with the tried and tested. Plenty of roms/support available on the Xiaomi side of things.

ongarite

Mi A1 is a good choice IMO.
https://www.geekbuying.com/item/Global-Version-Xiaomi-Mi-A1-5-5-Inch-4GB-64GB-Smartphone-Black-387791.html

Alanstrainor

ongarite wrote: »

Mi A1 is a good choice IMO.
https://www.geekbuying.com/item/Global-Version-Xiaomi-Mi-A1-5-5-Inch-4GB-64GB-Smartphone-Black-387791.html

+1 for the Mi A1. Fantastic device for the money.

banie01

Some of the imports have fantastic specs and ROM support the only issue I ever have when choosing one is finding one with NFC support.

postsnthing

Alanstrainor wrote:

+1 for the Mi A1. Fantastic device for the money.

Just got this delivered for E199 great phone so far

loyatemu

ongarite wrote: »

Mi A1 is a good choice IMO.
https://www.geekbuying.com/item/Global-Version-Xiaomi-Mi-A1-5-5-Inch-4GB-64GB-Smartphone-Black-387791.html

my teenage son has this, he's really happy with it (I think )

54and56

WOW!! Didn't get a chance to check back until now and really impressed with the recommendations. I'll look through the shortlist (Redmi N4 & Mi A1) and pick one as I think the UMIDIGI's promise a lot but tend to under deliver. Had an UMI Plus (I think) about 12 months ago and whilst the hardware was fine the ROM was tricky and spoiled the user experience.

54and56

Well Kimovil is my friend :-)

Alanstrainor

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Well Kimovil is my friend :-)

An important distinction between these devices is the operating system. The Mi A1 runs android 1. A stock version of android which should have good support moving forward. The Note is running a Xiaomi skin which some may not like. Imo the Mi A1 is worth the price difference, well that was what my research told me when I was looking!

MoodeRator

Both the A1 and the RN4 are great value and get great reviews, the only problem I have is that neither seem to have NFC

GBX

MoodeRator wrote: »

Both the A1 and the RN4 are great value and get great reviews, the only problem I have is that neither seem to have NFC

This has often been discussed in the Chinese Android phone thread - not just Xioami phones. It is omitted by quite a few manufacturers

loyatemu

lack of NFC is a dealbreaker for me now - I use Android Pay all the time.

banie01

loyatemu wrote: »

lack of NFC is a dealbreaker for me now - I use Android Pay all the time.

Leap card top ups too!

charolais0153

Im 17 and have lgv20 . very happy with it.

GBX

Just on this - on the lookout for a decent specced phone now for my brother who would like in around €250 but with NFC. Has anybody any suggestions?

54and56

GBX wrote: »

Just on this - on the lookout for a decent specced phone now for my brother who would like in around €250 but with NFC. Has anybody any suggestions?

Apart from Android Pay what is NFC actually useful for in the real world? I've had it on several phones and played around with the programmable stickers etc but ultimately all I ever use it for is Android Pay.

banie01

Leap card top ups, instant pairing to speakers, TV. orher devices for media and file sharing, touch to pair, touch to share.
Thats before you ever get around to using nfc tags to set up location actions.

doctorchopper

I have the note 4x and really like it, excellent phone. I sometimes get 3 days out of it, and always get 2.

54and56

banie01 wrote: »

Leap card top ups

I recall being impressed with the ability to top up Leap cards with NFC until I realised it didn't mean I could ditch the actual card and use the NFC chip and Leap App on the phone to swipe on and off. That would be seriously useful but I found the once off process of setting up an auto top up via direct debit to be a breeze and it means I never again have to even think about what the balance on my car is and never have to top up via the app etc.

I still have to carry the Leap Card though despite having NFC on my phone

Scotty #

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

I still have to carry the Leap Card though despite having NFC on my phone

This is why the lack of NFC on these phones is not a big deal for me. It's not like I don't still have to have my cards on me.

