Best Android phone for ODK data collection?

I am currently designing a form for data collection in the field and need to choose the "best" Android phone model (not tablet) to distribute to the target community.

Is there a list somewhere of Android devices that have been used by ODK community with their pros and cons? My main criteria are as follows:

  • Good GPS (< 5m accuray)
  • Good camera
  • Enough memory to store about 500 pictures (or possibility to add SD card)
  • Good battery (at least 12 hours autonomy)
  • Low cost (< 150 USD if possible)
  • "Common" brand, i.e. a brand that can potentially be found easily in different parts of the world so we can buy locally

I would appreciate any feedback from recent experiences to guide a bit my search! Thanks in advance for your help.

This is one of those "how long is a piece of string" questions.

Camera goodness depends on your use case. The number of pictures depends on the resolution of said pictures. GPS accuracy really depends on if you have clear views of the sky. Battery life varies dramatically based on screen brightness and GPS usage. Commonness of brand depends on the country and the quantities you need. You see where this is going.

For campaigns where you need thousands of devices in country, work with your national carrier, because that's generally the only way you'll get that many devices. For everything else, I'd start with https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-budget-android-phone for devices you can generally source from the US and carry into country. Then try those out and see how things go. In general, you get what you pay for...

Collect runs on 13,000 devices and our analytics over the last year show that there isn't really a dominant device. Here are the top 25 devices (click below see all), but the popular manufacturers are Samsung, Tecno, and Huawei.