Android

Nokia 6.1 from 2018

Very good built quality, battery life and software updates. Not so good camera.

I previously owned a Sony Xperia M7 Aqua.

Upgrading cycle is basically when is needed - that means when they break, battery dies and cannot be replaced, OS becomes deprecated, etc.

The phone is the only Android device I use.

Not an Apple fanboy here: too overpriced for what they are offering and I don't get any value from showing off some logo.

The rest of my universe is built around Windows , Linux and some embedded applications.

I'm using a OnePlus 9 5G. I like it so far, decently fast, decent battery life, really fast charging and wasn't too expensive.

I'm using a Poco F3, running MIUI 14 (Android 13) debloated but I might install crDroid on it someday.

I previously used a Honor 6X with LineageOS 14.1 for 4½ years, before that I used a Lumia 735.

Samsung S20 FE. Does everything I need, have owned it for two years and fully expect it to last at least two more. I have the less efficient Exynos model, but it's more than enough for me. I partly chose it because it was among the most accessible options with a 120Hz display back then and I don't regret it. Samsung software can be annoying, but I'm used to it.

I hear people recommend Pixels a lot, and I think I'd have one if they sold them where I live.

I've only had a handful of phones ever, I usually only switch when it becomes unusably slow, or dies, or gets stolen.

I also have an iPhone XS that I like a lot. I think it was pretty unpopular when it came out because of the price and for being too similar to the X, but I bought mine when it was already a few years old. Maining more than one device means I'm constantly missing something about the other platform, it helps keeping an open mind.

Long time BlackBerry user here, now on a Samsung Galaxy Fold Z3, skipping a gen or two, as I just got my Z3 refurbished and I like the thing. Only bad thing I could say about it is its battery life, which isn't spectacular.

I'm very happy with the Fold, because I'm a heavy reader, and really dislike the slab format. The BlackBerry Passport was my previous favourite phone ever, and I thought phones couldn't realistically be bigger and still comfortable to use.

My best phone was an unsung hero that I used between the Passport and the Fold, just because of how reliable it was (and is) -- the Pocophone F2 Pro. Great camera it had at the time, too. I used it while I was getting my Fold refurbished and it was still a pleasure to use.

I upgrade only when the phone starts to show its age, mostly because of reduced battery life, as in terms of performance it's hard to ascertain, taking into account my usage is mostly office-type, text and news consumption. My phones are notification and messaging machines, with email + calendar being very important parts of it.

I'm also carrying a Galaxy Wear 5 smartwatch, which I got on a huge discount (~160 EUR), and that's it. Rest of my stuff is all Linux (desktop, laptop), apart from a Kindle Scribe which replaced a reMarkable 1.

I also have a Pixelbook i5, which is a great little ChromeOS portable machine, but showing its age in terms of CPU power and battery life. No Apple products unless I'm forced to.

It's the first time I write here on Lemmy, so I hope I'll do that right

What phone are you using? Are you happy with it? What are its best and worst qualities?

I'm currently on a Galaxy S21+ (Exynos version). I really like it. It's really fast, the battery until now has been great, the camera shots amazing photos (even if it's not the Ultra) and I love the integration with OneDrive, since I already have a subscription for Office. I had some issues a month ago where it randomly restarted, however they should have been fixed with the latest update. I would love if Samsung maybe spent some time optimizing and polishing their UI.

Which phones have you had previously? Which were the best and worst of the lot?

First of all, I had a Windows Phone. It was a really cheap Nokia Lumia, but I loved it. It was still fast for its price, the UI was beautiful, and it just worked. Unfortunately there weren't many apps, but I still managed to do whatever I needed. Then, with the decline of Windows 10 Mobile, I switched to Android. I firstly had an horrible Wiko phone (idk if they sell those anymore or if they ever sold them in the US, they were laggy and full of bloatware) and then an LG Q6 that worked just like I could expect from a Snapdragon 430. The camera was fine, nothing exceptional but I couldn't expect something incredible from a phone bought at 160 euros. Then I decided to switch to Samsung, with a Galaxy S10 Lite. I loved it. By buying it, Samsung gifted their Galaxy Buds+, that are really awesome and I still use them today. The camera was really great, the SoC was really great and I really liked the UI. Probably the One UI 2.5 was the best One UI imo. At the end of 2021 I switched to a Galaxy S21+. There wasn't a big difference, but it felt more polished in every aspect. The camera was better, the performances were better etc.

How often do you upgrade to a new phone?

I have upgraded my phone every two years. However, I would like to keep my current S21+ for more time. It's really great, and I don't feel the necessity to change it.

What other Android ecosystem devices do you have? Watches, headphones/earbuds, etc.

I have the Galaxy Buds+ for wireless earbuds, and I really like them. I also have an old Samsung Watch (still with the Tizen OS), but, since I use it to track some activity and to read notification, I'll keep it as long as the battery is great. It works just fine for me.

Do you also use any Apple products, or are you Android all the way? (And/or Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, etc.)

