High End Mobile Recomendations

[daocat555]

In my opinion it is a mistake to buy second hand mobiles or older model mobiles.  The technology of mobiles is rapidly improving.  To me the best strategy for buying a mobile today is to look at just released models.  Or alternatively look at soon to be released models and buy as soon as they are released.

 

An old model such as the Samsung S4 has a 5 in screen and a 72.53 % display area.  Newer phones offer 80% - 90% display area.  So you get a much bigger screen with the same body size.  Advances in CPU mean real advantages such as better battery utilization and longer battery life with the same size battery as older phones.  Older phones tend to have weak, poor quality audio output and newer phones tend to have loud and clear audio output.  There are not too many stores currently selling the Samsung S4, I could not find a single one.  Moving up to the Samsung Galaxy A5 I found it for sale at Amazon USA for a laughable $483 (15,660 baht) and for that you are pretty much getting "electronic scrap".

 

So newer phones tend to have a bigger screen with longer battery life in a smaller and lighter form with better audio output than older phones.  To me these are strong, real usage advantages in favor of the newer phones.

 

WonnabeBiker tells us he doesn't want to buy a Chinese brand he has never hear of.  That does make it hard to recommend a phone to him as I have no idea if he has heard of any Chinese brand or which Chinese brands he has heard of.  Huawei sold more phones in the world in Q2 of 2018 than Apple did (54 million units compared to 41 million units), and is now the world's second leading Vender after Samsung.  Has he heard of Huawei?  Has he heard of Xiaomi?  Meizu?  If he hasn't heard of these Chinese brands then I think he should make it a point to hear of them.  They make nice phones.

 

From Business Tech:

 

Samsung led the smartphone market by volume with a market share of 20% in Q2 2018 even though it registered an annual decline of 11% due to weak sales of its flagship Galaxy S9 series smartphones.

 

In terms of value for the money I have read where Samsung makes about a 50% profit on every phone sold and Xiaomi about a 10% profit.  So in very rough terms (as supplier and retailer also get a cut), the 10,000 baht Samsung phone you buy was made and delivered by Samsung for 5,000 baht.  The 10,000 baht Xiaomi phone you buy was made and delivered by Xiaomi for 9,000  baht.  I would expect that Xiaomi can manufacture a better phone for 9,000 baht than Samsung can for 5,000 baht.  Case in point is the Pocophone as you won't find a Snapdragon 845 CPU in a Samsung phone for 10,000 baht, or a 4000 mAh battery, or a 6.18 in screen.  The most similar Samsung phone is the S9 Active which Samsung may actually decide to abandon plans to release and which would have carried a 30,000 + price tag in Thailand.  Well, yeah Samsung, since the 30,000 baht Samsung S9 Active would have similar specifications as the 10,000 baht Pocophone there probably would not be a big demand for it.

 

Yes the Samsung would have had a better camera, and a Super AMOLED screen as compared to the Pocophone, but the bottom line of 30,000 baht vs 10,000 baht is a very significant difference.

 

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is a great phone, no doubt, and can be bought at Lazada for 31,790 baht, about twice the price of the Meizu 16th Plus which has similar specifications.

 

Moving to Meizu the screens on the mid-range and high end Meizu's are Super AMOLED and the older Meizu 15 which can be had for $360 (11,659 baht) from Aliexpress has stereo speakers with a maximum voice level of 77 dB as measured by gsmarena.  Compare that to 66 dB for the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017).  The dB scale is exponential not linear, so 77 dB is a whole lot louder than 66 dB.  Ever go to a bar and get a phone call?  With the Samsung you might not even hear your phone ringing let alone understand what the party on the other end is saying!

 

I will back down from one thing that I have been saying about a Meizu phone.  The Meizu 16X was announced today and I find it disappointing in several areas.  The main camera might not have OIS (so far 1 specification site says it has OIS and 2 specification sites say it doesn't have OIS).  If it doesn't have OIS, for me, that is an absolute dealbreaker.  The other major problem, which may sort itself out over time is the price and right now I can only find the 16X for pre-order at one site for $399.99 (12,948 baht).  At that price there is no way that I can recommend the phone.

 

The more interesting Meizu announcement today is the Meizu X8.  If Xiaomi nailed the High End specs with the Pocophone then Meizu may have nailed the Mid-range and affordable specs with the X8.  A 6.2 inch LCD screen, a Snapdragon 710 CPU, a 3210 mAh battery, and good, not great camera for $233 (7,548 baht).  Yet to be determined is whether it will have stereo speakers.  If it does it may rule the 7,500 baht segment.

