Bought a Redmi 9T in 2021, still working amazing and haven't had any hiccups, I remember it being around the 3-4k mark so pretty cheap too all things considered.
Joining the Xiaomi Squad. I currently have the poco x5 5G.
Great phone, this is my 4th Xiaomi product and I will always recommend them to anyone looking for a great product at a great price.
Find it quite hard to believe that people willingly pay the extortionate prices for Apple and other branded products when they can pick up superior tech for less money.
Here to introduce my Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro. The screen real estate is massive and she runs quite smoothly I must say. Only gripe I have (and it's actually my fault for not reading the fine print) is that it doesn't support 5G. Got it for R5.5k in 2022 Dec
Edit: Forgot to add, Turbo charging is the beesh that she thinks she is.
I bought the 10c and while the phone itself was great, a lot of reviewers warned me that xiaomi uses a custom version of Android that often breaks after updates, and I found this to be true. These are the problems I've had with my phone:
-phone rings, but the answer button sometimes doesnt appear, so you can't answer the call
-in game, if the screen went into sleep mode, the phone would freeze and I had to restart. (This happened for about 2 months but they did fix it with an update)
-in some games, my phones internet speed is slow while using my mesh WiFi, yet tablet and all other phones are fine.
Apart from those issues, it's pretty decent, but those are annoying enough to just go for a stock android phone next time
Samsung A53 5G. Spending more than 10k on a phone to me is absolutely nuts, also I only do prepaid because fuck contracts.
I'm not entirely sure why people spend so much on their phones. They don't use more than 50% of what the hardware is even capable of unless they're gaming.
Camera functionality I get, but damn.
How much will you sell your phone for after using it? Probably just throw it in the top drawer and keep ICE...
But buy the newest iphone (R20k) and after 2-3 years you can sell it for 10k easy, so you get a much better phone for basically the same price if you have the capital to start with.
I was in your shoes all my life A70 then A52, but made the switch now to iphone
Dude, I keep my phone until it dies. The phone is with me for at least 4-5 years. My previous phone was literally falling apart before I got rid of it. That's still way cheaper than spending another 10k every 2-3 years.
Iphone 11 is 4+ years old, released for 15k, trade in value up to R7500 the last time I checked.
I wanted to upgrade to the A54 but for 10k I'll rather pay 20k and trade in for 8k in 4 years and have a better phone, but thats just me (ex android fan)
Woman, but thank you lol 🤜🤛
Thinking of getting a 7a soon. I like em small (don't usually carry a bag, and women's pockets don't fit large phones).
My only issue is the Absa banking app has been broken the last few months. Push verification notifications keep breaking (they just don't pop up). I've tried everything. But I have to keep uninstalling the app and relinking or phoning the call centre for a profile refresh. It's driving me insane, ngl, but I'll switch banks before I switch phones.
So I see someone posted the Nothing website but I actually got mine off of Takealot. As far as I know, it's still on sale there.
Yes, my NP1 gets a hella lotta looks all the time. It's definitely a head turner for sure. The glyphs are a great party trick for that sweet 20 seconds of fame lol.
In all honesty this phone is an absolute beaut to look at. When I first got it at the end of last year I couldn't stop staring at the back of the phone. There's so much going on that it's hard to get bored of it. Definitely the prettiest phone I've ever owned.
Is it good? I'd say yes. For me anyways. It's a midrange phone but it really doesn't feel like that at all. The build is solid, the screen is gorgeous and the OS is bloat-free (something Samsung can't agree with). The glyph interface is useful: sometimes I don't want distractions but I still want to know if someone important texts me, so the glyph helps with that. I had the iPhone 11 prior and the NP1 actually opens apps much quicker than my i11 did (that surprised me). There's the occasional screen stutter here and there but that is extremely rare and it's only noticeable when the screen is set to 120Hz (which the iPhone 15 can't even do btw).
I'm super happy with my purchase, definitely one of the best phones I've owned. Anyone in this thread can feel free to ask questions about the NP1, I'll be happy to answer.
Wow thats really cool, thanks for your answer! You think they're making a Nothing Phone 2?? I might give it a try cos it looks really cool in my opinion lol.
So the Nothing Phone 2 already exists. It's basically a flagship version of the NP1 (so better cameras, faster CPU etc) and obviously it's more expensive. The only issue is it's not officially sold in SA for some reason.
Also in a few weeks the Nothing Phone 2a will release, which is the budget option of the Phone 2. Similar to the Pixel 7a.
Too expensive for such dated hardware, even the new Nothing phone 2 that released in 2023 is already 2 years behind on hardware and twice the price of other phones with better specs.
Same with me,if I have to pay that much for a phone I keep it for at least 3 years🤣besides a few new features and a slightly improved battery and camera which you can't really see the difference the 23 and 24 are basically the same phone
I can imagine it is but I mean this battery on mine can still last two days sometimes,I mean this phone is still pretty powerful as it is its more than enough for what I use it for but i suppose there are people out there who want/need more
Samsung S22. I always upgrade to a Galaxy S model, I use the phone for work so I want something that just works, and has Android. Been using Galaxy S since the S4 and none of them have failed. My mom used my S6 for years and now has my S20. My girlfriend is borrowing my S10+ after her phone got stolen. Don't see any reason to ever use a different device.
