[android] Smartphone - up to £300 - replacing a Nexus 5?

[pete]

As I suspect my Nexus 5 is on it's last legs, I'm in the market for an Android smartphone.

 

I've been considering:

 

Moto G5 (£169) / G5 Plus (£250)

Nokia 6 (£200).

 

I've ruled out:

 

WileyFox - inconsistent build quality

Samsung - had one before - decent hardware, terrible cruft and patching schedule.

Anything that requires rooting - my phone's used for 2FA on too many things for this to be viable.

 

Need:

 

• Regular security updates
  
• Fairly stock Android
  
• 32GB space
  
• Dual SIM
  
• NFC
  
• Decent camera
  
• Decent battery life
  
• Not a phablet - should fit in a trouser pocket
  
• Reasonably nippy
  
• Will last for 3yrs or so - Gorilla glass or equivalent and good build quality.
  

 

What else is worth looking at in the sub-£300 price range?

[NotSoFast]

OnePlus3T? It's a few pounds over budget but otherwise fits the bill.

[flyinghaggis]

I was in a similar boat a couple of months ago when my Nexus 5x died on me. I also had a Nexus 5 prior to that actually.

 

I looked at the Moto G5 but after trying it out for a few minutes in the shop I wasn't overly impressed with it as it felt like a noticeable step down from my old Nexus 5x. The performance of the phone seemed sluggish and the phone itself felt kind of big, chunky and heavy compared to my old 5X despite having a smaller screen (5" vs 5.2").

 

I actually really liked my Nexus 5X and would have wholeheartedly recommended one until recently. However LG seem to have a serious hardware issue as if you read the forums/review sites loads of users experienced the same bootlooping issue which killed mine so personally I'd avoid any LG phones in future.

 

I ended up buying a new OnePlus5 which I've been pretty happy though at £450 it's obviously a fair hike in price compared to the Nexus models. I'm still kind of annoyed with Google for killing off the Nexus line as I couldn't find any handsets in a similar price range which felt as good as the Nexus phones in terms of the hardware and a close to stock Android UI with rapid updates. I mulled over buying a Google Pixel but it didn't really feel like it warranted the iPhone style price tag especially now it's just about to be replaced with a new model.

 

Oh, and if you do buy a new phone make sure it has a fingerprint sensor. It's one feature I couldn't live without having experienced it on my last 2 phones!

Edited August 10, 2017 by flyinghaggis

[Achandler]

The Wileyfox range is fine for build quality in my opinion. I have a Swift and my other half a Swift 2, she is well pleased with it for £150.

 

However, I would rule it out on the camera though, if you want a decent one then look elsewhere as its rubbish!