 

Lazada sells Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi phones, often at a nice discount.  Lazada does not sell the newer Meizu phones yet.  So if buying from an International selling such as Aliexpress, dealextreme, or Sunsky is not your thing then Meizu is not for you.  Huawei will have some exciting new phones coming out in the next month.  Along the lines of my theme for this post, the Mate 10 Pro, released November 2017 does NOT stand up to the newer models, and in my opinion would be money poorly spent.

 

For me the Pocophone is still standing tall.  The Meizu 15 and 16th should be considered by people who don't need a huge battery and who like a light and compact body with great audio output.  And the Meizu X8 may prove to be a very nice phone for about 7,500 baht. 

[upu2]

I never upgrade my mobile until the one I am planning to buy has been on the market for 1 year. Reason is it will take that time to find bugs and to resolve them

[Henryford]

7 hours ago, upu2 said:

I never upgrade my mobile until the one I am planning to buy has been on the market for 1 year. Reason is it will take that time to find bugs and to resolve them

And the price has dropped. Like the Mate 10 down from 27,000 to 16,000

[Ks45672]

7 minutes ago, Henryford said:

And the price has dropped. Like the Mate 10 down from 27,000 to 16,000

I bought mine for 16.5k and the build quality is excellent, waterproof and bigger battery sealed the deal 

Wouldn't have bought it for 27k tho

 

Now the price is falling like a stone because the new range is coming out in a month and they need to clear the old stock

 

I was planning to buy a oneplus 6  but I preferred the mate 10 pro when I found out they were the same price

Edited September 20, 2018 by Ks45672

[daocat555]

I agree with you ks45672.  The phones are similar, but I think the stereo speakers, the more narrow body, the IP 67 rating, and the bigger battery make the Mate 10 Pro a better phone than the OnePlus 6.  It may be a small matter but the ringing phone volume of the Mate 10 Pro is 84 dB and the OnePlus 6 is 70 dB.  Nothing is more annoying to me than to miss a phone call because I didn't hear the phone ringing (yes, I am hard of hearing).

 

Although the screen on the OnePlus is 6.28 in and the Mate 10 Pro is 6.0 in the width of the screens are virtually identical (68.16 mm vs 68.28 mm) and it's the width of the screen that is the most useful in many ways.

 

Generally I think newer phones trump older phones, but there are a few select models such as the Huawei Mate 10 Pro which stand up well over time.

 

https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/comparison/1515fe4ed

 

https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=8854&idPhone2=9109

 

[Argus Tuft]

daocat555

Really appreciate your posts - very informative and helpful, thanks so much

[Henryford]

13 hours ago, daocat555 said:

I agree with you ks45672.  The phones are similar, but I think the stereo speakers, the more narrow body, the IP 67 rating, and the bigger battery make the Mate 10 Pro a better phone than the OnePlus 6.  It may be a small matter but the ringing phone volume of the Mate 10 Pro is 84 dB and the OnePlus 6 is 70 dB.  Nothing is more annoying to me than to miss a phone call because I didn't hear the phone ringing (yes, I am hard of hearing).

 

Although the screen on the OnePlus is 6.28 in and the Mate 10 Pro is 6.0 in the width of the screens are virtually identical (68.16 mm vs 68.28 mm) and it's the width of the screen that is the most useful in many ways.

 

Generally I think newer phones trump older phones, but there are a few select models such as the Huawei Mate 10 Pro which stand up well over time.

 

https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/comparison/1515fe4ed

 

https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=8854&idPhone2=9109

 

I agree with what every one is saying about the Mate 10 Pro and i hope the price will drop to under 15k when the Mate 20 comes out. BUT for me an important feature is the headphone jack, not on the Mate 10 Pro or the P20 Pro. That's why i bought a OnePlus 6 and was devastated to hear they have ditched it for the OnePlus6T.

[Ks45672]

5 minutes ago, Henryford said:

I agree with what every one is saying about the Mate 10 Pro and i hope the price will drop to under 15k when the Mate 20 comes out. BUT for me an important feature is the headphone jack, not on the Mate 10 Pro or the P20 Pro. That's why i bought a OnePlus 6 and was devastated to hear they have ditched it for the OnePlus6T.

Its probably already 15k or less everywhere except the official Huawei shop

Mine was 16.5k couple of month ago

128GB/6GB and ip certified rather than just "splash proof" with 64GB back then for the same money

The oneplus6  is still a good phone but it seems like Pocophone has arrived to eat their lunch.. ? 

