Currently I have a Samsung Galaxy A52s, bought it just shy of a year ago second-hand in the UK. It’s a fine machine – battery life is excellent and it does everything I need it to do – but there are times where it’s a little slow on the draw and the plastic finish is beginning to dull along with some marks and knicks on it, so I’m potentially in the market for a new phone but not sure where the best place to go is.
Unlike 99% of the rest of the population, I’m not interested in iPhones at all, and neither am I particularly excited about carrying around a CCP tape recorder by getting a Huawei or Oppo, despite their economical nature. I’m happy with Samsung’s ecosystem and content to remain with them, but are there any hidden gems you know of?
Edit: I have a Japanese SIM already and I’m not changing it, so handset only.
9 comments
Asus Zenfone, if you like the more compact type and want a solid, no frills phone that does what you need it to do.
With no prior experience with the series, I bought a Zenfone 8 because Google stopped making compact Pixels and it was cheaper than the comparable Galaxy, and I’m very happy with it!
I prefer to buy a sim-free phone without locking into a long term contract.
I bought my current phone, a Samsung Galaxy Note 10, from Expansys (imported from Hong Kong). Been very happy with it. You always save a lot of money by going for the previous year’s model.
When I decide to upgrade I will probably buy directly from the Google Store. The Pixel 6a is pretty good value right now. If you have more cash then the Pixel 7 series has been generally well received with good reviews overall.
Well, most of the problems you have is because you didn’t get a flagship Galaxy. Just get an S series phone and you’re good to go.
I actually just switched from a Note 20 Ultra to the Pixel 7. The two year old phone still feels so much better. Higher quality materials and beautiful matte finish. The Pixel 6 Pro is great too and is cheaper than Galaxy’s flagships, so might be a good phone to consider.
I got mine from the Google store for just 70000yen instead of 120000.
Test the phones out at either a bic camera / yodobashi and go shop second hand / bnew secondhand at iosys, janpara, musubi or any secondhand store that sells with warranty.
Warranty depends on the condition of the phone from 1 month up to 6, up to the manufacturer’s warranty.
Also if you want to try Google Pixels you can order them off the Google store and return them within 30 days to get a full refund.
I’ve had good luck with the Sony xperia phones in the past. I was on xperia stuff and then bought a flagship Galaxy and the Galaxy had _way worse_ perf (namely stuttering). Though honestly it’s all pretty miserable compared to an entry-line iPhone.
You might have some luck with going to Yodobashi and messing with phones there.
pixel 7 is fantastic, order it from the japan google store and you’ll get it sim-free, and use it for your train pass as well. the shutter sound is not as loud as other phones, and you can easily take photos without people being bothered
Not sure about your budget but I’d say don’t sleep on Motorola. Got a dirt cheap phone from them recently and am quite satisfied.
I don’t have a particular recommendation as for where to buy the phone, since I just always buy unlocked phones from the smartphone companies website directly.
But one thing to generally keep in mind is that, if you choose to import a phone from outside of Japan, you will not have native おサイフケータイ support, if that is a service you plan on using.
I recently replaced my north america note9 with a Japanese Sony Xperia 5II. It’s a little spendy, but it’s got おサイフケータイ which is what I really wanted and runs fine. Even though it’s a Japan model you can still turn the shutter sound off (which seems odd, isn’t that a legal requirement to not be able to do that?). I just ordered it off Japan amazon, but I think they’re still around at yodabashis. If you want it carrier unlocked from the get go, you’re looking for the SIMフリー models.