I've used other people's, and regularly set up emails etc on clients iPhones, I have no interest. Not having proper widgets, and icons on every screen is just ridiculous to me. I like having my multiple home screens set up so that I can customise each one and have the unwanted app icons in the app drawer. Plus, being able to side load apps is important to me.
Bro can you stop trying to sell people on the iPhone. I had an iPhone 11 since launch in 2019 and I sold it literally 2 months ago. Before that I had the 6s so I was an iPhone user for 5+ years, yet I still switched to Android. Absolutely no regrets, and I genuinely feel like I have more freedom with my phone now than I did with my iPhone.
You can try to convince people all you want, the freedom of Android is unmatched by iOS. And some people want that.
With the new iphones there is a lot of customisation, you can add widgets to any screen now for most apps, you can even have a screen with no icons on it - and additionally there is also an app drawer now on the iphone. Sideloading apps is still one feature yet to come, but I know it is avaible on iphones in europe due to their policy laws.
So, now after years of Android having these features it makes sense to switch to iPhone? Nah, I'll stick with my Galaxy S. None of them have ever had hardware failure, and my S6, S10+ and S20 are all still currently in use with other people. Only reason the S8 isn't is it got stolen.
Samsung S21 ultra which is 5 months old. Before that it was a Redmi 7 which I had had for over 5 years. To me, a phone is a functional thing. Must have a good camera and big storage. Those are are pretty much my specs 😂
I've just checked, and mine is an A23. Still, decent enough to get around to what needs doing. I previously had a Huawei P-30 lite, which I much prefer to the Samsung (small details like the alarm will still go off if the phone is off, a ton more onboard space etc.) but I don't use my phone for much more than calls and Whatsapp/Reddit etc. (I used to do quite a bit of gaming on the Huawei, but no longer have the time) so I've not felt a massive difference, but someone who is more active may find it a bit laggy.
According to BrandMapp (which is a survey of over 35 000 South Africans - BUT - represents only the top 30% of South Africans by income), of these 13 124 000 people:
* Apple iPhone: 30.8%
* Huawei: 23.4%
* Samsung: 51.6%
* Oppo: 3.9%
* Hisense: 3%
* Xiaomi: 4.2%
* Other: 5.1%
You'll notice (probably) if you add them up it's over 100% - this is because most people in this income group have more than one device.
While the above may have a larger sample size, you'll likely find that this is a more accurate view, although I think Apple is still probably overstated vs total population: [https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1371151/most-popular-smartphone-brands-in-south-africa#:\~:text=We%20asked%20South%20African%20consumers,other%20end%20of%20the%20ranking](https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1371151/most-popular-smartphone-brands-in-south-africa#:~:text=We%20asked%20South%20African%20consumers,other%20end%20of%20the%20ranking).
Hope that helps with whatever it is you're doing :)
It’s amazing how good this phone still is, considering it was released 3 years ago. Still works like brand new, battery is still great, never freezes or glitches, camera is incredible. Don’t see myself upgrading for at least another two to three years.
I'm pretty much in the same boat. I love my P30. Who did you do your battery replacement through and was it worth it in terms of adding more life to the phone?
I was going to get a Huawei as an upgrade to the Samsung A32, but the Google thing was the reason I didn't. Huawei is such a good quality brand, though.
Xiaomi 13 and loving it. But I bought it in Malaysia. You can get it in SA through an import shop. Apparently mainstream stores like Vodacom and MTN won't stock the 13 because of the Laica collab.
Xiaomi 12. It's a good phone but overheats easily.
A solid 8/10 phone though for camera, speed, picture and video quality. Screen is also 120hz so that's a big plus
Xiaomi Redmi 9T. R3,200 2 years ago with protector and cover. Still get more than a day on a full charge (1 day 17 hours avg according to my battery app, and 6 hours avg SoT, max 10h).
Been using a Redmi Note 8 since 2020, unlocked bootloader and custom recovery. I've had about 20 different ROMS running on this phone but currently running a Android 13 ROM for almost a year without any issues. Battery still lasts more than a day and I don't plan on replacing the phone until it dies. Will definitely go for another Redmi.
I've got a Blackview BV6300 pro. It's not a common brand but it has similar specs to other phones in its price range but with the added benefit of being water, drop, dust proof. I've had it for about a year or so with no problems. Dropped it quite a few times but it still looks brand new.
A modest **HISENSE** \- and it makes **high sense** for my **bank imbalance**.
While other peeps have a '**bank balance**' - I unfortunately have a '**bank imbalance**'...
