What smartphones are people using nowadays?
What smartphones are people using nowadays?
My phone's just bitten the dust and now I need to look for a new one again.
Thought I'd test the waters and see what kinds of phones people on here are using nowadays and what for, what features set them apart if any etc
Bonus points if anyone's managed to get mainline linux running on them either via KVM or bare metal
Edit: Thanks for everyone who talked about their choices of phone, I am now writing this on a fairphone 4 and am quite happy with it so far.
Any smartphone, they're not that different and all have the same weaknesses. They're pretty fragile, don't have battery-life and they have lots of bloat and functionality that's gate-kept behind sign ups and cloud accounts
Only if you ever buy the popular models.
Get yourself a rugged device, made for enterprises. They tend to be a bit more costly, but they aren't fragile, they have great battery-life (although usually low specs to make that work), have no bloat and don't require a sign up or even cloud.
Like the Unihertz Tank for example, or the Ascom Myco. Or the Bittium Tough Mobile 2 if you want extra secure.
Wow I misread the battery capacity on the unihertz tank and was like when was 2000mAh last a big battery? It's 20 000 mAh. Also there's a Tank2 with only 15 500 mAh.
damn thanks how did I not know these existed...
don't have battery life
I have a Fold 5 with a snapdragon 8gen2. I have "light performance mode" on at all times, and deep sleep most apps that I rarely use, and get 8 hours SOT. The 8g2 phones are definitely worth getting for battery life
I'm using a Pixel 6, mostly because I like stock android. Not spectacular compared to their previous phones though, notably they used to be the only major company that still had headphone jacks, but that is no longer the case.
I have a 6a. Same deal. Terrible battery life honestly. I wish I could find a phone that could stay up to date and I can replace the batteries...
6a here too. At least the battery holds long when the phone is barely used. Idle standby is great compared to my outdated Xcover from before.
Are the newer pixels any better? I have a pixel 4 that I’d like to upgrade at some point but it seems like everything else would be a downgrade for what I want.
Good battery life under load, wireless charging, and NFC are the only things I want. A low end phone with a potato for a CPU would be plenty but none of them have wireless charging AND NFC. They’ve started to have one, or the other, but not both.
Buy a refurbished or new in box flagship phone from a couple years ago. I paid like 1400$ for a Sony Xperia 1 III but now 2 years later it's like 500$, refurbished with a warranty. It's great value considering most phones brands don't change much in only 2 years and you still get a pretty cutting edge device.
good advice, i bought Moto G100 when it was about 3 years old and antutu benchmark is around double what my friends have for a similar price (Samsung A series)
Galaxy S10. Still rockin the headphone port.
Galaxy S7 here, but it's probably getting replaced somewhere this year.
Ah I miss my S10 . It died end of last year, I was hoping to get a few more years out of it. I forgot I had already had the battery replaced and dropped it in water :(
i know right? i don’t leave home without my VinylMan and 1/4” hi-fi’s
Still does the job just fine.
Google pixel so i could put graphene os on it.
I am on an iPhone 12 mini, I expect to keep it for another two or three years.
There are VNC and SSH apps in the appstore for Linux access.
iPhone XS Max here, and I’m astounded at how fast it still is after five years. Battery lasts all day, too.
I’m contemplating upgrading due to USB-C and 120hz, but I have no other reason to at the moment. The longevity of this bitch is mindblowing.
USB C is the only reason I upgraded to a 15 pro. I’d still be on my iPhone 6s until this phone if it wasn’t for getting each upgrade for stupid cheap from friends.
If you live in the US and want something on a budget, I recommend last year's Moto G Stylus 5G (the 2023). You can find it for around $250. For the price, you get:
- More than adequate performance, especially at this price point (Snapdragon 6 Gen 1).
- Adequate RAM (6GB)
- Lots of storage (256GB)
- Decent cameras (50MP + 8MP UW)
- Great display (120Hz FHD+ IPS LCD)
- Great battery life
- Headphone jack(!)
- MicroSD slot(!!)
Damn, that does sound pretty good. Is the OS pretty close to stock?
I'm at my 3rd moto atm. A slightly outdated g31. It came with Android 11 and only recently 2 years after I bought it, it got the 12 upgrade. Still gets regular security patches.
Next the apps installe by Motorola (where I mean by optional that you can deactivate them, not uninstall). None of these apps are in the top 12 in the battery usage statistics and most of them are activated.
