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What phone are you using?

So, I thought I'd kick things off here with some community building.

Quote this post with answers to the below!

What phone are you using?

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

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

How often do you upgrade to a new phone?

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

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

113 comments
  • Currently, I'm using a Motorola moto g100 and I'm happy with it. Good battery life, nice big screen, much improved performance compared to my last phone. Best phone I've ever owned. The main inconvenience is the location of the fingerprint sensor: I'd have preferred if it was on the front of the device somehow (definitely not on the back -- I often have it lying flat on the table).

    I also dislike the fact it can only remember five fingerprints while I have 10 fingers. Who thought that was a good idea? :þ

    Previously I had a Moto G5+ and a Moto G. I guess you could say I enjoyed the quality and relative lack of bloatware of these Motorola phones, while being more affordable than some of the alternatives I was considering at the time I bought them.

    Going further back, I had a HTC Desire Z (with a slide-out physical keyboard). I picked it as my first smartphone because I was hesitant to get rid of physical keys, but as it turned out I hardly ever used them. Looking back, this one was clearly the worst value for the money.

    Since I switched to smart phones I've been upgrading every 3 or 4 years.

    Before the smart phone era, I had an Alcatel device (can't remember the exact model). I used that tiny near-indestructable thing for over a decade, only charging it about once a week. It was mostly an "in case of emergency" though, not nearly as heavily used as later phones, because it wasn't really usable as a miniature pocket-computer (like smart phones are). Still, I was pretty happy with it at the time: the only reason I got rid of it was because the '0' button broke, and in my country all phone numbers start with 0.

    I also have an LG G Watch (Wear OS). A relative worked at Google when these were handed out to employees but didn't actually want it, so I got it as a gift. It's pretty old now: I've replaced the bands a few times and it won't charge past 70%, but it still mostly works and the battery still lasts all day. I'm not sure if I'll get another smart watch if and when this one finally breaks, though.

    No Apple products, and my laptop runs Linux Mint. These days, I only use Windows at work or when helping relatives with tech problems (sigh).

  • Redmagic 7s pro

    Was the same price as most of the flagships, has triggers for my action games such as punishing gray raven and honkai impact. And even has active air cooling so it doesn't melt in your hands when playing said games.

  • 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.

  • Fold 4.

    I don't have buyers remorse because it's different from the usual phones, just that I barely use it unfolded. The outer screen is good enough for most purposes.

  • I use a Pixel 5 with MicroG Lineage OS. I like it quite a bit: it's fast, has good battery life, and thanks to Lineage OS, it doesn't spy on me (as much). I do miss having an SD card slot and headphone jack, but those are hard to find anywhere these days, unfortunately.

    I don't have a specific upgrade schedule: I upgrade phones when the need arises. My last phone (Nexus 6) was showing its age: it was slow, the battery struggled to hold a charge, and the USB port was worn out. Switching to Lineage OS and a wireless charger helped with these problems somewhat, but it was still time for an upgrade. My phone before that (Droid Razr M) was stuck in a boot loop, so had to upgrade that, as well.

    I have an iPad 3 sitting around somewhere, but otherwise, not much of an Apple person. I try to use Linux whenever possible (I know Android isn't a traditional GNU/Linux system, but with Lineage OS and Termux, it's close enough for me).

  • Currently using a Nokia 7.2

    Best qualities:

    • Cheap
    • Has a heaphone jack
    • Does smartphone things
    • Fell like 5 times from more than a meter of height into a stone floor and is somehow still fine (more luck than skill probably)

    Worst qualities:

    • Not the fastest
    • No more updates :(
    • Randomly turns off about once every month at night while charging, which forced me to buy a backup alarm

    Before this I was using a Moto G5 plus, which was a bit of a quirky phone. Before that I used my Nexus 5, which ultimately started suffering the power button issues. My Nexus 5 is still a backup phone that I use sometimes, and every time I touch it I wish that they'd release a new Nexus 5 just like the old one but with with newer hardware specs and a better battery. I love how light and small it is, I still love the screen, and I love how it looks.

    From this you can probably gather that I don't upgrade phones too often. I also don't have any other Android devices. I did at one point dabble a bit into Android development and made a few silly apps, but that's many years ago at this point.

