Recommend an Android for my needs

FlorayG

The various links don't seem to cover my main requirement, which is I want a SMALL smartphone that I can get in my pocket. They get bigger and bigger every year and I don't want a mini-tablet. I use it for the general things, calls, social media, taking pics and videos. I rarely stream content as I use my laptop for that.
I don't want to spend a lot of money, it's just a useful item not a fashion statement, and I would like one with a reputation for long life/continuing updates
Previously I've had Sony, which I  liked, and Motorola which I also like but the 'phones start to glitch and fail long before the battery dies and my current one keeps freezing. I don't much like Samsung interface.
What can you suggest? Bonus if I can get it from Argos because I get staff discount, but not essential if there's a better one available elsewhere

Emmia

FlorayG said:

The various links don't seem to cover my main requirement, which is I want a SMALL smartphone that I can get in my pocket. They get bigger and bigger every year and I don't want a mini-tablet. I use it for the general things, calls, social media, taking pics and videos. I rarely stream content as I use my laptop for that.
I don't want to spend a lot of money, it's just a useful item not a fashion statement, and I would like one with a reputation for long life/continuing updates
Previously I've had Sony, which I  liked, and Motorola which I also like but the 'phones start to glitch and fail long before the battery dies and my current one keeps freezing. I don't much like Samsung interface.
What can you suggest? Bonus if I can get it from Argos because I get staff discount, but not essential if there's a better one available elsewhere

What dimensions are you seeking? I like my Google Pixel 8 which isn't huge, but I'm not sure whether that's too big.

Have you thought about a folding phone?

What is your budget?

Exodi

You say a small phone so I'd like to throw my wifes phone into the ring - the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series. She absolutely loves it, has owned several generations of it now and it is very compact (she'd call it cute).

The current model is the Z Flip 6 which came out about a month and a half ago and retails for just over a grand.

But I'm aware that you don't want to spend money and would wholeheartedly recommend you look at the previous generations, that get cheaper as each new release comes out.

The Z Flip 5 is nearly identical to the 6 and can be picked up new for about £650, or refurb for about £400.

The Z Flip 4 is similar, but features a smaller front screen, but can be picked up new for about £400, or refurb for £250.

You can pick these up even cheaper if you have a shop around sites like eBay (but of course be vigilant).

She current owns a Flip 5 (she changed when the Flip 6 came out and the prices of the older generations went down, she owned a Flip 4 before that - her reasons for changing was because she bought into the marketing over the big front screen that she was convinced would change everything - in reality, she doesn't use the front screen so could have stuck with the 4 haha).

FlorayG

Emmia said:

FlorayG said:

The various links don't seem to cover my main requirement, which is I want a SMALL smartphone that I can get in my pocket. They get bigger and bigger every year and I don't want a mini-tablet. I use it for the general things, calls, social media, taking pics and videos. I rarely stream content as I use my laptop for that.
I don't want to spend a lot of money, it's just a useful item not a fashion statement, and I would like one with a reputation for long life/continuing updates
Previously I've had Sony, which I  liked, and Motorola which I also like but the 'phones start to glitch and fail long before the battery dies and my current one keeps freezing. I don't much like Samsung interface.
What can you suggest? Bonus if I can get it from Argos because I get staff discount, but not essential if there's a better one available elsewhere

What dimensions are you seeking? I like my Google Pixel 8 which isn't huge, but I'm not sure whether that's too big.

Have you thought about a folding phone?

What is your budget?

As small as I can get
don't want folding, they aren't really perfect yet
As little as possible and as much as I have to

Emmia

FlorayG said:

Emmia said:

FlorayG said:

The various links don't seem to cover my main requirement, which is I want a SMALL smartphone that I can get in my pocket. They get bigger and bigger every year and I don't want a mini-tablet. I use it for the general things, calls, social media, taking pics and videos. I rarely stream content as I use my laptop for that.
I don't want to spend a lot of money, it's just a useful item not a fashion statement, and I would like one with a reputation for long life/continuing updates
Previously I've had Sony, which I  liked, and Motorola which I also like but the 'phones start to glitch and fail long before the battery dies and my current one keeps freezing. I don't much like Samsung interface.
What can you suggest? Bonus if I can get it from Argos because I get staff discount, but not essential if there's a better one available elsewhere

What dimensions are you seeking? I like my Google Pixel 8 which isn't huge, but I'm not sure whether that's too big.