A tutorial center with "kurzgesagt" like animations e.g. for gestures. A selection of shortcuts to settings for customizing your device and Motorola QOL settings.
Moto Actions and Gestures (20MB, optional)
Enables the gestures (has no other brand a shaking flashlight gesture or has Motorola patented it?).
Moto App Launcher (4MB)
The Motorola specific desktop customization. I don't know how close it is to the Pixel stock image but it doesn't get in my way.
Moto AI Services (whopping 200MB, optional)
The reviews for this service are scalding. I'm honestly not the biggest fan of having AI on my phone that's not in my control. Two reviewers point out, that it probably isn't very invasive AI and rather used for QOL features, like the shaking flashlight feature.
Moto Feedback (31MB, optional)
Helps the user sending feedback (bug-reports and memory-dumps?) to Motorola. Again smotheringly bad reviews. Never had to do with it or used it knowingly. Can be deactivated.
Motorola notifications (88MB, optional)
Again some furious reviews. Double edged sword as it's used to send news about updates but also push ADs. But the latter isn't very spammy. Just every few weeks or month a push notifications about a new moto. That's about the only place where I would see ADs (apart from regular apps).
Pixel 7, but for me I always look for a phone with stock Android and a good camera. Usually any of the Google Pixel phones covers that well.
Redmi Note 9 Pro with LineageOS 18.1 (Android 11).
Stay away from Xiaomi's phones if you plan to use the stock MIUI Android they come with. My SO has a stock Redmi Note 11S and MIUI is the biggest piece of bloated instrusive shit that I have ever seen on a phone.
Agree. I have a POCO F5 and, while it is not as awful as you say, it still sucks.
However, I flashed a custom ROM on my so's Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite, and that android experience is just bliss.
Bought myself a Pixel 6 used a while back. Been very happy with it
I hear a lot of good things about the older pixels, but they only have a couple years of security updates left and a couple months of android updates so it doesn't feel like a smart decision to buy them now
Just switched from an iPhone XR to a 15 pro. Hope to get another 4+ years out of it.
I only switched because my SUV’s CarPlay and wireless charger turned the XR into a no-working hot plate after an hour. The 15 pro still gets as hot but doesn’t seem to shut down. I blame ford.
Nah, wireless charging in general is to blame here - they heat up batteries a ton, and that can kill the battery faster.
If you keep using your Pro with it, expect the battery to deteriorate quickly.
Somebody should start putting TECs in the wireless chargers. Even 10 watts of cooling would probably make a difference.
MagSafe/qi 2 + PPS should fix that. It’s actually tolerable to wirelessly charge my phone and do anything with it.
But it’s still going to get pretty hot if you’re doing wireless CarPlay/AA. Even wired CarPlay it will get warm.
I'm currently using a Samsung S21, but once this thing eats it I'm done with Samsung. I'm sick of the OS updating and installing 6-7 garbage programs on my device without my consent.
I'm going to get a Nokia G42, just buy it outright and be done with the payment plan model. Nokia actually teamed up with iFixIt so I can do service on my own phone without needing to go through Verizon. Easily replaceable battery so I can buy an extra one and have it for when I'm traveling. SD card slot! Headphone jack!! And it's only like 1/4 the cost of a flagship.
It also runs vanilla Android.
But problematic, that the bootloader isn't unlockable.
Edit: on the nokia
As an only part-time semi-nerd, I'm not too concerned with that. I'm sure if I started playing with the root I would probably brick my Nokia (damn, nice pun??)
Fairphone because I want it to last 5+ years without any annoying repairs.
Same. Broke my screen last year and replaced it myself with a simple screwdriver.
Pixel 6 Pro with Graphene Os. You have to make a few concessions when it comes to ease of use, but the privacy and security is top notch.
I use a pixel 8. If you care about security or privacy, GrapheneOS simply has no substitute.
Battery life lasts about a day and a half. Performance is solid, camera is solid, and it has an AMOLED for active display.
CalyxOS is a great substitute and doesn't have a sus developer.
It might be a good substitute for some. Some features like contact and storage scopes are missing, and IMO they’re pretty cool Overall just worse privacy and security compared to Graphene
I might cave and get the 8, but I'm holding out for news on the 8a
Very understandable. My 8 was $550, but honestly I think it's overkill in some ways. I'd like to see what concessions are made on the 8a.
