Asklemmy

After many years of using custom stock ROMs on my phone's, that were always better and more up to date than the branded android ROM the phone came with, I've decided a few months ago to finally get a Google Pixel 6.

It's a great experience, basically feels like all the custom ROMs I've been using all these years but the camera is great and Google Wallet works, also some pixel exclusive niceties like the PO Pixel app from teenage engineering, etc, and as always the most up to date Android version available.

Google Pixel 6a for me, just running the stock ROM/OS. I used to be into trying out custom ROMs but over the years I ended up falling in the "I don't want my phone to randomly stop working while I'm out and need to make a call" stage.

Plus, I actually enjoy quite a few features from the stock OS such as call screening (which reduces spam calls a ton), direct my call, and whichever feature is the one that provides an estimate on the wait time when calling into a toll free line. There's also "Hold for me" which I haven't tried yet but it seems like an interesting idea, but I'd only use it if there were going to be a fairly long wait.

I don't know if those features work on the custom OS options (as I don't keep up with that realm anymore), plus potential stability issues which I've always had on other devices (including previous Pixels) makes me just stick with the default.

Although, on my Pixel 3a XL since I no longer use it as my daily driver, I slapped Ubuntu Touch on it and it seems interesting, though definitely has a long way to go.

Pixel 7 on CalyxOS

Fairphone 3 with /e/OS

LG G7 Thinq. It had all the features I wanted and was a good price. I actually did look around a month ago and nothing else on the market compares even years after it came out (I could get close to what I wanted but I would need to go high end) which is a shame bc I'll have to switch for 5G at some point. Google and Samsung removed the 3.5mm jack so I'll never buy from them.

Currently using a Pixel (Pixel 6 Pro) because it's the only line of phones that support GrapheneOS

I am using Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G with PixelOS (custom ROM) for unlimited Google Photos original quality backup, Overview Selection and no stock YouTube (I use Revanced Extended). All apps work fine with root as well as it gets timely updates with features. Also, it has 12 5G bands, most of which are supported in my country. It's sleek and light (158g) which makes handling it easier. I hate MIUI because of ads and so removed it after 7 days of buying it. Will think of flashing /e/OS later (never thought they will support my device but they do not).

I'm getting a Sony Xperia 10 III cause one can also install SailfishOS on it. Sony provides AOSP for their phones, and a headphone Jack.

Xiaomi Redmi 9T because cheap. I won't reply.

Motorola Edge 30. Really close to stock Android and no much bloatware. Will be switching to a Pixel soon.

Galaxy S22, iPhone is too locked down for me.

I went with the S22 because it's decent and looks great, also one of the smallest high-end phones available.

Samsung sucks though, there is far too much bloat you have to get rid off. The Galaxy store also likes to hijack updates from a few of my apps.

I'd say there still is no perfect phone unfortunately. Maybe a Google Pixel that looks like a S22 and has a more scratch resistant screen. My screen already has two scratches just from being in my pocket. They made the glass more drop resistant, but now it still shatters if you drop it and it scratches more easily :-/

Pixel 6. I wish it had a print reader on the back. I really would love to have that feature back since the under-screen readers are bad on every phone I have ever tried. I get dirty hands at work every day so I have to use a screen protector and even without the protector the print reader is mostly useless. I will not buy a Chinese phone to get it so I have drawn a line somewhere I guess.

Samsung A50, the cheapest smart phone I could find 5 years ago and it's still going strong. I really don't get the flagship phone craze. I, as I think most people, only use my phone to browse the web, check emails, sometimes watch a youtube video and well, phone people. This little guy has been perfect for that and has no sign of getting slower. The battery still easily gets me through a day with music listening (love the jack btw), web browsing and even some light GPS use.

Not gonna lie, I sometimes miss having a good camera with me, but after buying a half decent DSLR I'm still at or a bit below what a flagship costs nowadays.

When this phone dies a couple years from now I'll probably just get the new cheapest phone in Samsung's lineup lol.

iPhone 12 mini, latest OS. I am a little worried about the whole App Store policies thing, but I also think Apple gets enough things right that I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt until they actually do something stupid. I’m hoping they’ll come back to something comparable to the mini form factor again. I’ve always preferred the smaller sized phones with the idea that I’ll just move to a computer or tablet if I need something bigger. I don’t want to carry a larger phone all day.

Interesting to see so many Android comments. I think it goes to show the demographics of people that are using Lemmy compared to other platforms.

I am using a Google Pixel 6a with stock Android.

I bought the smartphone in short notice only because I was sick of OnePlus Nord 2 5G adjusting the settings for me. With a Google Pixel device, I am in charge for real! 😌 I am done with Chinese shit 😆 Too much control.

