Best products from r/cellphones

Just to follow up, I ended up purchasing the Snapfon ezTWO Senior Unlocked GSM Cell Phone and my Mom absolutely fell in love with it! For the first time ever, she's actually using the built in "contacts/phone book" and it's super easy for her to use. We love that this means she can have all of her most important contacts with her all the time and actually be able to use them. :) She even likes the SOS button on the back which we just have setting off the audible alarm. While she already has a GPS Panic Alert in case she falls or needs help, this produces an audible alarm and she feels safer knowing she can set it off if she ever needs help or feels unsafe. The ringer, the ear piece, and the speaker phone are all capable of higher than average sound levels so if someone has difficulty hearing, this can help. She loves that it isn't a flip phone (which she had before and thought she wanted) but after getting this phone and seeing that it's still small enough to keep with her all the time, she admitted to losing calls regularly on the old flip phone because it would sometimes be difficult to open and close itself, automatically losing/ending the call. I have absolutely no affiliation with the company that makes this phone whatsoever but thought it might help someone else looking for an easy to use phone for a senior who didn't want a smartphone. We're not using it with the Snapfon service, though, admittedly, for someone who is helping someone with the phone from a distance, it looks like an interesting service. We're using it with the Community Cellular service (AT&T version) and it transferred over instantly. It uses a standard (full) size SIM card, and even though the SIM in her previous flip phone was well over 5 years old, it worked perfectly just moving it over to the new phone. We added the case as well and she loves it. The bright cover makes it easy to find/see and keep it safe in case of drops. Mom has said over and over again that she couldn't have done better if she tried to find one herself, knowing exactly what she might have wanted. I'm super happy that she loves it so much and feels more comfortable using it. Hope that might end up helping someone else. :)

It seems you're looking for an off-contract phone with a physical QWERTY on a budget? Do you know what carrier you plan on using? The [Q10] (http://us.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberry-q10.html?LID=us:bb:devices:blackberryq10&LPOS=us:bb:devices) is a great phone, but it will be pretty expensive (off-contract). You can try getting it's predecessor, the [Blackberry Bold 9900] (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=iphone+4+unlocked&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1311.R3.TR5.TRC1.A0.Xblackberry+bold+9900+unlocked&_nkw=blackberry+bold+9900+unlocked+new&_sacat=0), on eBay for around $200. While it doesn't offer the new BB OS, it has the touch screen with a top-notch physical QWERTY. It's still very much a smartphone.

If you're willing to forgo the physical QWERTY there are many options. If you're on a budget the Nexus 4 (Android) and [Nokia Lumia 820] (http://www.amazon.com/Nokia-820-Black-Factory-Unlocked/dp/B00AF6TPIC/ref=sr_1_1?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1372746283&sr=1-1&keywords=nokia+lumia+820) (Windows Phone 8) will both run about $300 off-contract. Both are really excellent and hardly feel like budget phones. If those are too expensive, the [Nokia Lumia 620] (http://www.amazon.com/Nokia-Lumia-620-Unlocked-Smartphone/dp/B00B9Q56WQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1372746356&sr=1-4&keywords=nokia+lumia+520) runs around $150-$200 without a contract. Windows Phone has THE best virtual keyboard (some might argue SwiftKey for Android has better predictive capabilities though). Other phones to consider in the budget category: Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 4.

If you have some cash to burn, say $500 or so, or are willing to go on contract I can suggest: HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4, iPhone 5, LG Optimus G Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Nokia Lumia 920 or Nokia Lumia 925, and Blackberry Z10. All the phones mentioned above are very worthy competitors.

If you're willing to wait it out a few months, Nokia, Samsung, and LG are expected to release new phones pretty soon. Nokia has a 41 megapixel PureView camera phone, Samsung the Galaxy Note 3, and LG the sequel to their very good Optimus G.

I would definitely suggest going to the store and getting some hands on time with any of these phones that interest you. Each platform has its strengths and its weaknesses, and I don't think anyone can tell you what will be exactly right for you. Happy phone hunting!

<$100 is going to give you a hard time.

I've used a few over the years when adventuring to play Ingress. They work exactly like they're supposed to, and will give your phone's connection and reliability a major boost. I've used a friend's weBoost cradle which worked nicely (though was only 3G), and I'm planning on getting a weBoost Drive 4G-X hopefully soon.

Correct positioning of the external antenna is pretty critical, so I'd make sure to find out what direction the cell tower is you're connecting to. Cellmapper can definitely help you with that.

If you're a T-Mobile customer, they've got a neat booster available for customers that has one unit you put in the house wherever you get the best signal, and then another unit that acts as the transmitter that your phone connects to. It's limited on what LTE bands it supports though, so depending on what the coverage is (and what band the signal's on) in your area it may or may not be useful. I've got one at home and it works great, also acts as a nice way to confirm if the tower's having an issue (booster shows no signal either). If you call them up, they might be able to hook you up for free, or ask for a small deposit ($100 or less, IIRC) before shipping it out to you.

Hey, I recommend the Nokia 6.1 it is a little above your budget, but it's great budget phone. It has a 5.5-inch screen and a good camera. Best Buy currently has it for $184. A cheaper option would be the Nokia 3.1, it has better performance than most in this price range. It has a nice 5.2-inch screen, but just an ok camera. The great thing about 3.1 though is price. It's currently $119 on Amazon

Not sure what your price-range is like, but in terms of being updated, Nexus devices are the way to go. The three latest Nexus devices also work on all major US carriers, so you can use it no matter what carrier you're on.

