Help. Smart phone recommadation

[Chris.B]

10 minutes ago, xylophone said:

That's it........so do you think it will cope?

No

[xylophone]

11 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

No

So no good for phone calls and the Vax form..........jeez it must be poor!!

 

Will stay with my Nokia Flip phone then, till things change.

[JimmyJ]

5 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Samsung AO2...

 

I would not buy a phone from one of the major cell phone companies.  

The major carriers (service providers) you mean?

[xylophone]

34 minutes ago, xylophone said:

So no good for phone calls and the Vax form..........jeez it must be poor!!

 

Will stay with my Nokia Flip phone then, till things change.

PS. I should add that I do all of my work on my laptop, along with a 24 inch monitor, and a large keyboard, and couldn't really see myself switching to a small 6 inch screen with small touch screen keys, so my phone, if I do get a smart phone, will only be for phone calls and SMS with the necessary vax stuff.

[Kinnock]

5 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

The major carriers (service providers) you mean?

I think he means the major phone retailers.  I recommend going to one of the phone shops as they will help set up the phone with the right Apps, and remove what's not needed.

 

After using smartphones for years, I'm happy to set up a new phone myself, but when I bought my first one, the shop was a big help.  And even now, when my wife buys a new phone, she lets the shop transfer all the data.

[sqwakvfr]

Quote

Quote

47 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

The major carriers (service providers) you mean?

 

Yeah.  I mean carriers. 

 

[Bruno123]

On 11/5/2021 at 6:16 AM, xylophone said:

I recently posted on a similar thread with regards to buying a smart phone, which I have never needed, but MAY need with all of this Covid/re-entry paraphernalia going on, and I got a few good replies, including a PM from a poster who gave me some good information with regards to my needs.

 

I had let this fade into the background until yesterday when a friend of mine who was waxing lyrical about his second-hand iPhone kept saying to me that I should get one, because I can watch YouTube on it – – I told him I never watch YouTube. He then suggested that I can plug earphones into it and listen to it, something I told him that I don't want to do.

 

I told him that I have my computer at home and I answer my emails in the morning and sometimes later in the afternoon, and that's all I want, because I don't want them following me around. However he couldn't understand that because he is tapping away all of the time, and always complaining about being stressed out – – I wonder why.

 

Getting back on track, I did look at a smartphone or two and I don't want a large beast to carry around, and the smallest I could see which MAY be of interest to me would be the Samsung J2 (which I believe is still available) and the Apple SE (the smaller one).

 

It would be used only as a phone and I don't want any other apps on it apart from those applicable to Covid and immigration.

 

Perhaps the OP would like to look at the Samsung J2 as an option.

 

Your friend is right. You appear to be making a mountain out of a molehill.

A second hand iPhone would suit you perfectly. Even a sub 2000 baht iPhone 5s. can run the Thai apps. It also fit your size criteria.

[xylophone]

36 minutes ago, Bruno123 said:

 

Your friend is right. You appear to be making a mountain out of a molehill.

A second hand iPhone would suit you perfectly. Even a sub 2000 baht iPhone 5s. can run the Thai apps. It also fit your size criteria.

I don't know what you're referring to when you say, "your friend is right, you appear to be making a mountain out of a mole hill"?

 

This because I have said that I may get a second hand iPhone or similar small smart phone, and I would purely use it for the things I have stated, whereas my laptop at home would be my main use.

 

I also suggested the Samsung J2 may be a contender, although another poster has said that it won't handle even the Thai app, so I don't really know what your post is aimed at??

 

Having said that, I will do a little research on the iPhone 5.
 

[Bruno123]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

I don't know what you're referring to when you say, "your friend is right, you appear to be making a mountain out of a mole hill"?

 

This because I have said that I may get a second hand iPhone or similar small smart phone, and I would purely use it for the things I have stated, whereas my laptop at home would be my main use.

 

I also suggested the Samsung J2 may be a contender, although another poster has said that it won't handle even the Thai app, so I don't really know what your post is aimed at??

 

Having said that, I will do a little research on the iPhone 5.
 

Referring to all of this...:

 

Quote

I had let this fade into the background until yesterday when a friend of mine who was waxing lyrical about his second-hand iPhone kept saying to me that I should get one, because I can watch YouTube on it – – I told him I never watch YouTube. He then suggested that I can plug earphones into it and listen to it, something I told him that I don't want to do.