Still holding onto my Samsung Galaxy Note9
It has an excellent built-in stylus with a headphone jack and expandable storage to boot. Nothing that's come out since feels like an upgrade, only various sidegrades.
The Note 9 was the perfect phone. Hold onto it for as long as it will run! I got a Pixel 7 Pro after mine died. It was a real downgrade. Got the s24 Ultra this year, and it's actually quite nice. Probably the closest thing to the Note 9 these days.
The cheapest piece of shit Samsung make because I break phones. I work outdoors in all weathers and I use my phone alot. I go through on average one a year and I dont want a broken or lost phone to ruin my month.
I also work outside and am extremely rough on phones. I got a Galaxy s21 when they came out, Have not broken it in like 3 years
I can get behind that, that's kind of the direction I'm leaning in too.
I tend to go the other way with that and buy the tougher phones so they last me a bit longer though, I'd rather pay 600 every 3 years and have a somewhat nicer phone than 200 every 1 year and have to put up with a crappy one
Still using my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, for me it's perfect.
Continues to be up to date, hardware and software wise.
Moi Aussi! I can't believe this was the one that got me to stop phone hopping..
My S21 is the one to unfortunately kick the bucket. It could potentially be repaired but I expect the cost of repairing it is going to be comparable to just buying a new phone.
If I can fix the USB C port I can at least still use it for DeX or as an android tv somewhere I'm sure
Unfortunately... Samsung is the only "normal" choice compared to others in my country... Other brands shipped adware, or just straight up shows ads on lock screen. I'm not joking. Samsung does it too unfortunately, though not as aggressive. Also I noticed after the year 2020 their midrange model has gone worse.
I miss Sony Xperia. I wish they didn't leave my country.
I'm on the Samsung A54 right now. I had one too many times using Google devices which decided to suddenly die on me (Nexus 5x, Google Pixel 4a) and Internet mummers seem to hint that newer Pixel devices seem to be continuing that same lack reliability. I have an older Samsung tablet that is still working (better described as something that just won't die) so I decided to try the Samsung world of things to see if I can get the reliability I desire. So far, so good.
Curious about the Google device issues? The Nexus 5x worked great until it just died for good one night. The Pixel 4a worked great until it "turned off" at night making me miss all my alarms and requiring me to turn it back on. Now it is a coin toss if it will stay on overnight or just turn off for no reason making me miss all alarms. Apparently it can turn off when you are not using it which is a bit concerning for a device that should receive phone calls and sound alarms...
One plus nord n30. Bought it because it was relatively inexpensive and reviewed well. I'm happy with the purchase thus far.
How do you like the phone? We have 5 of them for work and they seem pretty decent. Sadly I couldn’t figure out how to root them before putting them into production.
I have the OnePlus 10 Pro and its a good phone in many ways, but it is locked down tight. They've come a long way away from where they started with the OnePlus One.
I'll keep it till it breaks and then I'll have to consider what to get next.
It's pretty much exactly what I was looking for. I used to buy flagship phones but figured I didn't really need all that just to browse the internet on the toilet. But I also wanted something that wasn't so low powered that it lagged during regular operation like a lower cost LG I had purchased before. So far it's fulfilling that purpose very well.
I'm leaning towards samsung again because of DeX and an absurdly high battery life in a couple of their phones, but samsung don't seem much better than apple as a company
So. Much. Bloat. Otherwise good.
Canta + Shizuku to get rid of bloat without root. It's great! I have no bloat left on my Samsung phone now.
The s22 ultra has amazing battery life. Prefer Samsung now (flagship only) over any others. They work very well, great battery, and camera. Can use it all day streaming and using navigation, still have 40% battery after 8hrs.
/clings desperately to my precious Note 9
If you live in NA yes, otherwise you get an Exynos chip which have way worse effeciency.
Pixel 4a. Was the only smaller phone at the time except for one of the Samsung ones but I'd rather have stock Android than the bloated crap from Samsung. Not a fan how big smartphones have gotten.
Same here. It's a great size. Probably going to hold on to it as long as possible. Keep being disappointed that newer pixels keep getting bigger.
I use a Fairphone 4 running Murena's e/os. The experience has been pretty good so far. I haven't needed to repair the phone yet but it's nice to know I have the option. The os doesn't have any quirks I can't live with. I like their app store, it gives every app a privacy score based on what logging it has and permissions it uses.
