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Android phone recommendations for 500€

Juliper
By Juliper
in Phones and Tablets
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I'm looking for a new phone for around 500€. It should have long software support and a decent camera.

 

So far te Pixel 7 and the S22 looks intersting.

 

Any other suggestions or opinions on those two phones?

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25 minutes ago, Juliper said:

I'm looking for a new phone for around 500€. It should have long software support and a decent camera.

 

So far te Pixel 7 and the S22 looks intersting.

 

Any other suggestions or opinions on those two phones?

Pixel7a. 

 

It goes around for €509

Main PC:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | RAM:Corsair LPX 3200 mhz (16Gb) 

Mobo:ASUS Strix B550-F Wifi | GPU: MSI RTX 2070 Gaming Z

Case: Sharkoon Nightshark RGB| Storage: 500 GB 970 EVO Plus 1 TB WD blue 500 GB Samsung HDD

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Main Laptop

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GPU: RTX 2060 (MXM swappable)

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Second Laptop

CPU: Intel Core I5 1235u,  RAM: Samsung 8 GB 3200 mhz

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Storage: 512 GB WD Digital SN530 NVMe

 

Phone:

Xiaomi MI 11

 

Work Phone:

Galaxy A50

 

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Pixel 7a seems like a great option. Probably the longest software support in terms of updates on an android, good camera. Though, if you want to save €100, maybe get the 6a. But you should only do this if you don't really care about 90hz, wireless charging, 2 gb more ram, or the faster processor that much. Not sure about the S22, I think both are a good option. IMO, the software features of the pixel look better, but that is up to you to decide.

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Regarding either, you can install custom software after unlocking the bootloader.  This is easier to do on Pixel devices, samsung is quitw hostile to bootloader modifications, whereas Google, shockingly, unbelievable, but thankfully, is quite a bit more leniant.

 

LineageOS aims to give devices at least 10 years of software support and android base software upgrades.  It:s all community powered but you'll get more than five years of upgrades.  So if you truly want your phone to last a long time, change the firmware as soon as you can.  After a couple years or so, Samsung will irrevocable lock the bootloader and not explain how to unlock it.

: JRE #1914 Siddarth Kara

How bad is e-waste?  Listen to that Joe Rogan episode.

 

"Now you get what you want, but do you want more?
- Bob Marley, Rastaman Vibration album 1976

 

Windows 11 will just force business to "recycle" "obscolete" hardware.  Microsoft definitely isn't bothered by this at all, and seems to want hardware produced just a few years ago to be considered obsolete.  They have also not shown any interest nor has any other company in a similar financial position, to help increase tech recycling whatsoever.  Windows 12 might be cloud-based and be a monthly or yearly fee.

 

Software suggestions


Just get f.lux [Link removed due to forum rules] so your screen isn't bright white at night, a golden orange in place of stark 6500K bluish white.

released in 2008 and still being improved.

 

Dark Reader addon for webpages.  Pick any color you want for both background and text (background and foreground page elements).  Enable the preview mode on desktop for Firefox and Chrome addon, by clicking the dark reader addon settings, Choose dev tools amd click preview mode.

 

NoScript or EFF's privacy badger addons can block many scripts and websites that would load and track you, possibly halving page load time!

 

F-droid is a place to install open-source software for android, Antennapod, RethinkDNS, Fennec which is Firefox with about:config, lots of performance and other changes available, mozilla KB has a huge database of what most of the settings do.  Most software in the repository only requires Android 5 and 6!

 

I recommend firewall apps (blocks apps) and dns filters (redirect all dns requests on android, to your choice of dns, even if overridden).  RethinkDNS is my pick and I set it to use pi-hole, installed inside Ubuntu/Debian, which is inside Virtualbox, until I go to a website, nothing at all connects to any other server.  I also use NextDNS.io to do the same when away from home wi-fi or even cellular!  I can even tether from cellular to any device sharing via wi-fi, and block anything with dns set to NextDNS, regardless if the device allows changing dns.  This style of network filtration is being overridden by software updates on some devices, forcing a backup dns provuder, such as google dns, when built in dns requests are not connecting.  Without a complete firewall setup, dns redirection itself is no longer always effective.

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