r/PickAnAndroidForMe • u/TheWarriorWeazle • Aug 19 '26
UK Looking for a new Android phone (with some uncommon requirements) - UK
I'm looking at replacing my OnePlus 8T I've had for about 6 years, and I'm struggling to narrow down what I actually want, so I thought I'd ask here rather than just looking at the usual "best phone" lists.
My original budget was around £600, although I've got some wiggle room if there's a good reason to spend more. I do think the current phone market is generally over-inflated though, so I'd have a hard time justifying much over the £800 - £1,000 region, unless the phone is genuinely exceptional.
The main things I'm looking for are good battery life, a clean OS, expandable storage (not a deal breaker), and a really good camera (particularly good video/slow-motion capabilities)
Battery life is important because I'm about to start working full-time as an R&D Technician, and I travel around quite a lot of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. So I'd rather have a phone that can comfortably get through a long day of work, travelling, etc. without me having to worry about charging it.
The camera requirements are probably the slightly unusual part.
I do archery coaching as a hobby, and although my coaching hours are going to reduce quite a bit now that I'm starting full-time work, I still want the phone to be good for it. I normally film/photograph an archer and then review it with them a couple of minutes later, rather than needing live/delayed playback.
Most of my work is at around 5–10 metres away from the subject, although occasionally I'll be around 10–20 metres. I also film from quite a few different angles depending on what I'm looking at, most commonly side-on (roughly 3 o'clock relative to the subject), but I'll also use 6, 7, or 9 o'clock positions.
The things I'm trying to capture aren't necessarily pretty footage. I'm looking for small details like:
- Finger/string release
- Flinching
- Bow hand movement
- Small movements during the shot
- General shot execution
So having a high frame rate is really important as some of these happen in fractions of a second. 120fps would be the minimum I'd ideally want, and higher is obviously useful.
At the same time, I need enough resolution that I can zoom into the footage afterwards without it turning into a complete blurry mess. I don't necessarily need a huge optical zoom, but a good telephoto camera would obviously be useful when I'm further away or want to focus in on specific motions.
Outside of coaching, I want something that is just a really good everyday phone. I've genuinely really enjoyed using my OnePlus 8T, particularly the OxygenOS experience. I like Android and I'd prefer something that feels relatively clean and doesn't have loads of unnecessary apps/features getting in the way.
I'm also trying to avoid AI features. I realise that's probably becoming impossible with modern phones, so I'm not expecting to find a completely AI-free phone. What I'd ideally like is something where I can disable or ignore most of the AI features rather than having them constantly integrated into the way I use the phone.
The current OnePlus situation is making things more complicated. I really like OnePlus, but with them pulling back from the European market, I'm concerned about buying a phone that might leave me with limited support or availability a few years down the line. That's probably the biggest reason I'm looking at alternatives rather than just buying a newer OnePlus model.
At the moment I've been looking at:
- OPPO Find X9
- Sony Xperia 1 VII
- Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- OnePlus 15
The OPPO stands out because it offers a lot of what I like about the OnePlus hardware, while actually being a company that's still operating in the UK. The downside for me though is ColorOS and the increased amount of AI integration.
The Sony interests me because of the camera/video side of things and the much cleaner approach to software, but I'm not sure how good it is as an everyday phone compared with something like the OPPO or Samsung.
And Samsung seems to be the obvious "does everything really well" option, but I'm not sure I'd enjoy One UI and all of the AI integration after being used to OxygenOS.
So, if you were in my position, what would you go for?
I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who actually own/use these phones rather than just general spec comparisons. I'd also be interested in suggestions for phones I've completely overlooked.
I know it's a bit more niche, but if anyone has actually used one of these phones for sports coaching/recording high-frame-rate video, I'd especially like to hear how well it works in practice. Specs are useful, but I'm much more interested in whether you can actually scrub through the footage and zoom into something like a finger release without the footage falling apart.
Thanks in advance for any information/help, and sorry for the long post!
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u/GwynGrayson Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
Sorry I can't be more help, but as someone who recently tried to find a phone with a couple of the points you raised I will offer this.
Easy expandable/external storage from SD cards appears to have been phased out, which I would assume is because they want to push people to cloud subscriptions.
The S26 Ultra as I understand it only offers 240fps for 1080p video; and a max 120fps for 4k. As such I think the loss of resolution in favour of framerate probably rules it out for your needs.
I upgraded from a Pixel 3a XL to a Samsung S23+. I understand you are looking at the S26 Ultra, but as the software is similar I thought it might be useful to share my thoughts. I am still running One UI 8.0 as I understand that the new one introduces a lot more AI.
It was fairly easy to get the UI to feel familiar and comfortable. The Galaxy store has some additional customisation apps like Theme Park and Good Lock which are really useful at getting the UI to fit your needs. These are also available for newer Galaxy models like the S26. I was worried about "bloatware" but that hasn't been an issue as I've been able to easily disable/delete the few default pre-installed apps that I don't need or use.
