[joslicx]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

What would you guys recommend? .

Why not Oneplus? For around 50k my first choice would be the Oneplus 8pro. It has everything you want, even camera is up there with the best.
If not Oneplus, I would go with S20 FE. I think there was even 6k off offer on Amazon (not sure if still it's there)

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by joslicx

Why not Oneplus? For around 50k my first choice would be the Oneplus 8pro. It has everything you want, even camera is up there with the best.
If not Oneplus, I would go with S20 FE. I think there was even 6k off offer on Amazon (not sure if still it's there)

Thanks joslicx, for the 8Pro, I saw some feedback on Amazon regarding problematic screens and it seems to an issue that has impacted several users.

[14000rpm]

what's the verdict on Samsung S21?
planning to replace the current One Plus 6 which has suffered many falls and has cracked glass and backcase. Cost of fix is not worth it.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

My usage is not very high. Mainly photographs, whatsapp, podcasts, some occassional browsing and emails. No games.

Samsung A72
+ Big screen
+ IP67
- Mid range processor
- Overpriced at Rs 35K ?

Almost similar use case, I went in for A52(4G) which has AMOLED Display, OIS Camera, Stereo Speakers, 3.5mm Jack, IP67 rating. I feel A52 to be VFM compared to A72 at around 27K. I too feel, 5G is far away from being ubiquitous and will be good with this device for next 3 years.

[fiat_tarun]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

...

My usage is not very high. Mainly photographs, whatsapp, podcasts, some occassional browsing and emails. No games.
.
.
.
What would you guys recommend? Should I go for the Note 10 Lite at 70% the cost of the updated S20 FE 4G and enjoy it for the next few years until 5G gets rolled out? Or should I just wait for the updated S20 FE 4G and forget the Note 10 Lite? Any thoughts and feedback would be appreciated.
...

I have been using a Note 10 Lite (8gb ram variant) for the past 1.5 years and it has been a great experience, however if you have no interest in the S-Pen, I would suggest the S10 Lite or the S20 FE as the more future proof option to be buying now.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I own a 3 and a 1/2 year old LG G6
I started checking for some options within the Rs 50K mark. My initial criteria was excellent camera, IP68 rating and 3.5 mm headphone jack. I would want to keep the phone for at least 3-4 years, so I dont mind paying a bit more for better hardware now.

The upcoming Asus Zenfone 8 meets all your criteria. The camera is good, IP 68, headphone jack, snapdragon 888 and 2 years OS updates along with a compact from factor. If you're ok with the brand and the dull looks, it is a worthy contender IMO.

If not, the S20FE with snapdragon processor would me my pick of the lot. It'll get updated for much longer than the S10 and is worth the premium.

A good review of the Zenfone 8:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfpM...Mrwhosetheboss

[ast.ggn]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Samsung S20 FE 5G

Even if I ignore 5G, S20FE seems an excellent phone with SD865. I am using S10 lite (with SD855) and it is faster than Exynos based Note 10+ which my wife is using and cost me half of that. New FE is lot improved over old FE, better battery, less heat etc and will get updates for longer duration. Since you plan to keep phone for long, S20FE 5G is an excellent choice. Skip Note 10 lite which is already more than year old now and updates will be discontinued for it.

Edit: For camera, Pixel 4a is a better choice. S10 lite camera is mediocre.

[dragonfire]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

and the dull looks

A phone is only as ugly as the case you use.

[The21st]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

What would you guys recommend? .

I don't think Note 10 lite is a great idea. The main selling point is S pen which you don't need. It's condition would be horrible than L.G. Also Exynos is not efficient and I heard bad opinion about that processor in long term usage. Not at all premium. It exist for the S pen

Samsung Galaxy A72 is a premium mid range one[Not great value for money]. I think A52 will be better value as someone mentioned. A52 is good if you don't want flagship perfomance.

As you said S20 FE is the best for you. Samsung phone with a Snapdragon is a rare thing. Better battery and even better cooling than 4G counterpart. Even the s21 series come with Exynos chipsets. It's up to you if you are ready to lose Snapdragon processor for 10k price difference. The wireless charging is nice to have if you have a wireless charger in your car.

If you are fine without IP rating[since you are considering Note 10 Lite] Iqoo 7 is great. Great perfomance and great cooling[better than any of the above] at just 30k. Truly Value For Money.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

Looks like it is a bad time to be shopping for a budget phone (10-15K) with a screen smaller than 6 inches. I find absolutely no options in that space right now.

Tell me about it mate. Have been waiting since October 2020 for some decent android offering that’s compact and within 25k. But everything these days is gigantic 6+ inches

Have high hopes on pixel 5a. Hope google gets it in stock format and not a watered down version compared to US/European version.

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I started checking for some options within the Rs 50K mark. My initial criteria was excellent camera, IP68 rating and 3.5 mm headphone jack. I would want to keep the phone for at least 3-4 years, so I dont mind paying a bit more for better hardware now.

Im not keen on the One Plus series and prefer going with Samsung.

If you can hang on to your G6 till the 19th of August, then please wait for the Samsung S21 FE. Forget about the S10 series, it's very old and would be even hard to find now. Moreover, for 4 years of use you should only buy the latest hardware.

In case you cannot wait, the S20 FE (5G) is the best that's available now like others have suggested.

