Choosing a new Mobile phone

[polidor]

At the moment i have a Samsung Galaxy Fame, about 5 years old. I use Pay as you go. EE/Orange

I would like to buy one with more options--better camera--bigger keyboard--basically "more bells and whistles"  around the £150-200. price. or is that wishful thinking?

I have Googled for advice ?--and am more confused than when i started looking.

Locked and unlocked i can understand but when they start on about 3g/4g and get REALLY technical i am lost 

What questions should i ask when shopping for one, always supposing i understand the answers of course!

I use my phone mostly for Whatsapp/texting/photos/ the occasional phonecall!

If anyone has the time and patience to reply i would be grateful. poli

p.s --trying to do this on my own without consulting my grownup children just in case they say

" mum, do you really need another one? " and no, i don't, i just want one.     poli
 

[bluesofa]

Motorola has been recommended to me for being good quality, but cheaper than Apple/Samsung. 

I think this would lead to the G5 range.  There's a comparison here

https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=8454&idPhone2=8698&idPhone3=8699

And an article here

https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/buyers-guides/motorola/140313-motorola-moto-g5-vs-g5-plus-vs-g5s-vs-g5s-plus-what-are-all-these-moto-phones

I guess most phones in this price bracket will have the functionality you use, so it may be a case of deciding what screen size you prefer and looking at reviews of camera and build quality. 

[LizzieW]

I've got a Motorola, Moto G (3rd Generation), I think they're up to 5th Generation now.  It does have a very good camera and like you I use it mainly for texting/Whatsapp and occasional 'phone calls.  It does have a couple of anomalies compared to other android 'phones, for instance you can't download your own music to use as a ring tone but that's not a problem unless you really wanted a particular piece of music.

One of my sons and his wife have always had Motorola Moto G 'phones, my son has recently bought himself the latest version.

Which? has an update on mobile 'phones this month, it had 3 best buys, a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 @ £869, a OnePlus 5T @ £449 and a Motorola Moto G5 Plus @ £200.  About the Motorola it states "Our cheapest Best Buy has a 5.2 inch display.  It's terrific value, with good photos and videos, 11 hours of web browsing from a single charge, and a fingerprint sensor".

I rarely browse the web on my 'phone - I use my laptop for that - and I usually re-charge my 'phone every 2-3 days, more if I've taken photos and videos of course.

[LizzieW]

I've just read that at the Mobile World Congress to be held in Spain from 28 Feb to 1 Mar, Motorola will be introducing Moto G6 at a similar price.  I was thinking of upgrading to a G5 but I'll wait now for the G6.

[polidor]

Thanks to bluesofa and LizzieW for replying.

I looked at the 2 articles suggested. Motorola would seem to be a popular choice.

A query----what does a phone that costs £600--800 have/do that one costing £200-300 doesn't ?

The  articles probably explained but a bit too technically for me to easily understand. poli

[PaulineJ]

A query----what does a phone that costs £600--800 have/do that one costing £200-300 doesn't ?

A particular logo?. we all have Motorola handsets of one variety or another.
Really can't fault any of the current mid-range ones.

One thing I would watch out for is that the casing has some "grip" to it. Some of 'em are as slippery as an eel.

[MagicMirror]

At the moment i have a Samsung Galaxy Fame, about 5 years old. I use Pay as you go. EE/Orange

I would like to buy one with more options--better camera--bigger keyboard--basically "more bells and whistles"  around the £150-200. price. or is that wishful thinking?

I replaced my similar vintage Galaxy Fame with a Huawei P10 Lite just before Christmas. I am very happy with it.  It seems like a huge step up. Currently available (sim free) at around £180 and probably ticks all your boxes.

Additionally my daughter has also now bought one to replace an iPhone 5 and she is also happy with it.

[Mart 'n' Al]

We are struggling to find a large mobile phone.  Plenty are advertising large buttons, but we want a large phone for someone shortsighted and with poor grip.

Martin

[polidor]

Thanks also to MagicMirror and Pauline.j

Noticed that a ref. was made to 'sim free'---I have just spent a good while Googling 'sim free' and 'unlocked/locked' and am now getting really confused.

I can vaguely understand the concepts of both these things but cannot truly decide which would suit my needs best?

As I understand--or think I understand sim free phone means you are not tied to a particular provider like EE for example. How would that work if you are PAYG ?

As for locked/unlocked---- well my very old brain is scrambled !!   Poli