*In terms of privacy, customisation, camera quality, and battery time.

For the longest time I have only used either iPhone or Samsung. I plan on switching to Android for the next phone I get, but I find that Samsung phones are often too big for me and put too much energy on camera quality (I don’t take many photos). I have started to look into brands such as Nokia and Motorola, and I would like to know what you guys think of them. Additionally, do you suggest any other phone brands aside from them? My biggest priorities are privacy and long battery time. Bonus if the phone can run LineageOS (I have excluded Graphene as they are only compatible with Pixel phones).

Thank you for any answers. Cheers!

  • headroom@lemmy.mlEnglish
    67·
    9 months ago

    I don’t get people claiming stock iPhone is private. We literally have very little idea. It’s a closed system. It’s private if you take Apple’s word but all the other manufacturers also have similar claims. Why trust Apple and not them?

    On top of that you end up locked into their ecosystem, unable to use most FOSS applications or have cut down versions of them because daddy Apple didn’t like some features.

    • EntropyPure@lemmy.world
      16·
      9 months ago

      In regards to stock systems, I agree.

      Been stuck in the convenient ecosystem for a while, and I cope by telling myself Apple makes the bulk of its money with hardware and services. Not ads like Google. But if I would start over from zero, I think Graphene OS and Linux would be the way. But migrating the whole family away from our current Apple line up - I dread that challenge.

        • Pussista@sh.itjust.works
          1·
          9 months ago

          The thing about the Apple experience is that it doesn’t only integrate well among your own devices, but also others. Being isolated from that can be pretty challenging, especially if you are the only one in the family. Unless you come up with a whole marketing concept to make the change seem attractive to other (not techy) family members, you’d be cycling uphill.

          • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
            1·
            9 months ago

            Can you be more specific?

            I’ve heard this argument, but AFAIK the main things are iMessage and FaceTime. I don’t know about your family, but I generally don’t want FaceTime most of the time. I haven’t used iMessage, but it seems like Signal is a drop in replacement, and the benefits are compatibility with Android and desktop apps for Windows and Linux.

            Perhaps the play is to switch one app at a time. That’s what I’m going to try to get ready to leave Android for Linux phones (assuming they’ll be daily-driveable at some point).

            • Pussista@sh.itjust.works
              3·
              9 months ago

              iMessage and FaceTime are really not that relevant outside the US and, as you said, can be relatively easily replaced by Signal. As another commenter pointed out, it’s more about little things like Airdrop or iCloud’s all around seamlessness that cannot be matched by anything else I’ve tried. Family sharing alone would be a major loss if I were to switch. What Google or Microsoft have to offer in that regard is laughable in comparison (not that they’re any more “private”), and AFAIK, there is no FOSS alternative all of the iCloud family sharing functionality.

              • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
                1·
                9 months ago

                Makes sense, thanks for elaborating.

                I’ll have to look into the FOSS tools to see what could be a reasonable set of alternatives. Some initial thoughts:

                • KDE Connect - connects phone to Linux computer in an interesting way - easy to send files, see SMS, and a couple other things; it’s a bit chunky, but maybe something I could help with
                • restic - automatic backup for desktop; pair with Syncthing to automatically keep stuff on your phone synced with your desktop
                • Steam now has better family sharing, and you could set something like Plex up to handle video streaming for owned content

                But each of these are a bit inconvenient compared to what Apple offers. I’ll think about it some more, and maybe I’ll try building something. My kids will be getting old enough to have phones in a couple years, and I’d really rather avoid Apple’s ecosystem, but their friends will likely all have iPhones so I’ll want a reason for them to prefer something else.

                • Pussista@sh.itjust.works
                  1·
                  9 months ago

                  I already use KDE Connect to exchange files with my Linux laptop and it’s not the best, but it’s good enough for the occasional thing.

                  Steam is not a solution IMO because it locks you in just as much as Apple while being clunky and giving you the illusion of choice. And it’s only for games. Family sharing on Apple products is more than games. If you’ve bought apps or subscriptions, you can share them with family members at no additional cost (if the app opts into that which is disclosed to you very clearly in the App Store). Screen Time is great to block apps above a certain age rating and to restrict or outright block purchases for children. Another thing is location sharing in the Find My app. I know there are many solutions for that, but I just like the UX in the Find My app a lot more.

                  About the Plex server, I’ve heard they’ve changed their TOS and are now pretty shady or something. Also, if I were to make a server like that, I’d be pirating stuff anyway which I already do through my go-to pseudo-streaming piracy sites.

                  I could see myself hosting a Synology NAS in the future, but that is still not as convenient or well thought out as the iCloud services tbh.

              • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
                1·
                9 months ago

                I guess there’s not a super convenient alternative, but maybe something like Syncthing would be close enough?

                But yeah, any kind of data synchronization or resource sharing is a little awkward.

  • MrSoup@lemmy.zip
    28·
    9 months ago

    The downside of Google Pixels is that they don’t have jack connector and sd slot.

    But I accepted the deal just to use GrapheneOS (I bought one used on ebay). Sometimes the battery lasts 3 days without being recharged.

    People at GrapheneOS should really focus on some brand that cares about users on the hardware side.

    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
      9·
      9 months ago

      Yup, I honestly don’t care about the special features on the Pixel (esp camera), I literally only want it because of GrapheneOS and longer term software support.