[neil.jericho]

Thanks for all your inputs folks. All your responses have helped clear my mind and have also put some more options on the table. I was leaning towards the Note 10 Lite when I posted but after reading all your responses, I have course corrected and set my eyes on the S20 FE, version is undecided. Currently I am researching on the other phones that you have suggested.

The good and / or bad thing is that all mobile stores here are shut and both Amazon and Flipkart cannot deliver to Cochin. So I have to be content with more research and waiting.

Originally Posted by JMaruru

Almost similar use case, I went in for A52(4G) which has AMOLED Display, OIS Camera, Stereo Speakers, 3.5mm Jack, IP67 rating. I feel A52 to be VFM compared to A72 at around 27K. I too feel, 5G is far away from being ubiquitous and will be good with this device for next 3 years.

Somehow the A52 completely slipped my mind. I agree that it is far better VFM (for my usage) than the A72. Have added this into my list.

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

I have been using a Note 10 Lite (8gb ram variant) for the past 1.5 years and it has been a great experience, however if you have no interest in the S-Pen, I would suggest the S10 Lite or the S20 FE as the more future proof option to be buying now.

Thanks fiat_tarun. Somehow the S10 Lite seems to fall in no mans land with respect to price vs features. The S20FE 4G is cheaper and the 5G is more expensive than the S10 Lite. Maybe a price correction of the S10 Lite will make it seem more attractive to buyers like me.

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

Even if I ignore 5G, S20FE seems an excellent phone with SD865. I am using S10 lite (with SD855) and it is faster than Exynos based Note 10+ which my wife is using and cost me half of that. New FE is lot improved over old FE, better battery, less heat etc and will get updates for longer duration. Since you plan to keep phone for long, S20FE 5G is an excellent choice. Skip Note 10 lite which is already more than year old now and updates will be discontinued for it.

Thanks ast.ggn. The expected updated S20 FE 4G with the Snapdragon chip seems to be the best of both worlds. Let me see the price difference between the new 4G and the 5G before deciding.

Originally Posted by The21st

I don't think Note 10 lite is a great idea. The main selling point is S pen which you don't need. It's condition would be horrible than L.G. Also Exynos is not efficient and I heard bad opinion about that processor in long term usage. Not at all premium. It exist for the S pen

Makes sense.

Originally Posted by The21st

If you are fine without IP rating[since you are considering Note 10 Lite] Iqoo 7 is great. Great perfomance and great cooling[better than any of the above] at just 30k. Truly Value For Money.

I saw some mentions of the brand but I didnt know anything about them. Let me do some digging on this.

Originally Posted by Oxy

If you can hang on to your G6 till the 19th of August, then please wait for the Samsung S21 FE. Forget about the S10 series, it's very old and would be even hard to find now. Moreover, for 4 years of use you should only buy the latest hardware.

In case you cannot wait, the S20 FE (5G) is the best that's available now like others have suggested.

Oxy, I am the master of waiting! To a fault even. I didnt know about the S21 FE, I was wondering why Samsung doesnt have that in its lineup. Let me see if there are any scoops on what to expect with it.

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

The upcoming Asus Zenfone 8 meets all your criteria. The camera is good, IP 68, headphone jack, snapdragon 888 and 2 years OS updates along with a compact from factor. If you're ok with the brand and the dull looks, it is a worthy contender IMO.

Thanks, Asus never crossed my mind. I will try to learn more about this as well.

[SgtRepeat]

Originally Posted by 14000rpm

what's the verdict on Samsung S21?
planning to replace the current One Plus 6 which has suffered many falls and has cracked glass and backcase. Cost of fix is not worth it.

I've purchased the S21 Ultra a month ago. I went in for the 512 GB variant because I plan to hold on to expensive phones for four years or more and the lack of an SD card slot should not hamper my storage space.

The phone itself has a gorgeous display which is extremely smooth due to the 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate and a WQHD resolution. The UI by Samsung called OneUI is also excellent.

The battery life is adequate and will last a day for most users. It also charges from flat to full in an hour & 10 minutes. You'll have to buy the 25W Samsung charger separately though.

The cameras are really good (there is a 3x zoom, 10x zoom, an ultra wide angle, & a primary 108 MP camera) and has everything you would want from a 2021 flagship.

Performance of the phone is also excellent as it has the latest 5 nm chipset.

I did not consider the S21 or the S21 Plus as they both have 1080p screens which can be found on phones much below their price point.

If you're considering the S21, I would urge you to check out the S20 FE 5G which offers most of the S21's features, but is priced significantly lower.

Also irrespective of whichever phone you get, buy a good protective case, preferably by a reputed brand like Spigen.

[SgtRepeat]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The S20FE 4G is cheaper and the 5G is more expensive than the S10 Lite. Maybe a price correction of the S10 Lite will make it seem more attractive to buyers like me.

If you're ever debating between the S20 FE 4G and 5G variants, definitely lean in towards the 5G variant.

Not only is it 5G ready, it even has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor that will give you better performance and battery life compared to the 4G variant.

The S10 Lite was definitely one of the best phones of 2020, but at its current price, the S20 FE 5G is a much more sensible option.

[14000rpm]

Originally Posted by SgtRepeat

I've purchased the S21 Ultra a month ago..

Thanks. This is really useful. I did look at the S21 Ultra but thought it was an overkill. Let me look at the Specs on S20 FE. Price-wise S21 5G and S20 FE 5G are the here in Finland.