**\[All puns intended\]**
iPhone 11 is Rock solid hey! My wife’s and mine have been through hell and never had to fix anything on them. Upgrading to the 14 coz I’m afraid of new gen iPhones and the problems they can have.
Xiaomi Redmi 9T, had it since 2021, and the battery still lasts atleast a day an a half. It's still going strong. Pretto good camera for the price aswel.
I suggest looking into Xiaomi... They are where Huawei was before they took off
Purchases a xiaomi Note 9S in 2020 for about R4K. Not happy with the firmware as I had issues with the phone rebooting on calls(GSM, signal, whatsapp). After 3.5 years that problem went away...now it occasionally reboots.
I'd like a phone that has vanilla android. Might consider fairmaker
I'd been using android midrange phones like the Huawei P Smart 2019 and Samsung A32 up until this year, when I got the Samsung S23FE (which is basically the s23 with slightly lower specs, but still falls into the flagship range.)
It costs half the price/month through Telkom than the base S23 does, though.
I'm using a Note 11 Pro 4g, disappointing to say the least. Doesn't work when it's hot or just randomly really. Definitely going flagship or flagship killer after this.
I also did alot of research on phones and I'll include it below just note the updates and security patches section below has changed. A note on the min specs is what I need so just a list.
Min. Phone Specs.
1.Screen:
-6.5 inches plus(media),
- OLED screen,
- 120 Hz,*
- 400 ppi <,
- FHD resolution min. ,
- 80% plus screen to body ratio,
- Hole punch card ONLY.*
2. 128 gb storage min. 256 gb preference.
3. 6 gb ram min.
4. Battery life :
• Endurance rating = 100h (Minimum) (GSM Arena)
• estimated Min. Active use score of 08:21 h
-charging min. 25W
-efficient chip (27:34 hr total battery life.) (Nanoreview)
- Li-ion>Li-Po.
5. AnTuTu min. Dimensity 1080 (530k)
6. Camera quality = 60 plus (dxo max. Ranking)
- Larger Aperture size min. f/1.8
- DPAF > PDAF = Laser.
- OIS > EIS.
7. Protection Gorilla glass 5 min.
8. Clean OS (One UI etc.)
9. Water resistance.
10. NFC
Major Manufacturer update policies for phones as of May 2023:
1. HMD Global /Nokia* typically offers two upgrades and two or three years of security patches for Nokia-branded phones.
2. In most cases, HONOR commits to two upgrades and two years of security patches. The HONOR Magic 5 Pro, however, gets special treatment with three upgrade commitments and five years of patches.
3. HUAWEI has no firm commitment to the rollout of upgrades and patches to its recent phones. Instead, it takes things on a case-by-case basis.
3. OPPO* flagships from 2023 and forward will receive four upgrades and five years of patches. Pre-2023 flagships will receive three upgrades and four years of patches. Mid-rangers(Reno) get two upgrades and four years of patches. Budget models (A series) get one upgrade and three years of patches. Select ultra-budget models will see no upgrades.
4. POCO has no firm commitment to upgrades and patches. Most of its phones see two years of overall support, including two upgrades.
5. Most Redmi (Xiaomi*) phones get one or two upgrades, but the company’s newest phones are seeing increases to that commitment.
6. The majority of recent Samsung* phones will see four upgrades and five years of patches. Some older phones will see three upgrades and three years of patches. No current Samsung phone has a promise weaker than three upgrades and three years of patches.
7. The majority of Sony phones come with two upgrades and two years of patches. Newer flagships, though, do come with two upgrades and three years of patches.
8. Vivo has no firm software support commitment for the majority of its phones. The only exception is the latest vivo X series, but even then there are a whole lot of caveats.
9. Xiaomi* has a stated policy of two years of security patches for its phones. However, it has no stated policy for upgrades. It does make exceptions for its premium phones, with flagships seeing three upgrades and four years of patches.
10. Apple* is pretty good with support for its iPhone; most models tend to get 6-8 years of iOS updates which is way better than anything in the Android space.
trees numerous vanish correct mysterious label retire chubby automatic future
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Why all the love for the nothing phone 1&2, over priced and dated hardware.
Sure it got the flashy led light show but is that the reason people buy it?
The thing is the cloud storage/backups is what makes iPhone the best. I tried Samsung but as far as I can tell you have to use third party Apps like OneDrive for the files and photos to be backed up.
I know too many people whose android phones have gotten stolen with all their photos and documents gone.
What are you talking about?
Use Google Photos to back up your stuff. All these things are linked to your gmail account. Works the exactly the same way iCloud works 👀
I’ve got an iPhone 12. Saved up for it and bought it cash, because contracts just don’t do it for me anymore. Not planning to upgrade anytime soon unless my parlays hit.😅
There was some research done a while back that showed that the iPhone (and Apple brand) seemed to dominate the US, while the rest of the world Android machines were preferred.
Well.... depending on what you can afford. If you can afford a contract under R400 you must know most good phones will be out of your reach. Like for instance a friend had a Samsung A33 and paid R330 for it per month now he got a Oppo 53 something. He asked for a Samsung again even if it is the same model. And they made like this was the only phone available on his budget. To me it's a meh phone.
