Yo yo guys, I about to head off to SE Asia for 6 months and I'm in need of a decent smartphone to last me.
I'm in the market for something that has decent battery life and takes fairly nice photos.
I've narrowed my list down to a bunch of phones, wanted to see if anyone had some tips or personal preference of phone while backpacking
- Xiaomi mi 4i
- HTC One M7
- iPhone 5S
- Huawei P8 Lite
- OnePlus 1
- OnePlus X
- OnePlus 2
I don't know how you managed to list every single bad phone that's out there for the requirements you have, but you did it, op!
>Galaxy S6
Oh because I have a budget of under $350
I'd also check out the OnePlus before you say its a bad phone :P
Since this is already a phone threead, let me drop inwith a question that may be obvious to those of you with smart phones.
I've never had a smart phone. My phone is pic related, which I got many years ago because it works when traveling -- no need to do anything, no need to get sim cards locally or anything, just get off the plane and it works.
But, my phone is getting old As I look at today's smart phones, do they all tend to work that way now for travelers?
Buy some old phone, Nokia E52 for example. About one week on one charging. Additionally buy some compact camera which will take better photos than any smartphone.
>>1079674
My man, have you considered the note 4?not sure how cheap it is, but it takes amazing pics and the battery is removable. I usually bring about 3 fully charged batteries with me on my trips and my phone will last a week easily. And I'll be recording stuff in HD and taking 100s of pics a day.
>>1079707
Any phone is like that, friendo. Roaming exists for a reason. Also by using roaming you incur a debt so large not even your grand children could repay it.
What's the deal with this one, why is it advertised for "globe-trotting", is there anything special to it I couldn't find in my brief research? It has to be something with the plan I reckon.
>>1079712
Certainly plausible, but finding a compact camera that will do 1080p60fps for that budget is extremely hard, not to mention all the utility a smartphone allows. What are the chances you are going to be 2+ days w/o an outlet near by? Then again it's SEA.
I heard Pentagram Monster X5 PRO last longer than most smartphones, but it has larger battery so it's heavier. I don't know how about quality of photos, it isn't new so don't expect something remarkable.
>>1079674
Get your hands on a unlocked S5, they should be available for $300 or less barely used from all the latest gen phone chasers, add a non shit tier energy bank and a few micro SD cards and you're set.
>If you cut all the push notifications and background data usage the battery will last up to 2 days, up to 9 days in the extrem energy saving modus (black and white screen, no data so it's just a phone with call and SMS functions)
>You can remove the battery or carry a few backup batteries
>Good camera even for videos, good enough for better travel snapshot needs
>Mirco SD card slot for almost endless pics & vids storage
>It can take some bad weather out of the box, even heavy duty cases should be available for a few dollars
>>1079674
Instead of talking about a particular model, talk about requirements.
These are mine:
Dual sim - one for the local country for data/taxis/hostel bookings etc, one for global roaming (non-data) so I can get SMSs/whatsapp etc from friends
Android
- cheaper in case you lose it
- takes microSD cards for photos, one 32GB card is probably enough but you can bring a spare
- can carry spare batteries
As many bands as possible
- your phone should be usable in every country you go to, if possible, at least everywhere except Japan/USA is easy
Large in-built storage
- running out of space sucks, androids last longer because you can move apps to the microSD card
I always buy a local prepay sim when I arrive in a new country, that keeps me in Google maps wherever I am.
>>1079674
LG G4 is pretty damn solid. You can buy spare batteries or external chargers. Camera is top fucking shelf.
I have the Samsung s5 active because I travel so much. It's shock proof, waterproof and dust proof (this last one q lot of phones don't have). I'm really happy with it and it takes great photos without filters
I get a day on a charge, my offline gps app works no problems (sygic)
>>1079674
I refuse to buy a phablet.
I'm not an Asian girl, and I don't like mobile gaming. Also I already own an excellent laptop and prof digital camera.
>Best Smartphone for Backpacking
>smartphone
>traveling
>>1079718
>Certainly plausible, but finding a compact camera that will do 1080p60fps for that budget is extremely hard, not to mention all the utility a smartphone allows. What are the chances you are going to be 2+ days w/o an outlet near by? Then again it's SEA.
Panasonic FZ200
Or any decent compact camera and a second hand Sony AS15 or 30 you can get for ~100 euros. even the 15 will get you 60fps at 1080p and 120fps at 720p.
I currently have a Galaxy S6 and previously owned an S3. I can tell you OP that these phones are amazing. If I were you I would look at an S5 or even S4. Just make sure they can be used in the region you're going to, I know my S3 wasn't usable the world over but my S6 is quad-band and can be used practically everywhere in the world.
These phones are great for travel as the cameras on them are pretty spectacular for phone cameras. I used to take a small point and shoot camera with me before I got my S3 and now I'll never be buying another one of those again. S6 is probably still the best phone out there, I mean it just came out last year but I doubt it will be beaten by anything until the S7 comes out later this year. But S5 is still really good from what I've seen and I bet S4 isn't bad either...