I have just bought myself a second hand fairphone 4. Not on eos, I might switch but Google pay contactless is important to me and I don't believe it works on custom ROMs
Can confirm, I just tried to install Google pay and it said I couldn't use it because I was running a custom ROM.
I have a Fairphone 3 and replaced the USB on it and it was amazing. Ordered the part for like €25 and it was here in a couple of days. Swapping the old one out was super easy. Everything should be so easy. ❤️
You might ask on c/android if you're not after an eyephone. I now use a Motorola G Stylus 5G 2023, good value at $250 imho. Big screen, fast compared to what I'm used to, good battery life, battery apparently not too hard to replace, headphone jack, SD slot, NFC, 256GB flash, 6GB ram, decent cameras (main, front, and wideangle macro, no telephoto). The main missing "flagship" features that I can think of are wireless charging and USB-C video out. Main complaint everyone has is too few software updates, but meh. I would probably buy this again if I needed another phone right now. The pen (stylus) isn't great but it is handy for poking small UI elements or typing when I'm tired, so I use it more than I expected to. Samsung's S pen is supposed to be better though.
Heads up: the 2024 version of the entry level model (G Play) is out and it's an ok upgrade to the 2023 version, but they removed the SD slot, which makes me wonder if they will do the same in the other models. With 256GB on board I guess the card is less important than before, but it is nice.
Ayy, I'm an owner of a 2022 model as my daily driver!
I'm a Pixel fan. Between the whole family, I think we have almost every generation.
Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro
It was an easy choice as it's the only modern devide with removable battery and a headphone jack. I would've gotten Fairphone but no headphone jack - no buy.
Personally I've only really stuck with wireless headphones anyway since before they removed the jack so doesn't bother me that much
How often do you find yourself needing to charge it?
My average screen on time is around 1 to 2 hours a day so I usually have well over 50% left when I plug it to a charger at night.
I found the sweet spot on the Samsung A34. It has the things I want, but it isn't flagship expensive and it has guaranteed 4 years of updates plus another year of support.
Pixel 6 pro.
get an empty can with some wire attached, connect a second can to the end of the wire and provide your intended contact with said second can.
Perfect, I'll never need to worry about it running out of battery on me
Samsung Galaxy Z fold 4. I got it for a good price and just wanted to see what folding phones were like. It's pretty awesome. Just hope the durability holds up for a few years.
I got the fold 5. Two weeks ago it dropped out of my pocket (folded) as I got off a regular bus and dropped 3 feet right onto road asphalt. I had a tempered glass screen protector on both the front and back, and have absolutely zero damage other than 2 tiny dings on the aluminum frame, and had to replace the front screen protector as that one was cracked badly. The front screen had no damage after peeling off the screen protector, and the inner screen has no damage whatsoever. Cameras are also undamaged and the phone seems to have no internal damage. I personally vouch for the durability of the Fold 5 :)
I'm running this. My friend got the original Fold, and she kept using it until the Fold5 came out and got that one. She still has the original and it's in good condition, so that bodes very well.
So far I like the Fold4. The big screen is nice for videos or even normal use (I have it open as I type this), but the small screen is fine for when you just need to see the time or something, and it fits in my pocket even better than the s2x ultra or whatever did.
Edit: typo
I did see a couple of surprisingly cheap foldables on ebay, but I'm still somewhat wary of foldables and I ended up finding a fairphone 4 for a pretty good price
Galaxy Fold 3, incredible phone, Dex is fantastic, brilliant for viewing things on larger screens so it's much easier to view.
Battery life is atrocious though, I charge it 3 times a day
I have a fold3 as well, personally have found the battery life to be fine. Maybe because my previous phone was 6 years old when I switched so I had low standards for battery. Although, I definitely don't need to charge 3 times a day.
If nobody else had said fold3, I was gonna post: I have a fold3 and I love it. I can see how people could see it as a dumb gimmick, but for me it can legitimately function as my main portable media device (ebooks, internet, keeping notes, video content, sudoku, emulated games if I attach a controller, showing people pictures, etc) in a way that a regular phone would feel way too cramped for, while also just fitting in my pocket so I can take it everywhere without a second thought - which would be a much bigger pain with a regular tablet. It's just really nice having a full-sized book in my jeans pocket in a waiting room, as a painless part of my "everyday carry".