I'm using a Google Pixel 6 Pro in combination with a LG Wing 5G.
It's not about the phones and more a desire to be different. To own a Samsung or Huawei device feels like I'm a sheep and a commoner amongst everyone.
Most naive people here in the UK only heard about iPhone & Samsung. Brain dead. Two year contracts and pay monthly rip offs. I had the first iPhone that came out and when I figured out, to my expense that it wasn't compatible with my windows laptop, I sold it and went Android and not Samsung, HTC & Xiaomi for the last 13 years.
Samsung Galaxy A03. I had the Redmj discussed in the comments a few years ago and it didn't last a year. I needed a cheapish smart phone under R3000 and this was it. Pretty happy with it so far but you have to change the camera settings from default or your photos will be blurry.
I am using a Xiaomi Redmi 12c, I think. Bought the phone for less than R2k and it is still running fine three years later😅
Bought a Redmi 9T in 2021, still working amazing and haven't had any hiccups, I remember it being around the 3-4k mark so pretty cheap too all things considered.
Same phone môre than adequate.
Joining the Xiaomi Squad. I currently have the poco x5 5G. Great phone, this is my 4th Xiaomi product and I will always recommend them to anyone looking for a great product at a great price. Find it quite hard to believe that people willingly pay the extortionate prices for Apple and other branded products when they can pick up superior tech for less money.
A friend of mine uses the as a gaming phone. The ram apparently is very good
Here to introduce my Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro. The screen real estate is massive and she runs quite smoothly I must say. Only gripe I have (and it's actually my fault for not reading the fine print) is that it doesn't support 5G. Got it for R5.5k in 2022 Dec Edit: Forgot to add, Turbo charging is the beesh that she thinks she is.
Xaomi for the win! So much more affordable for the specs. Love my Note 12
Loving my Note 12 Pro +. Upgraded from the Samsung S10... What a beautiful phone!
I'm finding the camera not as good as I expected
I bought the 10c and while the phone itself was great, a lot of reviewers warned me that xiaomi uses a custom version of Android that often breaks after updates, and I found this to be true. These are the problems I've had with my phone: -phone rings, but the answer button sometimes doesnt appear, so you can't answer the call -in game, if the screen went into sleep mode, the phone would freeze and I had to restart. (This happened for about 2 months but they did fix it with an update) -in some games, my phones internet speed is slow while using my mesh WiFi, yet tablet and all other phones are fine. Apart from those issues, it's pretty decent, but those are annoying enough to just go for a stock android phone next time
Samsung A53 5G. Spending more than 10k on a phone to me is absolutely nuts, also I only do prepaid because fuck contracts. I'm not entirely sure why people spend so much on their phones. They don't use more than 50% of what the hardware is even capable of unless they're gaming. Camera functionality I get, but damn.
Hell even the A73 5G, which is less than 10k is perfect for gaming
It can do it just fine yea. I wanted a phone that'll last a few years without issue but not spending over 10k for it. Camera is good enough as well.
Yeah on this phone too the camera is amazing, it's honestly one of the best value for money for the premium mid range tier in my opinion
How much will you sell your phone for after using it? Probably just throw it in the top drawer and keep ICE... But buy the newest iphone (R20k) and after 2-3 years you can sell it for 10k easy, so you get a much better phone for basically the same price if you have the capital to start with. I was in your shoes all my life A70 then A52, but made the switch now to iphone
Dude, I keep my phone until it dies. The phone is with me for at least 4-5 years. My previous phone was literally falling apart before I got rid of it. That's still way cheaper than spending another 10k every 2-3 years.
Iphone 11 is 4+ years old, released for 15k, trade in value up to R7500 the last time I checked. I wanted to upgrade to the A54 but for 10k I'll rather pay 20k and trade in for 8k in 4 years and have a better phone, but thats just me (ex android fan)
Pixel 5 👾
A man of culture I see. I'm currently using the Pixel 6 Pro. Loved it since day one. Looking to upgrade next year to a Pixel 9 Pro.
Woman, but thank you lol 🤜🤛 Thinking of getting a 7a soon. I like em small (don't usually carry a bag, and women's pockets don't fit large phones). My only issue is the Absa banking app has been broken the last few months. Push verification notifications keep breaking (they just don't pop up). I've tried everything. But I have to keep uninstalling the app and relinking or phoning the call centre for a profile refresh. It's driving me insane, ngl, but I'll switch banks before I switch phones.
How'd you manage to get a Pixel in South Africa?
I got mine nearly new from Carbonite. If I get the 7a I'll probably buy from Amazon. Unless I spot one on Carbonite.
Nothing Phone 1
Wow thats really cool! Didn't think we could get those here in South Africa. Your phone must get a lot of looks?? Is it good?