>>1079933
Is that what helpless people look like when they wait for the next tourist agency tout to ask for the way, because they cant navigate?
A smartphone might make it feel less adventurous, but without it youre gonna be weaker and clueless.
>>1079933
>no maps
>no music
>no way to look up information about the places you're visitin
>no way to store contact info for people you meet
>no guarantee your photos will be safe by putting them on some kind of cloud
It's like you hate other cultures. since most of Africa has smart phones I think you can get off your edgy real traveller edge.
If you're looking for a phone with great battery life, go for the Galaxy A5 (2016 version).
Otherwise, good choices would be Honor 7, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (good battery, but I heard the photos were so-so), OP2. LG G4 if you're ready to put more money into it. I myself have a Zenfone 2, quite good all-around.
>paying at least 400 euro-shekels for a smart phone
I could live in a european country for a month with that money
>>1080044
what a load of bullshit
>>1080077
>zenfone
Meme'd hard
>>1080048
>no maps
Using a smartphone to use maps is a bad idea, since you can use map printed in paper. Bigger, off-line and you can make your own annotations using a pen.
>no music
Everytime you listen to music in public, with your earbuds, you are losing a way to talk to people or listen to them.
>no way to look up information about the places you're visitin
You can do it before traveling.
>no way to store contact info for people you meet
Mate, you can just write them e-mails. And if you are one of those guys with 600 "friends" on Facebook, it is pointless. You need to add people you will really talk, it is impossible to manage so many "friendships".
>no guarantee your photo (...)
If you want really good pictures, bring a camera. Or you can do better: Just Google "The place I went", "pictures", and done. Thousends of pictures.
>It's like you hate other cultures
I like others cultures. That is why I don't waste my time smearing a plastic rectangle with human fat when I'm traveling.
>>1080044
Just open your month and talk to people. A lot of people traveled before phones were a thing and they did it pretty well.
>>1079674
Best thing you can do for battery life is get an iPhone or an android OS phone that you wipe and replace the operating system. Battery life depends on not running a bunch of bull processes from your carrier and randomly poorly programmed apps. Wipe it, reinstall, and keep it minimal.
Rank phones by camera, there are articles about it. Consider if you need a good flash forwards and backwards for your pic needs. Consider if the picture quality is electronically obtained or actual pix and quality. Take that ranked list, and then sort by battery life. Having an external card you can change out will allow you to make some picture backups in case of loss/theft/damage, store extra music, or movies, when you are offline from a backup cloud (in the case of camping and longer periods between charges).
Finally, just buy a couple rechargers and load em up when you're in civilization. A good case, esp one with warranty might matter to you if you are accident prone of drops.
>>1079707
>But, my phone is getting old As I look at today's smart phones, do they all tend to work that way now for travelers?
Not all smartphones are SIMready, need to research it before purchase for the locales you frequent in your travels.
ATT if your local carrier, isn't too shitty in charges when you travel, and when they are, its the country setting those charges, not just your back home carrier. Might want quad band, dual band, GSM vs CDMA and such, Some phones are kind of easier to pop in SIMs, if you feel you need it.
Advantages of a smartphone over your oldie phone. Better/fresher batteries that were designed to last longer. Possible better reception/antenna, and phone call quality. Ability to throw an app you like on there, translator, maps, a few pdfs of site informationals, natl park guides to read, and maybe leave the laptop at home, esp with wifi abilities on nice phones while you're the hotel and city. Bigger screen, so ability to read your kindle books without annoyance, or a quick TV ep or weather forecast at bedtime.
>>1080346
>Using a smartphone to use maps is a bad idea
Not the guy you're conversing with, but I don't agree. Paper maps should be a redundancy or emergency measure IMO.
>Everytime you listen to music in public, with your earbuds, you are losing a way to talk to people or listen to them.
But this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Enjoying your favorite music in various places around the world was actually very enjoyable for me. Listening to Bone Thugs in Tokyo was great, especially given I could remove my headphones and literally be in a different world of sounds.
>You can do it before traveling.
That can be a downright dangerous attitude Anon and you should stop. No way to access additional information on the fly when in foreign countries? Yeah no thank you. That just sounds like pure snobbery on your part there.
>Mate, you can just write them e-mails. And if you are one of those guys with 600 "friends" on Facebook, it is pointless. You need to add people you will really talk, it is impossible to manage so many "friendships".
Except that Facebook has allowed me to stay in contact with people I've met across the entire globe easily ...??
>Or you can do better: Just Google "The place I went", "pictures", and done. Thousands of pictures.
Personal pictures are worth more than Google pictures. You're reaching on that one.
>That is why I don't waste my time smearing a plastic rectangle with human fat when I'm traveling.
