# Advice on what new mobile phone to get? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** phones-tablets\ **Created:** [May 5, 2022, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993 "2022-05-05T04:48:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2022, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993/41 "2022-05-13T11:15:31Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I can imagine that I’d play with taking pictures My Motorola’s camera has been a huge disappointment. It’s not just that I have photo equipment…it’s that other phones I’ve had were better at imaging. But my battery lasts 2 days so it’s all a tradeoff. I always felt like carrying a cell was one more hassle—make sure you take the cell and it’s charged and turned on etc. But the tide’s pulling us out. So one thing you might consider, OP, is a case like this: [https://www.amazon.com/Arae-Wallet-Leather-Feature-4-Slots/dp/B07K8BKLZY/ref=sr\_1\_7\_sspa?keywords=phone+wallet+case&qid=1652440268&sr=8-7-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExQUc4T1pNWlNOMTBaJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTY0MDU5S0MxQUZWWFFENzVVJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyNDE0MjMzM0hOTU4xWDdIN0YyJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfbXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==](https://www.amazon.com/Arae-Wallet-Leather-Feature-4-Slots/dp/B07K8BKLZY/ref=sr_1_7_sspa?keywords=phone+wallet+case&qid=1652440268&sr=8-7-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExQUc4T1pNWlNOMTBaJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTY0MDU5S0MxQUZWWFFENzVVJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyNDE0MjMzM0hOTU4xWDdIN0YyJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfbXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==) I’m starting to leave my wallet at home. I’m taking just DL, credit card, a little cash… ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993/42 "2022-05-13T17:29:35Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I can imagine that I’d play with taking pictures if there’s a camera, and uploading them somewhere. Maybe I’ll have some cloud storage for pics, then I could post links to them here? If, and that’s a huge if, you decide you want to take photos using a phone, the ones we’ve been looking at take pretty terrible photos. I mean, great if you’re using it to note where you left a car in an airport parking lot, lousy if you’re wanting to share them. That’s the point where you would be looking at a cheap 'n cheerful smartphone, in the roughly $200 range which would take quite good (but not amazing) photos. But then you’d have a true smartphone, which would be probably more trouble than it’s worth from your earlier statements between OS updates, frequent charging, etc. To put in perspective though, the Nokia 225 linked earlier has a .3 MP (Mega Pixel) camera. Think of an old tube tv with a worn VCR tape that you hit the pause button on. Probably readable, but again, probably no fun to share. Compared to say, a Samsung A12 (older, lower featured but sub $200 smartphone) [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XX66S6Z/ref=as\_li\_ss\_tl?SubscriptionId=AKIAJO7E5OLQ67NVPFZA&ascsubtag=418942831-315-&tag=roucb\_b\_4-20&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XX66S6Z/ref=as_li_ss_tl?SubscriptionId=AKIAJO7E5OLQ67NVPFZA&ascsubtag=418942831-315-&tag=roucb_b_4-20&th=1) Which has a 4 pack of different cameras for different ranges and applications up to 16MP (which, sure isn’t 4k UHD but it’s good enough that my crappy eyes can’t see the difference past this stage). Here’s a spare resource though if AT&T forces you into the smartphone path during your upgrade - > **[Best Smartphone Under 200s 2023 - Smartphone Under 200 Reviews - BestProducts](https://www.bestproducts.reviews/best-smartphone-under-200?origin=google&google_params%5Bmatchtype%5D=&google_params%5Bnetwork%5D=g&google_params%5Bdevice%5D=c&google_params%5Bcreative%5D=481886316398&google_params%5Bkeyword%5D=&google_params%5Badposition%5D=&google_params%5Badgroupid%5D=112549107526&google_params%5Bcampaignid%5D=11688721814&bs=&google_params%5Bfeeditemid%5D=148358838965&google_params%5Btargetid%5D=dsa-19959388920&google_params%5Bloc_interest_ms%5D=&google_params%5Bloc_physical_ms%5D=9029015&google_params%5Bdevicemodel%5D=&google_params%5Btarget%5D=&new_api=true&dest=0&sys_id=0%7C916&gclid=Cj0KCQjwg_iTBhDrARIsAD3Ib5jtclSi50SHCMEGSzX-JUhe4xJ3YxRG_KabZZ5nBw66XOUgLHG)** > > BestProducts the best Smartphone Under 200s of 2023, based on analayzed 5,865 consumer reviews by BestProducts. Choose the top-rated Smartphone Under 200s at today’s lowest prices. Speaking from experience, my best would be the A12 I just mentioned, but I have a bag of 3 (!) spare Nord N200 5G I got fundamentally free and can speak that while the OS has more bloat than I like, they’re solid phones for the price. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2022, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993/43 "2022-05-13T18:09:26Z")
Once again, thank you all for your remarks. I’ve _very tentatively_ kinda-sorta maybe perhaps narrowed down my attention onto a few plans and phones (_assuming_ I stick with AT&T). I’m going to take a second look at them today and pay more attention to the details, then I’ll post more about it perhaps later today if I stay awake that long (which is never a guaranteed thing). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993/44 "2022-05-14T13:07:20Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > I’m starting to leave my wallet at home. I’m taking just DL, credit card, a little cash… You can setup many smartphones to make payments for you. Probably still a good idea to keep a credit card on hand but less so every day. I cannot remember the last time I used cash. Literally. I have $20 and change on my nightstand that’s been there for over two years. I’ll carry it around out of habit but it is still there. I realized I was forgetting my ATM PIN because I never do that anymore. I live in a very big city so it may be different here than in more rural areas. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2022, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993/45 "2022-05-14T13:47:07Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > If, and that’s a huge if, you decide you want to take photos using a phone, the ones we’ve been looking at take pretty terrible photos. I mean, great if you’re using it to note where you left a car in an airport parking lot, lousy if you’re wanting to share them. Taking photos on a phone is a great thing. Mrs. L will tell me to pick up something (say, conditioner for her hair) and it has to be this brand, this variety, that size, yadda)…I take a picture of the container and while I’m at the store I consult it. I imagine most phones are fine for that. So we’re really talking about artistic photos. I have a pair of sneakers that are fire engine red. My phone’s rendition of them is about like this background: [https://www.canstockphoto.com/old-vinyl-record-worn-and-dirty-they-71541608.html](https://www.canstockphoto.com/old-vinyl-record-worn-and-dirty-they-71541608.html) Start enlarging the photos and they’re just not sharp. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I cannot remember the last time I used cash. Literally. Just as I’m a late adopter for cell phones… Even if I stopped with cash, I have lots of cards. Customer loyalty for supermarkets, health plan, memberships, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2022, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993/46 "2022-05-17T06:10:28Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Once again, thank you all for your remarks. I’ve _very tentatively_ kinda-sorta maybe perhaps narrowed down my attention onto a few plans and phones ( _assuming_ I stick with AT&T). I’m going to take a second look at them today and pay more attention to the details, then I’ll post more about it perhaps later today if I stay awake that long (which is never a guaranteed thing). Well, I kinda dropped out of this discussion for a few days while I madly crammed for my Driver License Renewal Knowledge Test, which I just got done today. (23 questions right out of 25!) And they didn’t even give me any grief about my REALID documents! And I even passed the eye exam without my glasses (which I didn’t last time) so I guess that means I don’t have to wear glasses while driving any more. With that off my mind now, I’ll get back onto my New Cell Phone project probably tomorrow (Tuesday). Watch for it! ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2022, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993/47 "2022-05-17T14:09:51Z")
Best of luck @Senegoid. And honestly, if you don’t care for cell+ life, it’s a lot like your DL renewal - a bit of a chore and work, but worth it in terms of safety and security. May you ‘ace’ the cell phone test as well. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2022, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993/48 "2022-05-21T23:46:30Z")
Okay I’m back on this project, having burned out my mind trying to figure it out and taken a few days to recover. It looks like ATT has a few cheepo pre-paid plans and they hawk a few semi-cheep smart-ish phones that will work with said plans. I am taking a closer look at the Samsung Galaxy A03s and A13, both of which it looks like cost just under $100 when bundled with a plan. I’ve been looking for product reviews and user comments on-line. The A03s apparently is a piece of shit. Lots of negative user comments with only a smattering of positive comments. A13 sort of the opposite – Lots of vaguely luke-warm okay-to-good comments with a few negative. I suppose that’s fine, and what one might expect, for a near-bottom-of-the-line phone. There’s no indication anywhere I can find that ATT has any plan that works with an un-smart dumb simple flip phone. Anyone have any experience or comments about the Samsung A03s or A13? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2022, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993/49 "2022-05-22T00:01:08Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > and what one might expect, for a near-bottom-of-the-line phone. Those “near bottom of the line” phones would have been flagships 3-4 years ago. The negative reviews are probably from unreasonable people expecting modern flagship features on bargain phones. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2022, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993/50 "2022-05-22T00:06:41Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Those “near bottom of the line” phones would have been flagships 3-4 years ago. The negative reviews are probably from unreasonable people expecting modern flagship features on bargain phones. That seems to correctly fit a lot of the bad reviews – people wanting to run apps and stuff. But also lots of bad reviews about various design features, and bugs quirks and hangs, and slowness. Even for simple phone calls and text messages, the A03s in particular has a lot of negative comments – very slow mostly. The A13 seems to be a better fit for people’s low expectations. As of this moment at least, I’m beginning to lean towards that. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2022, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993/51 "2022-05-22T00:35:30Z")
Of those choices, I would give conditional support for an A13 as long as it’s at or near the $100 price point. At it’s current ‘book’ price of $250, not so much. They are fully adequate, and if you are just using it for taking photos, texts and calls, it will do the job. The battery life will, indeed, be unimpressive if you’re used to flip phones though, so you will want to plan around plugging it in overnight every day or at least every other day. While the hardware is fine, Samsung bloatware is a bit aggravating, but by no means the worst out there. The camera is going to be the biggest niggle for me - Samsung tends to have good hardware for the pricepoint on cameras, but the software falls down compared to say, Pixel or iPhone. Still going to take good pictures with minimal work though. The people complaining are the ones that are normally using apps that are more demanding, social media apps tend to be surprisingly power and energy greedy, as does anything involving video/motion. Or as @Darren_Garrison suggested, they’re replacing a $600+ phone with a $250 phone (after breaking the screen on the first, losing it, etc), although he’s exaggerating a little bit on the 3-4 year thing - yes, a lot of the specs are equivalent to high end older models, but modern apps demand more every day, so the net effect is muted a bit. But he’s only exaggerating a bit, the features we take for granted on current mid range to entry level smart phones were unimaginable a few tech generations ago. That’s how they get you to upgrade every few years after all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-what-new-mobile-phone-to-get/963993.md?page=2)