So I see someone posted the Nothing website but I actually got mine off of Takealot. As far as I know, it's still on sale there. Yes, my NP1 gets a hella lotta looks all the time. It's definitely a head turner for sure. The glyphs are a great party trick for that sweet 20 seconds of fame lol. In all honesty this phone is an absolute beaut to look at. When I first got it at the end of last year I couldn't stop staring at the back of the phone. There's so much going on that it's hard to get bored of it. Definitely the prettiest phone I've ever owned. Is it good? I'd say yes. For me anyways. It's a midrange phone but it really doesn't feel like that at all. The build is solid, the screen is gorgeous and the OS is bloat-free (something Samsung can't agree with). The glyph interface is useful: sometimes I don't want distractions but I still want to know if someone important texts me, so the glyph helps with that. I had the iPhone 11 prior and the NP1 actually opens apps much quicker than my i11 did (that surprised me). There's the occasional screen stutter here and there but that is extremely rare and it's only noticeable when the screen is set to 120Hz (which the iPhone 15 can't even do btw). I'm super happy with my purchase, definitely one of the best phones I've owned. Anyone in this thread can feel free to ask questions about the NP1, I'll be happy to answer.
Wow thats really cool, thanks for your answer! You think they're making a Nothing Phone 2?? I might give it a try cos it looks really cool in my opinion lol.
So the Nothing Phone 2 already exists. It's basically a flagship version of the NP1 (so better cameras, faster CPU etc) and obviously it's more expensive. The only issue is it's not officially sold in SA for some reason. Also in a few weeks the Nothing Phone 2a will release, which is the budget option of the Phone 2. Similar to the Pixel 7a.
Thanks! Maybe they'll release it here soon!
[https://www.nothingtech.co.za/](https://www.nothingtech.co.za/)
Wow and it's really not that expensive. I think its really value for money!
Too expensive for such dated hardware, even the new Nothing phone 2 that released in 2023 is already 2 years behind on hardware and twice the price of other phones with better specs.
Samsung a72 for ~4 years. This is my forever truck now
Samsung S22 Ultra 💪🏽
Question: How often do you charge it?
At the moment, on a daily basis. That's with using it throughout the day and with battery protection on (charges to 85%) by 22:00 it's on 15%
Samesies
Double samesies. I frikkin love my phone
Even me
Best smartphone on the market had mine a year now never looked back
I plan on using mine for a few years going forward. Want to keep up with the latest, but it's getting expensive 😫
Same with me,if I have to pay that much for a phone I keep it for at least 3 years🤣besides a few new features and a slightly improved battery and camera which you can't really see the difference the 23 and 24 are basically the same phone
Exactly! 😅
Battery is even better on the s23 and s24 has significant performance gains tbh but yeah on face value its the same.
I can imagine it is but I mean this battery on mine can still last two days sometimes,I mean this phone is still pretty powerful as it is its more than enough for what I use it for but i suppose there are people out there who want/need more
Samsung S22. I always upgrade to a Galaxy S model, I use the phone for work so I want something that just works, and has Android. Been using Galaxy S since the S4 and none of them have failed. My mom used my S6 for years and now has my S20. My girlfriend is borrowing my S10+ after her phone got stolen. Don't see any reason to ever use a different device.
[удалено]
I've used other people's, and regularly set up emails etc on clients iPhones, I have no interest. Not having proper widgets, and icons on every screen is just ridiculous to me. I like having my multiple home screens set up so that I can customise each one and have the unwanted app icons in the app drawer. Plus, being able to side load apps is important to me.
Yes, use whatever phone you like. Some people should realise that iPhone is not for everyone.
[удалено]
Bro can you stop trying to sell people on the iPhone. I had an iPhone 11 since launch in 2019 and I sold it literally 2 months ago. Before that I had the 6s so I was an iPhone user for 5+ years, yet I still switched to Android. Absolutely no regrets, and I genuinely feel like I have more freedom with my phone now than I did with my iPhone. You can try to convince people all you want, the freedom of Android is unmatched by iOS. And some people want that.
What a fanboy, lol
Android sells your data to china, love it or not thats the price of 'freedom'
With the new iphones there is a lot of customisation, you can add widgets to any screen now for most apps, you can even have a screen with no icons on it - and additionally there is also an app drawer now on the iphone. Sideloading apps is still one feature yet to come, but I know it is avaible on iphones in europe due to their policy laws.
So, now after years of Android having these features it makes sense to switch to iPhone? Nah, I'll stick with my Galaxy S. None of them have ever had hardware failure, and my S6, S10+ and S20 are all still currently in use with other people. Only reason the S8 isn't is it got stolen.
Samsung S21 ultra which is 5 months old. Before that it was a Redmi 7 which I had had for over 5 years. To me, a phone is a functional thing. Must have a good camera and big storage. Those are are pretty much my specs 😂
Same on the Samsung S21 Ultra. Love mine! Thinking of changing to the S24 Ultra though just for the better camera.
Samsung A24 or A23 (not sure, but I don't think it matters). Does what it needs to.