[upu2]

20 hours ago, Henryford said:

And the price has dropped. Like the Mate 10 down from 27,000 to 16,000

True but even if it hasnt dropped at least the bugs have been resolved

[Ks45672]

6 hours ago, Henryford said:

I agree with what every one is saying about the Mate 10 Pro and i hope the price will drop to under 15k when the Mate 20 comes out. BUT for me an important feature is the headphone jack, not on the Mate 10 Pro or the P20 Pro. That's why i bought a OnePlus 6 and was devastated to hear they have ditched it for the OnePlus6T.

New phones can still plug in headphones, they give you a 2inch headphone to USB-C dongle  in the box so you don't lose any functionality of your wired headphones and Bluetooth seems like the natural progression for headphones and speakers anyway

 

 

[Ks45672]

23 hours ago, daocat555 said:

I agree with you ks45672.  The phones are similar, but I think the stereo speakers, the more narrow body, the IP 67 rating, and the bigger battery make the Mate 10 Pro a better phone than the OnePlus 6.  It may be a small matter but the ringing phone volume of the Mate 10 Pro is 84 dB and the OnePlus 6 is 70 dB.  Nothing is more annoying to me than to miss a phone call because I didn't hear the phone ringing (yes, I am hard of hearing).

 

Although the screen on the OnePlus is 6.28 in and the Mate 10 Pro is 6.0 in the width of the screens are virtually identical (68.16 mm vs 68.28 mm) and it's the width of the screen that is the most useful in many ways.

 

Generally I think newer phones trump older phones, but there are a few select models such as the Huawei Mate 10 Pro which stand up well over time.

 

https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/comparison/1515fe4ed

 

https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=8854&idPhone2=9109

 

Generally I agree, the technology moves forward just too damn fast to be buying phones like the Samsung S4 and the iPhone 4 no matter how cheap you might find them for at some refurbished sellers .... The experience will be substantially worse compared to even modern budget phones.... 

 

The new screens, cpus, gpus cameras, audio, charging ... Orders of magnitude better on the phones they produce today... 

 

If you know what your looking for you can sometimes get last year's flagships cheap but I wouldn't buy any older than that.... 

 

Nothing currently on sale can beat the snapdragon 845 with adreno 630  but the kirin 970  and the snapdragon 835 are very good value thesedays without losing much in the way of "speed".. ? 

 

 

 

 

[daocat555]

Henryford, I find some of your post confusing so I wanted to ask you where did you buy the OnePlus 6?, did you get it yet? and are you happy with it?

 

You were interested in the Pocophone but didn't like the plastic back which, to me, is a non-issue but okay, fine.  You were interested in the Mate 10 Pro but didn't like the no headphone jack even though it was pointed out that the dongle adapter kind of makes up for that, but okay, fine.

 

Then you said you were "devastated to hear they have ditched it (the headphone jack) for the OnePlus6T." But the OnePlus 6T is very similar to the OnePlus 6, and since you bought the OnePlus 6 why do you care at all if the 6T has a headphone jack?

 

I am really not trying to be a troll here, it's more curiosity.  I think the OnePlus 6 is a fine phone.  Just wondering if you got it yet and how you are currently feeling about it?

 

I saw one video on YouTube about the Pocophone which described the OnePlus as the "flagship killer" and the Pocophone as "the flagship killer killer".

[Henryford]

DC, i bought my OnePlus 6 in MBK in Bangkok. I particularly wanted the Silk White version. Yes i am very pleased with it but maybe wish i had waited, it's 3,000 baht cheaper now. An important issue for me is not just how the phone operates but how it looks and feels in the hand. Maybe silly but most phones "do the job" i just like the quality feel of the OP6 over say the Pocophone (which i admit is great value).

 

I use my phone to listen to music a lot and have some good headphones so the jack is important to me. I don't want to have to use a "dongle" which no doubt i will lose or forget to carry with me.  Also it seems the 6T has the fingerprint scanning on the front screen which i wouldn't like. The one on the back of the current 6 is so easy and quick to use. In fact when the 6T comes out i am thinking of buying another 6 (in the great red colour) at what i hope will be an even lower price.

Edited September 24, 2018 by Henryford

[daocat555]

I absolutely agree that the look and feel in the hand is important and I also totally agree that the white is the most attractive color and red also.  My buyer's remorse about my Meizu 15 is that I bought it in black when it first became available instead of waiting for the gorgeous piano white version, and secondly that I bought the Chinese version, again as that was the first available version. so my Aliexpress Seller rooted the phone to instal Google Play and Multi-language.  Rooted phones are less secure than non-rooted phones, not that my information and identity are worth anybody stealing, but in hindsight I wish I had waited for the Global version in white.