 

I told him that I have my computer at home and I answer my emails in the morning and sometimes later in the afternoon, and that's all I want, because I don't want them following me around. However he couldn't understand that because he is tapping away all of the time, and always complaining about being stressed out – – I wonder why.

 

Getting back on track, I did look at a smartphone or two and I don't want a large beast to carry around, and the smallest I could see which MAY be of interest to me would be the Samsung J2 (which I believe is still available) and the Apple SE (the smaller one).

 

It's just a phone. If you don't want to do much with it, then don't spend a lot on it. 

I wrote 5s; not 5.

[xylophone]

52 minutes ago, Bruno123 said:

It's just a phone. If you don't want to do much with it, then don't spend a lot on it. 

I wrote 5s; not 5.

Well you have echoed my sentiments exactly, although I wasn't clear from your post.

 

What I objected to was my friend telling me what I should have when he had no idea what I needed, and hardly any idea of how to use his!

 

Yes I did see 5s, although my voice recognition software didn't pick it up, so I did look online at the 5s, and although an old phone, it might well do the trick, should I decide to go down that track.

 

So thank you for the tip, and I am lucky inasmuch as a friend of mine gets a new Apple iPhone every couple of years, and I may well be in line for one of his old ones, so that, along with your recommendation should meet my needs if I have to get one for the Thai apps etc, if I don't, then I will stick with my trusty Nokia flip phone.

[Bruno123]

1 minute ago, xylophone said:

Well you have echoed my sentiments exactly, although I wasn't clear from your post.

 

What I objected to was my friend telling me what I should have when he had no idea what I needed, and hardly any idea of how to use his!

 

Yes I did see 5s, although my voice recognition software didn't pick it up, so I did look online at the 5s, and although an old phone, it might well do the trick, should I decide to go down that track.

 

So thank you for the tip, and I am lucky inasmuch as a friend of mine gets a new Apple iPhone every couple of years, and I may well be in line for one of his old ones, so that, along with your recommendation should meet my needs if I have to get one for the Thai apps etc, if I don't, then I will stick with my trusty Nokia flip phone.

 

I aslo don't need a huge mega-phone with all of the bells and whistles. In fact my phone doesn't even go outside.

I checked that the apps you might need, work on the 5s. 

My 5s was also a 'hand me down'. I use a few apps here and there; as will you. 

But if he willing to give you any model above the 5s for free; grabbit!

 

Android would always be the last choice for me; due to the interminable tracking. In fact I just gave a Redmi Note 10 away without ever having touched it.

 

[xylophone]

1 hour ago, Bruno123 said:

I checked that the apps you might need, work on the 5s. 

My 5s was also a 'hand me down'. I use a few apps here and there; as will you. 

But if he willing to give you any model above the 5s for free; grabbit!

Thank you Bruno, you are a STAR!

[roger101]

On 11/5/2021 at 2:51 PM, Chris.B said:

Agreed, and when they say they don't want to use it for anything other than as a phone they soon change their minds! ????

 

No they don't. I have gone many years without a smart phone and only the fact that I can't call a Bolt taxi has has convinced me that I need one. I have had  a PC that has provided all my internet needs for many years.

Also I'm not on Social Media so I don't need to send photos of my dinner to anyone , who probably  don't give a monkey's anyway. I hope this help explains  what I want and why I want a cheap phone with a cheap internet package.

[Nino3]

I have always used Apple products. If simple and smaller is what is needed then you may look at an Apple SE model. Believe they are around $300 US new. My 10 yr old son has been on a RealMe 5 for a couple years. The phone has surely been beaten on good but no issues. Works great. I thought it was more of a junk phone when purchased but have since been proven wrong. Great phone for the price.

[Chris.B]

19 minutes ago, roger101 said:

Also I'm not on Social Media so I don't need to send photos of my dinner to anyone , who probably  don't give a monkey's anyway. I hope this help explains  what I want and why I want a cheap phone with a cheap internet package.

Errr.... what do you think this forum is then if it is not Social Media? ????????

 

[Bruno123]

2 hours ago, roger101 said:

No they don't. I have gone many years without a smart phone and only the fact that I can't call a Bolt taxi has has convinced me that I need one. I have had  a PC that has provided all my internet needs for many years.