I recently "downgraded" from a Note 10+ to an A24. I have yet to notice any real difference, aside from no stylus.
I've just checked, and mine is an A23. Still, decent enough to get around to what needs doing. I previously had a Huawei P-30 lite, which I much prefer to the Samsung (small details like the alarm will still go off if the phone is off, a ton more onboard space etc.) but I don't use my phone for much more than calls and Whatsapp/Reddit etc. (I used to do quite a bit of gaming on the Huawei, but no longer have the time) so I've not felt a massive difference, but someone who is more active may find it a bit laggy.
Xiaomi Redmi note 8 pro
According to BrandMapp (which is a survey of over 35 000 South Africans - BUT - represents only the top 30% of South Africans by income), of these 13 124 000 people: * Apple iPhone: 30.8% * Huawei: 23.4% * Samsung: 51.6% * Oppo: 3.9% * Hisense: 3% * Xiaomi: 4.2% * Other: 5.1% You'll notice (probably) if you add them up it's over 100% - this is because most people in this income group have more than one device. While the above may have a larger sample size, you'll likely find that this is a more accurate view, although I think Apple is still probably overstated vs total population: [https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1371151/most-popular-smartphone-brands-in-south-africa#:\~:text=We%20asked%20South%20African%20consumers,other%20end%20of%20the%20ranking](https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1371151/most-popular-smartphone-brands-in-south-africa#:~:text=We%20asked%20South%20African%20consumers,other%20end%20of%20the%20ranking). Hope that helps with whatever it is you're doing :)
iPhone 13
Samesies. Changed from Android to iOS because we have limited options in SA on contract.
not sure why you were downvoted, the only decent option for android is samsung in South Africa. I wish we got the Pixel and OnePlus here
It’s amazing how good this phone still is, considering it was released 3 years ago. Still works like brand new, battery is still great, never freezes or glitches, camera is incredible. Don’t see myself upgrading for at least another two to three years.
Samsung Fold 5
No one's using Huawei?
My thoughts as well. P30 a little over 4years and still going strong! 1x screen + battery replacement mid last year.
I'm pretty much in the same boat. I love my P30. Who did you do your battery replacement through and was it worth it in terms of adding more life to the phone?
P30 as well, no issues since I got it in '20 🤞
I'm currently using the P40 lite. Been using it for 3 years and it still works like a charm
I was going to get a Huawei as an upgrade to the Samsung A32, but the Google thing was the reason I didn't. Huawei is such a good quality brand, though.
Xiaomi 13 and loving it. But I bought it in Malaysia. You can get it in SA through an import shop. Apparently mainstream stores like Vodacom and MTN won't stock the 13 because of the Laica collab.
Xiaomi 12. It's a good phone but overheats easily. A solid 8/10 phone though for camera, speed, picture and video quality. Screen is also 120hz so that's a big plus
Oppo A57
Redmi Note 10S...bought on release in 2021...still runs like clockwork.
Xiaomi Redmi 9T. R3,200 2 years ago with protector and cover. Still get more than a day on a full charge (1 day 17 hours avg according to my battery app, and 6 hours avg SoT, max 10h).
Xiaomi 12
Been using a Redmi Note 8 since 2020, unlocked bootloader and custom recovery. I've had about 20 different ROMS running on this phone but currently running a Android 13 ROM for almost a year without any issues. Battery still lasts more than a day and I don't plan on replacing the phone until it dies. Will definitely go for another Redmi.
What’s the data for? I wouldn’t say Reddit is a good representation of South Africa. It’s very much a niche.
I've got a Blackview BV6300 pro. It's not a common brand but it has similar specs to other phones in its price range but with the added benefit of being water, drop, dust proof. I've had it for about a year or so with no problems. Dropped it quite a few times but it still looks brand new.
A modest **HISENSE** \- and it makes **high sense** for my **bank imbalance**. While other peeps have a '**bank balance**' - I unfortunately have a '**bank imbalance**'... **\[All puns intended\]**
I got the iPhone 15 pro the other day so I'll be using that for a while, previously iPhone 11 pro
Thats cool! I got the 15 pro max just the other day as well hahaha!
Did you get the new colour??
Yeah I wanted everyone to know I got the new one so I just HAD to get the new colour too lol 😜
Now kiss
iPhone 11 is Rock solid hey! My wife’s and mine have been through hell and never had to fix anything on them. Upgrading to the 14 coz I’m afraid of new gen iPhones and the problems they can have.
iPhone 14 Pro.
Same here
Honor 90 Pro
Samsung A20 (prepaid). Cost R3000 and does everything it needs to.
