No Stupid Questions

You could install LineageOS on your existing phone instead of upgrading. The OnePlus 7 Pro is supported. The install process can be daunting depending on your technical skills, but it's a one-time process since the phone gets updates over-the-air after the OS is installed.

I did this with my OnePlus 6 a few months ago and the experience has been good. Switching to LineageOS bumped Android to version 13, whereas it was stuck on Android 11 on stock OnePlus firmware. I'm getting regular updates again, including open-source Android security patches. Not everything gets patched though, some of the core firmware is proprietary to OnePlus and that cannot be patched by anyone but them. It's letting me extend the life of a phone still works well and has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

A lot of people won't like this answer, but I would not recommend anything from Samsung. Yes, the hardware on paper is typically excellent. However, everything else that comes with the experience is a complete joke to me.

• The bootloader is locked, and even if you manage to get it unlocked Knox will be permanently tripped.
• I never personally liked OneUI, but accepted it as long as it works. Unfortunately that's also not been the experience for me.
• The last update they pushed for my phone broke Bluetooth connectivity, and it'll never be fixed, because they said there won't be any updates period. Now I'm left with a pen notification that never goes away, and a watch that disconnects every 15 minutes.
• Their own stock apps are not very convenient at all, but don't forget to remind you to sign up for their updated data theft EULA every time you open them

And that's just software. It doesn't stop there. On my Note 10, the glass back completely peeled off, because of internal heat, and the only thing holding it together is the case. Keep in mind that this is from just regular usage. I don't play games on my phone, or do anything else that would warrant this kind of output

Used pixel, install grapheneos

used because it's better environmentally than buying new

grapheneos because it's more secure and private than stock android

What about the newest fairphone which is being released this fall, not thc best for your bucks, but built a bit more ethically than the others, and a modular design enabling eeasy repair*

I don't have one, but heard good stuff about the 4 and consider getting the 5 as my 5 year old Huawei is aging

Non- phone carrier variants of Google Pixels because of Grapheme OS. The crap that Verizon pumps out blocks the boot loader to be unlocked, but the ones google and amazon sells can do OEM boot loader unlocks.

Edit: also want to point out, pixels usually get the most updates out of all androids. So long as its in the support window, google will update drivers and kernels for it.

The Pixel is the best you're going to do in 2023.

All overpriced. Keep using your 2019 phone, install a custom ROM if you want a refresh.

A lot of these recommendations are for super privacy focused anti-Google setups or other niche concerns.

If you just want a nice, straightforward phone, that's going to do normal phone things, and have security updates for a long time...

The pixel 8 is quite compelling.

Wouldn't recommend Oneplus anymore.

At the high end, Samsung has been pretty solid with their S lineup. The FE models are a good compromise as well. Pixels are a hit or miss, I'd recommend waiting for issues to surface before deciding on the 8/8 pro.

On the more budget - midrange side of things, Motorola has been doing a fairly solid job. They do have a lot of models, so some youtube videos should give you a fair idea on what's right for you.

Have you checked out our awesome 2023 phone buying guide on the sidebar of !android@lemmy.world?

If you want a quick recommendation, Zenfone 10 looks great and is very underrated.

Get a Pixel.

It just works

For real tho...

Op7pro user here too. Its been 4 years already and at this point im just going to keep using this phone until its unbearable to use. Ive dunked it in river, smashed many back covers. At this point its not about being sustainable or something, but im genuinely interested how long can i withstand replacement. I dont mind having no 5g,since 4g with full bars is pretty fast already. All these phones currently in the market would be very incremental upgrade, unless you're going flagship range which is around 1k. I want to see smaller phones to come back. Sadly, phone manufacturers are pushing foldables, so it very rare to see any smaller than 5.5" phone for sale. If i were to upgrade now, probably id choose asus zenfone 9/10, pixel 8 with all these promissed 7 year updates.

I look into it, but can't seem to buy anything not Motorola. They're reasonably clean out of the box, have good batteries and survive getting wet even with no IP rating. Using Moto G52 currently.

I was (am?) in the same dilemma. Loved my 7 pro, but someone dropped it, cracked the screen, and things started going downhill (hardware wise) from there.

As a replacement I got an 8t (still OnePlus). It's nice, but I miss the 7 pro.

OnePlus is no longer an enthusiast brand, and I think the Pixel is the only other one currently. Maybe the Nothing phone? That's kind of early adopter territory still, I think.

Sorry I'm not more helpful. I prefer phones with unlocked bootloaders that allow for alternate firmware to be installed.

Fairphone or probably something else along those lines. Having the ability to hot swap broken parts or sinply upgrade is a pretty bug pro.

I've never been an Apple guy and I stopped finding Samsung acceptable after the S10. My answer has been to go to Sony's Xperia 1 line. I have a 1 IV and, honestly, I'm pretty happy with it. Point and shoot photos aren't great on it, it really is meant for manual photography, but it's not bad, either. The reasons I went for it were the form factor, the lack of a notch or punch-hole, the external SD card support, the physical 3.5mm jack and the front firing stereo speakers. It's nuts what you can get when you don't obsess with not having zero bezels.

The downside is... well, I don't trust Sony for long term support, either. It helps that their phones are very similar outside of updating to the latest processors, but they clearly aren't super focused on software updates, if that's your priority.

But yeah, hey, screw Samsung, Google, Apple and their dumb ecosystems and actively removed basic features. This thing is easy to use one-handed, has very solid hardware and is not a clone of those three despite having flagship internals. It's expensive, but I'm also gonna use it for multiple years, so I have no regrets about it at the moment.

Samsung Galaxy A54 proved to be good value while I was waiting for a repair , but I love my S23Ultra.

Fairphone 5 for all the reasons

Depends on your needs - do you need a good camera? 5g? Sd card slot? Oled vs lcd screen? Etc etc.

Price to features, I like the Poco F3 (f4, f5 maybe f6 is out now?). Xiaomi 14 has some phones that compete with Samsung. Redmi sits below them.

Its a bit pointless to ask for android suggestions without any specifications. There are way too many good ones to count but can be very few depending on your needs and budget.

have been using a Fairphone 4 for over a year now, the FP5 seems to improve in nearly every way despite still missing a headphone jack. at least you won't have to worry about software support. only really available in Europe though. in the US you can get a FP4 with /e/OS through Murena. really recommend it.