So, I thought I’d kick things off here with some community building.
Quote this post with answers to the below!
What phone are you using?
Are you happy with it? What are its best and worst qualities?
Which phones have you had previously? Which were the best and worst of the lot?
How often do you upgrade to a new phone?
What other Android ecosystem devices do you have? Watches, headphones/earbuds, etc.
Do you also use any Apple products, or are you Android all the way? (And/or Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, etc.)
I use a pixel 6a, switched over to it from an iPhone 11. I wanted something that worked better than my iphone on Google Fi. I had a ton of issues on Fi with my iphone since it was technically in beta like the cellular settings getting reset. I had a moto g power before and that thing was trash, it worked fine for a while but as soon as you start installing apps it just chugs. The pixel 6a is good enough for me to say I will never buy a non-Google Android phone ever again. The pictures are crazy good, I don’t even know how, the sensor is old, software magic I guess.
I also have an m1 Mac mini and a gaming PC running endeavour OS. So far the Android phone works much better on a Linux ecosystem for obvious reasons. No smart watches or anything though, haven’t dipped my toes into that space. I will say I was extremely hesitant to move to Android from iOS, iOS is so solid from a stability and compatibility perspective, Apple really has that down to a science. However since switching to a Google created Android phone, it’s a night and day difference from my past experiences on Android.
Hey y’all, first post for me here ^^ Currently I am using a Galaxy S23. I really love that this phone is an awesome allrounder with quite a nice size for today’s standards, that doesn’t really have many weaknesses. Coming from an S10e (Snappy version from Hong Kong) I miss the microSD slot though and the size was better but my battery gave up so I needed a new phone (no, replacing the battery is not an option imo since IP rating and end of support). What I really hate on phones nowadays are that close-up shots of objects like documents are horrific compared to earlier phones but the world needs bigger sensors and that seems to be a drawback, I get it. To anyone with the same issue: Just use 2x zoom and your closeup should look a bit better at least. My best phone was definitely the S10e with the Snappy 855 - only drawback was that the battery was a bit small but it was manageable for me. Except for a 90hz panel and telephoto lens, it had quite everything that you could wish for. I only use a pair of earbuds (Comfobuds 2) with my S23 and I only use Windows 11 on my PCs (still think that Windows 7 was the best OS but here we are). Apple isn’t really an option for me when it comes to smartphones since the customizablity and the whole eco system doesn’t work out for me but I wouldn’t say it is a bad system. It has its advantages and disadvantages like any other tech product out there. Have to admit though, their Macbook Airs are mighty impressive. If you have that much patience and read till this point, thank you for reading. Also have a wonderful day and stay safe =)
Pixel 7 Pro
My main PC is on Pop!_OS, Ubuntu based distro based on rolling kernel releases
I’m on an S22U right now. The device is excellently built and the S Pen is really handy, but I do miss my OnePlus 6T’s notification system. It did a much better job with conversations, categories and grouping. I had a Nexus 5 before, which was nice, but the 16GB of storage was pretty limiting.
I also have the Buds Live (the beans!) and those are awesome. They’re the only earbuds I’ve found that stay in my ears, even when running or shaking my head around. I used to have a LEMFO watch (the huge one), but the digitizer flaked out on me.
I used to have a Lenovo Yoga C940 (which had all sorts of problems), but I’ve since switched to a Mac
Samsung S22. Got it for super cheap on an offer. It’s great. I have two issues with it.
- The battery can be better. It can last a day on normal use, but if you play videos etc. it runs out pretty fast.
- You can’t disable the clipboard history. Have to manually clear it once in a while. It’s the one thing I hate about OneUI.
Have you found a way to customize conversation notifications? Samsung’s notification system seems a little wonky for me
I’m using an Oppo Reno. The first one, with the motorised front camera, for four years now. I’m thinking of upgrading now to the Find X6. I’ve been using oppo close to a decade now and I have to say, they earned themselves a lifelong user if they keep this up. I started with the R7plus, then the R9s, then the Reno. All beasts for their time and price.
I had handled the Samsung S9+ and iPhone 14 from my partner. Good lord I hated them. The photos they took of people were horrendous and the software is just unpleasant. After using my phone throughout the years, she was a complete Oppo convert without much convincing. Tbh I quite like ColorOS.
