Help Help me pick a suitable 'phone please

[Firecat]

Hi all

Short version, I want an Android mobile that is modern enough that it will run modern apps (I'm looking at you Pokemon Go...), preferably has 4G and (and this is important as it has been a source of frustration) actually allows you to save 'everything' to the SD card. UK person (if that matters in this global age!), happy to hear about outright purchases (my preference) up to, say £100(?) or monthly contracts including the mobile (up to, say, £30?).

Long version, I bought a Windows mobile as my entry into the smart 'phone world. What it does it does great, everything is fine, the 'phone memory is half full (OS and a few apps that have to be on the 'phone), then an SD card chock full of apps and music.

Wifey decides she wants to get in on the smartphone craze with me (100 years after it started ) and I suggest my mobile is great and all, but I wish I'd gone Android as more apps, sleeker, just generally seems to be a better world for people happy to tinker (I do like to tinker... wish I was good at it...). She gets a Pixi3 and I get jealous at how cool it all is... until she installs a few apps and finds it's full. So we get her an SD card... which the 'phone refuses to use (it claims it is, and every app does fill the card a little, but it fills the 'phone memory much more, as if it is putting most on the 'phone and a bit on the card). So she gets frustrated, especially when she deletes apps and finds she STILL can't add new apps (or the apps that would allow her to clear space). We look up guides, we try and sort it via my laptop, we fail. We lose faith in Android.

A year passes and her 'phone throws a fit, just constant error messages. We have by now decided the Pixi3 must just suck, so she gets another Android that specifically says 'SD card allows you to expand your 'phone, get more apps! More music! Much happy!'. Of course(?) the exact same thing is happening, she downloads apps with 'save to SD' as default - it ignores this and saves 90% of the app to the 'phone itself.

SO! Have we made 2 bad choices, or is this how Androids are? I notice there are stickies about overcoming 'your 'phone is full' messages, which worries me... but given Android seems to be the app of choice for the tech savvy (the real tech savvy, not the latte and iPhone crowd) I find it hard to believe that it has such a serious flaw (perhaps the above could be read as 'the tech savvy like it as they know how to fix this issue'?).

I want to get an Android, but I can't handle messages saying I can't have any more apps while I have 64gb of SD card unused... I'm happy to just limit my app useage (music will be the main filling, I could limit my apps, so long as I could, you know, take them off and put new ones on, instead of the apparent situation being when you take them off they don't seem to actually go).

All help very gratefully received! Sorry for the long read...

 

[svim]

If you could skip the generalizations and be more specific on what model phones you tried previously it would be easier to comment on suggestions. You've referred to the Pixi3, a line that's relatively low spec, so initially it seems you've been using low-end phones but with the expectations of higher end models.
http://www.gsmarena.com/alcatel_pixi_3_(4_5)-6934.php
http://www.gsmarena.com/alcatel_pixi_3_(3_5)-6932.php
http://www.gsmarena.com/alcatel_pixi_3_(7)_3g-7096.php

 

[chanchan05]

Yup. The problem mostly is your budget. Features you are asking for can be found on more expensive models.

 

[Firecat]

So the ability to expand the memory on an Android is contingent on me buying a (relatively) top of the range handset? My Windows 'phone was £30 and it does it, in fact every electrical item I own with an SD card slot will let you, well, use that SD card...

Unless you are referring to the 4G bit, in which case meh, not so bothered about that if I have to pay through the nose.

#Edit#
Sorted (well, not sorted, but I have the answer to my main issue), finally found a website that doesn't just say 'oh yeah, jam an SD card in and all's well!' and actually admits that the sliding scale is 'Windows = SD is practically the internal memory, Android = you can stick photos/music on the SD but apps will pretty much all go on the internal, Apple = hahahaha hope your internal memory is enough as that's your lot!'.

So I will find a handset with decent internal space and that will be for my system and apps, and the SD card will be for my photos and music.

Right, now I know where I stand, I'm happier. Though still find it bizarre Androids don't let you save apps to the SD card. At least they have a choice of apps though

 

[chanchan05]

So the ability to expand the memory on an Android is contingent on me buying a (relatively) top of the range handset? My Windows 'phone was £30 and it does it, in fact every electrical item I own with an SD card slot will let you, well, use that SD card...

Unless you are referring to the 4G bit, in which case meh, not so bothered about that if I have to pay through the nose.

I'm talking about the ability to use the SD card as an actual expansion is found in higher end or more recent models with updated software.