 

You were able to avoid the wait and anxiety of Aliexpress by getting your OnePlus at MBK and should you have any problem with the phone you have an accountable seller nearby; all good things.

 

So thank you for the feedback.  As much as I search and compare to get the best possible price, I think on a big purchase the only important thing is to get a phone that you are happy with.  Or, get a flawed one like me to have a handy excuse to buy yet another phone.....go Google Pixel 3.

 

 

[Ks45672]

24 minutes ago, Henryford said:

DC, i bought my OnePlus 6 in MBK in Bangkok. I particularly wanted the Silk White version. Yes i am very pleased with it but maybe wish i had waited, it's 3,000 baht cheaper now. An important issue for me is not just how the phone operates but how it looks and feels in the hand. Maybe silly but most phones "do the job" i just like the quality feel of the OP6 over say the Pocophone (which i admit is great value).

 

I use my phone to listen to music a lot and have some good headphones so the jack is important to me. I don't want to have to use a "dongle" which no doubt i will lose or forget to carry with me.  Also it seems the 6T has the fingerprint scanning on the front screen which i wouldn't like. The one on the back of the current 6 is so easy and quick to use. In fact when the 6T comes out i am thinking of buying another 6 (in the great red colour) at what i hope will be an even lower price.

Often, You have to buy a phone when your old one gets lost or broken  so waiting is not an option

You can save hundreds of dollars on the current flagships if you can wait 6+ months to buy them.... ???? 

When the snapdragon 855 phones hit the shops  there will be great deals on the 845 models

[guzzi850m2]

Calling the Poco F1 a flagship killer is a bit over the top in my opinion, okay for processing speed it it fast and the 8gb version can compete with the best.

 

No IP67/68 rating, only full HD display not UHD (2 or 4K), only standard cameras & no wireless charging.

 

So if you go flagship you are in most cases getting most of above so you have to make up your mind if you want/need that or not, I don't, so I prefer the F1.

 

I agree that having the finger print scanner on the back is most convenient.

 

Still super happy with my F1. For unknown reasons the download speeds are extremely fast when using wi-fi in the house, much more than all other other phones/tablets we got but I don't know why.

[Ks45672]

3 minutes ago, guzzi850m2 said:

Calling the Poco F1 a flagship killer is a bit over the top in my opinion, okay for processing speed it it fast and the 8gb version can compete with the best.

 

No IP67/68 rating, only full HD display not UHD (2 or 4K), only standard cameras & no wireless charging.

 

So if you go flagship you are in most cases getting most of above so you have to make up your mind if you want/need that or not, I don't, so I prefer the F1.

 

I agree that having the finger print scanner on the back is most convenient.

 

Still super happy with my F1. For unknown reasons the download speeds are extremely fast when using wi-fi in the house, much more than all other other phones/tablets we got but I don't know why.

Better quality radios on the chipset probably 

[daocat555]

guzzi although your timing on your Poco purchase was spot on you seem to have yet to understand the expression "flagship killer, killer".  They are not calling the Poco a flagship killer (as you point out some reasons not to do that), they are calling the OnePlus the flagship killer, as so many sites have said it that it has become a cliche, and they are calling the Poco the killer of the OnePlus; hence, flagship killer, killer.  Get it?  Sheesh I can't believe I had to explain that, but hey it's raining in Jomtien and I don't have anything better to do anyway.

[mitebbots]

Poco doesn't have US LTE bands. I need it all! dual-SIM, great camera. 

[daocat555]

I just checked band compatibility of the Xiaomis on kimovil and they really do not do well on USA bands.  The phone that did great for USA bands was the OnePlus 6.  I would call it's camera very good but not great, and it is fairly expensive.

[daocat555]

A poster, jvs, on the affordable topic has posted that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is now available at Lazada for 6,990 baht.  My impression of this phone is that it is a whole lotta phone for 6,990 baht.

 

Mitebbots, unfortunately it has the same poor band coverage in the USA as other new Xiaomis.

[daocat555]

The Google announcement is at 9:40 pm October 9'th Thailand time and can be watched live on YouTube; for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL.