Downside (for me) is people sometimes see me fold/unfold it and want to start a conversation about how weird it is, when I'm an extreme introvert and just wanted some silent device time. I guess this might be an upside for extroverts, but then they might be less interested in being glued to a large pocket-screen in the first place.
I have a Flip 5! Got it for the form factor and it just looks cool lol. I enjoy it.
I have a Galaxy Fold 2 and it's pretty sweet. Mine doesn't have the battery issues you mentioned for your 3, though. I guess if I'm watching videos for a few hours, THEN I definitely need to charge it, but otherwise a single charge lasts all day.
Galaxy S24 Ultra. I got really pissed off at the Pixel 7 Pro and bought this on a (very costly) whim. But this is the first phone I really like since the Note 9. The screen is gorgeous. The software is better than stock android on the Pixel. And it can actually make phone calls!
Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G 2022
Don't care about the stylus. Bought it for the features and the value. $250 for a 120hz screen, headphone jack, expandable storage, and nearly 3 days of battery life. I carry all my music on a micro SD. It's been a great phone and my only complaint is the camera. I think the sensors are good it's just moto's camera app, and the obscurity of the model makes it very difficult to find a fully working port of GCam.
Been using the 2023 version of the Moto G Stylus 5G for a few months now and I've got similar things to say. Motorola has built a fairly good mid-tier product here. Camera could be better, but it's got a headphone jack, a good screen, and very good battery life. Only other problem is, again because of the obscurity of the model, screen protectors are easy enough to find, but cases have been another matter. Had to take a Dremel to one so the hole would line up with the headphone jack. Otherwise this has been a good daily driver smart phone.
Oh, and I do use the stylus from time to time... compared to high end devices (like Samsung's Galaxy S lines) it's not as responsive and there's the occasional misclick, but it's not bad. That's the rating I'd give the experience with the phone overall: not great but certainly not terrible... 7/10 does most of what it says it'll do.
Pixel 7 pro with GrapheneOS. It is great.
I'm on the 7a with GrapheneOS, got it quite recently and am super happy
I got a seconhand Samsung S22+.
Great size (my last phone was too small), battery good, performance is great, screens good. Everything is good.
But the camera is meh. I'm really disappointed by that and I don't know what to do. Sure it's an upgrade on my 5 year old cheaper Chinese phone. But I thought it was meant to have a great camera, the default setting are some shitty Instagram looking ai filter where the sky is the bluest blue much darker than reality, grass is some glowing bright green it looks like a fucking video game. I managed to fix a lot of that but it's still meh, night mode is fairly bad too.
If you care about a natural looking camera, I suggest either going into manual mode, getting a different camera app, or getting a Sony Xperia phone. Samsungs are known for having spruced up shots out of the box.
Oneplus have paired with Hasselblad, if you're looking for something with a good camera. I regret the phone because the quality has gone downhill over the generations but the camera is on point
Poco X3 Pro.
It was very cheap (€188) with a powerful SoC. Though it does come with a caveat: reliability. I knew about this issue since I decided to buy it. It already had motherboard replaced in-warranty not once, but twice. But since I knew about this, I had backups already, so I lost just moderate amount of data. The biggest one was Termux stuff which I forgot to backup since I explicitly excluded the Android folder. Then all the apps, since there's no way to back it up without root.
I mean, the software is also quite buggy, but oh well, I can work around it.Hardware wise, the mentioned SoC (Snapdragon 860), FM radio, headphone jack, IR blaster, 120Hz IPS LCD (I do not want *LED due to permanent burn-ins.), 5200mAh battery, easy to open (the back cover is soft plastic, so you can just rip it off without breaking anything, then glue it back).
Though now I am also looking at the idea of PinePhone.
Next time I'll probably take something with MediaTek SoC instead, due to MTK engineer mode (
*#*#3646633#*#*) due to changes by my carrier. Specifically, I am looking at the band-lock feature.188€ for a brand new Snapdragon 855 is a crazy good deal.
That was nearly 2 years ago when I got it.
I still have the pixel 6 pro, I want it to last until at least a pixel 10. I treat it like an appliance, I'm done with custom roms
I have my old oneplus 6 on my desk as a postmarketOS test device
I have Motorola something because I'm poor. Though, one good thing about Motorola phones is that they're durable as all hell.
