Best MTB phone?

[carlbiker]

After a few test now my weary iphone 7 isn't upto standard, the photos are dull and the battery is pants! I tried an iphone 11 pro from Music Magpie which I was considering using but the thing came in bad condition and I knew I'd only make it worse.....I also tried an apple watch 6 but sent that back, crap Apple battery as usual and it was too fragile for my liking.

So now I'm sporting:

Garmin Fenix 6 pro solar
Iphone 7
Gopro Hero 9 (currently on a nice sale)

The watch I'm using mainly to see how mtb dynamics works, other metrics and trail maps when needed at a glance. For better detail I find Trailforks really useful and improved navigation comes from Komoot. I tried a Garmin Edge but I'm not impressed really vs smartphones so I'll be selling this.

If the device can take quality photos then great, so far at a glance I've managed to find


which is £209.00 (inc £40 off voucher). I suspect it might not be too great with photos but then when you start looking at the better stuff it starts to range £550-1k+ Smartphone comparison & Personalized smartphone rankings | Versus

Has anyone found anything to tick a few boxes without costing the earth?

 

[Zimmerframe]

Switched to a Redmi Note 9 pro a while ago. Larger and heavier than I normally like, but one of the main reasons I bought it was photo/video quality - price ratio. Weirdly, the size increase I've not noticed - I guess once you get to a certain size, you don't notice the increase as much as it's less proportionally. Video quality is outstanding !

It was about €200, Easy to set up. Has the stupid MIUI skinned operating system, which I thought I'd hate, but it works just fine. Seems to be loads of adverts popping up at the start which is annoying as hell and it almost went in the bin - until I searched google and found how to turn them off.

Battery seems to last a good two days even if using it with google maps running all day and using it as a hotspot. Seems nicely built, been dropped a few times, been covered in mud/rain on the bike and wipes down and still works. Comes with a lightweight silicone case which seems to protect it as well as any of the other cases I've had on phones in the past. GPS seems accurate, built in compass and so on. Lives in my pocket when doing things and it's not got smashed chainsawing, splitting logs, carrying logs or doing any other stupid stuff you probably should have your phone in your pocket for. I always put it screen to body in my pocket.

Face recognition unlock all works really well and quickly. Fingerprint unlock (which is built into the power button) works really well. Only issue I've had is strava sometimes seems to stop recording when I take a picture - not sure if this is me just being ham fisted and clicking something else by accident, but I now just always flick back to the strava screen after taking a picture to make sure it's working. Good clear screen. Twin sim slots. 6gb memory. It's fast, fluid and works way better than I ever imagined. Two clicks of power button for camera, so quick access.

Obviously it's been crashed with a few times and no problems at all, either on the bars or in the pocket.

 

[deksawyer]

You won't spend more that 20 quid on lights but buy all that shit? There's something wrong with you!

 

[Zimmerframe]

You won't spend more that 20 quid on lights but buy all that shit? There's something wrong with you!

I'm just not right in the head .. I thought we knew this ??

Doesn't that fall into the same line of thinking ?

A €20 light lets me see about 90% as well as a €400 light.

A €200 phone takes photo's about 95% as well as a €1000 phone.

But yes .. body armour .. my €35 armour protects almost as well as all the crap I've spent thousands on ... BUT it's not as comfortable - and you want to be comfortable when riding. Plus, when you only spend €20 on lights, you probably need thousands of euro's of body armour !

 

[deksawyer]

I wasn't talking about you Zimmer, but points well made all the same!

 

[Gary]

A €20 light lets me see about 90% as well as a €400 light.

And not having a phone, garmin or GoPro at all let's you go about actually riding your bike instead of pointlessly wanking over irrelevant data/footage. ?

 

[stiv674]

I use a cheap rugged phone, Oukitel WP5, battery lasts ages and it takes decent landscape photos, £120.

 

[R120]

I am amazed snooze hasn't made an EMTB phone yet in the quest to milk the market

 

[Zimmerframe]

And not having a phone, garmin or GoPro at all let's you go about actually riding your bike instead of pointlessly wanking over irrelevant data/footage. ?

True, makes far more sense to ride your bike and let someone else reviewing your wanking data/footage !

 

[Mteam]

I think you should be asking what's the best emtb phone, not what's the best mtb phone.

Emtb has specialist demands of a phone that a mere phone good for mtb simply couldn't deliver.

 

[simonk]

Apple Watch 6 for the win! Rob approves...

 

[2cool2fool]

A freind gave me an LG v10 Android. I spent $10 on a new battery. It‘s great for running either the Wahoo fitness app - or BLEvo for my Spech Turbo. Great phone - and if I crash it - I’m out 10 bucks.

 

[carlbiker]

And not having a phone, garmin or GoPro at all let's you go about actually riding your bike instead of pointlessly wanking over irrelevant data/footage. ?

Ah so posting pointless shit about people posting pointless shit is more relevant? ? Get into the 21st century you fossil! It’s funny you know, was just thinking about a cantankerous git on Sunday when I realised my pins don’t sink into my GR9s very well really and then thought, you know what, just what if I try my Chesters, the irony if I try and they just work as logic would suggest, fit being a fit and all ?, still unless Gary says it.....it’s cleeeearly pointless ?. And leave my spreadsheet fetish out of this! I leave your sleeping with your bike xyz alone don’t I

 

[carlbiker]

Apple Watch 6 for the win! Rob approves...
View attachment 45535

Had one but sent it back, I’d break that toy in no time! There still mainly remote controls for the iPhones, great for non combat sports though.....I deem mtb a combat sport, I’m forever wrestling with the ground, trees xyz! I do miss some stuff about the watch but Garmin ticks more boxes for me