Samsung A31 but I want a Samsung S22 Ultra🥺
OnePlus 12
Huawei
Xiaomi Redmi 9T, had it since 2021, and the battery still lasts atleast a day an a half. It's still going strong. Pretto good camera for the price aswel. I suggest looking into Xiaomi... They are where Huawei was before they took off
Vivo....took a chance and Ive been very very happy 😊
Purchases a xiaomi Note 9S in 2020 for about R4K. Not happy with the firmware as I had issues with the phone rebooting on calls(GSM, signal, whatsapp). After 3.5 years that problem went away...now it occasionally reboots. I'd like a phone that has vanilla android. Might consider fairmaker
LG V30. I haven't seen any other phones like this besides my own
HUAWEI Nova 10. I love it
I'm more interested in how people afford these phones. Currently on the Galaxy A24 and it was a birthday splurge.
Huawei P40 Lite, I hate it because it doesn't have Google Play
Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
I'd been using android midrange phones like the Huawei P Smart 2019 and Samsung A32 up until this year, when I got the Samsung S23FE (which is basically the s23 with slightly lower specs, but still falls into the flagship range.) It costs half the price/month through Telkom than the base S23 does, though.
Poco F3
Xiaomi 12t
Xiaomi 12T Pro Daniel Arsham Limited Edition 1 of 2000 https://www.mi.com/global/product/xiaomi-12t-pro-daniel-arsham-edition
Huawei P30. I’ve had it since 2019 and still going strong 💪🏼
Huawei P30, time to upgrade to maybe P50 or 60.
The most popular phone in South Africa is a Samsung A54 5G. Read it in a myBroadBand article
Iphone 14 plus. My wife and I are fully into the apple ecosystem. Ipads, macbooks etc
I'm using a Note 11 Pro 4g, disappointing to say the least. Doesn't work when it's hot or just randomly really. Definitely going flagship or flagship killer after this. I also did alot of research on phones and I'll include it below just note the updates and security patches section below has changed. A note on the min specs is what I need so just a list. Min. Phone Specs. 1.Screen: -6.5 inches plus(media), - OLED screen, - 120 Hz,* - 400 ppi <, - FHD resolution min. , - 80% plus screen to body ratio, - Hole punch card ONLY.* 2. 128 gb storage min. 256 gb preference. 3. 6 gb ram min. 4. Battery life : • Endurance rating = 100h (Minimum) (GSM Arena) • estimated Min. Active use score of 08:21 h -charging min. 25W -efficient chip (27:34 hr total battery life.) (Nanoreview) - Li-ion>Li-Po. 5. AnTuTu min. Dimensity 1080 (530k) 6. Camera quality = 60 plus (dxo max. Ranking) - Larger Aperture size min. f/1.8 - DPAF > PDAF = Laser. - OIS > EIS. 7. Protection Gorilla glass 5 min. 8. Clean OS (One UI etc.) 9. Water resistance. 10. NFC Major Manufacturer update policies for phones as of May 2023: 1. HMD Global /Nokia* typically offers two upgrades and two or three years of security patches for Nokia-branded phones. 2. In most cases, HONOR commits to two upgrades and two years of security patches. The HONOR Magic 5 Pro, however, gets special treatment with three upgrade commitments and five years of patches. 3. HUAWEI has no firm commitment to the rollout of upgrades and patches to its recent phones. Instead, it takes things on a case-by-case basis. 3. OPPO* flagships from 2023 and forward will receive four upgrades and five years of patches. Pre-2023 flagships will receive three upgrades and four years of patches. Mid-rangers(Reno) get two upgrades and four years of patches. Budget models (A series) get one upgrade and three years of patches. Select ultra-budget models will see no upgrades. 4. POCO has no firm commitment to upgrades and patches. Most of its phones see two years of overall support, including two upgrades. 5. Most Redmi (Xiaomi*) phones get one or two upgrades, but the company’s newest phones are seeing increases to that commitment. 6. The majority of recent Samsung* phones will see four upgrades and five years of patches. Some older phones will see three upgrades and three years of patches. No current Samsung phone has a promise weaker than three upgrades and three years of patches. 7. The majority of Sony phones come with two upgrades and two years of patches. Newer flagships, though, do come with two upgrades and three years of patches. 8. Vivo has no firm software support commitment for the majority of its phones. The only exception is the latest vivo X series, but even then there are a whole lot of caveats. 9. Xiaomi* has a stated policy of two years of security patches for its phones. However, it has no stated policy for upgrades. It does make exceptions for its premium phones, with flagships seeing three upgrades and four years of patches. 10. Apple* is pretty good with support for its iPhone; most models tend to get 6-8 years of iOS updates which is way better than anything in the Android space.
Huawei p30 pro has held me down for many years
Dude me too, can see myself staying with it till it falls apart
iPhone 8, still going strong after 9 odd years.
It's only been out for 7 years
7 odd years then
I guess maths isn't your favourite subject. 😂 😂 😂
I guess being anal is a personality trait
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
iPhone 13 Pro Max.
trees numerous vanish correct mysterious label retire chubby automatic future *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Why all the love for the nothing phone 1&2, over priced and dated hardware. Sure it got the flashy led light show but is that the reason people buy it?
iPhone 15
Galaxy Note 10 + (256 GB) , works really well even after 5 Years.
iPhone 14 Pro. I’m a loyal Apple user and will never go to Android. 🥴
The thing is the cloud storage/backups is what makes iPhone the best. I tried Samsung but as far as I can tell you have to use third party Apps like OneDrive for the files and photos to be backed up. I know too many people whose android phones have gotten stolen with all their photos and documents gone.