Jelly Star.
I don't like big phones. I just wish this one was a little thinner. The Jelly Pro was a perfect size, but it didn't have the performance to really be a functioning device. 😔
im still on a pixel 3a
Same, but I sadly upgraded to the latest Android version because of a boot loop and things are not as snappy as they used to be. Also hangs sometimes.
Galaxy A32. It no longer receives software updates, but still gets security updates. It works fine for me.
I got a samsung galaxy s23 ultra. Battery and stylus are dope, camera is fun to use, but it's slightly too big.
Pixel 7 because oft grapheneOS. As all Smartphones are pretty much the same because we reached a plateau, the only thing differentiating them is how easy it is to install another OS.
I use a Gigaset GS5 from Germany. Runs stock android has USBC, 3.5m audio jack, replaceable battery, dual Sim cards, and a SD card slot. Yea, 3 card slots. not those crappy dual SD/Sim card slots.
Gigaset os still a thing. I didn't know.
I have a pixel 6 pro, but I wouldn't recommend it. You'd think Google is capable of providing a perfect Android experience, but my old Note 9 was way less buggy.
I've had lots of issues with 3rd party launchers (nova), I can't even use the USBC with a dongle and second screen (my old Note could do this without issues). Also this is my first phone without headphone jack and SD slot, both I really miss. Just in general the software (especially in the beginning) felt really buggy with small glitches etc.
I don't think I'll ever go pixel again.
The pixel six was not good. I use a pixel 7a and it solved a lot of the issues the 6 had. Also the pixel 8 is doing good in reviews.
ZenFone 10, because it's one of the now rare phones where you can still reach the whole screen with one hand.
Maybe you just need bigger hands.
Maybe I should try and convince someone to make a slip on thumb extension for use with modern phones
Xperia 1 II
Has every feature I want in a smartphone without compromise.
I have a 5 I, but I really don't like the 21:9 Aspect ratio of modern Sony phones
Unfortunately, an iPhone 13 Mini.
I’d love to switch back to GrapheneOS (used it on a Pixel 3a for a while), but I really don’t like Pixel hardware. The Fairphone 5 is on my radar, but it’s expensive for what it is and also isn’t available to purchase in the US. I’m also not sure if CalyxOS supports it yet, and there aren’t any other Android roms that I’m interested in.
So I’m suffering with iOS until something else becomes available.
I’m hoping Linux phones become viable within the next 5-10 years. I have Ubuntu Touch on my Pixel 3a and PostMarketOS on my Pinephone. Mobile Linux is super cool and fun to play with, but is nowhere near daily driver ready yet.
Fortunately, an iPhone 13 mini. There just isn’t any other small phone on the market…
What do you not like about the pixel hardware? I've been reluctantly considering one
My only "wants" for phone hardware are that it's small and easily repairable. The iPhone Mini is small, the Fairphone is easily repairable, modern Pixels are nether. The repairability is also more of a concern on the Pixels since they kind of have a reputation for being unreliable. I'm not sure if Pixels are genuinely worse than the average phone, but anecdotally I see a lot more articles like this about Pixels than any other phone.
https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/im-already-doubting-the-long-term-durability-of-my-pixel-8-pro
LG G8X from 2019. Bought it used last year for a 100€ with the second display case. It runs circles around any modern budget options.
Fairphone 5 with iodéOS. Its perfect for me
I love the idea of fairphones but from what I've gathered they're kinda crap for the price if you don't count the moral benefits aren't they?
Do they do video over USB C/thunderbolt? Am quite interested in having a device I can plug in and use as a desktop in a pinch
They do displayport over usb c I think. I almost got one a few months ago, or a pixel, but choked at the cost. Ended up with a Motorola Edge 40 and while it's fine, I wish I'd just spent a bit more and got a phone I actually wanted.
I would be happy if Fairphone would sell to my country.
I've been thinking about Fairphone, but the 5 isn't available in the US to my understanding, unfortunately, and the 4 is a serious downgrade spec-wise.
I really like the looks of those TCL NXTpaper phones. They use a matte color eink display that looks amazing.
I have an iPhone 11 Pro. It’s a few years old now, but still gets updates and is still quick enough. However, the battery is fading pretty quick and Apple has made replacement inconvenient at best. I’m going to order a DIY battery kit that will hopefully take care of that, otherwise it’s gonna be replacement time.