Android stopped officially supporting SD cards for apps at v4.0 due to security concerns. Since the OS was popular a lot of people with bad intent exploited the SD card security holes hence Android had to stop supporting it for a while. What was left was an ability of the OS to read files from the SD card unless it's a system app. Android 5.1 then allowed permission management so that other apps can download/write to SD card properly, but the drive was still separate and you can't actually use the drive as a proper expansion. It can only hold app data, media, and other non-core files. Android apps install to internal memory, then under app management you get an option to transfer to SD card, but this only transfers data, and non core files of the app. Android 6.0 introduced adoptable storage, or actual true expansion. Inserting an SD card would give you an option to adopt it as an expansion, as a single drive with the internal memory. Of course this means if you use a cheap card, the phone slows down because it's limited by the speed of the SD card. You'd want to get a UHS SD card. Then you also lose the ability to use the SD card anywhere else, since it's encrypted. You can't pop out the SD card for use as card reader or use on a different phone. This achieved the true expansion, in a sense, but lost portability. Makes it also a bit difficult to transfer to a new phone.

Note that Samsung an LG currently disabled this on their phones, and you need to activate using ADB.

I'd suggest you look for an ASUS, Acer, Lenovo, Oppo or Huawei phone that runs Android 6.0. They're relatively cheaper, and does what you want, and they're reliable brands. What remains to be seen is if you can afford one.

 

[chanchan05]

So the ability to expand the memory on an Android is contingent on me buying a (relatively) top of the range handset? My Windows 'phone was £30 and it does it, in fact every electrical item I own with an SD card slot will let you, well, use that SD card...

Unless you are referring to the 4G bit, in which case meh, not so bothered about that if I have to pay through the nose.

#Edit#
Sorted (well, not sorted, but I have the answer to my main issue), finally found a website that doesn't just say 'oh yeah, jam an SD card in and all's well!' and actually admits that the sliding scale is 'Windows = SD is practically the internal memory, Android = you can stick photos/music on the SD but apps will pretty much all go on the internal, Apple = hahahaha hope your internal memory is enough as that's your lot!'.

So I will find a handset with decent internal space and that will be for my system and apps, and the SD card will be for my photos and music.

Right, now I know where I stand, I'm happier. Though still find it bizarre Androids don't let you save apps to the SD card. At least they have a choice of apps though

If you read my previous response, Android 6.0 gives you that full actual expansion.

 

[svim]

So the ability to expand the memory on an Android is contingent on me buying a (relatively) top of the range handset? My Windows 'phone was £30 and it does it, in fact every electrical item I own with an SD card slot will let you, well, use that SD card...

Again, you're making all your judgements based on low-end Android phones. Smartphones with 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage memory, like a Pixi3, are suitable for emerging markets where price is a major factor and for those who only want something a step up from a flip-phone.
You don't necessarily have to get a 'top of the range' phone as chanchan05 has pointed out for you, but you really do need to set your expectations much, much lower if your benchmark centers on £30 phones.

 

[mockingbird71]

I also did jumped the ship and got some chinese phone which serves me well, and it costed me around 60€, but for this price i really like what i've got.

 

[Firecat]

If you read my previous response, Android 6.0 gives you that full actual expansion.

You do realise you posted after my edit right? Unless you think I'm psychic

I've had a read around, worked out what I can afford, I'm leaning towards a Samsung Galaxy A5 2016, I don't think that would meet the 6.0 requirement though would it, though now I understand the SD thing with Android (thanks for the in depth explanation btw) I feel happier about the whole thing, and the 11ish gig I'd have 'spare' should be plenty for apps (if it gets full, I'll remove them, so long as it lets me!).

Thanks again.

 

[mockingbird71]

You do realise you posted after my edit right? Unless you think I'm psychic

I've had a read around, worked out what I can afford, I'm leaning towards a Samsung Galaxy A5 2016, I don't think that would meet the 6.0 requirement though would it, though now I understand the SD thing with Android (thanks for the in depth explanation btw) I feel happier about the whole thing, and the 11ish gig I'd have 'spare' should be plenty for apps (if it gets full, I'll remove them, so long as it lets me!).

Thanks again.

That phone is great to buy. I'd personally choose Redmi 2 (has removable battery differencing from R3), and for that price you get great phone.

 

[Camp Smith]

How about the new Moto E phone?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorola-Moto-Generation-SIM-Free-Smartphone/dp/B00U22NGZM