Also I'm not on Social Media so I don't need to send photos of my dinner to anyone , who probably  don't give a monkey's anyway. I hope this help explains  what I want and why I want a cheap phone with a cheap internet package.

You can follow the same advice as for xylophone. Not too large. 

If you don't need data on the phone then switch off mobile data/cellular data from within the settings.

When you need data, buy a cheap package just for the time that you need to use it and then toggle the mobile data switch within your phone settings to On.

 

DTAC will give you 128kbps connection all day for 2 baht. Though you might choose a faster package if there are maps involved.

[xylophone]

23 hours ago, Bruno123 said:

 

I aslo don't need a huge mega-phone with all of the bells and whistles. In fact my phone doesn't even go outside.

I checked that the apps you might need, work on the 5s. 

My 5s was also a 'hand me down'. I use a few apps here and there; as will you. 

But if he willing to give you any model above the 5s for free; grabbit!

 

Android would always be the last choice for me; due to the interminable tracking. In fact I just gave a Redmi Note 10 away without ever having touched it.

 

You are a great help Bruno, so I thought I'd ask you one last question (I hope).......in searching for the iPhone 5s I also came across the iPhone SE, which appears to have been launched later, and looks to be about the same size, which is great for me.

 

The one I was looking at only has the 16 GB model, so I was wondering if that would be enough for the Thai app (Mor Chan?) and my normal telephone calls and SMS messages??

[xylophone]

20 hours ago, roger101 said:

No they don't. I have gone many years without a smart phone and only the fact that I can't call a Bolt taxi has has convinced me that I need one. I have had  a PC that has provided all my internet needs for many years.

Also I'm not on Social Media so I don't need to send photos of my dinner to anyone , who probably  don't give a monkey's anyway. I hope this help explains  what I want and why I want a cheap phone with a cheap internet package.

Bruno123 has been a great help, so as he said, just look at the info on a couple of the posts he has posted.

 

My needs seem to be the same as yours and I know what you meant with regards to "social media" and if you're anything like me, you are posting on this forum from your laptop/PC.

 

However I have no need to take a picture of my cup of coffee, ice cream, the outside of Starbucks, a pizza or the like (you get my drift) and I think it's very sad there are people who do this, and also very sad to see a family sitting round the lunch/dinner table after having finished their meal, all of them fixated on their mobile phones.

 

I do believe the art of good after-dinner conversation is rapidly dying, and for that matter, good conversation sans smart phone.

[robblok]

20 hours ago, roger101 said:

No they don't. I have gone many years without a smart phone and only the fact that I can't call a Bolt taxi has has convinced me that I need one. I have had  a PC that has provided all my internet needs for many years.

Also I'm not on Social Media so I don't need to send photos of my dinner to anyone , who probably  don't give a monkey's anyway. I hope this help explains  what I want and why I want a cheap phone with a cheap internet package.

I think it also depends where you live in Thailand and what you do. Just went out to in BKK for a breakfast and paid for it with the banking app on my phone easier then with my Thai debit card. I think it takes a bit of time to learn to use it but once you know it it works good. So a bit later when we were  having lunch i paid again with a QR scan through my bangking app in Siam paragon. I like this even more as using a debit card (and that is easy but a bit harder in restaurants)

 

In BKK grab is perfect, grab food, grab driver ect. Could not live without out it anymore. Now if you have a wife that cooks for you wont use grab food and outside the more urban area's stuff like that is not used a lot. So it depends on your location too.

 

We bought some tickets for the aquarium in Siam Paragon, online and the email was send to the phone. Once in the aquarium, show the email with tickets and done (no waiting in line just go ahead of everyone and present the tickets on the phone).

 

A few days back in a restaurant they had no menu but a QR code to scan and the menu appeared at your phone. Works too, though i think i like a normal menu more. But these things will be used more and more as it saves restaurants printing costs and they can easily update menu's without huge costs. 

 

Thing is it will be used more and more, eventually it will also happen in the rural area's. 

 

Biggest thing I like of my phone is google maps with navigation, put it in a phone holder in the car put in your navigation and go (or put it in my bike phone holder). In the car i then play my music through spotify on the car bluetooth. Just perfect it works.

 

When going to a gym i have my phone in a pouch stream my music to my bluetooth headphones and done good music in a gym.

