Best cheap smartphone

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

I want to get a new phone, but don't want to spend a lot of money. I don't need anything fancy, just a basic phone for apps, music, photos, skype, wi-fi. No need for a 27,000 baht Iphone...yikes!

With that said, I am not tech savvy and don't know much about the phones here (the Chinese brands, DTAC, Vivio, Oppo?)

I am looking at a phone from 4 - 7,000 baht. The best phone at the cheapest price.... I've seen Samsung J2, Vivio Y35, Dtac all look good and cheap, but don't know about them......

and then there are the Chinese brands.... any good?

PLease help, thanks!

[metisdead]

Moving to the Mobile devices forum for answers.

[dddave]

Just scroll down through this forum and you'll find more than a few discussions on the very same topic with a lot of information and a very broad range of opinions.

[steve187]

Hauwei, asus zenfone, and a few others

[WhizBang]

Asus Zenphone 2. I just picked up the ZE550ML for 8000 baht. Intel quad core processor, 2.3GHz, 64GB internal user memory, 4GB system memory, full HD 5.5 inch display. Dual SIM, microSDXC card slot (takes up to 128GB). 13/5MP cameras. Easily rootable.

32GB version 1000 baht less. Other models with smaller (5") displays even less.

I am quite happy with it. The GF now has her eye on it.

Edited March 8, 2016 by WhizBang

[racyrick]

Asus Zenphone 2. I just picked up the ZE550ML for 8000 baht. Intel quad core processor, 2.3GHz, 64GB internal user memory, 4GB system memory, full HD 5.5 inch display. Dual SIM, microSDXC card slot (takes up to 128GB). 13/5MP cameras. Easily rootable.

32GB version 1000 baht less. Other models with smaller (5") displays even less.

I am quite happy with it. The GF now has her eye on it.

Where did you buy the phone at that price?

[Cirencester]

I got a Doogee as well best bit of kit ive ever had. 3100 baht looks gorgeous feels gorgeous plenty of storage for apps and best camera ive ever seen on smartphone

[dddave]

I got a Doogee as well best bit of kit ive ever had. 3100 baht looks gorgeous feels gorgeous plenty of storage for apps and best camera ive ever seen on smartphone

I agree with everything but the camera part...decent but not in a league with Xiaomi and Asus

The new Doogee X-5 and the Homtom Ht-7 (Made by Doogee) are less than $60 including shipping on Gearbest.com (and a few others)

Similar specs...1gb/8gb, Android 5.1, 5.5" 720p display, 3000mAh battery...

http://www.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_268418.html

I have bought several Doogee's as gifts over the last 2 years and never a problem One of the best basic phones available.

[NoshowJones]

I bought an Oppo android smart phone, excellent except for one thing, it would not pick up wifi at my house, my smaller Samsung, no problem.

My Asus tablet and my Asus laptop, again no problem, my wife and son in laws Samsung smartphones, no problem, my previous Samsung

no problem, but my Oppo, big problem, just will not do it. It now justs sits in one of my drawers.

[dddave]

I bought an Oppo android smart phone, excellent except for one thing, it would not pick up wifi at my house, my smaller Samsung, no problem.

My Asus tablet and my Asus laptop, again no problem, my wife and son in laws Samsung smartphones, no problem, my previous Samsung

no problem, but my Oppo, big problem, just will not do it. It now justs sits in one of my drawers.

https://www.androidpit.com/improve-wi-fi-signal-on-android

Try a few of these suggestions with the Oppo.

[steve187]

asus zenfone 2 laser model start at i believe 5,000 baht going up to 9,000 baht for the 6" version, these models come with replaceable battery, as opposed to the fixed battery of the non laser zenfone 2

[NoshowJones]

I bought an Oppo android smart phone, excellent except for one thing, it would not pick up wifi at my house, my smaller Samsung, no problem.

My Asus tablet and my Asus laptop, again no problem, my wife and son in laws Samsung smartphones, no problem, my previous Samsung

no problem, but my Oppo, big problem, just will not do it. It now justs sits in one of my drawers.

https://www.androidpit.com/improve-wi-fi-signal-on-android

Try a few of these suggestions with the Oppo.

I will and thanks.

[i claudius]

ASUS,bloody fantastic

[SheungWan]

You might not want to buy a 27,000 baht Iphone but it is a mistake to think that the difference with the cheaper end of the smartphone spectrum is that the cheaper stuff is simpler and less complex. Apple phones are probably the best phone of them all for those who want 'simple' and 'straightforward'. It is often the case that the cheap stuff is slow and frustrating. You get what you pay for. See if you can see your way to stretching your budget to 10 or even 12k. Stick to the main manufacturers for support and that means IMHO either Apple or Samsung. For 12k you can pick up a second-hand Apple and a number of Samsungs.

[stament]

looking for a cheapy with 8gb memory for a 14 year old. looked at a couple. huawei y5 and obi 454 both are similar priced around 2800 baht. I don't know how reliable these brands are or how well made the phones are. does anyone have any insight? what about oppo and wiko what are their reputations like? looking around the 3k mark or lower.

