Can you advice about a dependable low-cost smartphone?

[udg]

Hi all,
my phone company recently wrote to me that they are in the process of abandoning 3G support, so they kindly invite me to buy a new smartphone (and change SIM too).
In the years I favoured models in the 100-150 EUR/USD/CHF (not great differences between currencies) when I couldn't adopt the "old" model dismissed by my wife or my son...

Very basic needs: phone calls, email checking, browsing, messaging, maps and indications when travelling to an unknown town or place. For all the rest, I have my own apps

What matters to me in a smartphone?
1. Good antenna for flawless phone calls (afterall it's still a phone)
2. WiFi - NFC - BT - GPS (or equivalent)
3. Enough RAM (8/16GB ?) to work without glitches whatever app I use
4. Enough Storage to avoid to be forced to disinstall an app in order to be able to update it. In general, enough room for a good number of apps (mostly made by me with B4A)
5. Ability to update the OS for a few runs
6 Network 4G/5G
7. Android 14+

What I don't care about?
1. Ultra-High definition cameras
2. 3D cameras
3. Fingerprint reader
4. Tons of pre-installed apps (that I can't disinstall)
5. AI assistants
6. Fancy UI

I'd like an advice about models you used yourself for some time, so to be aware of limitations or occured problems well before I start searching Amazon or any other marketplace (or even shops in the street).

TIA

 

[Sandman]

If you're willing to ignore the low-cost aspect (I imagine not ), I would absolutely recommend Google Pixel. Ignore the latest versions, go for a model that's a couple of years old, so the price has come down.

I've used those phones for years now. So nice to don't have pre-installed crap. And I also use Nova launcher and just load my config on every new phone, so I don't have to bother with any new launcher interface in the OS.

 

[JohnJ]

If you're willing to ignore the low-cost aspect (I imagine not ), I would absolutely recommend Google Pixel. Ignore the latest versions, go for a model that's a couple of years old, so the price has come down.

I've used those phones for years now. So nice to don't have pre-installed crap. And I also use Nova launcher and just load my config on every new phone, so I don't have to bother with any new launcher interface in the OS.

I agree, you can buy an unlocked Pixel 6a on eBay for $150. And you will get OS updates for a couple of years, 27 maybe, and I believe security updates beyond that

 

[stevel05]

I got a Pixel 6 pro from my Son when he upgraded 7 or 8 months ago, so it must be nearly 3 years old now. Haven't had a problem with it. Well except for the fact that they changed the function of the power button to call up it's AI, but that's just my taste. It's on Android 15 at the moment. If you can get one in your price range, go for it.

 

[epiCode]

Oneplus 13R

 

[hatzisn]

Hi all,
my phone company recently wrote to me that they are in the process of abandoning 3G support, so they kindly invite me to buy a new smartphone (and change SIM too).
In the years I favoured models in the 100-150 EUR/USD/CHF (not great differences between currencies) when I couldn't adopt the "old" model dismissed by my wife or my son...

Very basic needs: phone calls, email checking, browsing, messaging, maps and indications when travelling to an unknown town or place. For all the rest, I have my own apps

What matters to me in a smartphone?
1. Good antenna for flawless phone calls (afterall it's still a phone)
2. WiFi - NFC - BT - GPS (or equivalent)
3. Enough RAM (8/16GB ?) to work without glitches whatever app I use
4. Enough Storage to avoid to be forced to disinstall an app in order to be able to update it. In general, enough room for a good number of apps (mostly made by me with B4A)
5. Ability to update the OS for a few runs
6 Network 4G/5G
7. Android 14+

What I don't care about?
1. Ultra-High definition cameras
2. 3D cameras
3. Fingerprint reader
4. Tons of pre-installed apps (that I can't disinstall)
5. AI assistants
6. Fancy UI

I'd like an advice about models you used yourself for some time, so to be aware of limitations or occured problems well before I start searching Amazon or any other marketplace (or even shops in the street).

TIA

You can always go to https://gsmarena.com and then click on phone finder in the upper left corner (grey background box) and define the specifications you want to find your desired phone.

 

[Sagenut]

4. Tons of pre-installed apps (that I can't disinstall)

In the case that you get a phone with some preinstalled system apps that you don't want, you can get rid of them with ADB line commands.
Make a list of all the package names of the apps that you want to uninstall.
Then start issuing this command

pm uninstall -k --user 0 packagename

After --user there is a number ZERO.
You will need to do it for every app.
Note that you can uninstall EVERYTHING in this way, so watch out not to touch something critical.
This is not a complete uninstall.
Doing a Factory Reset will make them appear again.
Sorry for the OT but it could be helpful in some cases.

 

[udg]

Thank you all for your hints.
I forgot to say that it would be a secondary phone for me, but due to the large consensus toward a Pixel model I'll search for good offers about Pixel 6 and later models.
One possible channel is the site refurbed.it (and similar) where a minimum of warranty is provided.