Hey all... Canadian here, finally hopping ship from apple to android!

I'm looking for something with good OS update garuntees and I don't want to pay a fortune for it. Currently I'm looking at the Galaxy A16, A26, or Pixel 9A. The price point on the A16 is a BIG draw, but I've seen a fair number of complaints about it - mostly about awful lag that could get worse with OS updates, and about potentially poor durability given the plastic frame and back.

...How bad is it? Enough to justify the price jump for something better?

I want something that will have a good lifespan physically and functionality-wise, but I'm not picky about performance or features. I'm coming from the 2016 iphone 7 and only bothering to upgrade because IOS 15 won't let me get the microsoft apps I need for work. I am used to some lag and performance issues, and I would hope nothing built today would be a step down from a nine year old device, but some comments I've seen about the lag on the A16 make it sound unusable. Is that the case? Or does it just not stand up so well among other recent devices?

What phone would you recomend as an alright buget android with a good lifespan?

Any thoughts are apreciated! Thanks.

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Edit: Thank you all very much to for your input!! Very helpful in dissuading me from this clearly god awful phone, lol. I decided to bite the bullet and get the Pixel 9A since the higher price isn't out of my means, it sounds more likely to last its lifespan, and a family member has had a good experience with the 8A. Had it for over a week now and I'm very satisfied. :)

I'm concerned about companies like Google's overreach and the use of AI. I keep pictures of my kid off the internet because of AI and I'm scared that some phones that have AI features might be mining my camera reel.

Which phone(s) do you think are the best for privacy and AI concerns? I live in Canada.

Thank you!

I'm having a tough time picking. can anybody convince me one way or the other? price doesn't matter and neither does camera quality. Canada

I live in Canada, but don't mind importing from China (Aliexpress), as here sadly for flagships we only have Samsung, Apple and Google Pixel (now that Oneplus left).

I've always had samsung, but due to bad quality reviews i've seen online for the newer models (famous green lines on display), not to mention huge price hike, and loss of features overtime, I'm thinking of simply getting a cheaper phone.

One phone i'd love is the Sony Xperia 1 VIII, but it's too expensive.

I currently have an S22, previously had a S10+ and S8, most disappointing thing for me when I "upgraded to S22" (bought it on launch, so had it for a few years): Screen has worse quality than even my S8, let alone my S10+, no longer microsd and 3.5mm aux (thought I'm aware these two are extinct on flagships across the board nowadays, so I don't expect it anymore)

While it doesn't sound like much it seems to be asking for the moon. Currently using Xiaomi 12 which I love the form factor and ergonomics, but getting pretty frustrated with the software. Annoyingly it seems to be one of the last decent phones made in this design.

I just HATE the squared sides design as it feels so uncomfortable in the hand, defeating a large part of the purpose of a compact phone, but yet literally every manufacturer has been adopting it to try and copy iPhone.

I've tried to have it grow on me, I've used iPhone 14, S24, and Pixel 10 for some time each, but kept hating it and going back to the Xiaomi every time because it just feels sooo much better that it's worth putting up with the atrocious software.

Motorola Edge 2026 seems to be the only recent offering I've found, with the next recent after that going back to the Pixel 8/8a. Are those seriously the only TWO options within the past three years??

Edit: Located in Canada but willing to buy from any market.

I'm done with flagship phones. I had an S20 that only lasted a couple years before it started stuttering like crazy. I upgraded to an S22 and in 2.5 years it's rebooting on its own, gets insanely hot, constantly freezes, and battery life is non-existent. I think it's gonna be bricked soon so I'm looking for a new phone.

Does anyone have any mid-budget reccs? I looked at stuff like OnePlus but I heard it doesn't work that great in Canada depending on the carrier (I'm with fido). Ideally, I would like a phone with a decent camera and an acceptable battery life. I don't play games so I'm not overly concerned with performance except with basic tasks.

I've narrowed it down to:

• Samsung Galaxy A57 128GB ($700 CAD)
• Samsung Galaxy A37 128GB ($600 CAD)
• Pixel 10A 128 GB ($680 CAD)
  • I think I would lean towards this device but I heard battery longevity isn't that great.
• Motorola G Stylus 256 GB ($300 CAD)
  • I've heard decent things about this phone but I am worried about the short support

I've never done this but I'm also down to try buying open boxes from Best Buy and maybe get higher quality phones at a discounted price. For example, I found an open box OnePlus 13R 256 GB for $600 CAD. But unfortunately, it's online only so I can't inspect it in person to see if it's in decent shape or not.

