this is the worst thread, because every time I see it I think a spambot made it
Here's a super long post about phones because I was in the same boat as you
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mobile-Pho...ion/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n:5362060031,p_89:BLU
I dont think i've ever heard anything bad about these ones. Not sure if you've ruled these out. Most if not all are running on android. Only issue is that theyre a bit lacking on the storage size, but I think you can use microSD. I could be wrong. They all seem to be at a relatively recent OS. They seem to be easy-ish to break so i'd get the accident coverage if you can shell out the extra $15. That's probably the best you're gonna get with your needs and your budget.
The Samsung J3 seems to be good too but its running on a slightly older OS. It's also very very slightly out of your budget (by a few dollars) but it's Samsung, and those are pretty durable. Again, if you can shell out the extra cash, get some sort of insurance on it or else you'll be in for a world of hurt if it breaks.
Unfortunately, with the circumstances you have, buying used or from non-reputable brands will most likely be your best bet. Try doing auctions on eBay or going to places that sell older phones irl (check reviews first) and do a TON of looking. You're definitely not gonna get a super up-to-date phone with your budget either, unless you buy one that's for parts/has a super big problem (broken screen, broken LED) and you fix it yourself, which will cost you more money anyways. Non-reputable brands may be good though, perhaps theyre like diamonds in the rough or maybe there's a reason why they're not well known, but thats where google becomes your friend If you do find a phone for cheap, I HIGHLY recommend getting an extended warranty or insurance-ish thing for it because they will probably be fairly easy to break or have some sort of downside to them that could eventually cause a problem, such as spotty charging, heats up fast, etc.
I did though, just find this one.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/OUKITEL-An...TF8&qid=1492261234&sr=1-3&keywords=smartphone
Only complaint is it heating up and customer service is lacking. Take it as you will though, it seems pretty good for being a budget phone. It's even got some nice colour options so it doesn't even look like a "budget phone," although im sure you probably dont care
Also, I found a lot of good phones under your budget with this search on amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_n...smartphone&ie=UTF8&qid=1492261223&rnid=560800
A lot are up to date, have at LEAST 2 GB Ram and 16 Gb ROM, have Android OS (and most are SD compatible too, bonus!) Just maybe lacking in the camera department, or they have some sort of technical issue like overheating/bad wifi coverage. If you find a good phone for cheap you could use the leftover money to get a power bank if you're afraid of your phone dying while on the go.
Overall just do a lot of research before you buy. Make sure the phone is unlocked, sim-free or works with your trusted carrier. (We don't have "sim free" in the U.S but i'm gonna assume its the same as being unlocked.)
It'll take a lot of research to find what's perfect for you, but you'll thank yourself later, and so will your new phone. Good luck
The problem is the more I research on different phones the more it becomes a blur on what phone is what. Plus I'm needing a phone that's going to last for a few years and it's hard to tell which ones will be able to keep up with the times.
Loads of people keep mentioning about second hand phones but like I said in the description and here, I need one that can definitely last a few years for me. With a second hand phone how do I know they've taken good care of the phone. Even a slight drop could damage the phone in the long run and of course people aren't going to say about something so minor in the description.