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.
EDIT: As of 4/13/24, I decided to pick up a Samsung S20 FE. It's been treating me well, and for the low low price of $280 NEW, I'm very pleased with what I got. My complaint is that the vibrate is seriously weak. Use it on sound mode if you don't want to constantly miss notifications.
As another happy Fairphone user, I'd caution against getting one though if you don't see the hefty price tag as also being a way of subsidizing right to repair and fair trade. The long warranty period and support duration, the repairability, and the SD card slot might not be enough positives to offset it being bulky, heavy, the camera being terrible, security updates coming with 1-2 months of delay, the specs being generally under what you'd find around its price range and you going 300 USD over budget.
Personally, I'd only ever owned a low-end smartphone that was 4 years past its end of support before getting the Fairphone, so I've been very happy with it, but I can see the drawbacks mattering more to other people.
The Fairphone for a long time was sort of my "dream phone" due to the philosophy of repairing it. However recently I have stumbled across the Rog Phone 7 by Asus. It does not have the repairability that I desire, and it is too expensive for my current financial situation. But the battery far surpasses Fairphone's and although it is not as readily repairable, a teardown video reassured me that i would be able to at the very least attempt diagnostics. Also, it is a newer model so I know there will be support for it for a while. I am not completely convinced that it suits my needs better than the fairphone, and both are too expensive.
Perhaps by the time I can comfortably afford one or the other, the winner will be more clear.