What are my phone recommendations?
Firstly, what do I even want in a phone?
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Ability to install custom roms!
This is very important to me! If I can't do it, then I just don't want to use the phone in the first place. Especially with how privacy concerns are going nowadays.
People rave on about GrapheneOS, and I do like GrapheneOS, having used it personally, there are gripes I have about it however. My number one gripe is that it becomes quite hard to use social media apps, this may not be a concern for you. If you're into GNU and into privacy more than I am, then you may regard social media as a bad influence/bad for you/you should use something like Mastodon or Lemmy, which is a perfectly fine, and I envy you for escaping the algorithm. However, for me, it just kinda pissed me off a little.. I tend to use social media sort of like a normie, and as a normie, I do like using Twitter, and sometimes Reddit, and the usual social media is just better, and I used the browser version of these apps ALOT, however, when I begin my journey back into the privacy real, I may switch back.
My other gripe with GrapheneOS, was that my home Wi-Fi didn't work with it, this is a very niche issue but it left GrapheneOS unusable for me, (I may try CalyxOS again though).
So, what do I use now? crDroid + Gapps. I like crDroid for just being LineageOS with extra customisation options, allowing G-Apps, and allowing Root wh Magisk. I am a very simple person -w-.
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Good Camera Quality:
Honestly, not much to say here, if the cameras can shoot a good HDR image, I don't really care if it's not the best, as-long as it's good. Flagships can do this nowadays anyways.
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Expandable Storage:
While this is optional, as opposed to the custom rom requirement, if I can have this, then that would be VERY nice, phones lack this sorta feature nowadays, which really pisses me off as an avid SoulSeek fan, I LOVE downloading my Music! Also, having an SD card slot makes setting up a new phone much easier, I can throw all of my important documents that I want on my SD card and if I ever need a new phone, it's a simple transfer of SD cards!
Why don't modern phones have this? To make you buy more storage of course! Although I was fine with just 64GB for 4 years when I was using my Pixel 3, having 128GB now is VERY nice! And being able to throw in a 256GB SD card which would allow me to store Music, Games, Videos, and Backups would just be extremely nice.
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Dual-Sim Cards:
And underrated privacy feature is being able to use 2 sim cards at once, or having a phone with another sim card. In the UK, (remember, I made this website for Britizens ), you can buy a Sim Card without ID (SHOCKER) for 99p (imagine the amount of paedophiles, terrorists, and gangs that will take advantage of this!), which basically allows you to semi-anonymously sign up for a website that will trust you because you're using a number instead of a fucking dangerous email! It also has practical benefits as you can give people who you don't trust your secondary number instead of your primary, and you can throw away that seconadry number any time you want.
I do have a second phone anyways though ._., this is also optional!
This is very important to me! If I can't do it, then I just don't want to use the phone in the first place. Especially with how privacy concerns are going nowadays.
People rave on about GrapheneOS, and I do like GrapheneOS, having used it personally, there are gripes I have about it however. My number one gripe is that it becomes quite hard to use social media apps, this may not be a concern for you. If you're into GNU and into privacy more than I am, then you may regard social media as a bad influence/bad for you/you should use something like Mastodon or Lemmy, which is a perfectly fine, and I envy you for escaping the algorithm. However, for me, it just kinda pissed me off a little.. I tend to use social media sort of like a normie, and as a normie, I do like using Twitter, and sometimes Reddit, and the usual social media is just better, and I used the browser version of these apps ALOT, however, when I begin my journey back into the privacy real, I may switch back.
My other gripe with GrapheneOS, was that my home Wi-Fi didn't work with it, this is a very niche issue but it left GrapheneOS unusable for me, (I may try CalyxOS again though).
So, what do I use now? crDroid + Gapps. I like crDroid for just being LineageOS with extra customisation options, allowing G-Apps, and allowing Root wh Magisk. I am a very simple person -w-.
Honestly, not much to say here, if the cameras can shoot a good HDR image, I don't really care if it's not the best, as-long as it's good. Flagships can do this nowadays anyways.
While this is optional, as opposed to the custom rom requirement, if I can have this, then that would be VERY nice, phones lack this sorta feature nowadays, which really pisses me off as an avid SoulSeek fan, I LOVE downloading my Music! Also, having an SD card slot makes setting up a new phone much easier, I can throw all of my important documents that I want on my SD card and if I ever need a new phone, it's a simple transfer of SD cards!
Why don't modern phones have this? To make you buy more storage of course! Although I was fine with just 64GB for 4 years when I was using my Pixel 3, having 128GB now is VERY nice! And being able to throw in a 256GB SD card which would allow me to store Music, Games, Videos, and Backups would just be extremely nice.
I do have a second phone anyways though ._., this is also optional!