Oh OK you're just an elitist, judgmental snob. I never enjoyed your kind on my travels. Like the stinky Canadian staying with my host family in Japan.
>Japanese family comes to me
Anon, can you please talk to the Canadian? He is very stinky and won't shower. Host mother doesn't like changing his dirty sheets.
>Sure host family I'll talk to him
The Canadian tells me that he's trying to "stick to the basics of traveling" and "trying to avoid modern day comforts."
>By inconveniencing everyone around him
Pic related. Get the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium Dual E6883 version. It's dual sim, waterproof, has great camera, memory card slot, has lots of radio bands to work in many different countries
>>1079674
Samsung Galaxy S3, S4 or S5. All solid phones, and quadband. Also will save you carrying a camera cause the cameras on them are good. I carried around a bulky SLR when travelling or a while and I just got to the point where I said fuck it? I'm not that into photography, and the photos to me look just as good on my phone, plus its easier to carry.
>>1080376
>buying samshit
>>1080414
>unironically shitposting
>>1080436
Galaxy owner detected.
OP just get a nexus. They don't have manufacturer bloatware on them like samsungs garbage and Google fi is looking pretty cool. 120 countries mane.
>>1080495
I'll stick with my stylus, removable battery, and sd slot.
>>1079933
Nigga I bought my first smartphone in Bangkok in 2013. It was a $110 Nokia 520 with a questionable "New" status.
Put LINE on that bitch (Kik for Asians) and proceeded to fuck 5 bitches that barely speak English that entire year.
I was literally like "I gave dat bish a sticker. Asian bishes love stickers". Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Cum ballz deep. Fuck yeah.
God bless technology.
>>1079674
I'd recommend the Sony Z3 Compact (or Z5 Compact if you want to spend more)
-8+ days on a single battery charge (with minimal use)
-small
-waterproof
-takes nice photos
-nice design
-fast as fuck
Only real downside is that if you drop it, its fucked.
Pro Tip: Carry a second phone as cheap as possible with you and when someone robs you give Them the cheap phone and say that you only usw this while traveling :)
>>1079674
xperia z3 compact
small
waterproof
huge battery
very nice camera
>>1079674
Moto G 3rd Gen. Perfect balance of price vs features.
>>1080371
I hear the z5 has a 4k camera. Is it any good tell me more?
>>1079674
LG V10 has a nice camera
Regardless of the model, look into offline maps (you can use gps while in airplane mode to save battery).
>>1080369
RETARD ALERT!!!
>>1082717
convincing retort
>>1082457
It has a 4k screen too. I think it's a decent camera haven't chance to really use it yet. Check out the reviews there are lots. Overall I love this phone. Battery lasts about a day moderate to heavy usage
I'd say the rugged Kyocera Torque kc-s701 (sold as brigadier in the US). It has very good battery life, UI feels pretty snappy and has a quadcore snapdragon at 1.4ghz and 2gb ram. Only has one som card slot though. Camera is responsive and takes pretty nice pics, though it is not as good as an s5 or z-series. It is expensive but you get the best rugged phone currently on the market.
For a cheap backup phone im looking at a chinese blackview bv5000.
I'm using b15q,
> shit camera
> 2gb
But...
> waterproof, dustproof, pretty much hard to destroy
> 2 sim, I'm using my country's card for int calls, local for net and local calls
> brake the screen? repair for free, no questions asked
> under 300eur
>>1082937
dude i owned a brigadier, not a power user, and even a year ago that thing did not have a long lasting battery or snappy performance. the photos were mediocre, too
that said, it is inexpensive, and dropping it in pools as a party gag was fun
>>1079689
Galaxy S5 with UAG Case.
Water- and Dustproof. Survived a couple of drops and bumps just fine. Wear it all the time at work. Battery lasts 2 days and even way longer if you switch to Ultra saving. Performance is still great since 2 years.
>>1080518
This man knows.
>>1079674
Traveled in the middle east and eastern Europe with an HTC One M7 for 14 months between 2013 and 14. Had no problems at all with it. Dropped it a few times without it ever cracking. It's pretty dust resistant but with four months before I came home the headphone jack stopped working. The camera lets it down too. Only issue with the phone was that I had to register it with the police to use it in Turkey while I settled there and I had to change some settings to allow it to use a Polish data sim.
>>1080518
>Azn bishes loves stickers
You, I like you.
>>1079674
>HTC One M7
>iPhone 5S
>Huawei P8 Lite
these are trash. trust me.
rather consider a nexus! they are extremly reliable, fast and smooth because of their stock android.
Motorolas are also pretty solid.
>>1083718
Was that the old brigadier or the newer 2015 model? Older ones doesnt seem that great
>>1079674
So what did you end up getting?
>>1079842
I learned the hard way that the Active isn't as waterproof as you'd hope - dropped it in the toilet after flushing (it fell out of my pocket when I pulled my pants up) and it hit the bowl hard enough to pop the back just loose enough to let water in and fry it.