      I would love it if the GrapheneOS project made their own phone and supported it for a really long time. Maybe coordinate with Fairphone or something, IDK.

      • UndulyUnruly@lemmy.world
        3·
        9 months ago

        Unfortunately, buying from outside US, although possible, is a pain in the neck. You need agreement with the seller AND use a freight forwarder.

        Swappa is a US-based marketplace. Sellers located outside the United States cannot create listings on Swappa. International buyers can buy on Swappa if they provide a US shipping address and use a US-based payment source.

      • MrSoup@lemmy.zip
        3·
        9 months ago

        6a. Though I don’t use the phone that much, most of the battery is drained by Telegram FOSS.

        Here are two old screenshots

        screenshot n1 screenshot n2

        • SeramisV
          1·
          9 months ago

          Do you use the google play services and/or the alternate user accounts?

          • MrSoup@lemmy.zip
            1·
            9 months ago

            No, I’m Google free for at least 5 years now. I only have Aurora Store for the PS App.
            I really only use FOSS apps.

            If you need advices to breaking free, feel free to ask.

            • SeramisV
              2·
              9 months ago

              Ooh that might be why your battery is so good. The Google services do eat up a lot of charge it seems.

              On the google free, I’m not perfect but I’m def conscious, and already am using mostly foss apps. The rest is just social media I can’t really avoid. Thanks for the proposition though!

      • SeramisV
        1·
        9 months ago

        Have 6a and I actually got the same battery results as you

  • Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee
    25·
    9 months ago

    For me it has to be Fairphone. They are more expensive than the others to buy new but they are more aligned with openness and free software. They receive updates for a long time, are well supported by CalyxOS, /e/os, Linux mobile OSs etc, are repairable, you can carry extra batteries, usually have an SD card slot and two SIM slots and are more environmentally-friendly than others.

  • BreakDecks@lemmy.mlEnglish
    23·
    9 months ago

    Don’t exclude Pixel phones so quickly. They are one of the most versatile for custom ROMs, and they check all of your checkboxes. I love my CalxyOS Pixel 6.

  • guyrocket@kbin.social
    19·
    9 months ago

    What phone brand do you like the best?

    (I have excluded Graphene as they are only compatible with Pixel phones).

    You’re asking this on the privacy mag and intentionally/explicitly exclude the best privacy option with no explanation.

    Wtf.

  • RogueBanana@lemmy.zipEnglish
    14·
    9 months ago

    If privacy is important, a custom ROM is highly recommended or rather mandatory. Most brands have locked boot loader which can’t be unlocked immediately without voiding warranty. Some let you to using some bs proprietary software but only after few months. That was the only reason I had to resort to getting a pixel. So look into all the brands available to you and check their policy on custom rooms before looking into the mobile themselves.

    • leanleft@lemmy.mlEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      adb debloating is adequate.
      there may be additional steps for LOS privacy.

      • RogueBanana@lemmy.zipEnglish
        2·
        9 months ago

        If you don’t remove play service and shit without being unable to use payment apps and other shut, it’s not gonna work for majority. Those are worst offenders that have to be removed for privacy.

  • communism@lemmy.ml
    12·
    9 months ago

    Why exclude GrapheneOS? It’s a really good mobile OS, and the creator has given his reasons for only supporting Pixels.

  • umbrella@lemmy.ml
    11·
    9 months ago

    xiaomi has awesome hardware, audio jack, sd slot, even ir blaster.

    their privacy policy is bad, but a lot of them have official lineageos (and microg-patched lineage) and it works really really well.

    • melooone@feddit.de
      4·
      9 months ago

      Currently in the process of installing Lineageos on my brothers redmi note 10 pro.

      Its a huge pain compared to my phone, mainly because unlocking the bootloader requires an account with his number connected. Then I had to install Windows to use their shitty unlock app, which the requires you to wait up to 30 days for seemingly no reason. Luckily “just” a week for us.

      But yeah the hardware is amazing.

      • umbrella@lemmy.ml
        2·
        9 months ago

        yes the unlock process is obtuse as fuck! they do something similar to samsung and their RMM bullshit of having to wait.

        luckily, unlike samsung, after its done they wont bother you again.

    • SeramisV
      2·
      9 months ago

      Its actually so good that the redmi note 8 (with lineageos-mucrog) I had before performed basically the same as my pixel 6a

      • umbrella@lemmy.ml
        2·
        9 months ago

        chinese electronics have come a long way, if you dont get them from the dollar store that is

          • umbrella@lemmy.ml
            1·
            9 months ago

            a poster is indicating its a software issue, caused by an update. im not using stock firmware and there aint more official updates to my phone. this seems to contradict what you are saying a little bit, you just looking this up?

            i also had a motorola motherboard die on me, faulty nand, doesnt mean all motorolas have bad motherboards.

    • MrSoup@lemmy.zip
      12·
      9 months ago

      You can’t just recommend Pinephone.
      It is at best an half baked device. Phone calls are not that good and I had to manually enable VoLTE and flashed a custom firmware on the modem.

      • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
        7·
        9 months ago

        I’d love a Pinephone, but that’s not happening until it’s usable as a phone, meaning:

        • MMS
        • decent call audio
        • reliable wake up from suspend
        • decent battery life

        I don’t even care about the camera working, fingerprint sensors, etc. I literally just want a phone that works reliably as a phone with super long term software support.