What are some cool things about ColorOS if you don’t mind me asking?
Hey, sorry for the late reply. Just figuring out how to use Lemmy.
Anyway, regarding your question, there isn’t really anything particular I like about ColorOS. I just think that it’s really neutral, the default icon packs are really nice (Samsung can learn a thing or two). I like the dock when you swipe down on the home screen, where you can see everything at a glance. It’s just the little things, nothing particular like I said. Just the whole look and feel is very pleasant.
Currently have a Pixel 7 Pro with a Pixel Watch
Owned in the past a pixel 4a5G, an OG pixel (still use it to upload to my Google photos in original quality for free), a One Plus 6T, a Nexus 4/5/6
For tablets the only Android one was the Nexus 9 and I’m now using an Acer ChromeTab which runs Android apps.
For watches I owned the moto360, the LG Watch Urbane, the Huawei Watch and the Fossil gen 5
Currently using a Nokia 7.2
Best qualities:
- Cheap
- Has a heaphone jack
- Does smartphone things
- Fell like 5 times from more than a meter of height into a stone floor and is somehow still fine (more luck than skill probably)
Worst qualities:
- Not the fastest
- No more updates :(
- Randomly turns off about once every month at night while charging, which forced me to buy a backup alarm
Before this I was using a Moto G5 plus, which was a bit of a quirky phone. Before that I used my Nexus 5, which ultimately started suffering the power button issues. My Nexus 5 is still a backup phone that I use sometimes, and every time I touch it I wish that they’d release a new Nexus 5 just like the old one but with with newer hardware specs and a better battery. I love how light and small it is, I still love the screen, and I love how it looks.
From this you can probably gather that I don’t upgrade phones too often. I also don’t have any other Android devices. I did at one point dabble a bit into Android development and made a few silly apps, but that’s many years ago at this point.
For my PC’s I usually use Linux where I can, and Window$ for gaming and music production (because sadly that’s the only way to make these things work reliably).
If you had to buy a new phone today, would you stick to Nokia or would you choose something else?
What phone are you using?
One Plus 8
Are you happy with it? What are its best and worst qualities?
I am happy with the phone. I’ve had it for the past almost 3 years and it has served me well. The thing I love the most about this phone is the specs and the custom ROM community. 3 years later and this phone still holds up very well. It handles everything I throw at it; even the occasional Genshin Impact. The custom ROM community is also very active. My phone is still in good condition after three years. Battery is still holding up. I get about 5-7 hours SOT wifi on light usage. When using data and heavier usage (maps, spotify, max brightness) I get around 3-4 hours of SOT which isn’t that bad for a three year old phone. I plan on replacing the battery and using custom roms to extend my phone’s life.
Which phones have you had previously? Which were the best and worst of the lot?
s5, j7 prime My s5 was a hand me down from my mother. The phone worked fine but the the display would glitch out and turn off. The j7 prime was just garbage after about 6 months of usage. It was laggy as hell and I’m not sure how I survived with that phone for three years. It was definitely the worst out of the two.
How often do you upgrade to a new phone?
I don’t upgrade phones until the one I am currently using cannot handle my daily usage, or breaks. When my phone is no longer usable, then I am considering either going back to samsung or going pixel depending on if the charging and efficiency gets better.
What other Android ecosystem devices do you have? Watches, headphones/earbuds, etc.
I have a galaxy watch active 2 and galaxy buds plus.
Do you also use any Apple products, or are you Android all the way? (And/or Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, etc.)
I do not currently have any Apple products. I am using a windows pc and my laptop is dual booting windows 10 and ubuntu (windows just in case I have software that doesn’t work on linux).
I’m using an LG V40 and I love it. The best phone i’ve ever owned. Love the dual screen case, love the headphone jack and it’s incredible DAC, love the rear fingerprint sensor. it’s the perfect phone for my use case. I’ve previously owned the LG V30, and the LG V20.
I basically only ever upgrade if my phone breaks. The only other android device I own is my NVIDIA shield that runs plex etc.