Thanks

[SheungWan]

looking for a cheapy with 8gb memory for a 14 year old. looked at a couple. huawei y5 and obi 454 both are similar priced around 2800 baht. I don't know how reliable these brands are or how well made the phones are. does anyone have any insight? what about oppo and wiko what are their reputations like? looking around the 3k mark or lower.

Thanks

For a 14 year old I think a second-hand Apple 4 would be better appreciated. Still cost you up to 4500 baht though.

[Gary A]

I had a 5,000 baht Lenovo. I wasn't a bad phone and had a one year warranty. It died one month after the warranty expired. My wife had a Galaxy S3 and after a hard life the screen quit working. Samsung wanted 5,000 baht to replace the screen. Since the phone is pretty old I decided it wasn't worth fixing. I gave my wife my Galaxy S5 because she would surely die without Facebook and Line. I am now using an iMobile IQ X Slim 2. Again a 5,000 baht phone. I do like the dual SIM cards and the performance is OK. Not a bad camera but not as good as the Samsung. I'm hoping that it will last longer than the Lenovo.

ADDED - I like the people at our local AIS phone shop. They recommended that iMobile model above all their other phone brands. That's how I chose that model.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Gary A

[dddave]

looking for a cheapy with 8gb memory for a 14 year old. looked at a couple. huawei y5 and obi 454 both are similar priced around 2800 baht. I don't know how reliable these brands are or how well made the phones are. does anyone have any insight? what about oppo and wiko what are their reputations like? looking around the 3k mark or lower.

Thanks

http://www.lazada.co.th/wiko-lenny3-3g-8gb-rose-gold-6037229.html

Pretty good deal...Wico's have a pretty good reputation, French company but the phones are made in China and sold under several names; "My Phone" in the Philippines

Nice that it comes with Android 6. The best 8gb phone for the cheapest price has to be the "Homtom" HT7 sold on Gearbest.Com for US$57 (B2000), shipping included. I ordered one a few weeks ago for a friend and it arrived in 10 days, had to pay B100 duty. I tested it out and everything worked smoothly. Good 3000 mAh battery lasts a long time.

[Lannig]

"Wikos have a pretty good reputation" (I fixed the name for you). Well, come read french-speaking Android forums and you might revise this statement. They're not really a French company either. They're a Chinese-owned company located in Marseille, France.

Their quality control and service really suck. You get what you pay for, not more.

I wouldn't go for a bleeding edge Android version with them either, they rush out their firmwares full of bugs and you can expect little to no updates.

In the entry-level market segment, I see no clear advantage choosing them over local well-known re-branders like I-Mobile.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Lannig

[dddave]

"Wikos have a pretty good reputation" (I fixed the name for you). Well, come read french-speaking Android forums and you might revise this statement. They're not really a French company either. They're a Chinese-owned company located in Marseille, France.

Their quality control and service really suck. You get what you pay for, not more.

I wouldn't go for a bleeding edge Android version with them either, they rush out their firmwares full of bugs and you can expect little to no updates.

In the entry-level market segment, I see no clear advantage choosing them over local well-known re-branders like I-Mobile.

Points taken but there are others on this forum who have reported good experiences with Wiko phones.

Is there any forum dedicated to a particular brand of phone whose topics are not dominated by owners having problems and trying to solve them? Go on any Android or even Apple forum and what you see are problems and complaints. I doubt you can name a single manufacturer for which this is not true.

[Lannig]

I'm not speaking of dedicated forums, but general Android forums. If you compare the percentage of users experiencing serious trouble in the Wiko section and the section for another brand in the same forum, I think that you can get an idea.

I've used 3 Wikos phones over the past 6 years or so. Overall, my experience is mixed.The Rainbow was a real bargain, but still not without some annoying quirks I had to live with. The Cink Slim and the Five sucked.

I think that my experience pretty much reflects the general feeling about using Wiko phones. It's kind of a lottery. Their huge list of models has some gems and quite a few lemons.

Even within a given model, it's still a matter of luck. Their quality control is quite bad and you can get a phone with serious defects and their customer service sucks monkey balls, sometimes being plain dishonest and refusing warranty. Having the phone replaced/fixed is a real hassle for most people who have had to go through this.

Last but not least, they release very few firmware updates and apart from a few exceptions, no major version upgrade. Only fixes.

I've had both Wikos and I-Mobiles and if I had to choose between them as a resident of Thailand, I'd definitely go with the real local brand with a long history rather than with a newcomer. But these are just my two satangs.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Lannig

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Asus Zenphone 2. I just picked up the ZE550ML for 8000 baht. Intel quad core processor, 2.3GHz, 64GB internal user memory, 4GB system memory, full HD 5.5 inch display. Dual SIM, microSDXC card slot (takes up to 128GB). 13/5MP cameras. Easily rootable.

32GB version 1000 baht less. Other models with smaller (5") displays even less.

I am quite happy with it. The GF now has her eye on it.

