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
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.
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.
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.
Somebody should start putting TECs in the wireless chargers. Even 10 watts of cooling would probably make a difference.
I really like the looks of those TCL NXTpaper phones. They use a matte color eink display that looks amazing.
I usually use a cheap Chinese phone around 100 bucks and swap it every 1-2 years.
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.
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.
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.
oneplus 9 pro
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.
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
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.
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
Fortunately, an iPhone 13 mini. There just isn’t any other small phone on the market…
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?
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?
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
I’m using a POCO X5 5G!
And I’m loving it…
