this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2023
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I'm having a tough time choosing my next android smartphone, any ideas? (lemy.lol)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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cross-posted from: https://lemy.lol/post/1519899

EDITED: As I am not in a rush, I've decided that my budget is now $500. I am picky about the features I look for in a smartphone. Hopefully this post can be a good resource for myself and others who have similar preferences. For reference, I am using a Oneplus 7 Pro with a non-functional camera and flashlight.

Very important features

Battery life

It should handle a day's worth of general usage before charging. Heat kills batteries, so decent heat dissipation is important too.

Durability or repairability

I recently bought a Google Pixel 5a, a phone I greatly enjoyed before I dropped it 5 feet and the display decided its work was done. My top priority is to have a useable device for ~5 years before needing an upgrade.

Storage

I like storing my music collection (30 GB and growing) and expandable storage would save me from having to carry a DAP (mp3 player). Without expandable storage it should have 256 GB storage.

Price

Electronics aren't meant to last a long time; I'd prefer devices costing ~300 USD, but I would gladly pay a little more for reliability.

Microphone

Please let me be intelligible on phone calls. Please? Pretty please?

Software updates or custom ROM support

OS updates for 3+ years or resources on XDA for flashing a custom ROM. Ideally LineageOS.

Would be nice

Root capability

It's a bit dated nowadays, but I really do appreciate having that extra bit of control. This also ties into custom ROM support.

Fingerprint Sensor

I loved the dedicated fingerprint sensor on my Pixel 5a. Power button fingerprints are worse, but better than nothing. Typing in my passcode every time is a bit of a pain.

Speakers

Preferably dual front facing stereo speakers. Having some decent output for videos when I don't have anything else with me would be nice.

OLED/AMOLED display

Makes stuff WAY easier to see when the sun's all sunny.

Processing power

I don't play phone games. I watch a lot of media and I message people. Must be capable of simultaneously running muliple apps and background services.

IPA ratings

It'd be pretty sick if I could bring it with me in the shower without worrying about water damage.

Fast charging

Won't always use it, but it'd be great to have.

Cutting corners

Screen resolution

I don't need a 4K display. Hell, I don't need a 1080p display. If it cuts costs, 720p is just fine so long as it looks okay.

Size

It can be big or small, thick or thin. Not picky.

Other features I don't need

Headphone jack, NFC, 5G, wireless charging

The phones I am looking at right now are as follows

  • Sony Xperia 10 V - No custom ROM support, long term durability is unclear.
  • Fairphone 4 - Slightly out of price range.
  • Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro - Way out of price range. I would appreciate any input or questions.
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[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Pixel 6a or even 7a if you can stretch your budget or find one cheap. I don't know of anything else that has good custom ROM support and is supported for 5 years. I run GrapheneOS on mine and that's not supported on anything else. That's because Pixels offer the best hardware security, in fact nothing else comes even close in the Android world.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I would be okay with a phone that has good custom ROM support or is supported for a long time. Since I would likely flash a new operating system on it after it runs out of android updates. I have been looking at the Pixel 7 / 7a and will take them into consideration. Thank you for your input!