OK, so my previous phone was a Nexus 5 32GB which was pretty much awesome...did everything I needed and did it well (although a bit more than 32GB would have been nice). Anyway, that phone is now RIP after taking a brief swim in the toilet 

 

So I'm back in the market for a new Android phone. Didn't think it would be too much of an issue finding something of a similar ilk, but I'd forgotten just what a crowded marketplace the mobile phone world is! In terms of my requirements, I don't want anything with a screen bigger than a 5"...it's just too big and won't fit in my pocket comfortably. I'll need at least 32GB although more would be nice, and ideally at least Android M. I'm not a heavy gamer or massive social media monkey but I do use the cam on it quite a lot (photos and vids) and have quite a lot of apps and music that I use on a regular basis.

 

One of the great things about the Nexus was that you got Android updates as and when they happened...none of this hanging around for the manufacturer to make it work with their skin. Samsung phones look OK but I'm not that keen on their skin...I much prefer "raw" Android.

 

I was looking at the Motorola Moto G 3rd Gen, which gets quite a lot of good reviews although it's only 16GB but does have a microSD card slot so that can be boosted. The slight issue I have is that there seem to be a lot of reports of the microSD card getting corrupted, esp if you try and use the Android M "adoptable internal storage" feature with it. 

 

The new Nexus Pixel looks really nice...right size, good capacity and all that but stone me, they've certainly ditched the "good value" tag! It's a great phone, but considering the price/performance balance they struck with the Nexus range (i.e. great phones for a very reasonable price), things have changed somewhat! If I wanted the 5" Pixel, it's £600 for even the 32GB model, which is kinda double what I paid for my Nexus 5! If I went for the 128GB model it pushes up to £700!! 

 

Does anyone have any recommendations? I'm on a sim-only contract with 3 at the moment so need to buy the phone outright. If I can get something for <£400 that would be good...

 

Is the Moto X play under 5"?

They're under £200 with John Lewis and have sd slot. Nougat is rolling out soon for it.

I know what you mean about updates. Just moved from my Nexus 5 (it's in sale section) and will miss the immediate updates.

Went for a Z play. Battery is fantastic, but it's huge!

Moto X looks a decent phone but it's 5.5"...too big for me.

I'll keep hunting ;-)