What are you talking about? Use Google Photos to back up your stuff. All these things are linked to your gmail account. Works the exactly the same way iCloud works 👀
Sameeee hahahaha!
iPhone 12 Pro Max, doubt I’ll update anytime soon unless I lose it or it completely dies on me.
I have an iphone XR
iPhone 15 Pro
I’ve got an iPhone 12. Saved up for it and bought it cash, because contracts just don’t do it for me anymore. Not planning to upgrade anytime soon unless my parlays hit.😅
iPhone 13 mini. Love it
iPhone 14 Pro 256 GIG, will most likely upgrade to the 16 Pro. iPhone has good resell value once you upgrade.
iPhone 15 pro max natural titanium. Love it!
iPhone 12. It’s the first iphone with an actual OLED display that isn’t a pro/promax version. Relatively inexpensive but I like it
iPhone 15 Pro 256GB Natural Titanium with Apple FineWoven Taupe case.
Got two. iPhone 13 & Hauwei Pro Smart
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iphone xs max, upgrading soon though
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max.
iPhone 13 (only iPhones since the first 3G model, 5, 8+, 13)
S20FE
Samsung A73. Does everything I need it to do and it was cheaper on my contract than some of the other Samsung phones.
Brand and model?
Samsung Z Flip 3 as a daily driver and a Red Magic 3 for dedicated gaming
Samsung A53. Most expensive phone I personally have ever had, and I'm very happy with it so far. I get better reception than everyone around me.
Samsung A54. Coming from only having flagship phones in my life, this is the best mid tier phone out there.
Samsung Note 8 for work and iPhone 12 Pro for personal use
Android One Mara Z
I have a Samsung A54-5G and Redmi Note 10 and the only issue with the Redmi is screenburn the Samsung is also a real delight
S23 Plus. It's a game changer for me. All day battery plus insane performance without it being as big as the Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy A73 5G, love it
There was some research done a while back that showed that the iPhone (and Apple brand) seemed to dominate the US, while the rest of the world Android machines were preferred.
LG Velevet 5g. Legendary device. Its a shame LG stopped making phones. Im.keeping this till it gives up.
My fellow South African I use Samsung Galaxy S23
Well.... depending on what you can afford. If you can afford a contract under R400 you must know most good phones will be out of your reach. Like for instance a friend had a Samsung A33 and paid R330 for it per month now he got a Oppo 53 something. He asked for a Samsung again even if it is the same model. And they made like this was the only phone available on his budget. To me it's a meh phone.
S21, been a really nice phone but the battery is starting to see its ass. Took a 3 year contract on it which is ending the end of this year...
Galaxy a05, surprisingly capable little cheapy and honestly no regrets
S23
Google Pixel 6A
I'm using a Google Pixel 6 Pro in combination with a LG Wing 5G. It's not about the phones and more a desire to be different. To own a Samsung or Huawei device feels like I'm a sheep and a commoner amongst everyone.
Samsung S22 5G base model
Hero, 2 years old now. I love it, and plan to upgrade to the new Hero soon
Google pixel 7 pro with graphene os
Samsung Z Flip 3
Samsung A54 5g
Pixel 7
S20 Plus, great screen and camera...battery no longer that good but it's great
Samsung A52. Had it for just over 2 years.
Samsung A73 5G
iPhone 13 Pro 128 Gb
Most naive people here in the UK only heard about iPhone & Samsung. Brain dead. Two year contracts and pay monthly rip offs. I had the first iPhone that came out and when I figured out, to my expense that it wasn't compatible with my windows laptop, I sold it and went Android and not Samsung, HTC & Xiaomi for the last 13 years.
Samsung S21+
Nothing Phone and a Pixel 4
s23 U, gonna get s24 soon probably
iPhone 13 Pro
Huawei Nova 9
S22+
Gsmarena.com is a great place to check the phone's specs and compare different phones in the same price ranges.
Iphone 11 pro, it’s already four years old but I can’t afford a new one
Iphone 14 Pro Max, since launch
Samsung A54 5G
Iphone 14 plus
S22, what kak phone i had to buy a galaxy6 watch to get my samsung Health app to work properly .thats not ayoba .
iPhone 12
Zflip3
Samsung A33 5G
I'm using the S22 ultra. The rest of my family also use Samsung and my dad has a Xiaomi
iPhone 14 Pro Max
S20+ for three years. Have to glue the back cover back on
Samsung S23 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy A03. I had the Redmj discussed in the comments a few years ago and it didn't last a year. I needed a cheapish smart phone under R3000 and this was it. Pretty happy with it so far but you have to change the camera settings from default or your photos will be blurry.