Overall, anyone got any recs?

I currently have a Samsung Galaxy A56 in Canada and I’m thinking about switching to an iPhone.

Would it be worth upgrading from the A56 to an iPhone 17, or should I go for the newer iPhone 18 Pro?

For those who have used both Samsung/Android and iPhone, how big of a difference would I actually notice?

I’m also wondering if switching from Android to iPhone is something I might regret.

If you were in my position, would you keep the A56, get the iPhone 17, or go for the iPhone 18 Pro? Why?

I'm about to study abroad in Canada and wanted to research to buy a new phone when I'm there. But it's a little overwhelming for me to look at all the variables to think about and all the different brands. I currently own an Oppo Reno8 T 5g that i bought on a whim when i was younger as a gift but the screen is damaged (I'll still be using it for a while though).

I don't need anything much I only play one game so it doesn't need to be that powerful. I don't care about the camera at all nor any fancy features or aesthetic like fold phones. I want at least 512gb of storage as I will probably be downloading a lot of images and audio files. I'm gonna leave the phone on for a long period of time per day so i want good battery. I'm not really that into any techy stuff right now but I might be interested in the future so I want a phone that doesn't restrict me much on what i can do to it software wise. It would be nice if it's durable. I'm not sure what my budget is yet but if it's a durable phone that can be used for a looong time then I can afford to spend a little more. Help would be very much appreciated :)

As much as I LOVE my s24 ultra and I truly have no comments about it.... The s25, 26 were both just.... Boring, and between the s26 presentation and last week's Galaxy unpacked, I just don't like what Samsung is prioritizing anymore and I see no future product in going to want. And with everything getting rapidly more expensive.... I want to pick something flagship level now to carry through another 5+ years

So some background... I'm in Canada, all 3 phones (global versions) can connect to all 4g/5g network bands. Prices I'm looking at in Canadian $....

Xiaomi 17 ultra, starry green, 16gb/1tb - $1750

Oppo find x9 ultra, canyon orange, 12gb/512gb - $2100

Vivo x300 ultra, white, 16gb/512gb - $2150

Aaaaand my priorities....

Screen size. I love my galaxy ultra size

Camera. Camera is top priority, if my choices didn't make that obvious. Lol. Especially macro performance. I use my camera professionally for submitting commission work, and casually all day. I think my album is over 20k images now

OS experience is NOT a priority as I use Nova launcher on all my phones.

Battery life. I'd like something on par with or better than my s24 ultra in day to day use

The cheapest one is the Xiaomi and I might even go down to 512gb as that would be $1600. But I can afford any of them.

My dad currently has an LG 30 which he loves but he's looking to get a new one since it's old. Some things he's looking for

• Somewhat similar interface to LG 30
• Low budget (he's retired with low income, I'm not sure what a normal budget would be but the cheaper the better)
• Easy to use (he's not the best with technology)
• Good battery life if possible. However a cheaper phone is priority over this
• Good connection
• Available in Canada

I'm in Canada, and thinking of retiring my Samsung S20FE as it's been having issues running Jellyfin.

EDIT 1: Ideally, I'd like to get a refurbished/used phone, as I'd rather avoid directly contributing to support of rare-earth mineral mining.

EDIT 2: Ideally, it would cost under $1000 CDN. Normally, when I buy a phone, I do it through my mobile provider, and there's a monthly payment plan. Unfortunately, they don't currently have any refurbished phones which fit my needs - or really many at all.

I tried replacing it with an S24, but I quickly realized that there was no microSD slot, and since it only has the same base storage, that won't work for me. I take long road trips and store a LOT of music, audiobooks, and podcasts on my phone. My S20FE has 128GB, plus a 117GB microSD card, and that doesn't even store everything I'd like it to.

I store all of my images on my home server through Immich, so photos & video don't really take up space on my phone.