 

https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/news/3455c74

 

 

[SooKee]

Looks better than the Pixel 2, but then it needed to be, the Pixel 2 was a pretty mediocre device being sold at flagship prices IMO (and that's without the screen problems they had with it).  I might be interested in the 3 if I lived in a country that they supplied to but not here.  Flagship phone + flagship price + not available locally = no thanks.  No way I'd risk a phone in the $800 price bracket to a 'Seller provided warranty' for a grey import, legitimate local supplier with legitimate warranty or they aren't devices I consider.

[Henryford]

The Pixel 3 looks another very ordinary phone with last year's specs. I can't see anyone buying it with the new 2019 flagships all coming out soon.

[Henryford]

The Pocophone F1 is back down to 9,990 on Lazada. Makes the Pixel 3 look a bit of a joke.

[daocat555]

I agree with you Henryford, and I don't expect sellers discounting the $800 price which is higher than I expected.  I'll probable buy one, and at the same time not recommend it for any sensible person.  I like a narrow phone with nice audio output, my current Meizu 15 fits the bill but maybe the Pixel 3 beats it enough for me to buy it.  I am still undecided.

 

I recommend the Poco, but its 75.5 mm width and 187 gram weight eliminates it for me.  Strange but true story about the Poco.  Xiaomi reported it had stereo speakers pre-release. And review sites duly reported that it did.  But it doesn't; it has a single down firing speaker which is loud enough (72 dB) and clear.

 

You can buy two Pocos and have 6,000 baht left for the price of one Pixel 3.

 

Meanwhile rumor sites had the size of the Pixel 3 XL screen as 6.7 in.  It turns out it is 6.3 in and thats with the large 76.7 mm width of the phone.  For me the Pixel 3 XL is a complete dog of a phone.  You can buy three Pocos for the cost of a Pixel 3 XL, and get a body width of 75.5 mm vs 76.7 mm, a battery of 4000 mAh vs 3430 mAh, basically the same weight, and the screen at 6.18 inch is pretty much the same size as the Pixel 3 XL.

 

Speaking of the Poco the 9,990 baht price is a flash sale on right now, and the armoured edition is sold out again.  So people interested in the Poco should check Lazada every day if they want to buy the armoured edition.  Or, they can wait a bit and get the armoured edition with 8/256 memory and have a screamer of a phone at a price less than the hum drum Pixel 3.

[daocat555]

Here is a comparison of the Meizu 15 and the Pixel 3 from Kimovil.  Even though you could buy three  Meizu 15s for the cost of one Pixel 3 they are similar phones.  I don't need a Snapdragon 845 or an Antutu score any higher than on the Meizu 15.  Everybody and their brother raves about the Pixel camera but I doubt in practice that it's that much better than the Meizu except in low light as people with hands on of the Pixel 3 really like the shots in low light.  And I have a Nikon SLR camera if I want to take pictures. 

 

The Pixel has pure Android Pie, which I like, and a somewhat better display.  The Pixel has wireless charging and NFC which I like, and better coverage in America, which I could visit at some time. The Pixel 3 has a sand colored version which they cutely call "not Pink" and that color looks nice.  So in summary there is no sensible reason to upgrade from a Meizu 15 to a Pixel 3.  I'll be sure to post my review of the Pixel 3 after I've had it for awhile.  

 

https://www.kimovil.com/en/compare/google-pixel-3-128gb,meizu-15

 

[Ks45672]

4 minutes ago, renkan said:

One plus 6 is good

Is good but is it good enough to not buy a Pocophone for $293 and keep the $347? 

 

Note 9 is good too but is it worth 3 Pocophones and a spare $127 in your pocket? ????

[daocat555]

Samsung has announced the Galaxy A9 (2018).  I don't care for the 77mm body width and it seems the bezels are bigger than the S9 as the screen is only 6.3 inch, and it a long phone at 162.5mm.  The battery is 3800 mAh so at least it's not as underpowered as some Samsung phones.  It has four rear cameras which might work or might be more of a gimmick, 6 GB of RAM, but single channel RAM, and a Snapdragon 660 running 4 x 2.2 GHz and 4 x 1.84 GHz.  So for me this can not be called High End, more like Mid-range which I expect will be offered at a High End price.

 

For me a completely underwhelming phone.

[Henryford]

19 hours ago, Ks45672 said:

Is good but is it good enough to not buy a Pocophone for $293 and keep the $347? 

 

Note 9 is good too but is it worth 3 Pocophones and a spare $127 in your pocket? ????

Not sure about these figures. Is you want the 128gb Poco it's 13,000 baht = $393.  I just bought a OP6 for 17,000 baht = $515. It's worth an extra $122 for me. Over the life of the phone, say 2 years, that's $1 a week.