Recommended Smartphones - September 2018
A budget smartphone for less demanding users
Price: 32€
Model: Kenxinda V5
Capabilities: Several open tabs in the browser. Comfortable use with max. 2 open applications at a time. As for very demanding games, unfortunately you will need to pass (seriously, get to work - Google Docs work perfectly 😁).
The camera can do a fairly decent picture if we give it good light, non-moving objects and a lot of time for exposure. While it is no match for any modern smartphone, it should still do better than cameras of the best phones from 10 years ago (such as LG Shine or HTC Touch 2)
Review: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:dwERXlVdjjgJ:https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/92tmzw/40_android_phone_no_chinese_bloatware_kenxinda_v5/&num=1&hl=pl&gl=pl&strip=1&vwsrc=0
My remarks: At this price range, there are plenty of smartphones that come with outdated quad core processors, 1GB RAM and 8GB storage. They should perform nearly identical. However it is ABSOLUTELY VITAL that you get version with a minimum of 1GB of RAM. On phones with 0.5GB, most applications won't launch at all. And even Facebook will not run smoothly. It's the difference between heaven and earth.
Link: https://www.sunsky-online.com/view/559850/%5BHK%20Stock%5D%20KEN%20XIN%20DA%20V5%20%201GB%208GB.htm?source=admitad&admitad_uid=768718c95bc4936dc935ecba28c0c259
Affordable and useable
Price: 85€
Model: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A
Capabilities: You can conveniently use a phone with several dozen tabs open in your browser, or a dozen or so applications. The most demanding games will run without problems on medium details. Snapdragon 425 is responsible for performance. It is known for example from LG X2 (2018), Samsung Galaxy On5 (2016) or Huawei P9 Lite. All of those phones cost over 170€ (double of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A).
Camera: It is a single camera, but you can expect very decent results. In extreme brightness, or in the evening and at night, the photos are not the best, but they can still be confused with photos taken by most smartphones that cost around 200€
Review: https://www.gizmochina.com/2017/09/22/xiaomi-redmi-note-5a-review-revolution/
My remarks: There are many competitors at this price point. One will have slightly faster processor. The other will have slightly better camera. Another one will have slightly bigger battery. But they will compromise on other things. That's the nature of budget phones. And Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A is in my opinion nearly ideal all-rounder. Decent in every aspect.
Link: https://www.banggood.com/Xiaomi-Redmi-5A-Global-Edition-5_0-inch-2GB-RAM-16GB-ROM-Snapdragon-425-Quad-core-4G-Smartphone-p-1239861.html?p=BG060521388067201805 (make sure you select Priority mail as shipping method)
The best price/performance
Cena: 154€
Model: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI
Capabilities: You can conveniently use a phone with several dozen tabs open in your browser, or a dozen or so applications. The most demanding games will run without problems on high details. Snapdragon 636 is responsible for performance. It easily outperforms phones for about 450€ such as Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra (2017), or the latest Nokia 7 Plus.
Camera: Thanks to the dual camera and the support of artificial iteligence, the Redmi Note 5 shoots great photos. Comparable with the flagship OnePlus 5t, which in the dx0mark ranking achieved the result of 87. It means that it presents quality at a level more or less iPhone 7, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, or LG V30. Each of these phones costs around 700€. You can draw the conclusions yourself. Filming capabilities look a little worse, but still records decent video in 4k.
Review: https://www.igeekphone.com/xiaomi-redmi-note-5-chinese-version-full-review-a-wonderful-mid-range-beast-with-ai-camera/
My remarks: That's as close as you can get to flagship devices at a fraction of the cost. The only major downside is lack of USB-C. But it's not a deal breaker.
Link: https://www.ebay.de/itm/273411749635
For VR enthusiasts and for lovers of film and photography
Price: 275€
Model: Samsung Galaxy S7
Capabilities: In addition to great performance in every situation, Samsung Galaxy S7's biggest asset is the support for Samsung Gear VR goggles. The phone will be able to run dedicated applications and games developed in cooperation with Oculus creators. At a fraction of the Oculus Rift's price (with the necessary computer, total costs would start at 1200€), we can have very decent VR experiences, unavailable to Cardboard users.
When it comes to the camera, it is still one of the best cameras on the market today. With a score of 90 in tests by dx0mark, it represents the quality of photos on the level of Iphone 8, or Google Pixel. And easily beats Iphone 7, Sony Xperia XZ Premium and LG V30.
Review: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/samsung/samsung-galaxy-s7
My remarks: Samsung Galaxy S6 (the first Samsung Galaxy phone to support Samsung Gear VR) still costs 220€. So it's worth it to pay extra 60€ for Galaxy S7. First of all, it has a memory card slot (the lack of which was a serious problem of its predecessor). In addition, there is of course a stronger technical specification, as well as support for newer Android, which will help support the latest VR games.
As for the camera, even Xiaomi can not offer anything better at 280€. Xiaomi Mi 8 SE offers similar image quality. But it does not quite cut it, when it comes to the quality of the sensor itself, and relies on software effects instead.
Link: https://www.ebay.de/p/5007437459?iid=153142453014
Modern flagship
Price: 289€
Model: Xiaomi Poco F1
Capabilities: It is difficult to imagine a scenario that could make Xiaomi Poco F1 stutter. You can open all of your applications at the same time and forget about them. You can also open all the tabs you want in the browser, and also forget about them. Snapdragon 845 - the best mobile processor on the market is responsible for performance. It's exactly the same as those used in flagships such as Galaxy Note 9 or OnePlus 6. It was even used in a few laptops such as such as HP Envy X2 2018.
The camera is not quite as good as in Galaxy S9 or Iphone X, but it's still very capable.
Review: https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/reviews/story/xiaomi-poco-f1-review-new-flagship-killer-in-town-1322852-2018-08-25
My remarks: In exchange for a modern features such as face unlock, AI battery management, bokeh shots, smart portraits, etc. you have to opt in for modern design. 18:9 aspect ratio, and the annoying notch. Fortunately the headphone jack and SD card reader are still there.
Link: https://www.sunsky-online.com/view/735608/%5BHK%20Stock%5D%20Xiaomi%20POCO%20F1%20%206GB%2064GB.htm?source=admitad&admitad_uid=04a681387e783d4ef0b8105b1618c229 (make sure to select duty-free shipping)