I was also keen for a phone with no to minimum AI integration. Pretty much all of AI features can easily be disabled in the settings. I feel like the only time I actively run into AI is when using the camera on anything but PRO mode due to the automatic post-processing,
Unless you shoot in PRO mode it applies some pretty aggressive post-processing that makes photos look painted and the colours and lighting are a bit off. As this is an important feature for you this might be a big negative that will help influence your decision. The additional camera assistant app is nice though and offers some great features for photo/videography.
I can't speak to the S26 Ultra but what I can say of the S23+ is that the battery life is just OK. I still have to charge twice a day, and outside of normal daily use (browsing, messaging etc.) I mostly use it to play a couple of games. The battery on the S26 Ultra is a little bigger, but I imagine it would probably get equivalent use with the additional AI features and higher spec hardware.
I should also mention that the battery does get pretty warm under any long-ish periods of moderate use, to the point that I can feel it through a Spigen tough case. I'm not sure if the S26 has similar issues.
I did look at Sony as as you said their camera offerings are meant to be very good (I got an Xperia back in the day for this exact reason), but the ones I found at the time were out of my price range. If you can afford it it may be worth looking into further for you based on your specific desires.
Hopefully some of this is useful info, and good luck!
1
u/TheWarriorWeazle Aug 20 '26
Thanks, this is really useful! Especially the info about being able to strip back a lot of the Samsung AI features, as that's one of the things I've been unsure about with the S26 Ultra.
The 4K120 vs 1080p240 thing is also exactly the sort of distinction I'm trying to work out. For archery I'm not just interested in seeing the movement in slow motion, I need enough resolution to actually crop into things like the release afterwards, so 4K120 is probably more useful to me than 1080p240.
The camera processing is something I'd definitely be interested in hearing more about though. When you say the normal modes can look quite "painted", is that mainly with stills or do you notice it with video as well? I'm less bothered about making photos look pretty and more interested in keeping the footage as close to what the camera actually captured as possible so PRO mode may just need to be my default.
And yeah, the battery is another thing that's making me hesitate over Samsung. I'll be using the phone for quite a lot of travelling (min. 2 1/2 hours a day) once I start my new job, so having to charge twice a day isn't really ideal. I do have a battery bank, but I wouldn't want to have to reply on it in my day-to-day life.
I did actually start looking at Sony a little more seriously after making the post as my brother had one a few ago as well. The lack of expandable storage across most current flagships is annoying, though I can see why manufacturers are doing it, but being able to just put a bigger SD card in my 8T has been incredibly useful.
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u/GwynGrayson Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26
I'm glad to read that it was of some use! In regard to AI features on the S26 Ultra, as I mentioned I'm still using the last One UI firmware as I haven't updated it. I assume that a new or refurb S26 Ultra would likely come with the latest firmware.
I haven't taken a lot of video with my S23+ but after doing some quick tinkering I would say that the colours and lighting are bit more exaggerated than they in comparison to the naked eye. This becomes much more apparent when you turn on a feature like "super steady".
From what I can tell there is no comparable "PRO mode" for shooting video. Your options are limited to resolution and frame rate. You can adjust the exposure, and there are some colour temp presets which are also adjustable. As such there doesn't appear to be a way to totally avoid post-processing.
In comparison to the post-processing on the photos, I would say it's less aggressive (there's no noticeable processing delay after you stop recording a video in comparison to the one you get after taking a photo outside of PRO mode) but there is still something occurring - especially if you use any of the video features like "super steady". Looking at the specs for the S26 Ultra, a lot of their camera features seem to specifically mention being "AI-powered", including the zoom. I assume this is where some of the "painted" effect is coming from due to things like attempts at upscaling.
In regard to the battery I will say that I'm probably not using the most optimised version for daily longevity. I don't have power saving mode enabled; but I do have "adaptive battery" on; and I have "battery protection" set to maximum which stops the phone charging at 80%. Due to how infrequently I upgrade and how available daily charging is for me, I'm more interested in prolonging the life of the battery in the long-run. I imagine you could very easily get a full day out of it depending on what settings you enable. Charging is also very quick too.
I completely agree with the point about expandable storage. I think the Galaxy S20 series was the last one to have an SD slot. I haven't looked into it much but it looks like there is a way for some Android phones to support external storage through the USB-C port, including the S26. This obviously isn't ideal for day-to-day use, but for when you are specifically shooting video it may be useful for you.
I do think you may be best off with Sony, and hopefully someone will be able to share their experience with them to help you out. Best of luck!
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u/TheWarriorWeazle Aug 21 '26
Thanks again, that's really useful! The fact that there doesn't seem to be a proper Pro mode for video is actually quite interseting to me, especially if there's no real way to avoid the post-processing. I don't mind some processing obviously, but for what I'm using it for I'd rather have the footage as close to what was actually captured as possible, particularly if I'm looking at quite small details or movement.
