It’s not a big deal to have a mobile in your pocket. But not all mobile phones are smart. Also, most are not good to play games because of their small screen size, not-so-good battery, and the UI of the mobile.
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Many gamers say Apple iPhone is the best, but there are reasons that not all players can afford it. If you look at the mobile market segment in New Zealand then you will find that iPhones have a 41% market share and that means 59% of the smartphones in Kiwi pockets are Android phones that run Google’s Android operating system.
Android mobiles in New Zealand
There are fewer Android manufacturers selling in New Zealand than in other countries. Therefore choices for Android mobiles are tucked at looking for Samsung, Huawei, and Oppo with a bit of Nokia thrown in occasionally.
- Samsung is considered the best Android and is popular for best hardware, software and awesome features.
- Oppo latest phones have brought it right up to speed, besting Samsung in some cases for sheer design and specs at lower or similar prices.
- Nokia though very few mobiles are popular now the brand name is licensed by another Finnish company called HMD. HMD manufactures the phones and puts the Nokia name on them, but the quality is still there and if you want a simple Android phone, they are a solid choice.
- Huawei phones can’t run Google services, which means no Gmail, no Google Maps and no Play Store for your favourite apps.
According to research firm IDC in early 2019, New Zealanders were spending more on smartphones as time went on. Spending on low-end phones declined 19% from 2018, but that was pre-Covid. Now you need to be a bit realistic and consider mobile in the range of $100- $2000 (if you can afford it)
Read: Best Pokie Machines to Play on Android Mobile Phones
The best Android Phones you can buy now in New Zealand
In New Zealand, it’s common for Android phones to be sold locked to one of the big networks, even if you’re buying the phone outright from a retailer or the manufacturer. So you need to double-check that you’re buying a completely unlocked phone or one locked to the network you want to use.
If you are buying on contract, consider if you can afford a 24- rather than 36-month contract so you’re locked in for two years of payments instead of three. Contracts with a phone are pricey in New Zealand for not much mobile data, so if you can afford to buy a phone outright, you might be able to afford a better monthly data plan.
Best Android Phones
1. Nokia 1.3
Nokia 1.3 smartphone was launched on 19th March 2020. The phone comes with a 5.71-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 720×1520 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9. Nokia 1.3 is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm 215 processor. It comes with 1GB of RAM. The Nokia 1.3 runs Android 10 (Go edition) and is powered by a 3000mAh removable battery.
As far as the cameras are concerned, the Nokia 1.3 on the rear packs an 8-megapixel camera. The rear camera setup has autofocus. It sports a 5-megapixel camera on the front for selfies.
Nokia 1.3 is based on Android 10 (Go edition) and packs 16GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded via microSD card (up to 400GB). The Nokia 1.3 is a dual-SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts Nano-SIM and Nano-SIM cards. The Nokia 1.3 measures 147.30 x 71.20 x 9.35mm (height x width x thickness) and weighs 155.00 grams. It was launched in Charcoal, Cyan, and Sand colors.
Connectivity options on the Nokia 1.3 include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.20, Micro-USB, FM radio, 3G, and 4G. Sensors on the phone include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and proximity sensor. The Nokia 1.3 supports face unlock.
You’ll find the Nokia 1.3 at Harvey Norman, Officeworks, Big W, Australia Post, and JB Hi-Fi. The price for this phone in Australia is A$169.
If you prefer, the Nokia 4.2 will also do you well at around $300.
2. Samsung Galaxy A10
Samsung Galaxy A10 smartphone was launched in February 2019. The phone comes with a 6.20-inch touchscreen display. Samsung Galaxy A10 is powered by an octa-core Samsung Exynos 7884 processor. It comes with 2GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy A10 runs Android Pie and is powered by a 3400mAh battery. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Samsung Galaxy A10 on the rear packs a 13-megapixel camera with an f/1.9 aperture. It sports a 5-megapixel camera on the front for selfies, with an f/2.0 aperture. The Samsung Galaxy A10 runs One UI based on Android Pie and packs 32GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded via a microSD card (up to 512GB). It was launched in Red and Blue Black colors.
The Galaxy A10 looks a lot like the Nokia 1.3 with a teardrop-shaped notch in the display for the front-facing camera and a plastic build. Like the Nokia, there’s no fingerprint sensor but the camera offers a quick way to unlock the phone with your face. It has a large 6.2-inch screen and a decent size battery but you cant play high-definition games.
