I've finally been forced into accepting I need a Smartphone in my life, mainly due to the requirement for taking selfies and photos of passports when applying for financial products, There's no way round it using a PC and a dumb phone.
So - my missus loves Samsungs, and I quite like them (my dumb flip phone is a Samsung), so that's the brand I'm mainly looking at. No iPhones, thankyou very much.
Also I'm cheap. £100 is my self-imposed ceiling and it will take something very special to make me fork out more than that.
So - whaddya got?
This Luddite needs a smartphone
-
mangocrazy
- Posts: 8857
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2558 times
- Been thanked: 4168 times
-
KungFooBob
- Posts: 17512
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:04 pm
- Location: The content of this post is not AI generated.
- Has thanked: 627 times
- Been thanked: 9505 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
With that budget, if you want something that isn't total dog shit you need to be looking to the PRC, Xiaomi are a half decent brand.
Something like this...
Something like this...
-
v8-powered
- Posts: 3058
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:37 pm
- Location: Colchester
- Has thanked: 2852 times
- Been thanked: 1611 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
Get some good refurbished phones on ebay - worth a look, come with a decent warranty too.
-
Dodgy69
- Posts: 7530
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:36 pm
- Location: Shrewsbury
- Has thanked: 2862 times
- Been thanked: 3518 times
-
MyLittleStudPony
- Posts: 1742
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:28 pm
- Has thanked: 835 times
- Been thanked: 587 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
IMO ( far from an expert!) £100 will buy you something that's clunky and doesn't work that well. If possible, I'd try to go to £250 - £400.
You may well find smartphones are a good thing (in moderation!).
You may well find smartphones are a good thing (in moderation!).
-
MrLongbeard
- Posts: 6360
- Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 2:06 pm
- Has thanked: 780 times
- Been thanked: 3224 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
A oner will buy you an old knacker that's not had an OS or security update since jesus was a boy.
Not great when using it for porn age verification, sorry, dealing with financial stuff
Not great when using it for porn age verification, sorry, dealing with financial stuff
-
mangocrazy
- Posts: 8857
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2558 times
- Been thanked: 4168 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
I can get a new Samsung A05s for (just) under the magic £100 mark and a Samsung A16 for about £20 more. Those aren't complete clunkers are they?
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
-
cheb
- Posts: 5463
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2020 6:51 am
- Been thanked: 2730 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
I asked about a cheap phone in an EE shop. The chap recommended the A05s even though they didn't sell them outright. I bought one, it does for me.
-
mangocrazy
- Posts: 8857
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2558 times
- Been thanked: 4168 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
OK, well the deed is done. I've bought a new Samsung Galaxy A16 for less than a hundred notes.
My inner Luddite is raging...
My inner Luddite is raging...
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
-
KungFooBob
- Posts: 17512
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:04 pm
- Location: The content of this post is not AI generated.
- Has thanked: 627 times
- Been thanked: 9505 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
You'll be asking the bank to enable contactless on your debit card next!
-
mangocrazy
- Posts: 8857
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2558 times
- Been thanked: 4168 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
I feel so brave and techno-enabled I might even have a look at all the TC settings on the Duke 690 next...
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
-
Cousin Jack
- Posts: 6058
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:36 pm
- Location: Down in the Duchy
- Has thanked: 3016 times
- Been thanked: 2528 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
Sorry fella, it has been nice knowing you. Within a month you will become a tech wizard, leaving me as the lonely dinosaur* on the forum.mangocrazy wrote: Wed Jul 30, 2025 9:03 pm OK, well the deed is done. I've bought a new Samsung Galaxy A16 for less than a hundred notes.
My inner Luddite is raging...
*I have got a smartphone, I just cant use the bloody thing!
Cornish Tart #1
Remember An Gof!
Remember An Gof!
-
mangocrazy
- Posts: 8857
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2558 times
- Been thanked: 4168 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
I think we're more likely to become a sad, furtive self-help group...Cousin Jack wrote: Wed Jul 30, 2025 9:23 pmSorry fella, it has been nice knowing you. Within a month you will become a tech wizard, leaving me as the lonely dinosaur* on the forum.mangocrazy wrote: Wed Jul 30, 2025 9:03 pm OK, well the deed is done. I've bought a new Samsung Galaxy A16 for less than a hundred notes.
My inner Luddite is raging...
*I have got a smartphone, I just cant use the bloody thing!
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
-
Mr. Dazzle
- Posts: 16347
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:57 pm
- Location: Milton Keynes
- Has thanked: 2417 times
- Been thanked: 6369 times
-
mangocrazy
- Posts: 8857
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2558 times
- Been thanked: 4168 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
Or a new Samsung A16 that will receive a minimum of 6 OS updates and 6 years of security maintenance.MrLongbeard wrote: Wed Jul 30, 2025 7:35 pm A oner will buy you an old knacker that's not had an OS or security update since jesus was a boy.
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
-
mangocrazy
- Posts: 8857
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2558 times
- Been thanked: 4168 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
Don't be silly...
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
-
MrLongbeard
- Posts: 6360
- Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 2:06 pm
- Has thanked: 780 times
- Been thanked: 3224 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
That's surprising, I'm honestly surprised you can pick up a new smart phone within your stated budget, time flies when you take your toes out of the watermangocrazy wrote: Thu Jul 31, 2025 9:54 amOr a new Samsung A16 that will receive a minimum of 6 OS updates and 6 years of security maintenance.MrLongbeard wrote: Wed Jul 30, 2025 7:35 pm A oner will buy you an old knacker that's not had an OS or security update since jesus was a boy.
-
MyLittleStudPony
- Posts: 1742
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:28 pm
- Has thanked: 835 times
- Been thanked: 587 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
I looked at the spec of the A16 and it looks fine. Like MLB, I have clearly lost touch with the market.
-
Mr. Dazzle
- Posts: 16347
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:57 pm
- Location: Milton Keynes
- Has thanked: 2417 times
- Been thanked: 6369 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
I'm surprised that name wasn't already taken.
-
mangocrazy
- Posts: 8857
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2558 times
- Been thanked: 4168 times
Re: This Luddite needs a smartphone
I was honestly surprised. It's a long way off top of the line, but definitely not poverty spec. As far as I can see it's a decent, adequately specified phone. The real surprise was the length of time it will receive updates for. List price is pretty much double what I paid, but it just shows it pays to shop around.MyLittleStudPony wrote: Thu Jul 31, 2025 10:36 am I looked at the spec of the A16 and it looks fine. Like MLB, I have clearly lost touch with the market.
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.