Just bought a Galaxy s20+ ultra refurbished a couple of months ago. Only cost like 300 and had comparable specs to the current $1500 phones.
Wife has to have apple and I couldn't bring myself to buy her refurbished for her birthday... bit the bullet and got an iPhone that was 1 or 2 generations old, still cost like 800-900.
Blackberry Key2 because nothing beats a hardware keyboard. Tried it but cant life without one.
You can now get smartphone cases with physical keyboards build-in.
100% agree, my favorite phone I've had was the BlackBerry Priv, the form factor was perfect for me. I had a KeyOne but a lot of apps didn't play well with the weird resolution screen.
I couldn't find another phone with a physical keyboard and a full sized screen so I'm now on a OnePlus 10 Pro but if there was another phone released with a physical sliding keyboard I'd be on top it immediately.
Pixel 7. It's fine.
Pixel
Google Pixel 6a
Recently got myself a Pixel 7a and it's been a great experience.
iPhone 13 Pro. Will probably keep it until the 16 Pro later this year maybe, or I might go another year. Nothing wrong with it so far, I mostly just want a type-C connector for convenience at this point
A Librem 5. It's exactly what i want, a small desktop PC with modem in it.
rn using a Samsung Galaxy A32, planning to switch to a pixel 7a eventually
Pixel 8 sounds like what you're looking for.
They're all pretty much the same, unless you're looking for specific use cases, e.g. camera, outdoors ruggedness, gaming, specific OS build, etc. I stopped getting flagships once I realized my old ones battery started to swell like a cheaper phone. I'm on Android, so I get to replace any app with the one of my choice - I'm particular about data submissions to home and sneaky stuff like autotagging. Now all I look for is a recent android build (for app compatibility), decent camera hardware (I'll replace the app), IP68 and a good price.
What camera app do you use and why?
Privacy reasons. Didn't like the autotagging in the default app on my oneplus. Turns out it's a common feature on all the new phones now. I now use procam x. Bear in mind, using a third party app means you lose the advanced filters and processing the manufacturers have spent money developing. Some of the camera hardware will also not be accessible. I don't really care since I also have dedicated hardware for beauty shots.
a Pixel 3 they're basically the Google equivalent to the iPhone I did some work merging code for my Fire tablet's Android kernel, and when I saw how much development Google put into Android, I figured Pixels would probably have the best drivers thing is kinda old, but it works great for my purposes no SD card slot though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but it came bundled with a few USB adapters, a wireless charger, and some headphones.
Pixel 4, probably gonna be on this phone for a while.
iPhone 13 Pro. Probably going to upgrade to a 16 Pro this fall.
Pixel 8 Pro. I'm satisfied of it. The first thing I did was unlocking and the second rooting.
Samsung ultras series with a pen. The pen feeling is real-time. Also pretty robust little thing. I’ve had it a few years and I love this phone.
I also still have an lg g4 that still works. I keep it as a backup emergency given that it still works and has a replaceable battery.
S10+ it's running for me for the last 3 years. Used Samsung's cost like 1/4-> 1/3 the starting price about 1.5 years after release.
Loving my zenfone 9, has some issues due to the supported network bands but its usable with some tinkering (USA).
Degoogled Pixel 4a that I bought to replace my broken Pixel 4a. I'm gonna use this thing until it dies and then maybe buy another one. I'm not sure when another phone this hold-able, reasonably powerful enough, and good LineageOS support will get released.
I'm using a regular pixel 4a. Does a degoogled version still have the awesome pixel call screening?
No, but you may be able to get it to work. https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/bzgrcd/is_call_screening_available_in_los/
Whatever work pays for
Unfortunately what work pays for is an entirely imaginary device
Also, I don't want my personal stuff on a device I don't own
I totally get it. I just happen to work on the IT team that manages our companies mobile devices, so I’m not too fused about the privacy implications of putting some personal things on a work device. I know my personal data is kept separate, and I have backups of any data that is important.
Regular Galaxy S22 256Gb
Was choosing between S22, Pixels, and Nothing Phone. Ultimately, I went with the former because I happened to accumulate Tab S8 as well as Galaxy Buds 2. If not for those, probably would've saved a buck with first Nothing.
