Best sub-£300 phone (preferably android)

[Smudger]

My wife's LG G3 has gone kaput with the apparently common BSOD, and she needs a new one quite quickly.

She's got no phone shops near her but I've got a fair few, anyone able to recommend a sub-£300 phone that we can pick up quickly?

She was interested in the Moto G4 Plus, but this looks like it'll take a while to come.

Similarly, I've seen the Moto X Style for £285 on Amazon, is this worth it for last year's phone?

[jimborae]

If you cant wait for a One+ 3 to be delivered and need one today & you're on Vodafone then the Vodafone Smart Platinum 7 is pretty good at £299.

Alternatively I think the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is still available from Vodafone for £149 on PAYG, ok it's an older phone but it's still great and will be updated to Android N supposedly and at that price it's a bargain. Also pretty easy to network unlock I believe.

[kalniel]

OnePlus 3?

[jimborae]

OnePlus 3?

Yes OnePlus 3 or 1+ 3

(@Smudger) Here's some blurb on the Smart Platinum 7 by the way.

http://www.vodafone.com/content/inde...platinum7.html

[kalniel]

Yes One Plus 3

Yes, it was my recommendation Colleague's arrived today. Looks very premium, little bit chunky.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

AT reviewed it and were not happy with the screen:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/10411/...eplus-3-review

[jimborae]

Yes, it was my recommendation Colleague's arrived today. Looks very premium, little bit chunky.

Lol (thought you were questioning my recommendation), certainly wouldn't call it chunky it's very svelte actually but it really is a nice phone for the price. The only downsides are no sd card slot (still 64Gb onboard) and poor screen in sunlight. Loving everything else.

[jimborae]

AT reviewed it and were not happy with the screen:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/10411/...eplus-3-review

I'm happy with it for now bar the direct sunlight performance.

[spacein_vader]

If you want to go a bit cheaper still but gain some extra control stock Android doesn't have I recommend Wileyfoxs Cyanogen. I have the Swift (£129,) but the slightly bigger and faster Storm is £200. Both can be available for next day pickup if ordered from Tesco.

[jimborae]

Yep WileyFox's are pretty decent, also just noticed that the LG G4 is only £249 on PAYG in Vodafone. I own one and think it's a great phone once updated to Marshmallow. Updates unlikely to be frequent but it can have the bootloader unlocked easily and then Cyanogen and custom ROMs are at your fingertips and thus regularly updated. Only downside is no fingerprint sensor which maybe a concern, but it does support Android Pay i believe.

[Smudger]

Thanks, downside of the Voda recommendations is the £20 she'd have to pay to unlock, but it may be worth it to get a decent phone.

Not sure if she wants another LG after the debacle she's had with her G3...

[jimborae]

Thanks, downside of the Voda recommendations is the £20 she'd have to pay to unlock, but it may be worth it to get a decent phone.

Not sure if she wants another LG after the debacle she's had with her G3...

What network is she on? Also the G4 is much cheaper to unlock than £20

Here's the first decent one I found, £7.18

http://www.androidsimunlock.com/unlock-phone/lg/g4/

[Smudger]

Oh, OK, that was the cost Voda quoted me when I went in the shop, didn't realise you could get it online...

She's not with any network at the mo, she got so fed up with her G3 breaking (2nd time it's done it, was sent back the first time, came back ok, same fault developed 2 weeks later) that they cancelled her contract so she's leaning towards an £8 VM SIM and a bought outright handset...

[pp05]

Moto X pure for higher end <300. Moto G / Alcatel at budget end <200. Or go through second hand market and grab a Note 3/4. <300 These are all 5.5" screens like her LG.

But if she isn't a heavy app user and mainly uses it for web/phone calls and sms check out Blackberry.

[Smudger]

She was going to go for the Moto X Style, it was on for £285 at Amazon, but by the time she made up her mind, it had gone back up to £325.

She went for the Nexus 5X, got it for £205

[Norbert1333]

I agree with OnePlus 3