So many Australian stores have this beast on shelves, and Aussies across Australia can get their hands on one with immediate effects. Talking about Samsung Galaxy A10 Price in Australia, it entirely depends on a model you choose. Chances are you’ll be encountered with its 32GB variant with 2GB RAM and external microSD card option. It’s ranging from AU$224-599 – depends on a store or retailer you choose to shop from. Some stores let Aussies go through their exclusive sales, whereas many others offer coupon codes.
3. Oppo A72
Oppo A72 smartphone was launched on 16th June 2020. The phone comes with a 6.50-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080×2400 pixels at a pixel density of 480 pixels per inch (ppi) and an aspect ratio of 20:9. Oppo A72 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor. It comes with 4GB of RAM. The Oppo A72 runs Android 10 and is powered by a 5000mAh battery.
As far as the cameras are concerned, the Oppo A72 on the rear packs a 48-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.7 aperture; a second 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture; a third 2-megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture and a fourth 2-megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture. It sports a 16-megapixel camera on the front for selfies, with an f/2.0 aperture.
The Oppo A72 runs ColorOS 7.1 based on Android 10 and packs 128GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded via a microSD card with a dedicated slot. The Oppo A72 is a dual-SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts Nano-SIM and Nano-SIM cards. The Oppo A72 measures 162.00 x 75.50 x 8.90mm (height x width x thickness) and weighs 192.00 grams. It was launched in Twilight Black and Aurora Purple colors.
Connectivity options on the Oppo A72 include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, GPS, Bluetooth v5.00, NFC, USB Type-C, 3G, and 4G with active 4G on both SIM cards. Sensors on the phone include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, compass/ magnetometer, proximity sensor, and fingerprint sensor.
There’s a striking purple version with a sharp HD display, a decent four-camera array on the back that can shoot 4K video, dual stereo speakers, and a huge battery that might last lighter users two days without charging. Priced at only AU$299, the new Oppo A72 is available in Aurora Purple (pictured) and Twilight Black color options, via Optus.
4. Samsung Galaxy A51
The Samsung Galaxy A51 is one of the first budget phones to sport Samsung’s flagship-grade Infinity-O display cutout. It’s a light phone and easy to handle too. It features a Super AMOLED panel for bright and punchy colors.
The phone is powered by the Exynos 9611 octa-core SoC, which is a little dated and not too powerful for a mid-range phone in 2020. You do get One UI 2.0, based on Android 10, and has the ability to organize your SMS messages in the form of visual cards, multilingual predictive typing, and Smart Crop, which claims to detect the most relevant part of a screenshot and lets you crop it with a single tap.
Overall performance is decent but could be better, had Samsung used a more powerful chip. This is also one of the first Samsung phones to have a dedicated macro camera. The 4,000mAh battery offers a decent day-long battery life and there’s 15W fast charging too.
The Samsung Galaxy A51 costs AU$599 and can be bought at Optus.
Besides the above best Android, Australians also have a choice to go for 5 G mobile phones.
The best premium Android phone you can buy at the moment is the 5G-ready Oppo Find X2 Pro. It’s got a 120Hz display that makes everything look smoother, amazing cameras that rival a DSLR in some situations, solid battery life, huge 512GB storage, a pin-sharp screen and performance that makes it a top phone for gaming. Oppo’s Android software has also had a makeover so it’s much nicer to use now. In Australia, find X2 Pro has an RRP of $1,599. The Oppo Find X2 Neo comes in at $999 and the Oppo Find X2 Lite is $ 749. If you want Oppo quality for less, the excellent Reno 10x Zoom is now around $1,000.
The other mobile is the Samsung Galaxy S20 range which is the safest bet in premium Android. You get excellent everything – cameras, 120Hz smooth screen, waterproofing, speakers, performance, and design. In New Zealand, the $1,499 regular S20 is 4G-only, so if you want 5G you’ll have to get the $1,899 S20 Plus, which has a bigger screen and battery, and 5G phones still work with 4G SIM cards.
Synopsis
Also, Galaxy S10 phones are still a good choice too if you can find them cheaper and don’t mind not having 5G. They have headphone jacks, where the S20 phones do not. Now make a choice of which best Android mobile you need to have which fits your budget and games.
