I’ve made a spreadsheet with a bunch of phone options. Mostly Samsung, Pixel, but there’s a couple Motorola and One Plus. I’m most comfortable with Samsung Galaxy but I’m open to changing. I looked up the main considerations and it seems like Megapixels is pretty much the biggest factor but I want something that can zoom in and still get a decent focus.
I can’t bring myself to spend $800 on a phone, I think the most I’ve ever spent is $350 and it felt painful but I’m also tired of being disappointed in my camera quality so I’m willing to go a little higher. My point being that I’m not asking for the best camera on the market because I’m sure I can’t afford it. Even used S53s are being sold for like $700 lol. So I’m guessing something a couple years older. Please advise 🙏
Check out Sony phones. Xperia 10 is their low-end model but it’s really nice in every way, including camera. They are fairly debloated (and most of the bloat can be uninstalled), very clean interface, nice features (5G), and the battery lasts forever.
The latest iteration (Xperia 10 V) just came out but the differences from IV (2022) and III (2021) are very small and they all got Android 13, so you can probably find the older models (much) cheaper (I was recently able to find a 10 III for 200€).
If you want even better features the Xperia 5 is their mid-range and Xperia 1 is their flagship. Their iterations are labeled the same way (III, IV, V etc.)
An used Pixel 6 is probably the best bang for your buck. I got lucky and found one for $185 in good condition on backmarket.com. I’ve also bought used phones from swappa.com and have had a great experience.
The Pixel ‘a’ line of phones has always been my go to - able to be unlocked/rooted easily, decent cameras, reasonably priced (7a starts $500 at the moment, and 6a is $350 new), although I have heard that the 6a and 7a using Google’s processors can really kill your battery life.
I’m writing this from a 5a that I have been quite happy with myself, but it’s getting a bit older now, so you might now want to go that many generations back.
I’m looking out for the new 8a, might be my next phone, not sure yet.
I suggest a $20 flip phone and a $300 digital camera
Pixel 6a won the MKBHD camera contest. It’s very good, and is $329 new but often goes on sale, or is cheap used too.
Also has lots of custom ROM support, if that’s something you’re interested in.