Then why not root OnePlus Nord 2 and install a custom ROM? Na, I am too much of a coward to do that. Am afraid of bricking the phone like what I did with my Samsung Galaxy S III Mini. After that, I told myself, no more custom ROMs.

Pixel 4, and lineage os. Privacy and limited google apps.

Samsung galaxy s9. Secure Folder let's me put my ms exchange work email on without my employer being able to remote wipe my phone

Pixel 6A. I like the Stock OS & the camera of the phone. Got it for very cheap as well.

I'm using Samsung Galaxy A51 just because my grandfather repairs those and gave it to me. And default OneUI android that the phone ships with, because I'm afraid of rooting.

Android for me, currently the Pixel 7.

I've used almost everything at this point. Apple iOS, Android, blackberry (both pre and post android), even Windows Mobile for a while..... I enjoyed Windows Mobile for the time, since it was good for my specific application of the technology, but that was before Android, and during the early days of android.... I stopped using it because they stopped making anything good that ran it.

I moved on to Android with the Motorola Milestone (aka the DROID), but also made my way through several HTC phones as well, eventually landing on pure android with the Nexus line, and eventually Pixel.

During all of this, I hopped through several blackberry phones for work, including pre-android versions, and later worked with several android-based versions of the same, a few years ago I picked up an iPhone to compare and learn more about iOS, because I do tech work and knowing a diversity of things is important for my work; so I carried around an iPhone for many years as well, as a work phone.

After all of that, Android is still my pick. Specifically the unflavored android from Google via the Pixel.

I don't hate iPhone at all, I just don't prefer the stock keyboard, the gesture controls, or the navigation of it compared to android. I still use the three button nav on my Pixel instead of the gesture controls. I also don't like how many controls for apple are at the top of the screen for some reason so I'm constantly stretching my hand to hit a button. It's all personal preference, and the navigation is competent, I just don't like it as much as I like android.

It doesn't hurt that I can customize my android experience more than I could with iPhone. I don't necessarily want every app I've ever installed on my home screen somewhere.

That's just what I prefer.

Galaxy J7. It's incredibly slow, I can't flash it or root it. But it runs what I need, unlike Apple would, and the battery is still great after 6 years and it has a headphone jack.

I'm rocking a pixel 6 pro. I like having the option of being able to unlock the bootloader and install custom roms, and the easy access to reflash the official os with just adb/fastboot as opposed to other androids requiring extra tools. Getting updates every month is also important to me.

Android. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Poco X3 NFC with a custom ROM, i bought it because it is cheap and it's great for buildbotting.

Samsung Galaxy S22. Wanted it to be an upgrade from my dying OnePlus 6, but smaller. Not much choice for small, but beefy phone.

iPhone 13 mini. I’m so sad they discontinued the mini, it’s the perfect phone for me so I’m holding onto it until it dies which seems to be coming soon :(

pixel 6 pro in order to use graphene os

Fold4.

My S9 died a month ago and I really couldn't find another phone that I was excited about. Nothing really had any "cool" factors about them. Many of them felt almost like downgrades compared to my S9. Lack of headphones jack, SD card reader etc...

The Fold4 was above my price range but i found one on eBay for $750 so i grabbed it.

So far I am liking it. It is bigger then I would have liked but the foldings screen is super nice you can have apps side by side. Great for multitasking. I also do a lot of remote access to my desktop and a large screen is perfect for that.

Motorola One Action. Close to stock Android, good enough for what i need, and it was cheap. That last one was the real reason to get it, if I'm honest...

Edit: Seeing mentions of the fairphone, i looked into that but when i needed a new phone, the existing version (2?) Was quite outdated. It's a contender for my next phone, though. Hopefully not for a while.

Oneplus 6T with Ubuntu Touch/LineageOS Dualboot

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, no custom rom so I'm on One UI, Nova Launcher.

My last phone's charging port had gotten loose, and didn't consistently charge unless held at a specific angle, and at the time the A52 seemed to hit a sweet spot of power vs price. It also still has a microsd card slot and a headphone jack, which were must haves for me.

Historically: My first "Smart Device" was an iTouch around a year after they first came out. I was already into "jailbreaking" things from my Wii and PSP, my main media player was an iPod nano with rockbox on it, and in college I bought a cheap router then installed DD-wrt on it so it performed above its price range. I was all about controlling and tweaking my stuff. Then I got a hand me down Android when my dad upgraded his phone and haven't looked back.

Still haven't rooted any Androids yet. Not too much I've wanted to do that required it. The few times I have wanted to root, the method has always been too cumbersome to follow up on.

Poco F3 Using degoogled Crdroid. It works fine and I am getting monthly security aptches om the air.

I've got the OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition running OxygenOS (Android) and I plan to use it as long as possible before switching to Fairphone eventually