I took a similar route, but went with the Asus Zenfone 2 Laser LTE model (ZE550KL) for about 5000b new. Same size screen and a Snapdragon processor instead of Intel, but only 16 GB internal data and 2 GB RAM, both plenty for my uses. Has a removable 3000 mAh battery and is soon getting the Marshmallow OS upgrade from ASUS.

I've had it for a half year or so, and it's been quite good and performed reliably and well. Only downside for me is I don't like the power button, which doesn't have much travel space on its touch, and it has the volume rocker on the back side instead of the side of the phone. Neither of those is make-break issues for me.

BTW, another strong contender in the bargain smartphone category ought to be the Google-backed I-Mobile Android One mobile for a list price of 4,444b. There's a full thread here on TV just on that model.

Edited April 25, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[stament]

I think I am going to go down the AIS One to Call route. My wife currently has a prepaid phone. I thought I would sign her up to a monthly contract and give the free phone to my wife's niece.

Slightly off topic, does anyone know if my wife can keep her number when transferring from prepaid to a monthly contract?

Secondly any recommendations on packages/mobiles with AIS?

[taotoo]

Given TallGuyJohninBKK's post above, anybody interested in correcting or adding to the table below? Would love to fully understand what's what.

AIS DTAC TRUE TOT

GSM

Voice calls, EDGE, GPRS(?)

N/A 850 850 XXX

3G

Data only(?) Also voice on AIS?

900/ 850/ 850/ XXX

2100 2100 2100 XXX

4G

Data only(?)

1800 XXX XXX XXX

[stament]

exactly, think it requires a shop visit

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Slightly off topic, does anyone know if my wife can keep her number when transferring from prepaid to a monthly contract?

Secondly any recommendations on packages/mobiles with AIS?

The answer is yes... normally, you can keep the same mobile number, when you switch plans within the same carrier, or move from one carrier to a different one.

In the Thai world, it's referred to as MNP - Mobile Number Portability.

If it's just within AIS, they ought to be able to take care of that for you internally, provided you tell them that's what you want.

If it's moving to a different carrier, it involves filling out request paperwork when you sign up for the new service.

[Gary A]

For someone who has no Android experience and wanting to have a smartphone , I can now recommend a Windows phone. I always wanted to try a Windows phone. I found a Lumina 640 LTE on Lazada. It was Windows 8.1 and I updated it to Windows 10. For 3,990 baht it is a lot of phone. The build looks like it could take a lot of abuse. The signal is as good as any other phone I have had. The camera is very good. Maybe the most impressive thing is the battery life. Coming from Android is a steep learning curve but at this point, I think it is worth the effort. I don't use Line, Skype or Facebook but they are all on the phone. I am seriously impressed.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

For the price, I'd agree it's a decent piece of hardware, and if all one needs is a phone to do phone stuff, then I suppose it would be fine.

But where the Windows Phone device falls down as a viable option is 1) the serious lack of quality apps available for the platform, and 2) Microsoft itself basically backing away from its own mobile platform in the past year and leaving it as something of an orphan.

Rather than growing the Windows Phone platform, MS basically has almost stopped trying and its market share lately has been shrinking even lower vs. at least staying even or growing, neither of which it's doing.

I have a Windows Mobile 8.1 phone made by Samsung that I bought for a good price a couple years ago, believing MS's then promises that the 8.1 devices would be upgraded to a Windows 10 mobile platform that back then still had some promise for the future. Then earlier this year, MS finally announced that they're abandoning by not giving them Win 10 upgrades basically all of the non-Lumia Win 8.1 phones, and even some of MS's own Lumia's that originally had been promised to get Win 10 upgrades. They promised, and then they turned around and broke their promise.

When it comes to Windows mobiles, I'm not a big fan of jumping onboard a sinking ship, especially when there are so many other similarly priced options around that have a vibrant Android ecosystem that supports them.

[Lannig]

Agreed with both posters. Although I'm a big Android fan, I have to say that I've been quite impressed by what Windows Phone have to offer for a low price. I have a Lumia 550 and an Archos Cesium 50 and both are stable, smooth to use and reasonably responsive devices for less than 100 euros.

For people with little or no experience of smartphones, I'd certainly recommend a Windows Phone over Android (my deep beliefs prohibits me from touching an Ip**** or even pronounce its name ... so that's not an option)

I'm sad to see MS giving up. The Windows Mobile platform has a potential but they're sadly unable to make it user base reach a critical mass. Screwing up badly, indeed.

[Gary A]

Android phones have thousands more app's. That is a fact. I got to thinking about that and went through my Android phone to determine which app's apps I could live without. I found out that I could do without the majority of them. Most are just interesting toys. Some I downloaded, I have never used. Then I thought of what I really wanted from a phone. I want a good signal, a good camera, smooth operation, good voice calls, a memory card and quite important to me is good battery life. I haven't tried to download Google maps because the "Here" maps seem very good. There are a number of app's on the Windows phone that I was able to delete, which I did. Updating to Windows 10 was very easy other than the big download. No drivers are necessary to connect to your Windows computer. Do you really need Windows 10? I haven't seen a great improvement over Windows 8.1.