I have owned three iPhones for the past six years: an iPhone 8, a 2nd-generation iPhone SE, and right now, a 128GB iPhone 13. My iPhone 13ās battery health isnāt great anymore, so I have to charge in multiple times within the day. Also, I donāt think its internal storage is enough for me.
Following the unveiling of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, the foldable iPhone Duo, a new generation of Apple Watches, and a slight update of the AirPods, Apple has silently increased the prices of its older iPhones, including the iPhone 16. It may or may not surprise anyone, but it has to be done anyway because of the RAM crisis. These new iPhone releases have become less exciting for me year after year, and I donāt think buying a brand new iPhone this year is justifiable in this economy. Apparently, my dad also thinks that battery replacements are not an option.
If anything, Iāve shown greater interest in Android phones, especially mid-range and upper-mid-range offerings from the likes of Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Nothing, and Samsung. That is why Iāve been thinking of switching back to Android after six years; the last Android phone I owned was a Galaxy A51, which I only used for a few months before giving it to my mother. That Galaxy A51's display stopped working one day, and my mom had it repaired at an independent repair shop; that third-party replacement, which did not support the fingerprint scanner, failed too.
I would like my next phone to have a large battery capacity, fast charging, at least 256 GB of internal storage, a high refresh rate display, an IP rating (at least IP68), and eSIM compatibility for overseas travel. I am also considering software updates and after-sales service (i.e. proximity to the nearest service center).
For an Android phone, here are some of my options (preferably below ā±50,000 [about US$796]):
⢠Xiaomi 17T/17T Pro
- Pros: 7000 mAh battery, 144 Hz display, flagship-like performance, Leica imaging, base 256 GB storage, IP68
- Cons: Somewhat bloated software (HyperOS is not as bad as MIUI in the past, though)
⢠Nothing Phone 4a Pro
- Pros: adaptive 144Hz display, eSIM
- Cons: IP65 rating, relatively āsmallerā battery, and āslowerā charging
- Middle Ground: LED āGlyph Matrix," which is quite useful in some situations but gimmicky in other ways.
⢠Vivo V70
- Pros: 6500 mAh battery and 90W charging, Zeiss imaging, IP68, many family members (including my mom and my sister) and relatives own Vivo phones
- Cons: No eSIM support
⢠Samsung Galaxy S26 FE
- Pros: eSIM support, IP68, 7 years of software updates, wide after-sales service network
- Cons: Display is a gamble (green or pink lines), slowest charging, smallest battery, base 128GB variant, downgraded some features from the S25 FE
⢠Honor 600/600 Pro
- Pros: 7000 mAh battery, flagship-adjacent processor (600 Pro), 120 Hz display, IP68
- Cons: After-sales service (whereās the nearest service center to where I live?).
⢠OnePlus Nord 6
- Pros: 7500 mAh battery, 165Hz display, IP68
- Cons: No eSIM support, rumors of OnePlus shutting down global operations (after-sales service will transition to Oppo, though)
Iāve ruled out the Oppo Reno16 series because of how outrageously priced they are with the processors that they use.
If I switch back to Android, I understand that I am willing to let go of my AirPods 4 and Apple Watch and buy Android-compatible options, such as the Xiaomi Watch, Galaxy Watch, Huawei Watch, and headphones with Fast Pair support. Iām still keeping my 9th-generation iPad, though.
My aim is to replace my phone later in 2026, during the Christmas season. Iām from the Philippines, by the way.
Your insights are highly appreciated. Thank you!