New phone under 12K, need a replacement due to water damage.

[k_v]

Hello guys, hope you all are doing well in these trying times. To make matters worse for me, I dropped my 1.5 year old Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 in a bucket of water 2 days back. I immediately did all the SOS measures and it is back up again! But I don't know how much water damage must have occurred and to save a possible major expense later on, i'd like to get a new phone (in exchange of this one).


1. Budget?
Max 12K

2. Display type and size?
Not fussy about this. Whatever is the best this much money can buy.

3. Dual sim?
YES

4. Preferred choice of brand?
Any brand with a good Service Support

5. What camera option you want (flash, front facing camera)?
Need a decent cam

6. Preferred operating system? (Android, iOS,Stock Android etc).
Stock Android preferred. As my family uses Redmi phones and i hate the UI. But not a dealbreaker.

7. Preferred connectivity options (Dual 4G,802.11AC/5Ghz(not 5g mobile network) wifi).
4G

8. Primary use of handset (multimedia, camera, internet, gaming etc)?
A lot of multi-tasking. NO GAMING. Will only use it for Emails, Documents, Camera, Browsing, Videos, Music

9. Any specific mobile phones in consideration?
Nope

10. Any other info that you want to share
Not really. Need to buy immediately. So no option of waiting more than a week tops.

 

[whitestar_999]

Mi Redmi Note 7 Pro ( 128 GB Storage, 6 GB RAM ) Online at Best Price On Flipkart.com preferred,you could have got this for 1200 less by using a sbi credit card yesterday.
*www.amazon.in/Redmi-Note-Moonlight-White-Storage/dp/B07X1KSP7N/ can get 10% off by using citibank credit card if you can arrange it

Method to disable ads in miui:
[MIUI Device Team] Disabling advertising in security MIUI no ROOT - Redmi Note 6 Pro - Mi Community - Xiaomi

Also try below link,ignore the "msa revocation" step & follow the rest(use msa revocation step only as a last resort).
How to Disable Ads in MIUI - Tips and Tricks - Mi Community - Xiaomi

 

[omega44-xt]

My recommendation, Redmi Note 9 Pro at 13k.

If you go with Redmi, just follow the steps mentioned in links posted by whitestar to get minimal ads (my mother has RN8P & I did those steps to reduce a lot of ads/recommendations). For strictly 12k, Redmi Note 7 Pro 6GB/128GB & Realme 5 Pro 4GB/64GB are great options. RN7P has higher RAM & storage but lacks an ultrawide camera & has slower storage - eMMC vs UFS 2.0/2.1 in competition).

Realme 6 & Redmi Note 9 Pro at 13k are better options. Both have the similar SoC, but Realme 6 has a 90Hz display, good for gaming & just looks a bit better in scrolling & fast animations, will drain the battery faster as well though. Whereas RN9P has a ~5000 mAh battery, so should provide one of the best battery life in this price category.

Samsung M21 at 13k is another option if you want a great display, i.e. AMOLED. It also has a 6000mAh battery, so good battery life. The SoC is pretty weak though, similar to 10k RN8.

All those 13k phones have Android 10 out of the box & should be upgraded to android 12 in 2 years, whereas RN7P & Realme 5P will go till 11. Except RN7P, others have a dedicated SD card slot, so storage isn't an issue, but others have 4GB RAM, sufficient IMO. Nova launcher is a good launcher if you hate the UI of these Chinese phones.

Compare Samsung Galaxy M21 vs. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro vs. Realme 6 - GSMArena.com

 

[whitestar_999]

geekyranjit review mentioned that samsung M30s takes around 3 hours for full charge irrespective of the charger used(he used a higher capacity samsung charger for comparison) as it seems to draw a fixed amount of current(measured using a watt meter) & I think without getting that clarification M21 also has a chance of having this issue. Another thing I noticed in geekyranjit review of 8gb ram realme X was that many users of 4gb realme X variant complained about closing/refreshing of apps in background which led me to believe that one should go for at least 6gb ram version especially when buying redmi/realme unless one is getting some really good alternative for sacrificing it.