If you like HUEG screens, the Nexus 6, while a bit older, will most likely be seeing a couple more years of updates (Android N definitely, Android O maybe, but I bet it'll at least continue to get security updates). Downside is that it doesn't have a super awesome camera. Available unlocked with no contract on Amazon for $350 here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R1984DI

If you like large screens but not huge, the Nexus 6P would be the way to go. However, it's the newest flagship, so it's a bit more on the expensive side. Available unlocked with no contract on Amazon for $500 here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015YCRZ06/

For the best deal, the Nexus 5X (which was released alongside the Nexus 6P) is a more affordable mid-range Nexus device. It's not really a gaming phone (although classic game emulators should work fine), but will handle regular phone tasks fine. Looks to have a pretty good camera as well: http://www.droid-life.com/2015/10/19/nexus-5x-camera-review-samples/ . Google is currently having a sale on the Nexus 5X, where if you sign up for Google Fi service, you can get the phone for $200. Downside is that you have to pay for the first month of Fi service, even if you don't want to use it (you can cancel it after), so it's more like $230, but that's still a great deal.

1. The first thing is to make sure your phones will actually work in the UK. If you have a recent iPhone, a flagship Samsung or Google Pixel you should be okay. If you have a low/medium budget phone from Cricket, it probably won't work as the UK uses completely different bands/frequencies.
   
   
2. Second, you need to make sure your phones are unlocked. Most phones sold in the US through carriers are locked and need to be unlocked to use on another carrier/in another country. You can request an unlock if you've fulfilled the requirements.
   
   Prepaid/Pay-Go plans are fairly cheap in the UK/Europe, you can get one for around £5-10/month ($7-13 US). Figure out how much data you'll need. I think most UK carriers don't have restrictions on hotspotting, so you can use all the data the plan allows. You might not be able to call/text to the USA with the included minutes with the plan, so might need to rely on data
   
   EE and O2 seems to be the biggest network. Three and Lycamobile are some of the smaller/budget carriers. You can buy the prepaid/preloaded sims everywhere, including the airport (might be more expensive). If you aren't very technical, might be best to buy from a phone/electronics shop where they can help you set it up.
   
   https://toomanyadapters.com/buying-sim-card-united-kingdom/
   
   https://kenstechtips.com/index.php/cheapest-pay-as-you-go-bundles
   
   You can even buy a Three UK sim from Amazon in the US and be ready to use when you get off the plane. It will even roam in the USA and many other countries.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/UK-destinations-including-European-countries/dp/B0753DK9JP/
   
   Unfortunately, calls/text can only be made to/in UK and Europe and no hotspotting allowed.

Samsung A10, Samsung A20, Samsung A30, Motorola G6 Play, Motorola G7 Play, Motorola G7 Power, Apple iPhone 6S, and Apple iPhone 7. All are under $200 unlocked on Amazon with the exception of the iPhone 7 which is about $220 or $230 depending on the color.

Samsung A10 ($140) - Samsung Galaxy A10 A105M 32GB Duos GSM Unlocked Phone w/ 13MP Camera - Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q6ZNJNT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pdYgDb5KV96W6

Samsung A20 ($170) - Samsung Galaxy A20 32GB A205G/DS 6.4" HD+ 4,000mAh Battery LTE Factory Unlocked GSM Smartphone (International Version) (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QWYYKGF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_fcYgDb7YYKJW2

Samsung A30 ($199) - Samsung Galaxy A30 SM-A305G/DS Dual SIM 3GB RAM 32GB GSM Unlocked No Warranty - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NKBBVLV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0dYgDbN2FKZWX

Motorola G6 Play ($170) - Motorola Moto G6 Play Factory Unlocked Phone - 5.7" Screen - 32GB - Deep Indigo (U.S. Warranty) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079Z793SM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KfYgDbXMFY9CM

Motorola G7 Play ($180) - Moto G7 Play - Unlocked - 32 GB - Deep Indigo (US Warranty) - Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Boost, Cricket, & Metro https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N9MF1Q3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mgYgDbK7FY886

Motorola G7 Power ($199) - Motorola Moto G7 Power (64GB, 4GB RAM) Dual SIM 6.2" 4G LTE (GSM Only) Factory Unlocked Smartphone International Model XT1955-2 (Marine Blue) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NPRQYP1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9gYgDb24XFDFG

Apple iPhone 6S (Renewed) ($180) - Apple iPhone 6s, 32GB, Space Gray UnlockedGSM 4G LTE Dual-Core Phone (Renewed) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CZQ6B6W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5kYgDbSW4WY25

Apple iPhone 7 (Renewed) ($220) - Apple iPhone 7, Fully Unlocked, 32GB - Black (Renewed) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4R20RS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yqYgDbVRSJWDX

Not true - the motos are all carriers - sprint, verizon, att and tmobile. I highly recommend a moto over the zenfone 2 even if you move to att. Right now you can get the moto g5 plus for $180 on amazon (the ad free version). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5MEKSW/ref=twister_B01NCYZTP4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Even a moto E4 would be decent.

If you plan to move to att then cricket also is a good choice which uses att towers. They have discounted phones - even free ones if you activate in store. Even an iphone Se for $230.

BLU Life ONE X2 Mini - 5.0" Unlocked Smartphone -4G LTE - 64GB + 4GB RAM -Grey

Works with TMobile and at&t networks. Fast charging, fingerprint reader, useable cameras (not great though). Completely solid phone.

iPhone SE is the new small and reasonably priced iPhone.

There are very few flagship small android phones. The best of the bunch is probably the Sony Xperia Z5C

These cable clips are great for phone charging cord management.

Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung S4 Mini

Nexus 5

I noticed this comment regarding the Nexus 5 which might cause an issue.

LG G2. This one says UK version. Have no idea what that means!

Also, if there's anything else you imagine that I haven't even thought of from the Amazon UK site.

Thank you so much!