I have recently switched to a MacBook due to their ARM SoC. I think that the most difficult think was getting used to the Mac way of doing things, and especially the shortcuts. However, I didn't feel that I was getting trapped on using Apple products, just like I read on other ~~Subreddits~~ channels (idk how they're called). Maybe it's because in Europe we use WhatsApp for messages and we basically never use the default apps, but I just installed the third-party apps we used and they worked great both on my old Windows laptop and on my new MacBook

Currently using a Z Fold 4. Got it specifically for reading books and manga and I'm LOVING it. The big screen is amazing!

Pixel 5a with CalyxOS. Battery life is absolutely insane, probably because it's de-googled. Solid 2-day phone. Plus, has a headphone jack.

Previously had a Nexus 5 and Oneplus 3 with LineageOS. I held onto that OP3 until Lineage dropped support, so nearly 6 years, and plan to do the same with my 5a+Calyx.

Have the earbuds that come with Samsung phones (plus Sennheiser HD598s for when I really want to listen to something), and own no apple devices. Have a linux gaming desktop (Pop!_OS) with KDE connect, which is awesome, and a Steam Deck. Used to have a smartwatch, but didn't get enough use out of it to justify buying a new one.

Pixel 7. I've been using pixels since the 3 and have enjoyed each one. It just works for me.

Asus Zenfone 6 and xiaomi K20 pro premium because I don't use front camera.

iPhone 14 Pro I’m happy with it. Best features (in my opinion) are the cameras and screen quality. Worst qualities are probably the locked down nature of iOS, the outdated lightning port, and it’s a little heavier than I would like. I always had Android phones before my first iPhone which was a Xr. They were usually budget phones and they always had issues from being slow, bad cameras, low res screens, etc. Since switching to the iPhone Xr I’ve been upgrading every two years, sometimes every year depending on if I really like the newest model. My only other Android devices are a few tablets. Other Apple devices I own include Apple Watch Series 5, AirPods Pro 2nd gen, and MacBook Pro M1 14”.

Huawei P20 Lite, stuck on Android 9 (yeah, I need to change that someday).

For.. idk.. 5 years maybe? Before that, I had an.. IPhone 3, I think?

No watches, headphones, earbuds.

I'm using a pixel 4a 5g, before that it was a pixel xl, before that a nexus 5x, before that IDK some dirt cheap Samsung smart phone running 4.0, but before that was an LG env3.

I usually update once the phone I'm using starts dying or is broken.

I dig my current phone but the camera is different in some noticeable ways around trees when the sky is really clear and blue. They get kind of like little halo thing going on.

Personally I'm thinking about upgrading to the newer Pixel 7A, but I really can't justify it when my current phone still works.

Basically all I go for is camera on a phone and a big enough screen to read ebooks comfortably.

I've got a Pixel 7 Pro and I've been very happy with it. The camera is fantastic, which is probably my favorite thing about it. I love all of the little features included in the Pixel software, the call screening feature being one of the best. The Pixels usually aren't trying to beat the other flagships in specs, but I haven't had any complaints with the hardware. I usually update to a new phone about every 3 year.

What phone are you using?

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Fold 4. My phone service provider upgraded it from a Fold 3 because the plastic screen protector on the inside screen was peeling off from the center.

Are you happy with it? What are its best and worst qualities?

Yes, I'm happy with this phone, or else I wouldn't be using it. I love that it's a small phone, and when I want a device with a bigger screen, I can just open it up.

The worst part of this phone has already happened: the screen protector (or something) separated from the screen. I changed my phone to an iPhone when I went to a trip with snow, but I somehow still got problems with the screen using the phone in a tropical place. I don't know if it's because the screen has thin glass, or something else, but folding phones aren't as durable as their slab counterparts.

Which phones have you had previously? Which were the best and worst of the lot?

I had several Samsung Galaxy phones, starting from the S1 to every other phone (I think S3, S5, S6 Edge, Note 8, S10+, Fold 3, Fold 4, S23+, Asus Zenfone 9 and Google Pixel 6. The latter four phones are the ones I currently switch between when I feel like it, but my main phone is the Fold 4.

How often do you upgrade to a new phone?

I try to upgrade my phone every two years, but the pandemic changed something in me and I recently went on a phone purchasing spree (hence the recent phones with the same SoC in a generation).

What other Android ecosystem devices do you have? Watches, headphones/earbuds, etc.

I have a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 (as my bed tablet) and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as my main Youtube viewer/laptop.

Do you also use any Apple products, or are you Android all the way? (And/or Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, etc.)

I have a 2019 Apple Macbook Pro 16" laptop, a 13" 2015 Macbook Air with an upgraded 1TB of storage, and an iPhone 13 Pro Max with 1TB of storage.

For my desktop computer, gaming laptop and a 2-in-1 laptop, I use Windows 10. I've been using Windows OSes since the 3.1 days, so I guess I'm used to how the Windows OS works.

I try to dip my toes in every ecosystem there is, since I'm a geek, but I don't like Apple's locked down ecosystem. There's days I'll swap my SIM card to my iPhone to see what Apple is doing nowadays, but the last time I did that was earlier this year.

REVVL V. I've had better.

OnePlus 10 Pro 5G.

But if they are pushing colorOS on all, that will have been my last OnePlus.

