Sony! They kept removable storage and headphone jacks, they just don’t really advertise their Xperia phones in the US hence why nobody knows about them here.
They’re just as advanced and high-end as their Samsung and Apple counterparts and I think they rock.
I hate them all, but I hate some less like Motorola.
This feels like the correct answer.
Motorola and a couple others feel like at least they haven’t jumped on the “let’s charge them whatever the hell we can get away with” train. They’re still relatively inexpensive and are essentially just as capable and nice as the Samsungs and the Apples of the world. Hell, I get far more comments on my Motorola Edge 2023 with it’s textured faux leather back than others get with the latest Sammy or Apple identical square.
It feels like these smaller producers are able to take a few more risks in design.
Don’t you only get three years of security updates with that phone?
Sadly yes. That’s the drawback. But its balanced by the fact that its pretty easy to find good custom ROMs after it ends its software lifespan
Whichever ones allow bootloader unlocking, make it not a PITA to unlock, and are generally developer friendly (or at least not antagonistic to developers).
For a while that was Motorola, but I’ve read recently less models are allowed to be unlocked. OnePlus is also pretty good about unlocking the bootloader.
Just checked their website, all 2024 models are unlockable.
Google, unfortunately. Graphene sandboxes the google play services and Calyx spoofs it through microg.
I’d try a fairphone or a librem but I can replace my Pixel6 for $400 and have it within days if needed.
Pixel for me because I can install GrapheneOS and relock the bootloader.
Favorite manufacturer: Fairphone
Favorite smartphone: OnePlus 12R (Oxygen OS is what Android should be and they are the only manufacturer in the West who regulates pwm frequency) and also iPhone SE 3 (fuck you, we are putting our flagship processor in a 12 year old phone design satisfies my I wish they made a 1979 F-150 with an electric engine)
Faiphone / Fairphone 5
I really liked sony back when they made the compact series. ZX1 compact was my favorite smartphone but sadly it stopped working on my carrier. Now I’m using a galaxy zflip. The size when folded feels nice in my pocket. Closest thing I could find to a “small” full featured android.
Motorola without a doubt. One of the few companies that still believe that a high end phone doesn’t need to cost 2000 dollars.
I’m in camp moto as well. The other lovely thing is gestures. Shake your phone to put on the torch, turn it around and back twice to activate the camera.
The shake for the flashlight option my Motorola phone had was by far the best thing every. I can’t believe other manufacturers haven’t added that as an option.
Huawei. Oppo is also very good
A Pixel with GrapheneOS.
If you had asked me a couple weeks ago, I would have said Unihertz. I loved my tiny little Jelly Star.
Unfortunately, the backlight for the screen died. It is still technically under warranty, but the options they gave me were 1) We’ll ship you the part, and you can pay a local shop to put it in. 2) Pay to mail us the phone, and we’ll fix it and get it back to you in the next month or two. or 3) Buy a replacement phone at a discount.
It irks me that the only option that won’t cost me more money is having them ship me the part and trying to replace it myself.
I still like the little phone, but there is no way in hell I am giving that company any more of my money.
Sorry for the rant. To actually answer the question: I like my Google Phone. I don’t love Google per se, but the phone itself works pretty well.
Edit: Since writing this, I received the replacement screen, and I will say that it was surprisingly easy to take apart and repair. I don’t think most people already have the tools to do so, and I still don’t think I should be responsible for the repair myself, but I do once again have a functional phone after spending 0 additional dollars. Also, I like the phone just a little bit more because it was substantially easier to take apart than all of the other phone’s I’ve worked on.
Pixels are nice because of their hardware secure element and great Verified boot support, even with a custom OS. And those new Pixel 9’s are really fire 🔥
Google Pixel because of GrapheneOS
i also really like Fairphone. In a perfect world the fairphones would have the same or equivalent security chip as the Pixels. I’d really prefer to buy a european smartphone due to privacy and install GrapheneOS.
GrapheneOS is a must for me.
HTC 7: front facing speakers, microsd slot up to 2TB, 469 ppi , full brushed aluminum casing, smoooth OS, best phone i ever had, especially at the time, blew everything else out of rhe water.
still can’t believe big companies aren’t making phones with front facing speakers.
Sony Xperia still have front facing speakers.
I really like that Sony didn’t abandoned good features just to follow the hype. Some of those features are a headphone jack, an SD card and a small screen (big screens also available in the 1 series).
The xperia is more expensive then what I would usually spend on a phone, but it is probably the only phone that still has all those things you mentioned, which are nearly all dealbreakers for me. (Asus zenfone why did you have to become big :( )
Have a look at the Xperia 10 Series (for example the Xperia 10 VI), they have all those features for what I find is a reasonable price.
