Best phone for paperless surveying

[Alex]

Hi All,

I currently have a Galaxy s25 ultra which is great for surveying especially as it comes with a stylus, but the issue is, it's my main phone i.e. I use it for all the normal phone stuff too and need to not break or loose it down a cave, it (was) worth £1000, so an expensive bit of kit for a caving environment. I need to buy another me thing, anyone got any recommendations, preferably comes with a stylus or is compatible with one and will run SexyTopo and connect to a SAP. I also take photos underground so a phone with a good camera is a secondary concern, but not crucial. Any recommendations please? I don't want to spend £1000 again, I thinking around £300 or less price range. Waterproof/resistant is definitely a must as well, the caves I end up surveying arn't exactly dry.

 

[Rob]

Yer, stylus is hard to beat. Just get a second Samsung Note to suit your budget.

 

[Ali M]

Why not purchase a reconditioned version of your phone. I keep the phone that I bought new for everyday use and a reconditioned version of the same phone for taking underground to use as a camera, so if I drop this down a pitch it would not be the end of the world. Back Market and other companies offer your phone. https://www.backmarket.co.uk/en-gb/...&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22162246273&l=12

 

[deck]

Hi All,

I currently have a Galaxy s25 ultra which is great for surveying especially as it comes with a stylus, but the issue is, it's my main phone i.e. I use it for all the normal phone stuff too and need to not break or loose it down a cave, it (was) worth £1000, so an expensive bit of kit for a caving environment. I need to buy another me thing, anyone got any recommendations, preferably comes with a stylus or is compatible with one and will run SexyTopo and connect to a SAP. I also take photos underground so a phone with a good camera is a secondary concern, but not crucial. Any recommendations please? I don't want to spend £1000 again, I thinking around £300 or less price range. Waterproof/resistant is definitely a must as well, the caves I end up surveying arn't exactly dry.

A really good budget option is Motorolla Defy (2021)! You can get them 2nd hand for like £70, they have a decent camera, and are pretty bash-resistant and water-resistant. They don't have a built in stylus but you can just buy a cheap separate one. It's got a nice place to tie a chord on too so you can have it round your neck without needing a case. Personally prefer pretty cheap/replaceable but good-enough stuff for caving since no matter how expensive and well-designed it is, you can always drop it down a tight rift and never see it again.

 

[Samouse1]

I've been using a Google Pixel 7, which is also my main phone (there's a funny story about what happened to my old one). To a degree any android will do, and should connect to SAP, I usually pack a stylus in with mine, and keep it in a good Pelicase. It also takes pretty good pictures

 

[Tritim230]

If you are surveying wet cave avoid a capacitive stylus - it will be a nightmare. The S pen works when the screen and pen are wet. Obviously make sure your phone/tab is compatible

 

[Alex]

Thanks for all the info.

 

[nearlywhite]

Why not purchase a reconditioned version of your phone. I keep the phone that I bought new for everyday use and a reconditioned version of the same phone for taking underground to use as a camera, so if I drop this down a pitch it would not be the end of the world. Back Market and other companies offer your phone. https://www.backmarket.co.uk/en-gb/...&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22162246273&l=12

If you do go for reconditioned just be aware the battery life can be poor - it doesn't matter to me as I always carry a power bank that's permanently plugged in so get a protective case that allows you to use while charging

 

[Ali M]

If you do go for reconditioned just be aware the battery life can be poor - it doesn't matter to me as I always carry a power bank that's permanently plugged in so get a protective case that allows you to use while charging

I went for one of the Back Market ones in "Good condition" and have had problems with this for cave photography. I ensure that it is fully charged before each trip. Guess though that you might drain it more with surveying.

 

[Alex]

Ahh I ordered a refurbished one based on advice earlier, let's hope the battery is okay then. I guess I could always replace the battery. It's not like I will drain it doing much else though.

 

[Ali M]

Ahh I ordered a refurbished one based on advice earlier, let's hope the battery is okay then. I guess I could always replace the battery. It's not like I will drain it doing much else though.

I went for one of the Back Market ones in "Good condition" and have had problems with this for cave photography. I ensure that it is fully charged before each trip. Guess though that you might drain it more with surveying.

Sorry, I should not do things in a hurry. The above message should say that I have NOT had any problems with it for cave photography, but always ensure that it is charged before a trip.

 

[nearlywhite]

Ahh I ordered a refurbished one based on advice earlier, let's hope the battery is okay then. I guess I could always replace the battery. It's not like I will drain it doing much else though.

Honestly they work great with external batteries, the bits that fail tend to be the cables.

You've got a lot of ways to reduce power consumption etc but the annoying thing is more that the % charged on some of the refurbished stuff tends to be utter nonsense and very temperature dependent.

I replaced the battery on my note 4 and the replacement is also now knackered but using external banks kept it functional. It just needed enough power to boot and be happy for the occasional disconnect.

 

[TLH]

I use a Samsung Galaxy Note (4 I think) due to having a stylus. I think I paid about £20 for it. The great thing about them is that the batteries can be replaced i carry a spare with me, but both batteries were bought separate to the phone more recently and last well.

 

[pmccarron97]

Second hand Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is what I use. Got it for £130 off giffgaff refurbished. Still gets updates, good battery life - but sadly no user replaceable battery. Water resistant - but if you want multiple s-pens, you need to charge them separately using the phone and enable multiple s pens in settings.

 

[BigDyl]

Might be a bit late, but I use a Motorola g06. Under £90 new, and it has everything I need.