UK - Budget is flexible but let's say around 800-1000 and its not urgent so I can wait if there's something in the pipeline

Looking for possible options to replace my Oneplus 11 now that OP aren't staying in Europe

Just looking best value options that has a relatively clean and non-bloated UI, decent+ camera, decent+ battery, quick charging etc. don't want to massively overpayment for a relatively small incremental improvement

Performance wise the OP11 is good enough, battery seems to be losing a little of its capacity now after 3.5 years.

I won't specifically mention budget as prices can vary for each phone.

I am in the UK but can order things from Wanda mobile if not available here.

I'm coming from an old s22 plus who's battery and performance are abysmal now.

______

My requirements:

- Best Camera quality all around - triple back camera and good selfies.

- Good, all day battery - doesn't have to be god - tier, just very good.

- I don't care about gaming but I want it to perform well for filming and taking photos

- I don't care about screen resolution as long as it's quite bright and at least 90 Hz

- good speakers are nice but not a huge loss.

- ultrasonic fingerprint sensor

- good software of course : not a purist though.

- MUST have e SIM.

____

What *doesn't* matter to me

- gaming

- face unlock

- benchmarks

- the fastest charging - as long as it's decently fast

___

What I'm considering:

- Oppo Find X9 Pro

- Vivo x300 pro (global version)

- Honor Magic 8 pro

Alternatively just getting a Pixel 10 pro or XL if the software is good enough to be worth it.

I'm currently tempted by the Vivo x300 pro as it seems to have the best cameras I can afford as is very good if not leading in the other departments.

_______

I love photography but can't always have my dslr.

Being able to confidently and easily take good quality photos in any situation is extremely appealing to me.

Edit: final alternative is a Samsung perhaps ultra from last year - basically best I could afford

I just can;t rationalize it for my self paying more. SomIwas thinking maybe just get a 2025 model where the price dropped making room for the new 2026 phones. I like a big screen, Gorrila glass since I drop the thing everywhere. A good camera that hopefully can take better pics at night than my Samsung A32 G. Fast, reliable usual stuff. Updates at least a few left, battery life

And I have to decide really soon since I am travelling to the UK in 5 days from the USA and pretty much have no phone lol

Thanks for your time. Appreciate it!

UK, need a new phone with a budget under 600

Max I'll go is 700!

My main focus is a good camera, I love taking pictures.

Thanks!

I accidentally broke my M6P - a shame really because I loved that phone but the insurer has offered a cash settlement of ~£700 so it hasn't worked out all that bad.

I want a top-flight snapdragon processor, decent battery and decent camera. The two options which stand out for me are the Magic 8 Pro and the Oppo Find X9 Ultra unless anybody has any other suggestions.

I really like the look of that oppo - the camera is top and the battery is just over 10% larger than the honor here in the UK, but how do these compare?

Am I missing anything with big with the Magic 8 Pro? I was really impressed by the 6 but I suspect that the oppo is the slightly better phone on paper?

Honor is £900 upfront and I pay £9/mo sim. Comes with crappy £50 watch I don't want. Also gotta foot an extra £300 upfront (£1115)

Oppo is £149 upfront then £45/mo on a plan (roughly £1250 with annual increases) so I'd get to pocket the change from the settlement

I'm looking for a new phone to replace my Samsung A52S, I don't game but like a good camera, use it for streaming etc so want a good screen. Looking to spend up to £400 tops but ideally £300-350 and must be available in the UK. What do I get?

Country: UK. My phone dies by lunchtime and I'm starting uni next month. Need something that'll last a full day on campus.

Main thing is battery life and fast charging since I'm always rushing between lectures with zero time to sit and charge. Camera doesn't need to be flagship but decent for notes.

Looking at a Samsung Galaxy A56 and the Oppo Reno16 FS 5G. That second one has 80W charging which sounds like it'd sort the top-up problem. Has anyone used it day to day?

i travel out of the UK a fair bit and carrying a giant modern phone around while navigating airports and new cities is getting exhausting. i really just want a proper compact android phone that fits comfortably in a coat pocket or small travel pouch without weighing me down.

i keep looking at flip style phones as a potential fix for travelling light, mostly because of a few things:

• fitting into zipped passport pockets or small bags easily
• using the small cover screen for quick boarding pass checks or notifications
• taking quick photos one handed while carrying bags or luggage

for thosewho travels frequently and switched to a flip model, how has it held up on trips. does the hinge mechanism cause any worry when you are out in dusty or outdoor environments, or is the smaller size totally worth it for trips.

update: thought I'd come back and give an update for those who follow this post, I made the final purchase decision and bought the Z Flip8 from Samsung to use on my upcoming trips.

it has been an absolute game changer for travelling light. folding it down to a wallet-sized footprint makes it fit so easily into zipped coat pockets and travel pouches, and like someone mentioned in the comments, keeping it folded up in your hand while navigating crowded areas feels way safer against pickpockets.

the cover screen is super handy for quick boarding pass scans and checking notifications on the go, and taking quick photos one-handed while dragging luggage around is effortless. so far the hinge feels rock solid too.

quick heads-up, I may earn a little if you use the link below.