No apple devices for me, except i guess my work laptop but that’s not really mine, and i certainly wouldn’t buy a macbook if i was in the market for a laptop.
If you had to buy a new phone today, what would you pick? LG is sadly dead.
Pixel 7 Pro.
I’m generally happy with it, but the battery has been rather bad in that I have issues getting a full day out of it. I’ve also finding overheating issues when in 80+ degree F weather.
I’m using a Pixel 7 pro right now, coming from a Pixel 6 before this and OnePlus products before that. Prior to this phone my OnePlus 7 pro was my favorite phone ever and is a very close second to my current pixel. My least favorite phone was my Samsung Galaxy 7 edge, I hated that piece of garbage, it lasted less than year before the cpu was glacially slow.
I refuse to use any apple products, use windows on my work PC and my gaming PC, but use Linux on everything else (and will probably put my gaming PC on Linux soon as well).
I do admit that the Apple watch is a nice bit of tech, but I use a Garmin Fenix 6s pro since I mainly need a watch for tracking my running and cycling.
Well, to be honest, I’m using an iPhone 6S. I want to switch to an Android phone, but I really want one with a headphone jack, an easily-replaceable battery, /e/ support, and good enough specs to last several years with multiple major OS updates. The Fairphone 4 looked great until I found out about the headphone jack being absent. Well, that and if anything was wrong with it, I’d be screwed. I’ve read about enough Fairphone defects to not want to have one imported.
I came pretty close to buying a Sony Xperia 5 III about six months ago, but I decided against it due to the battery being annoyingly difficult to replace.
Shift phone seems like an interesting Fairphone alternative, but availability in the US seems tough. Hopefully the new EU law on replaceable batteries will make improve the situation worldwide.
Yeah, I’ve heard about Shiftphone. It might be possible to have a company like Clove ship one to me, but exchanges would likely take ages, which is one of the reasons why I haven’t just had a Fairphone imported by Clove. Ideally, I’d like to be able to go the store where I bought the phone if I need to get an exchange.
Hopefully, companies won’t either make EU-specific phones with replaceable batteries or remove the headphone jack to make room. I’m mostly optimistic, but a also little concerned.
What phone are you using? Pixel 7
Are you happy with it? What are its best and worst qualities? Love it. Works really well and great camera. No issues I’ve had so far after a year. Would’ve been nice to have a headphone jack, but not a big issue.
Which phones have you had previously? Which were the best and worst of the lot? Moto Max, pixel, pixel 3a, lots of others
How often do you upgrade to a new phone? Every few years recently
What other Android ecosystem devices do you have? Watches, headphones/earbuds, etc. Shield TV, Fitbit, pixel buds pro, fire tablet
Do you also use any Apple products, or are you Android all the way? (And/or Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, etc.) My kid has an iPad for speaking but that’s it. Everything else is android and the PC is Windows 11pro
Moto G9 Power.
Dirt cheap less than 200$ new as of 2 years ago! Has all the features I need, stock Android, without 3rd party crap-ware.
Best Android phone I ever bought, despite it’s also by far the cheapest.
I bought this cheap phone, because I was kind of disappointed by my earlier Android phones. Always something wrong.
I’ve been using this one for 2 years without cover, no scratches on the screen. ;)
Would you choose a Moto G phone again, if you had to replace your phone today?
Honestly I’m not entirely up to date on current offers. My economy is also a bit stronger now. I think I might opt for a slightly higher end moto with similar battery (6000 mAh). I really love the stock Android Moto has, and I don’t want a Google/Pixel phone.
I have little doubt that I couldn’t have made a better choice 2 years ago. The value of this was/is insane. ;)
The reason I opted for such a cheap phone, was that I was quite disappointed with previous smartphones, for instance Screen to small, GPS not working properly, poor battery life etc. The Moto G9 power fixed all that, despite being cheap.
That said, I don’t game, and I’m not a heavy user. Other use cases may of course have other preferences. The screen is only 1640x720 pixels, but that’s fine for me, the screen is also Panda Glass, which was a bit of a worry, but after 2 years of use, without cover, there is still not a scratch on it!
I got more than I expected, and the entire concept of smartphones has way more meaning to me now. The only minor downside, is that the extra cameras are pretty useless.
