Solved! First smartphone, any recommendations ?

[Modinstaller]

Hey

My budget is around ~300, can stretch a bit if it's worth it.

I'm looking for something solid that will last me a long time. 5 years at least. I'm thrifty, not the type to buy something new every 2 years, so I'm ready to pay for quality that will last long (if that's what you recommend).

As for the use I'll make out of it, I mostly need one as a pocket computer when I'm away from my PC at home (I don't have a laptop yet). GPS, messaging, browsing, as well as music/audiobooks, reading, mobile games as a way to pass time while traveling. Battery is a concern. Also carrying heavy files between places, so memory expandability is a big plus. I'm not too concerned about camera quality but it's a plus.

I live in France. I've looked at many smartphones. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro seems like a really good deal at ~185€, but I'm concerned about the UI which I hear is bad and the spying practices of chinese manufacturers. The Motorola G8+ also seems like a good deal at ~225. The Realme X2/Samsung A50 are also appealing at ~270/250, and the Samsung A71 seems great but is getting really expensive as the cheapest I can find here is ~370 (330 used).

Thanks all

 

[hang-the-9]

Motorola G models are good value and have good parts (especially camera for the price). Also depending on your carrier and current sales you can get a phone through them. Not sure how France does it, but a lot of carriers in US offer phone upgrades with a year + contract with service, and there are often great deals on last years high end phones. I got a Moto (Motorola) Z4 not long ago for about $12 a month for 2 years, year before it was a $5-600 phone.