Hi all,

I recognise this is about to sound contradictory but I find phones overwhelming especially with their ever-developing features. I am therefore seeking a minimalist smartphone that can handle apps and cameras but without the bells and whistles. I don't know if this even exists, and I don't know if my post sounds silly. It's not even a cost thing, it's just a sanity thing. I want to stay clear of any big brands for data privacy. I am sure someone will comment to say that data privacy is lost with any type of phone, but I am sure that being selective preserves it somewhat.

You might ask why I don't stick with my current phone (Huawei P30 Pro), and the reason is that it's very old now and I'm worried it could break at any moment. I'm also concerned about keeping up with security updates, and some apps are going to discontinue service to my phone model so I do really need to update.

Any recommendations would be highly appreciated.

Edit: I am in the UK

i’m in the uk and i’m replacing an older android that’s fine for most things but cramped for video. quite a bit of my watching is downloaded netflix or iplayer on longer train journeys, so this time i care more about the display than having the best cameras.

i’ve looked at the really large normal phones, but i keep coming back to foldables because the extra width seems more useful for films than just having a taller screen. carrying a tablet as well is exactly what i’m trying to avoid.

does the bigger foldable screen still feel noticeably better for a full episode once you factor in the black bars and the crease? battery matters too, but i’d happily give up some camera features if the screen is something i’d use every week.

small follow-up: a couple of longer train journeys answered the screen question for me. watching downloaded netflix on the samsung Z Fold8 is noticeably nicer than on the normal large phones i was comparing. there are still black bars, but there's enough extra width that the picture doesn't feel nearly as cramped, and carrying a separate tablet now feels unnecessary.

the cameras are still really good, they just weren't the main thing i was choosing around this time. the £100 Prime Member saving from 8 August to 8 September helped on the price side too, and for me the bigger screen is the part i'm getting the most use from.

worth flagging that i may earn a little if you use the link.

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!

I have been a OP fan for feels like almost 10 years now, and have just seen the news about them pulling out of the Eurpoe/UK market, which is a real shame.

I typically only upgrade my phone every 2-3 years approximately, and not fussed about having the latest flagship. I was planning on continuing this cycle recently as i am due a new phone and was about to buy my next OnePlus, but then saw this news....

I'm now kinda lost....

I don't think i can buy another OnePlus knowing that the phones are being discontinued in the UK. I don't want to run the risk of buying one and losing support/updates a year down the line, plus the added complication of wasted money on accessories etc.

I've done some initial research, and just don't see anything that ticks all the boxes the OP does. My criteria is as follows:

- Under £1k budget, preferably around or under £800.

- I don't mind a slightly older model, say 1 year old to help meet budget.

- Clean and simple to use operating system.

- 256GB storage.

- The most demanding this i do on my phone is a little bit of casual gaming, but nothing serious.

- A good camera is nice but doesn't need to be state of the art.

- Good battery life will be great.

I see a lot of negativity around the Pixel phones, despite them probably being a good all rounder aligned with my budget.

The Samsungs look expensive, but an older model may be a sensible solution?

I see a lot of pushing of OPPO phones (which i had never heard of before), but they are too expensive, and i see mixed reviews, so i am sceptical of all the good reviews being pushed.

May be a lot of these threads popping up over the coming weeks due to the news, so i do apologise!

Thank you in advance of any suggestions and advice.

Happy Friday everyone! Preferably only people who own/have owned these devices to answer please, as a lot of people just sort of regurgitate talking points these days (sorry!)

Currently use base Pixel 6 in the UK.

Key things for me are the compact size, not gigantic pricetag, good battery life.

I am not a heavy gamer, not an avid photographer, not really a power user in general. I just want a compact phone that'll last me all day.

I did consider the S25/S26 but the upgrades are too incremental/non-existent.

Thanks to any and all who comment!

Location: UK

According to GSMArena, the only phones with both these things and eSIM capability (hard requirement) are the Moto G series, Sony Xperia and the Trump phone. If I want a good camera that seems to limit me to the Xperia 1 which is pretty expensive, not that compact and not without its complaints from what I hear.

I wonder if I'm being needlessly rigid in these demands and whether it wouldn't be so bad to relax them. Perhaps some users here have made similar concessions and can tell me whether they regret it or not.

Some context on how I use my phone:

I still listen to music using wired headphones, partly out of habit and partly because I like that they don't need charging. I prefer the cable to come out of the phone at a right angle for practical reasons and there are some USB-C to 3.5mm adapters which do this.

I basically only use my SD card for music storage, it's ~150gb of mp3s and I can see it growing in future. I prefer to have my library local so I don't need an internet connection and also because I sometimes use the files for sampling on a music production app (Koala Sampler).

(On that note, a phone with good audio latency would be nice to allow for live playing on the music app. I've heard that the Pixel phones are good for this but they lack the card slot and 3.5mm)

After about 4 years of use I have used up 250gb of my phone's combined internal and external storage. Like I said, I can see the audio component of that getting larger.