Have you thought about a folding phone?

What is your budget?

As small as I can get
don't want folding, they aren't really perfect yet
As little as possible and as much as I have to

I'm sorry but you're going to need to be more specific on size, and budget.

Edit: How long do you expect the phone to last? I had my last one, a Samsung galaxy for 6 years -, it was £800ish new (SIM free) but on a cost per month basis quite cheap.

I'm expecting my Pixel to last a similar length of time.

FlorayG

My current Motorola is 160mm x 72mm I don't want larger than that
If it's £200 I expect two years. If its £400 I expect 4 years. I don't want to pay more than that

Exodi

FlorayG said:

Emmia said:

FlorayG said:

The various links don't seem to cover my main requirement, which is I want a SMALL smartphone that I can get in my pocket. They get bigger and bigger every year and I don't want a mini-tablet. I use it for the general things, calls, social media, taking pics and videos. I rarely stream content as I use my laptop for that.
I don't want to spend a lot of money, it's just a useful item not a fashion statement, and I would like one with a reputation for long life/continuing updates
Previously I've had Sony, which I  liked, and Motorola which I also like but the 'phones start to glitch and fail long before the battery dies and my current one keeps freezing. I don't much like Samsung interface.
What can you suggest? Bonus if I can get it from Argos because I get staff discount, but not essential if there's a better one available elsewhere

What dimensions are you seeking? I like my Google Pixel 8 which isn't huge, but I'm not sure whether that's too big.

Have you thought about a folding phone?

What is your budget?

As small as I can get
don't want folding, they aren't really perfect yet
As little as possible and as much as I have to

???

Have you actually used one or is this irrational anxiety driven by social media?

Considering every generation of phone has a slightly better battery, chipset, camera, etc with every iteration, I'd suggest that no phone will ever be 'perfect'.

But FWIW my wife certainly has never had any issues with any Flip she owned (except replacing the screen protector). But of course on the internet, Apple enthusiasts (and there is a lot of them...) are all too happy to perpetuate that Samsung/Android is inferior, or that Flip phones are bad (perhaps it has something to do with Apple not having a flip phone...).

We're 5 generations in to the Flip series, and the concept of a flip phone is decades old.

FlorayG

I don't want a 'phone with a 6.7 inch screen ( funny how the dimensions of the case are in mm and the screen in inches). I just want a small 'phone. I don't see the point in paying for a large screen that I can fold up when I don't want a large screen in the first place

Exodi

FlorayG said:

I don't want a 'phone with a 6.7 inch screen ( funny how the dimensions of the case are in mm and the screen in inches). I just want a small 'phone. I don't see the point in paying for a large screen that I can fold up when I don't want a large screen in the first place

Well this is a different reason from what you said earlier:

FlorayG said:
don't want folding, they aren't really perfect yet

And this is a different set of criteria from your OP which said:

FlorayG said:

my main requirement, which is I want a SMALL smartphone that I can get in my pocket.
<snip>
I don't want to spend a lot of money
<snip>
I would like one with a reputation for long life/continuing updates

It would be easier recommending phones if you were clear on what you want, or what the criteria is. Currently it just feels like the goalposts are getting moved for reasons which aren't completely clear.

I did notice you mention earlier "I don't much like Samsung interface" which further evidences a bias against Samsung, which is fine to have, though I would add that Samsung runs an Android OS, just like your previous Sony which you liked and Motorola.

Emmia said:

What dimensions are you seeking? I like my Google Pixel 8 which isn't huge, but I'm not sure whether that's too big.

Have you thought about a folding phone?

What is your budget?

If the criteria is screen size then I second this suggestion if Samsung is off the cards (thought it also runs on Android).

I think the Google Pixel range all have relatively small screens (excluding the Pro variants).

Neil_Jones

I'm pretty sure the "Samsung Interface" (by which I presume the OP means the launcher) can be replaced with other solutions from the Play Store and elsewhere.

Plus of course IIRC you can replace the Samsung call/text/whatever apps with the Google equivalents from the Play Store; just because your phone comes with something doesn't mean you have to stick with it...  Never mind what Samsung would have you think otherwise.

Neil49

The Google Pixel 7a has come down in price and will get quite a few years worth of updates.

It has a 6.1 inch screen and an excellent camera. 

Dimensions are 152 x 73

Availability from Argos for £329