I'm using an Asus Zenfone 8 with /e/ OS.
I needed a small phone (screen size > 6 in.), with at least midrange performance, that has a headphones jack. This was the only thing on the market at the time that fit those two qualifications. Since then, an unlockable bootloader has also become a must. As far as I know, there aren't any phones on the market at the moment that meet my meds. (If you know otherwise, please enlighten me!) Asus took away the ability to unlock the bootloader on this phone after I unlocked mine, so I can't even replace it if it breaks.
It's been a great phone. Blazing fast, quality cameras, and surprisingly good battery life. I refuse to ever use a dumbphone because of how insecure and non-private phone calls and especially texts are.
Email, music, navigation apps, and a good camera are a must have for me. I certainly waste time on YouTube, but I'm pretty good at being productive with my phone otherwise.
What phone are you using?
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gquirt
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drmollytov
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Re: What phone are you using?
I currently have a Sony Xperia 10iii running Sailfish OS. I considered switching to a dumbphone, but I travel enough and have weird enough dietary needs to be uncomfortable not having access to search in my pocket. This also allows me to change my tickets on the go if I need to (and I often do).
Sailfish is by far the best custom ROM I've ever used, in terms of UI. I haven't attempted or yet read a meaningful comparison of security measures.
I love it so much I actually looked up writing apps for it. Two weeks ago I would have sworn I had zero interest in writing an app! Sailfish offers a purpose-built IDE for this and an active community of people who are as in love with this OS as I am.
It will run .apk files if you install them as admin, so I can have any app that doesn't absolutely require Google Play in order to run. So far, I've found two apps that claim they need Play access but don't and one that won't even launch without it. The one that won't launch without it gives access to all the same info on its website, though, so that's just less clutter on my phone.
Also, there's a terminal on my phone. Lynx and tilde server access on the go? yes, please.
Sailfish is by far the best custom ROM I've ever used, in terms of UI. I haven't attempted or yet read a meaningful comparison of security measures.
I love it so much I actually looked up writing apps for it. Two weeks ago I would have sworn I had zero interest in writing an app! Sailfish offers a purpose-built IDE for this and an active community of people who are as in love with this OS as I am.
It will run .apk files if you install them as admin, so I can have any app that doesn't absolutely require Google Play in order to run. So far, I've found two apps that claim they need Play access but don't and one that won't even launch without it. The one that won't launch without it gives access to all the same info on its website, though, so that's just less clutter on my phone.
Also, there's a terminal on my phone. Lynx and tilde server access on the go? yes, please.
cocktails: https://drmollytov.dev
Re: What phone are you using?
I'm currently daily driving a OnePlus 12 (16GB RAM, 512GB storage), and I absolutely love it.
I've had a OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 8T, and now a OnePlus 12. Each phone has lasted me about 4 years each. I really like the longevity of OnePlus batteries, I could easily push the battery to last 2 days if I wanted to (I have).
The "High Battery Saving Mode" gives a dumbphone-esq mode that limits you to 6 apps and only has the bear necessities.
However, the phone's screen is also nearly 4k when needed, and can push to very high fps, but the phone can adapt depending on what you're watching/playing.
Lots of other features I love, like the screen unlock & fingerprint sensor below the screen...
Cherry on top for me is the physical side button to switch between ring, vibrate and silent mode.
Apps: Okay, so my favorite and most used app EVER isn't available anymore, and I'm super mad. Spren notification manager is an app that's basically a tray/buffer for your notifications. I hate getting notifications I don't want, and now, social network apps harass you with irrelevant notifications when you stop using their apps, even if you already turned them off. Thing is, I don't want to just shut off insta notifications, because I still talk to friends on there. Spren is the PERFECT solution, because now, notifications that are judged not "imperative" are, by default, sent straight to the spren tray, that I can see at a glance at any time. The app is not available on the store anymore, but I can confirm that downloading the apk from an apk site and installing the app still resulted in it working perfectly. Just make sure there's no virus beforehand.
I also am running the Smart launcher. I remember seeing a video like a decade ago about how to easily reduce your phone time, and I haven't been able to find it since. But the jist of it was the "One Page Principle", something like that. Basically, keep your apps page only as your main phone page. If you need more space for apps you can create folders, but that's it. I get that this might be harder to do on Iphones, but on android, you just have to turn off "automatic icon creation" when you download an app.
I've had a OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 8T, and now a OnePlus 12. Each phone has lasted me about 4 years each. I really like the longevity of OnePlus batteries, I could easily push the battery to last 2 days if I wanted to (I have).
The "High Battery Saving Mode" gives a dumbphone-esq mode that limits you to 6 apps and only has the bear necessities.
However, the phone's screen is also nearly 4k when needed, and can push to very high fps, but the phone can adapt depending on what you're watching/playing.
Lots of other features I love, like the screen unlock & fingerprint sensor below the screen...
Cherry on top for me is the physical side button to switch between ring, vibrate and silent mode.
Apps: Okay, so my favorite and most used app EVER isn't available anymore, and I'm super mad. Spren notification manager is an app that's basically a tray/buffer for your notifications. I hate getting notifications I don't want, and now, social network apps harass you with irrelevant notifications when you stop using their apps, even if you already turned them off. Thing is, I don't want to just shut off insta notifications, because I still talk to friends on there. Spren is the PERFECT solution, because now, notifications that are judged not "imperative" are, by default, sent straight to the spren tray, that I can see at a glance at any time. The app is not available on the store anymore, but I can confirm that downloading the apk from an apk site and installing the app still resulted in it working perfectly. Just make sure there's no virus beforehand.
I also am running the Smart launcher. I remember seeing a video like a decade ago about how to easily reduce your phone time, and I haven't been able to find it since. But the jist of it was the "One Page Principle", something like that. Basically, keep your apps page only as your main phone page. If you need more space for apps you can create folders, but that's it. I get that this might be harder to do on Iphones, but on android, you just have to turn off "automatic icon creation" when you download an app.
