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Best Phone For My Dad

JaySoul

JaySoul

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 30, 2008
2,629
2,865
My Dad wants to have a smartphone. These are the basic needs:

- 3.5 to 4" screen (max)
- lightweight, meaning under 115g in weight
- pretty simple to use
- decent battery life

That's basically it, just a reliable, lightweight smartphone that's easy to use - any recommendations please?
 
JaySoul said:
Do you know how heavy the Moto G and E are???
Click to expand...

The phone you want may not exist. There is no need to be inconsiderate to these individuals who have taken the time to post suggestions. If you keep responding like this to the people who take time to post you're going to get nowhere.
 
JaySoul said:
My Dad wants to have a smartphone. These are the basic needs:

- 3.5 to 4" screen (max)
- lightweight, meaning under 115g in weight
- pretty simple to use
- decent battery life

That's basically it, just a reliable, lightweight smartphone that's easy to use - any recommendations please?
Click to expand...

Under 115g? What, is 130 going to strain your hand?

The phone you want doesn't exist yet, at the price you want. Moto G is your best bet, plain and simple. Otherwise get an iphone 5 (affordable) or a cheap Nokia 8 WP.
 
JaySoul said:
iPhone too heavy! The only one would be a 5S but that's just way too expensive for his needs.
Click to expand...

You can get an iPhone 5 it is 112g.

The best Android options in terms of price and performance are Moto G (143g) and Moto E (142g). You could get a used Moto X (130g) for pretty cheap. You could also look at the mini versions of flagship devices like the HTC One Mini (122g), LG G2 Mini (121g), or S4 Mini (107g).

The best WP options are Lumia 520 (124g) and Lumia 635 (134g)
 
Last edited:
JH- said:
The phone you want may not exist. There is no need to be inconsiderate to these individuals who have taken the time to post suggestions. If you keep responding like this to the people who take time to post you're going to get nowhere.
Click to expand...

If the addition of 2 question marks spooks you this much, I suggest you take some time off of the internet. Calm down, please.

----------
LSUtigers03 said:
You can get an iPhone 5 it is 112g.

The best Android options in terms of price and performance are Moto G (143g) and Moto E (142g). You could get a used Moto X (130g) for pretty cheap. You could also look at the mini versions of flagship devices like the HTC One Mini (122g), LG G2 Mini (121g), or S4 Mini (107g).

The best WP options are Lumia 520 (124g) and Lumia 635 (134g)
Click to expand...

Thanks, helpful post.

The S4 Mini is nice but just too expensive - but I happened to check out the S3 Mini which basically fits the bill.

Decent screen, 112g weight, solid screen and it's almost half the price of the S4 Mini. It is his first venture into the world of smartphones!
 
What I was keeping in mind by saying iPhone was keepnig the screen size as a chief consideration. The Moto G is still a 4.5" phone with the other Android phones being of similar size. If you really need 3.5" to 4" you're going to be stuck using more secondary brands or really old stuff.

But honestly, my beleif is that for his needs, an iphone (5 or 5S) or a Moto G would be the two options I'd be looking at. Yes, they don't necessarily fit all your requirements, but I still feels those are the best choices.
 
My dad got his first smartphone last December, the iPhone 5s and he loves it. Learned the OS quickly, though doesn;'t trust the fingerprint scanner lol.

Get him the iPhone 5 if you don't want to spend too much.
 
Regarding this picture, iPhone...

89af5eb8871be624a78da160feebf87e.jpg
 
moto g

I have a 2013 moto g and its a great phone, but a bit heavy, but even the heaviest phones dont really weigh that much, try installing smart launcher if you choose an android, its simple and easy to use. :)
 
How is the Moto g and the iPhone 5S too heavy? Seriously if your father needs a phone just get a near-flagship with a contract! Personally I would recommend to my father the Sony Xperia Z2 but he is very experienced with smartphones.


Thanks.
 
JaySoul said:
My Dad wants to have a smartphone. These are the basic needs:

- 3.5 to 4" screen (max)
- lightweight, meaning under 115g in weight
- pretty simple to use
- decent battery life

That's basically it, just a reliable, lightweight smartphone that's easy to use - any recommendations please?
Click to expand...

You only have 2 choices here platform wise: iOS or Android. I wouldn't bother with a faltering ecosystem like Windows Phone especially if you want him to enjoy the Apps with the rest of the world.

iPhone is currently 4" max. Not sure if there are high end Android phones that top out at 4".

What does the rest of the family use? Would he utilize something like find my friends with other family members? Find my phone?
 
I'd go with the Motorola X or G if you choose Android. And the iPhone 5/5s if you choose iOS.
 
Last edited:
If all your dad will be using his phone for is making phone calls, and probably texting, then a Moto E.
 
JaySoul said:
My Dad wants to have a smartphone. These are the basic needs:

- 3.5 to 4" screen (max)
- lightweight, meaning under 115g in weight
- pretty simple to use
- decent battery life

That's basically it, just a reliable, lightweight smartphone that's easy to use - any recommendations please?
Click to expand...
As you have asked this in the non iPhone section I would recommend an iPhone as it fits all the needs your Dad desires ;)
 
If it is an Android, I think the Asus Zenfone 4 might be a better choice than the Moto E.

It only retails for $100 or under. It has 4-inch screen and weighs only 115g. Asus also gave it 1GB RAM which is rare in its price range. I just saw all three Zenfones on display about 20 min ago. Asus didn't make it available to other countries other than China and its home country of Taiwan until recently. Build quality and design is decent enough. I consider Asus for the lower to midrange market, but nearly the same build quality as its neighbor, HTC. I rank it HTC, Asus, and Acer in that Taiwanese build quality order.

You would have to import though. For my money, I wanted the Zenfone 5 first until I saw the huge difference in battery capacity between it and the Zenfone 6. I'm not in love with bigger phones but I am in love with all-day battery life. Read the Zenfone 4 batt life is pretty awful. But it fits the mold of your Dad's needs if you chose an Android.
 
Best Phone For My Dad

I'm a long time iPhone user. I currently use an iPhone 5S. I've experienced Android with Samsung and HTC phones just to compare both OS's. Android is *not* simple to use. Especially since your father has never used a smartphone before, I don't think he'll find Android simple at all. IMO, the iPhone is an excellent choice. iOS is much more simple and very minimal than Android. It doesn't have to be an iPhone 5S. Consider the iPhone 4/4S.
 
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