I do take a lot of photos & video, and I prefer high-quality photos with a good zoom. I do have an excellent digital camera, but I don't lug it everywhere. This is definitely secondary to my need for storage, though.

I'm also de-Googling myself, so the less Google is integrated, the better.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it. I've been looking at so many spec sheets that my eyes are crossing! 🤪

I was hardcore Android user, back in the days played alot with LineageOS, and other custom ROMs.

Then I got the Pixel 6 Pro and got busy with my job, and only stuck to APK files (videos and music)

Currently I am on Pixel 9 Pro, this is a leased device and have to return by November. 9 Pro gave a really hard time, just want to move away from this phone.

Now, at this point I do not have faith in 11Pro. I am currently in a dilemma which way to go. For a second even thinking of getting an iPhone (16 Pro), I don't want to go to the Lease route and get the flagships. My old 6 Pro has a charging port problem, cannot depend on it.

FYI, I am in Canada.

Girlfriend is looking to upgrade from her iPhone 13 and wants to move away from Apple. I've been primarily considering picking up a Galaxy S24 refurbished off Best Buy but I'm not sure if there's better options out there

She's not too worried about gaming performance or whatever, just wants a good everyday all rounder, maybe with a bit of focus on camera performance as she likes taking pictures out in nature and of her pets.

As a Apple user for more than 10 years, I want to get an Android phone for the first time.

Currently using IPhone 11 Pro Max. Suggest something that matches or its better than current phone that I have.

My main concern is a good camera for photography that I do and high storage. Also suggest a brand that'll last me at least few years with newer updates.

I'm in Canada.

help!

i’m currently a long time apple user - the last android i had was eons ago, and it was a galaxy s3 - but i remember LOVING that phone. right now i have an iphone 12 pro max which i love the size of.

i most value camera quality and battery life. i don’t game on my phone - i mainly use it for photos, editing, texting/calling, and a couple mainstream social media apps. to be honest i don’t know what AI features entail, so i’m not sure if that would be something that would sell or deter me.

i just can’t seem to lean towards one more than the other besides the fact that the pixel 10 pro XL has a nicer price tag. all i know for sure is that i’m feeling done with apple due to the each phone being basically the exact same as the last.

tell me the pros and cons!! or should i look at something else? the galaxy folds look pretty cool as well.

thanks!!!

ETA: i am in Canada!

I'm looking for a new phone and need some recommendations.

What I care about most:

Best possible camera and video ​​quality

Smaller/comfortable size

Clean full-screen display, preferably no visible front camera

Flat/sharp design, not too rounded

Good OS skin customization

Clean and smooth software

Good AI features (google search by circling the page is preferable)

Good performance and battery 6000+ mAh

My daily usage is, using camera, social media apps, video and photo editor apps and using web browsers​.

i​Phone and Samsung are not options for me.

What would you recommend me​?

I've been with OnePlus since the OnePlus 1, with only one Pixel somewhere along the way. Over the past couple of years I've also bought Nothing phones for my mom and sister, and we've really liked them, especially the OS. They're obviously more midrange, but they have been solid phones.

My current phone is a OnePlus 9 Pro that has been with me for more than 4.5 years. Last week I suddenly got a green 1px vertical line going from edge to edge on the screen. The phone is otherwise totally usable, but it makes watching videos and reading (two things I do a lot) pretty annoying.

My typical use is pretty simple: casual photos, banking, messaging, video calls with family (I live in Canada, while my family lives abroad), browsing, etc. I'm also a web developer and occasionally use my phone to test things, but nothing hardcore and no native app development, mostly web apps.

I'm looking for something I can keep for at least 3 years, and hopefully longer.

I'm not really the type of person who needs the latest and greatest unless there's a good reason for it. After quite a bit of searching, I've narrowed it down to these:

• OnePlus 15R - 12/256 GB, new
• Google Pixel 10 - 12/128 GB, open box
• Nothing Phone (3) - 16/512 GB, open box
• Nothing Phone 4a Pro - 12/256 GB, new

I've only included phones that I'm actually interested in and that I can find around my budget (about 800 CAD before taxes).

I'd really like to hear what you guys would choose and why. Especially interested in real-world experiences from people who have owned any of these phones, particularly battery life, cameras, software, and how the phone has held up over time.