Scotty #

doctorchopper wrote: »

I have the note 4x and really like it, excellent phone. I sometimes get 3 days out of it, and always get 2.

Yep the battery life is excellent in them. I recently upgraded to the Mi Max 2... 5300mAh battery. I regularly go 5 days without connecting a charger and that's with a 6.5" screen. It loses 1% overnight.

Currently on 2 days 8hr's with 45% battery remaining.

54and56

Scotty # wrote: »

Yep the battery life is excellent in them. I recently upgraded to the Mi Max 2... 5300mAh battery. I regularly go 5 days without connecting a charger and that's with a 6.5" screen. It loses 1% overnight.

Currently on 2 days 8hr's with 45% battery remaining.

Hi Scotty,

How do you find the Mi Max 2? Does it feel very big? Is it easy to get decent cases etc for it?

GBX

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Hi Scotty,

How do you find the Mi Max 2? Does it feel very big? Is it easy to get decent cases etc for it?

One thing on this device I it doesn't have all the 4g bands for full coverage here. Depends where your at really.

54and56

GBX wrote: »

One thing on this device I it doesn't have all the 4g bands for full coverage here. Depends where your at really.

ID Mobile and 95% Dublin based?

onlyme!

Mi A1 £ for £ best phone at the minute, comparable to oneplus 5t which is twice the price

GBX

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

ID Mobile and 95% Dublin based?

Should be ok. I think it's out in the sticks it becomes a problem.

So I've ordered the mi1a for my bro. So hopefully he's happy

Bitches Be Trypsin

I have the mi max 2, it's brilliant. I don't get two full days battery because I'm always on YouTube and stuff, but that's not a fault of the phone!

Not too big at all, only difficulty is getting cases, have to order online like

54and56

Bitches Be Trypsin wrote: »

I have the mi max 2, it's brilliant. I don't get two full days battery because I'm always on YouTube and stuff, but that's not a fault of the phone!

Not too big at all, only difficulty is getting cases, have to order online like

Gave the young lad a choice of the Note 4, Mi A1 and the Max 2 and he chose the Max 2.

This looks like a pretty solid case and I know he'll like the kickstand which will allow him watch content easily - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Xiaomi-HOOMIL-Silicone-Protection-Protective/dp/B078NKXWNC/ref=sr_1_10?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1517744946&sr=8-10&keywords=Xiaomi+max+2+phone+case

If you think you're case offers better protection / functionality please post a link.

Scotty #

GBX wrote: »

One thing on this device I it doesn't have all the 4g bands for full coverage here. Depends where your at really.

It has the bands for Three, Eir, Meteor, and Vodafone. That's pretty much full coverage. It doesn't have the bands for Lyrcamoile, Tesco, and Virgin but I think they've very low 4g coverage anyway??

Scotty #

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Hi Scotty,

How do you find the Mi Max 2? Does it feel very big? Is it easy to get decent cases etc for it?

It feels very big for about an hour. Then it just feels like a normal phone.

I bought this flip cover with the phone just til I order a better one but haven't got around to it yet. It's an OK cover, I like that it wakes and sleeps the phone when you open it but I really wish it has a magnetic clasp. If you have it open for a few minutes and then set it down it will stay ajar for a few minutes and slowly close.

I had the equivalent of this cover on my Redmi Note 4 and found it great and will probably order this for my Max 2, though it's just a very basic rubber cover.

Scotty #

Bitches Be Trypsin wrote: »

I have the mi max 2, it's brilliant. I don't get two full days battery because I'm always on YouTube and stuff, but that's not a fault of the phone!

I think I read that if you have auto brightness on, you can get 14 continuous hours of video from one charge. Not bad for a 6.5" screen with stereo sound!!

Scotty #

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

ID Mobile and 95% Dublin based?

ID Mobile use the Three network so you will have 4G with a Mi Max 2.