 

[omega44-xt]

geekyranjit review mentioned that samsung M30s takes around 3 hours for full charge irrespective of the charger used(he used a higher capacity samsung charger for comparison) as it seems to draw a fixed amount of current(measured using a watt meter) & I think without getting that clarification M21 also has a chance of having this issue. Another thing I noticed in geekyranjit review of 8gb ram realme X was that many users of 4gb realme X variant complained about closing/refreshing of apps in background which led me to believe that one should go for at least 6gb ram version especially when buying redmi/realme unless one is getting some really good alternative for sacrificing it.

With 6000mAh, slow charging might be an issue. If geekyranjit said it for M30S, M21 likely has the same issue.

New Realme UI has overall better reviews than Color OS, so it should be fine. Not sure what OP means by a lot of multi-tasking, but 4GB is fine for keeping at least 2 apps open in RAM, even if one of them is a game. My S8 closes games within a min of non-usage. 6GB is surely better, but 4GB is sufficient for most considering OP can get better hardware in 4GB RAM phones I listed.

Considering the heavy nature of UI, be in MIUI, Realme or One UI, slower storage will impact performance, as is the case with RN7P.

 

[whitestar_999]

Considering the heavy nature of UI, be in MIUI, Realme or One UI, slower storage will impact performance, as is the case with RN7P.

To be frank I think the only scenario where a typical user will see slower performance because of emmc storage will be during install/update of apps like paytm(where it can be as much as a minute or more).

 

[k_v]

Should I go for the Realme 6 then?

Lot of multi-tasking = anywhere between 2-4 apps (that's a lot for me )

My current Asus is a 6gb phone and has been working marvellously ever since I bought it back in 2018. So I would love to get a 6gb phone again. Options?

I definitely would prefer apps NOT closing/refreshing in the background.

 

[whitestar_999]

I think Redmi Note 7 pro 6gb/128gb for 11999 is the best option for you. Realme 6 though a good phone comes with mediatek processor which I don't prefer even if good not to mention it blocks all possibilities of having any custom rom in future or even installing gcam app(which btw is heavily recommended by most expert mobile phone camera users).

 

[k_v]

I think Redmi Note 7 pro 6gb/128gb for 11999 is the best option for you. Realme 6 though a good phone comes with mediatek processor which I don't prefer even if good not to mention it blocks all possibilities of having any custom rom in future or even installing gcam app(which btw is heavily recommended by most expert mobile phone camera users).

not really planning to root the device. And I guess the stock camera should be fine for me.

Also isn't the RN7P a 1 year old device now?

 

[whitestar_999]

not really planning to root the device. And I guess the stock camera should be fine for me.

Also isn't the RN7P a 1 year old device now?

Root is not required for installing gcam though & difference between it & stock camera app may be significant in some cases so it is always good to at least have the option. Same is true for custom rom,though note 7 pro is 1 year old device it will get android 11 & judging by its support over xda forums it should get android 12 & 13 custom roms easily. Also note 7 pro has snapdragon 675 which is more than enough for your usage for next 2-3 years.

@SaiyanGoku

 

[Samarth 619]

not really planning to root the device. And I guess the stock camera should be fine for me.

Also isn't the RN7P a 1 year old device now?

You'll also get good resale with a Snapdragon enabled device for the above reasons. And its always good to have options.


Yes, Redmi Note 7 Pro is one year old, which is precisely why you're getting such an awesome deal on it. The 128/6 GB version is going for Rs. 12k.
To get the same performance in Vivo/ Oppo/ Samsung, you're mostly looking at a figure above 20,000. The best I can recall is Samsung A60, which is 17k.

So, go for it... Old doesn't mean you're getting a bad deal.. I gave one to a family member and she's happy with it.

Good suggestions by forum members here.

 

[omega44-xt]

Should I go for the Realme 6 then?

Lot of multi-tasking = anywhere between 2-4 apps (that's a lot for me )

My current Asus is a 6gb phone and has been working marvellously ever since I bought it back in 2018. So I would love to get a 6gb phone again. Options?

I definitely would prefer apps NOT closing/refreshing in the background.

