In the current spectrum, how much should one spend to get the best value? I know everyone has a different taste and budget. But analysing the current trend of smartphone culture could give a bit of insight into spending wisely.

  • redcalcium@lemmy.institute
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    9 months ago

    My general rule of thumb when getting a cheap device:

    • want the cheapest device even if it has dubious ads and tracking: xiaomi
    • want a relatively cheap device and ok with first party ads/promotion and tracking: low end Samsung

    The thing with cheap device is it’s not guaranteed to have 3rd party roms available, and even if one exists, it’s not guaranteed how long they’ll be maintained, so it’s not a factor when I’m trying to get a very cheap device.

    • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      Best to look for current rom development on a device first. The Lineage device list is a big part of why I’m now going to Pixel.

      Generally you get roms on the newer devices, and the older they get, development drops off.

      Also depends on the device. If it was a flagship, it tends to have a longer rom lifespan because the hardware has a longer usability curve.

      The Lineage device list is interesting in that you see which devices are (generally) more usable long term by the development cycle.

    • dustyData@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      You can spend barely a whole minute during first time setup to make Samsung phones not give you any ad and remove most tracking that has no direct use for the end user.