Any insights appreciated, ideally from personal experience. Thanks.

OnePlus Nord 5 (global/Asia version). 12+512GB. Con: Parallel import (compromised warranty and/or customer support?). £299

Moto G86 Power. 8+512GB+SD. Pro: eSIM support. Cons: 30w max charging; fewer upgrades/security updates than others. £279

OPPO A6 Pro 5G. 8/256GB+SD. Con: Don't know if Li-ion or silicon-carbon battery (does it matter?). £249.

My priorities:

*Good battery capacity and fast charging

*Good storage, whether internal-only or internal+external

*Decent photos. I don't need the best ever; mostly I've been disappointed with photo colours looking washed out. I would love optical zoom, but I can live without it.

*High screen brightness.

*Longevity. I like to keep phones until they become untenable to use (generally 3-4 years so far)

Hi all,

I would like help picking a phone. I would like android, I'm entirely banning iOS or other operating systems. My priority would be having 512GB of storage (less if it's expandable with MICRO SD) and camera quality. I would also favour smaller form factors over giant ones.

I have been considering things like the Xiaomi 15 512GB on a sale as well as the pixel 10 (normal not a or pro) as well as refurbished phones.

My current phone is a Huawei p30 lite which is slowly dying of old age. Therefore things like wireless charging, NFC etc are exciting to me 😂

Edited to add: I've found one! Chose a model that was reasonably well-reviewed as good value, and happened to find it in our local electronics outlet store for a good price. Thanks, all!

In the UK. Currently using a five year old android phone that is starting to really show its battery's age.

Trying to research what phone to get next, I could be looking for a unicorn? It doesn't need to be totally current or flagship (definitely not when I am so cheapskate), but I would like it to have a decent amount of security and OS updates / support. I would prefer a microSD card slot and 3.5mm headphone jack. More than 4GB ram if possible.

I am old, so I was already horrified to pay around £300 for my last phone in 2021. Happy to go refurbished.

So far, I have considered a TCL Nxtpaper 70 pro, Samsung galaxy A17, or maybe a Sony or Motorola? I simply can't decide.

Help!

Looking at getting the S21 Ultra or S10 Plus now I assumed the S21 Ultra would be the better phone being 2 years newer but on the used market they sell for the same price so I'm assuming there is a reason for this and the S10 Plus offers something extra despite being older. Which one should I go for? I'm in the UK.

I'm looking for a new phone to replace an old and worn OnePlus 7T for my wife. New only please, I know that I can get a better deal on a used phone but she isn't keen on that.

Similar size to the 7T would be ideal, priorities are the camera and longevity since she only really uses it for browsing, videos, videocalling... No gaming or anything like that. We keep everything on the cloud so storage isn't too important.

I had looked at a Pixel 10a since it seems to tick all of the boxes, but I am curious if there are any better alternatives. Any brand is ok except for LG, I have been burned by them before and will never go back.

I am looking for a phone for my teen child within the range of £100-£120

They used the pixel, which was enjoyable for them. Now looking for something in good or very good condition that has:

Good camera

6gb off ram

Get charging

Music player.

Thank you

I've had the Pixel 8 for a few years now, but it's begun to fail me as the battery barely lasts, and it has gotten really slow. Do you guys have any recommendations for a good upgrade? I would say my budget is around the 500 GBP (UK) mark, but I could stretch it further.

UK here. Took the dog up the Norfolk coast at the weekend and came home with a camera roll full of nothing. Seals hauled out at the far end of the beach, a spaniel belting about way down the sand, and every time I zoomed in on my Moto G53 all I got was a smeary blob. Anything past a few metres, I've given up on.

We go most weeks, and I don't want to lug a separate camera about on top of leads, poo bags and a ball launcher, so the phone's going to have to do the zooming. For what I can spend, it's the Samsung Galaxy A57 or the Oppo Reno16 FS 5G.

Went hunting for anything with its own zoom lens, and the retailer's listing shows a separate 50MP telephoto lens with optical stabilisation. A dedicated zoom lens is exactly what the far end of the beach needs, so the seals and the dog should come out sharp instead of as blobs.

The other thing is sand. It gets into everything down there, and the Moto's charging port has been crunchy for months. What's it like with sandy pockets and the odd blast of sea spray?

I have £300 to spend and was wondering if it is the best phone. I use my phone mainly for calls texts and YouTube or film watching
I just need something that runs well and gets through the day easily I live in the uk

Hi!

Currently a little stuck with what I want to upgrade to, currently have the Pixel 8 Pro and after seeing the Pixel 11 being very subpar I don't know what to upgrade to.

Current phone is great but it's getting quite laggy and the battery has really degraded so barely holds a charge.

Was looking at the Oppo Find x9 pro but I'm not that fussed with a decent camera and that seems to be the main focus of that phone.

Basically just want something that has good processing power, good battery! Also no budget and based in the UK.