If you are used to 6GB RAM, better get RN7P at 12k or increase the budget for RN8P at 14k. Both come with android 9, so similar software support, unlike Realme 6 or RN9P. RN9 Pro Max has 6GB variant at 15k, I won't recommend 6GB variant of RN9 Pro because of that (both has dedicated SD card slot).

 

[omega44-xt]

Update: FK sale - Great Deals On Smartphones Ko9i8t Store Online - Buy Great Deals On Smartphones Ko9i8t Online at Best Price in India | Flipkart.com

Realme 5 Pro 6GB/64GB costs 13k but has 1k discount if you do prepaid transaction, so 12k. It has an ultrawide cam as well as faster UFS 2.0 storage as advantages over RN7P:
Realme 5 Pro ( 64 GB Storage, 6 GB RAM ) Online at Best Price On Flipkart.com

PS: I used to not recommend Realme till few months back as their OS wasn't as good. With Realme UI, its close to MIUI in terms of optimization. MIUI still might have an edge here & but more ads in MIUI.

You can try exchanging your old phone as well, if it is possible at your location.

 

[whitestar_999]

^^Yes realme 5 pro is running an extra 1k prepaid discount offer,just now remembered it. However forget about exchanging old phones in flipkart as unlike amazon their personnel will reject the exchange even on the basis of a tiny scratch on a 1 year/few months old phone as per the various online reviews. Actually I have yet to see anybody claiming a successful exchange for old phone under flipkart,on the other hand people claimed to have exchanged even barely functional phones successfully on amazon.

 

[whitestar_999]

It seems like Note 9 pro max sale postponed citing lock down reasons.

 

[omega44-xt]

^^Yes realme 5 pro is running an extra 1k prepaid discount offer,just now remembered it. However forget about exchanging old phones in flipkart as unlike amazon their personnel will reject the exchange even on the basis of a tiny scratch on a 1 year/few months old phone as per the various online reviews. Actually I have yet to see anybody claiming a successful exchange for old phone under flipkart,on the other hand people claimed to have exchanged even barely functional phones successfully on amazon.

I have exchanged my aunt's old Honor 4C for a Redmi 6/7 about 1.5 years ago from FK in Bangalore. That phone surely had a lot of scratches as she was using it without a case, but with a screen protector.

 

[k_v]

Guys why not the RN9P?

Also if they're launching it today, will deliveries even happen with all these lockdowns and curfews? I'm so confused

 

[whitestar_999]

I have exchanged my aunt's old Honor 4C for a Redmi 6/7 about 1.5 years ago from FK in Bangalore. That phone surely had a lot of scratches as she was using it without a case, but with a screen protector.

Strange,I have not seen a single successful exchange comment/review on flipkart comments pages in last one year.

 

[whitestar_999]

Guys why not the RN9P?

Also if they're launching it today, will deliveries even happen with all these lockdowns and curfews? I'm so confused

Redmi note 9 pro is more of an upgrade to note 8, it is note 9 pro max which is a upgrade to note 8 pro. In other words,note 7 pro 6gb/128gb version for 12k is still a pretty good option. As for deliveries,though govt said ecomm delivery will be incl in essential services but ground reality is different in different states so wait for 3-4 days for situation to become clear incl the fact that whether these deliveries of non-essential items(like phones) will also be incl in exemptions.

 

[k_v]

Redmi note 9 pro is more of an upgrade to note 8, it is note 9 pro max which is a upgrade to note 8 pro. In other words,note 7 pro 6gb/128gb version for 12k is still a pretty good option. As for deliveries,though govt said ecomm delivery will be incl in essential services but ground reality is different in different states so wait for 3-4 days for situation to become clear incl the fact that whether these deliveries of non-essential items(like phones) will also be incl in exemptions.

Makes sense. I will wait for a while as I don't really wish to be the one making the delivery guys to endanger their lives for a stupid phone.

So to sum up, should I just go with one of RN7P or Realme 5 Pro?

EDIT - After comparing these two phones, the Realme 5P doesn't really offer too much more for the 2K premium. I'll just go with the RN7P.

Do let me know if I'm missing something. Thanks