Hey everyone,
I’m looking to buy a new phone for my mum. She usually ends up with refurbished or used phones because she’s on a budget.
She needs a good camera for photos and videos, and something that works well for scrolling on social media. She doesn’t game or need extra tech features. She also does video calls from time to time.
Which one would be the best for her?
I’d go with the S24FE, especially if you can get it for the $99 port-in price with Cricket. If not, the other phones are cheaper and would still work fine for her needs if all she’s using it for is calls, texts, and social media. The Pixel 8a is a smaller phone, and since it has fewer features than Samsung, it might actually be better for someone older who doesn’t need things like Dex, floating windows, or all those extra techy features. Another question though—are you planning to buy a smartwatch for her later on? That could also influence which phone to choose, as some phones work better with specific watches.
She’s not into smartwatches. I saw a deal with a Galaxy Watch 3, but she said no. I’m thinking of getting it on installments. The A55 is £17 a month, the Pixel 8a is £16, and the S24FE is £23 a month with £19 upfront.
The Galaxy phones come with free buds too. My mum is 55, and she’s not into gaming or heavy editing. She does a bit of social media, takes lots of photos of her grandson, and watches YouTube occasionally. She doesn’t care about having 1080p+ resolutions either.
Honestly, for her use, the A55 would probably work fine. But the Pixel 8a might be easier for her since it has less bloatware compared to Samsung, and it’s a smaller size too. The S24FE would give the best performance but might be too much for her. However, if she plans to keep the phone for 2+ years, the S24FE might be worth it for the future-proofing. The Pixel 8a might have the worst battery and the slowest charging of the three, though, if that matters.
Yeah, after reading a bunch of reviews, I realized the Pixel 8a has no expandable storage, poor night photography, and a smaller screen and battery. So now I’m stuck between the Galaxy options. If I go with the A55, I’ll just get her a new phone after two years. But with the S24FE, she might want to keep it for 3-4 years.
The S24FE doesn’t have expandable storage either, if that matters. The A55 is the only one with a microSD option, but it lacks wireless charging and has a weaker processor than the S24FE, though it has better battery life. I had the A53, and it lagged so much I sold it the same week. But I think the A55 might be better since the A series phones have improved since then. Still, I’m hesitant to buy an A series phone again because of my experience with the A53. That said, if you’re not used to flagships, the lag might not be that noticeable.
What size phone is your mum used to? The Pixel 8a is the only compact regular-sized phone here.
Also, your 3 options are priced very differently, but you can get the S24FE for about $450 on sale from Samsung.
She’s had larger phones like the A51, but it’s lagging like crazy, and the camera quality is terrible. In the UK, the S24FE is not available under £649.
Then just get the A55, it’s the cheapest, and any decent budget phone will handle what she needs. Also, don’t rule out refurbished phones—they can be a great deal, and you can get a much better one for the same price as a new budget phone.