Sorry for the my previous post, I hit 'publish' instead of exiting preview, lol.

What phone are you using?

Samsung Galaxy A11, Android 12/One Ui Core 4.1. I bought it in November 2020, amid a problem with not accessing Whatsapp and communicating with my schoolmates.

Are you happy with it? What are its best and worst qualities?

Yeah. I don't know how to say exactly about the best and worst things about it, I'll just say that at least it's satisfying me.

Which phones have you had previously? Which were the best and worst of the lot?

Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime and Motorola G6 Play. About the first one, it had terrible storage: 16GB, which was small even back then and it was one of the reasons I switched phones. About the second one, it lasted a few years, but as I used it a lot, it ended up with the battery becoming addicted and it stopped working during the pandemic. I still kept it, waiting for some repair, but then I had to give it to another relative.

How often do you upgrade to a new phone?

I use it until it is very old or with some defect. Yes, I know it's kind of weird to do that, but the wages here don't help much in the exchange for a decent phone.

What other Android ecosystem devices do you have? Watches, headphones/earbuds, etc.

None.

Do you also use any Apple products, or are you Android all the way? (And/or Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, etc.)

I have a tablet (Galaxy Tab A, 2019 version. Android 11), two cell phones that belonged to my parents (Galaxy J7 Prime and Galaxy A10, the latter being with the screen broken) and a notebook with Windows 10 that I also bought in 2020 (Samsung Essentials E20). Yes, I'm technically kind of a Samsung fan.

Samsung S22 Ultra

Overall I like the phone. The camera is good, it's speedy, battery lasts the whole day. I'm not a fan of the Samsung added software, and I usually change the launcher. I absolutely hate the curved screen, and I intend for my next phone to have a flat screen, whatever it is.

I've always been android, and I've shifted between the Samsungs and Pixels. My last pixel was the 6 pro, and it had hardware issues that frustrated me and sent me back to Samsung.

I upgrade every 18 months or so.

I have pixel ear buds and a galaxy watch.

My computers are all Macs, so I've considered switching to the iPhone. I feel that I'll miss the customizations on Android, and the camera on the iPhone doesn't seem quite as good. Is the integration really that big of a deal to make the switch worth it? Given that I'm not accustomed to it now, I'm not sure it's enough to make me jump from Android.

What phone are you using? Samsung Note 9.

Are you happy with it? What are its best and worst qualities?

Fairly happy with it. Best part is that it's got a headphone jack, stylus, and doesn't have hole punches. Downside is that the bezels can be close, so if you're not careful with how you hold it with a thin/no case, then the pad of your hands ends up constantly touching the screen.

How often do you upgrade to a new phone?

Not very often, except when it's been stolen, etc. I only tend to upgrade when the phone itself is either starting to not work due to insufficient system resources, or some part is failing (like the battery).

What other Android ecosystem devices do you have? Watches, headphones/earbuds, etc.

A Samsung smartwatch. I had a Garmin one that I preferred more, but the frame broke, and I was hoping that the metal frame on the Samsung would make it tougher, although I personally think that it's a bit overkill software and hardware wise, preferring the simpler watch interfaces of both Pebble and Garmin. I don't really need to text or anything on my watch, and it would be basically impossible with that tiny screen.

I also use Sennheiser HD 4.50BTNC (Gen 1) bluetooth headphones, and KZ ZSN PRO X earbuds, for when the headphones are out of battery, and/or I need a wired connection (the one on the headphones no longer works).

Do you also use any Apple products, or are you Android all the way? (And/or Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, etc.)

For my computer, I tend to use Windows. Linux every so often on a Live USB or something if I want to poke around on it.

I have an iPad Mini 2, since Android's tablet experiences aren't very good/rather limited (judging by how some of them work in Samsung's DeX mode), and because having a hook into the Apple ecosystem can be handy for some things, like trying to pin down an issue, or see how Apple does things compared to Android.

I'm using the OnePlus Nord (the first one) and I am still very happy with it.

I used to have a Blackberry Key2 (and the Key1 before that). Those were awesome Android phones too, and much easier to code with using the physical keyboard. I kept the Key2 and use it for when I need to do some typing but don't want to use the laptop.

I used to own an iPhone (6s was the last one) but I ended up switching because of the Blackberries. I like how I can just install Termux and turn my phone into a device that I can work on. Also Android just seems way ahead in terms of software features with their OS.

Note 20 ultra. Android for a long time, had pda phones before smart phones were a thing. Last dailys were s10, s8+, s5, s4 s3. s2 and samsung infuse as s1. I had iphone 1g and 2g for that sweet capacitive screen then bailed due to feeling of lack of control over the device. Fast forward, won't upgrade from my note due to losing features like sd card. Maybe I could accept losing the 1/8 jack, but when these devices felt like a new upgrade to civilization every few years, losing features doesn't feel like progress. Cameras are important as well, I also had flip phones, Motorola v400 had an impressive camera for its time, and since then I've purchased with cameras, features, and battery life in mind, and I feel like the note 20 was about the peak, and since then devices cut corners for profits. I'd like to see them get smaller and lighter with similar features, not heavier and bigger. I miss one handed flagship devices like the s8+.