 

So much can be done with phones currently that many people love them. I guess its just not for everyone but the possibilities are limitless and people will be forced more and more to use it. The youth is using and they promote use in businesses. So its only a matter of time. 

[Bruno123]

27 minutes ago, xylophone said:

You are a great help Bruno, so I thought I'd ask you one last question (I hope).......in searching for the iPhone 5s I also came across the iPhone SE, which appears to have been launched later, and looks to be about the same size, which is great for me.

 

The one I was looking at only has the 16 GB model, so I was wondering if that would be enough for the Thai app (Mor Chan?) and my normal telephone calls and SMS messages??

 

16GB more than enough. The only things that will fill it are pictures and videos.

 

Depends on how much you are willing to pay: https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=5685&idPhone2=7969&idPhone3=10170

 

How much is the SE? 2016?

 

 

 

 

[lopburi3]

35 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I also came across the iPhone SE, which appears to have been launched later, and looks to be about the same size, which is great for me.

Great is all respects but battery - sucks from reports I have read and old phone is likely to have even more issues with battery not being in that good a condition - but if you can live with that it sounds like a good choice.

[Bruno123]

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/se-se-90-iphone-_16gb_32gb_64gb-iphone-se-i2717842966-s9834969090.html

 

 

[xylophone]

6 minutes ago, Bruno123 said:

 

16GB more than enough. The only things that will fill it are pictures and videos.

 

Depends on how much you are willing to pay: https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=5685&idPhone2=7969&idPhone3=10170

 

How much is the SE? 2016?

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your reply Bruno, and the SE 2016 model was priced at 2400 baht, which I don't mind spending at all, and if it proves to be a fizzer (or I do in using it) then it's not a great loss.

 

Thank you for the comparison and the newer SE seems to be almost an inch bigger, and for me the smaller one would be fine.

 

Good to know about the 16 GB capacity, however I do believe the phone I saw was the Thai version, so I suppose one can change the Thai language to English on the phone itself?

[Bruno123]

Just now, lopburi3 said:

Great is all respects but battery - sucks from reports I have read and old phone is likely to have even more issues with battery not being in that good a condition - but if you can live with that it sounds like a good choice.

In addition, shops aren't good at replacing batteries. Quite likely to ruin the Touch ID function when they do so.

[xylophone]

2 minutes ago, Bruno123 said:

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/se-se-90-iphone-_16gb_32gb_64gb-iphone-se-i2717842966-s9834969090.html

 

 

That's the one I was looking at!!!!!!!!

[Bruno123]

2 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Thanks for your reply Bruno, and the SE 2016 model was priced at 2400 baht, which I don't mind spending at all, and if it proves to be a fizzer (or I do in using it) then it's not a great loss.

 

Thank you for the comparison and the newer SE seems to be almost an inch bigger, and for me the smaller one would be fine.

 

Good to know about the 16 GB capacity, however I do believe the phone I saw was the Thai version, so I suppose one can change the Thai language to English on the phone itself?

Yes; you can request that the vendor do so before sending it out.

[Bruno123]

Just now, xylophone said:

That's the one I was looking at!!!!!!!!

????

[guzzi850m2]

If you are getting that Iphone SE, I strongly suggest you get the 64GB version, about 700 baht more.

 

I uses my phone quite heavily and my 128GB is almost 1/2 full. 

[lopburi3]

For 1,500 baht have obtained Oppo A57 - an old model but using version 6 so can do most things fine and small enough to fit in hand with excellent finger print reader.  Seems to work well in the day I have had it and battery lasting good.  Do not expect to use much but seems a good choice as cheap/small/enough memory with more available and 2 sim card ability.  

https://shopee.co.th/โทรศัพท์มือถือ-oppo-A57-เครื่องใหม่-(ของเเท้100-)-RAM-3GB-ROM-32GB-ประกันร้าน-12-เดือน-แถมฟรีอุปกรณ์ครบชุด-i.443309329.8855116636

[Pumpuynarak]

On 11/4/2021 at 9:07 PM, Chris.B said:

Good price and specs for a Samsung phone..............

 

Samsung A12

Thanks for your recco, i'm just in the process of buying from Lazada for 4790bht but will also need a case, the folding type where i can carry my DL and pink ID card.

Any ideas of a source as Lazada does'nt appear to have any of this type from what i can see.