Pros: Easy cloud sync, good processor, nice materials, could be found for a very affordable price, and rest of the features that come with premium phones
Cons: No headphone jack, no SD card slot, some bloat you can't remove, battery
Would've probably still rocked my Poco F1 if it didn't get obliterated by a 0.5m drop onto a quartz floor. It never fully recovered from it.
I am still using Redmi note 5 pro and it's working great!
6s (2015) here. I know that perfect phone doesn’t exist and mine is getting older with every minute now, battery is a joke even after one replacement few years ago..
..yet for all those years I have trouble finding any replacement, and I am open for any direction that will just feel fine (at least), somehow nothing does.
How is the App support?
I'm on a OnePlus 5. Had it for a few years now and love it. Best phone I ever had.
I've had a few. The OnePlus line has been, IIRC, notable for charging quickly relative to competitors, though I don't know whether things have evened out since then.
S20FE. It was cheap ~500 when i got it and it had all the stuff i wanted (microsd, 120hz, latest chip, 3 cameras, flat screen).
Use Termux on android to run Linux natively with proot
I usually use a cheap Chinese phone around 100 bucks and swap it every 1-2 years.
Samsung A52. Great battery, 90hz, works with Tello, and is cheap.
My Pixel 6 Pro got smashed up in a bike crash, so I recently replaced it with a Pixel 7a.
I don't know if anyone's run desktop Linux on them, but I'd guess if there's any phone where that's been done, it'd be a Pixel. They make it easy to run other Android ROMs, and the Pixels are probably the most popular phones amongst the type of people who would like to attempt that as a result. (Personally, I stick with Google's Android.)
I use a Samsung S21 5G as my daily driver with an S8 as my phone for watching videos because it still has a headphone jack. This is going to be my last Samsung phone though, I can't support their constant injection of bloatware every update, their atrocious customer support, and the removal of good features.
pixel 7a, calyx
Xiaomi 13: great for pictures, shitty OS
Moto edge + 5g
Original iPhone SE. still receiving security updates, and the perfect size for my hand. I hate the trend towards phablets.
Murena 1, its the phone made by e os
iPhone 8, I have been surprised by how long it has lasted so far. Still gets security updates every now and then.
Next phone is probably going to be a fairphone.
Fair, I've heard iphones and especially ipads are actually decent.
I don't think at least on a phone I could deal with iOS though seems a little backwards and restricted
Pixel 6 pro on graphene os and an iPhone 13 pro max
Smasnug A40. It can run a browser, SSH, and play music. It has USB-C and a headphone jack.
I dread the day I have to replace it.
Liking my pixel 4a but still using stock :(. Should get round to installing graphene os
oneplus 9 pro
My OnePlus 6 is still rocking
Pixel 8 Pro/CalyxOS. Originally considered PinePhone/FairPhone, but mobile Linux just doesn't cut it for me quite yet. Originally considered installing GrapheneOS, but learned that the developer is yikes.
There are a handful of issues, but it's working pretty well overall. I don't miss iOS, except for Spotlight.
Pixel owner here.
Do you feel like you've given up on any major flagship Pixel technology by putting another OS on it?
iphone. They're solid and they get updates forever so there is no rush to upgrade. I don't miss Android and not getting updates 6 months after I buy the phone.
Well then you’re already unreliable and hyperbolic for giving advice as Android do in fact get updates well after 6 months. And no one can assure ‘forever’. Not even apple. I’ve had iPads complain they can’t be updated and force to go buy a new one.
Fanboi detected! 😂 Android phones vary in how many updates they will get based on manufacturer and price point of the phone. Google guarantees 4 years...that it. Others only reliably update flagship phones. I like the Android operating system, but the update situation is still largely a joke...as is the bloat in most Android phones.
OnePlus 8T with LineageOS 21 on it. Thing's already a version of Android past official support, and it works great. Zero complaints, I don't see myself upgrading anytime soon. I expect to see at least another 2 years on that phone, maybe longer. Averaging 25% memory utilization, so it's got room for Android's enshittification for quite a while still.
Got a guide to setting it up? I've got a spare 8t I'd like to do that to
Pixel 5, it's fine. Used to unlock bootloader/flash a custom os but less hobbyist lately with the phone, next one I get is definitely going to have a headphone jack though.
I'm using a POCO X5 5G!
And I'm loving it...
Just get the Oneplus 6 xD