[Canada, I like eBay]
As the title says, I need a Samsung for my dad.

We were a no phone family until my brother bought a phone and I did shortly after, now my dad wants an android with the same or better camera performance as the iPhone 13 (that is just an estimate, he basically just wants to make sure he has some pretty good pictures)

My dad is a hobbyist photographer if that can help in any way

Budget is basically the price of the cheapest option out there for my needs

And so far I have the galaxy s21 in mind after a quick search

I have a Samsung S25 now and it's good but I'd like a little smaller, like an iPhone mini size. I'm in Canada 🇨🇦

I bought a Samsung S26 Ultra this week and was instantly surprised that the on-device acoustic quality is genuinely putrid; coming from an S21. Even with an external EQ, it can never dream of sounding as clear as an S21 out of the box. The screen size and shape is essentially perfect, and yet the colors feel washed no matter what settings I tweak compared to the S21, again, out of the box.

Samsung, Apple, and thus every other name in the industry seems hyperfixated on bigger camera modules and software gimmicks that I just can't bring myself to care about. The Sony Xperia 1 line seems like it prioritizes features that actually bring value, like the micro-sd slot.

I would gladly return the S26 Ultra and buy a 1 VIII if anyone can weigh in on the differences in speaker clarity and display fidelity. I do like this large high resolution panel, but I can't tell if the 1 VIII's tighter and lower resolution display is noticeably worse or if the front facing speakers are noticeably better.

I'm in Canada, my carrier has bands that support the device, I have the budget for an Xperia but honestly any more expensive would just be absurd so yea

Thank you friends :D

Title should read: Canada - looking for replacement for Pixel 8a

Got a Pixel 8a a few years ago and this is the first Pixel I have been unimpressed with. The cellular modem does not play well with my provider (Freedom Mobile), or many providers, so its not even reliable as a freaking cell phone, and I'm now getting an annoying vertical pink line on the screen. Was going to tough it out for another year or two, but with global insanity, the trade war, increasing prices etc. I'm seriously considering replacing it now before things get even more expensive.

Important for me - cellular modem actually works, good battery life, longevity (I typically keep my phones for 4+ years), not super expensive (~$1,000 max) as I need to buy it outright (have a very old, awesome cell plan, and Freedom will only let me keep it if I bring my own device). Uses - as a phone (the main phone for our family), browsing, email, maps, Gaia GPS, occasional light gaming.

Not important - camera quality, super high performance for gaming, AI integration.

I've always has Pixels and am used to the ecosystem, but am open to alternatives, not loving Google as a corporation these days, but not sure I have the energy or bandwidth to de-google myself right now.

Edit - apologies - forgot to finish the title before posting. Don't reddit very often :)

I'm in Canada and there is a marketplace seller selling a brand new Oneplus 15 16gb/512 for $1,200. It's the Chinese version, but I'm moving to another country soon where it would work 100%. I'm just wondering if this is worth it, or if I should wait until Black Friday to see if there'll be a good promotion in store. It's currently $1399 + 15% taxes here.

It's been a minute since I dug into phones.

My wife has a Pixel 10 Pro and she's in "like" with it I guess?

I want something that is good for photos/video. I don't game/etc. on my phone. I record my rides with Strava, stream music, doomscroll.

I have severe carpal tunnel in both wrists, so a smaller phone is a feature, not a bug.

What do you suggest?

Hi guys!

I'm looking into upgrading from my Samsung Fold 4 and honestly have grown tired of Samsung and their lack of innovation. I'm looking for something that won't break the bank but offers some specific features.

Solid Performance (Doesn't need to be the latest and greatest but don't want to downgrade)

Big Screen

Big Battery

Solid Charging Speed

Under 1100 CAD

Stable OS

Android Auto

I'm willing to compromise on camera and storage size as neither of those are important to me. I take minimal pictures and don't have much on my phone so as long as the camera is adequate and I get 256GBs of storage, I'm a happy man. My biggest thing is wanting to save money. I have a budget upto 1100 but if I can spend less, I would like to. I have been looking at phones such as the Honor Win RT, Realme Neo8 and Poco F8 but have been worried about Android Auto Support and HyperOS being not the best from what I have heard. Suggestions are greatly appreciated!