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.
  • ijeff@lemdro.idM
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    I’ve personally really been enjoying my S23 Ultra. Its battery is rock solid (I don’t even feel a need to take it out of the mode that limits charging to 85% to improve longevity) and it has pretty much everything I would ever need. I can easily see this one taking me through a good number of years before feeling like a replacement.

    I shower with my phone regularly (as I did with my S21 Ultra). I also rinse it under the tap with no issues. It’s pricey but if you can jump onto a Samsung promo, it can be pretty worthwhile.

    • gelberhut@lemdro.id
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      What were your feeling about your s21u after few months of the ownership? I mean, did you also feel that it is solid to serve you for several years or you have found some significant issues?

      • ijeff@lemdro.idM
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        No issues. The periscope camera was pretty useless though due to the poor quality. I only ended up switching because of killer promos on the S23U and the LG G7 I had handed down to my mom was becoming rather sluggish. She ended up with my S21U.

    • inconspicuouscolonOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      The s23 looks appealing due to the integration of a pull tab for the battery as opposed to glue. I will look into this. Thank you.

      • ijeff@lemdro.idM
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        Do report back when you’ve come to a decision. I’m interested to hear where you land on this! By the way, I love how thorough your post is. This is the way to seek recommendations, IMO!