The external storage is interesting though. I hadn't really considered using external storage, but I suppose for coaching I could just have a small drive with me and move the footage over after a session rather than needing everything stored on the phone. It's obviously not as convenient as an SD card, but it could work.
2
u/Yuffie6 Aug 20 '26
If you can go for Sony, go for it. It have everything you want.
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u/TheWarriorWeazle Aug 20 '26
That's one of the reasons I'm looking towards Sony at the moment. The camera/video side seems particularly well suited to what I'm doing.
If you have an Xperia yourself what do you think of it as an everyday phone? The coaching side is important to me, but it's a hobby and I'm starting a full-time R&D job soon, so realistically I'll spend much more time using it as a normal phone than filming archery.
I'm particularly interested in things like battery life, general software experience and whether there are any annoying quirks that you only really notice after owning one for a while.
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u/Yuffie6 Aug 20 '26
I don't have modern Xperia. My last Xperia is Xperia Play in 2011. Sony have stopped selling their smartphone in my country, if they still sell it, I'd go for them because sd slot. I use Poco F8 Ultra now, the battery is great, the speaker is even better, it helps me a lot because now I don't need to carry portable speaker anymore when I traveling.
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u/Alex_Bace Aug 20 '26
OnePlus 15 is my top pick but a bit dear.
More reasonable options are Honor 600 Pro and OnePlus 15R.
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u/TheWarriorWeazle Aug 21 '26
The OnePlus 15 is definitely still on my list, mainly because I really like OxygenOS and I've had such a good experience with my 8T. The price isn't necessarily a dealbreaker if I think it's the right phone, it's more the fact that OnePlus pulling out of Europe makes me a bit hesitant about buying one now.
I hadn't actually looked at the Honor 600 Pro though, so I'll have a look at that. What makes you recommend it over something like the Find X9 or S26? The camera is probably the hardest thing for me to compare, particularly the high frame rate video, so that's the bit I'm most interested in.
And with the 15R, is that mainly because of the price, or do you think it's actually a better option than the standard 15 for what I'm looking for?
2
u/Alex_Bace Aug 21 '26
OnePlus 15R has pretty good slow motion and motion photography. It has 4K@120fps mode. Zooming photography and videography is a no-go past 3x zoom,if that's not a requirement, 15R is an excellent choice.
As for the 600 Pro, it's a fantastic phone for the price which is about £650. It delivers everything needed and it crushes the S26 and the X9 in certain areas such as value, cameras, display and charging. In the case of S26 specifically,also battery life. The X9 and the S26 are way too much for they offer compared to the 600 Pro. It still has 6 OS updates in Britain and Europe. I'd suggest you check out the 600 Pro very closely before you make a final decision. 👍
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u/TheWarriorWeazle Aug 21 '26
The 4K120 on the 15R definitely makes it more interesting to me, and I don't think going beyond 3x is necessarily a dealbreaker. Most of my filming is at 5–10m, so I'd probably be using the main camera anyway, with the occasional 2–3x when I'm further away.
The 600 Pro is one I'll definitely have to look into now. £650 with 6 OS updates is pretty compelling. I'm more interested in the video side rather than just still photography, especially 4K120 and how well it handles cropping/zooming into the footage afterwards.
If you've got/used one yourself how do you find the software on the 600 Pro? One of the reasons I've stuck with OnePlus for so long is that I really like the relatively clean OxygenOS experience, so that's one of the things I'm most wary about when looking at alternatives, but I understand that I won't get the same experince as my 8T.
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u/Alex_Bace Aug 21 '26
I've been using the 15R for months and it's been great. I've used a number of OnePlus phones over the last 6 years and they've all been excellent. So,I do share your expertise and expectations about it for sure. As for the 600 Pro, I've had the 400 and the 400 Pro and the 400 Pro impressed me big time (the 400- good cameras and nothing else)... 400 Pro- a proper flagship killer it was. I've had the opportunity to use the 600 Pro for a few minutes and the phone is a beast. Significantly better than the 400 Pro which was already great.I think I'm gonna buy it since they improved the two things I was critical of- the side frame had the display. The rest is great as previously established.
The 15R has an excellent main camera and a good selfie. Both photography and videography day and night. The ultrawide for photography is usable day and night (even night which is hugely surprising) but for videography is completely useless.
So, I don't think a phone for £800-1000 is worth exploring...but that's just me. You do you. 👍 👍 👍
P.S. OnePlus 16 might change my mind on that issue, though...
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u/TheWarriorWeazle Aug 21 '26
That's really useful to know. I think you've probably convinced me to at least seriously look at the 15R and 600 Pro now. I was originally thinking I'd probably have to spend £800-1000 to get what I wanted, but if I can get something around £600–650 that does what I actually need then I'd much rather do that.
And yeah, if the OnePlus 16 ends up being good enough to tempt you back into the more expensive end of the market, I'll definitely be interested in seeing what they do with it!
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u/LUHG-HANI Aug 19 '26
Find x9 pro for the battery compared to the Samsungs.