My Zenfone 8 is getting old. I love this smartphone as it runs perfectly smooth despite its age and easily fits in every pocket. However, more and more problems start to pop up. The internet connection is unstable and I need to restart the phone once in a while for the internet to start working again. The battery is really weak. It even struggles to get past the day.
I am even considering getting another one, perhaps with a broken screen, to replace the mainboard in mine, but this phone is not getting security updates anymore, so I think it may be finally the time to buy a completely new phone.
What am I looking for:
- At least 1 year old. Yes, you read that right. I want to see long-term reviews and experiences with servicing. New phones often appear super fast in the store and then start lagging just a few months after buying. And also there’s a chance to get an older model at a decent price.
- Relatively small. I know that it’s rare to see a phone with less than 6 inch screen, so it’s not a hard requirement. I’m even considering getting a foldable as used ones are getting cheaper, but I worry that with me dropping things once in a while, it’s not a good idea.
- Clean software. This is subjective of course, but Zenfone 8 has almost pure Android with only a few noninvasive things added by ASUS (like smaller tiles!). Any ads are a no-go.
- Inexpensive. I don’t need a flagship, I need something I can rely on. And I’m piss poor currently, so I really rather not spend all my money on a phone.
Pixel 9a (or 8a) are both pretty good, are small, have relatively clean software (and GrapheneOS is an option I think), seems to have good reviews. The chip is also okay for the price. (it’s a last gen Tensor G4, which matches well against midrange chips, not so much with the latest flagships)
Other options would include the various Chinese brands (Xiaomi, Oppo, or Vivo, but those tend to have bloated software. Performance and battery life is usually good though. Note that these are 6.3" phones, which some could consider too big) and Samsung’s older S series (S20 up to rumoured S26 have basically been the same design, cameras, and battery size. Performance is very incremental and I think they switched between Exynos and Snapdragon a few times. Note that OneUI is quite bloated, and the battery is quite small)
If you want something super repairable and long lasting, the Fairphone 5 is still quite good. (the 6 is newer with better specs, but the battery requires a screwdriver to open now. The 6 also has a lime switch that switches you to a “minimal” mode)
Unfortunately, none of the above have headphone jacks which is pretty dumb. Fairphone does have microSD support which is cool!