    For my PC's I usually use Linux where I can, and Window$ for gaming and music production (because sadly that's the only way to make these things work reliably).

  • What phone are you using?

    I have a Pixel 7, Obsidian Color

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

    I love the phone. Its my first non low-end android, and I can't see myself going back to an iPhone. I love the assortment of emulators available for Android, and the pixel 7 main camera is very good. The selfie camera could use some work, but picture taking is not what I got this phone for anyway.

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

    My previous phones were an iPhone 11 and an iPhone 5C before that. I have a Moto G pure (low end android) for a little bit, although it was more of a secondary phone instead of something to switch to, as it is very sluggish to use. The iPhone 11 was a good phone, the selfie camera is still better than my current pixel phone. I definitely craved the feeling of freedom I got from my Motorola though, despite its shortcomings. So I went ahead and got my pixel.

    How often do you upgrade to a new phone? Very rarely, I might be upgrading more often now though due to pixels having shorter security update Windows than iPhones.

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

    None at the moment, although I am planning on getting Pixel buds.

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

    For now I am android all the way. I have a Lenovo Thinkpad with Windows 11 on it, I have tried to switch to Linux but my laptops display needs fractional scaling as the dimensions of the screen are different from the resolution. So until fractional scaling gets better on nvidia cards I'll have to stay with Windows.

    Dang I wrote a lot 💀

  • Current daily driver is a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. Pretty happy with its compact size when folded, and it serves as a mini-tablet of sorts when unfolded. It's also the first phone I've owned that I've not needed to worry about running out of juice midway throughout the day. Though I find its quite hard to find a suitable table stand for it, especially if using it unfolded.

    My Android journey began in January 2014 with a Sony Xperia Z1, upgraded from an iPhone 4S with a busted home button. It was a pretty great introduction to the Android world with Sony's near-stock interface (when compared with the dark days of T**chwiz bloatware and whatnot) and lasted until January 2016 when I upgraded to a Sony Xperia Z5 Premium. The lack of an SD card slot of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 made me hold my nose and get the Z5P despite its Snapdragon 810 SoC, and I endured its abysmal 3.5 hour SOT until 20 months later I upgraded to a red Sony Xperia XZ Premium. This was a really good looking phone and its SD835 SoC was definitely a far cry from the 810 with 5.5 to 6 hours SOT. 28 months of use later and the XZP unfortunately started lagging, which prompted me to try out Samsung. The Note 10+ impressed me with its nearly bezelless screen and s-pen, but the Exynos 9825 SoC was pretty meh at battery life. So another 28 months later and I've upgraded to the SD 8+ Gen 1 Fold 4.

  • OnePlus 7T

    I love this phone. I thought it'd take longer than it actually did to get used to not having a home button anymore, but I adapted in less than an hour. Love how OxygenOS is very close to stock Android. The glass on the back is super slick. Everything is super slick to me. My hands are chronically dry. So I hate all these glass-backed phones.

    I've previously used a OnePlus 3, OnePlus One, Samsung Galaxy S4, Motorola Photon 4G, and a Motorola RAZR ve20. I loved my Galaxy. It was my first OLED experience. My OnePlus One felt like kind of a downgrade, but it also allowed me to stop having to sign contracts to get an affordable phone in 2015. Plus, back then, it felt like being a part of something new and exciting. Man I miss Cyanogenmod.

    I upgrade basically whenever I need to. The phone I have now is ~3½ years old. The back glass is busted and the battery is starting to lose its life. They will repair it and so I'm thinking of sending it in. I can picture myself using this phone on another 3-4 years barring some kind of carrier stupidity.

    No other Android devices. I'm an otherwise Windows/Ubuntu person. Started trying Mint recently. I do have a Fitbit.

    I used to have a 4th gen iPod Touch circa 2011 before I got my Photon 4G. iOS 6 ran like crap on it and I was around the corner from building my first PC. I had started using my Android phone for my games and music and such so I just didn't have a use for it anymore. Sold it off and I haven't owned an Apple product since.

  • S10. It's older, bought refurbished, but probably technically the "best" phone I ever had and it's all I really need tbh.

  • Pocophone f1 and I have a xiaomi note 8 as a backup ; because I tend to drop my phone due to carelessness (¯ ¯٥) i have had my screens change twice this year.

  • I have a Pixel 4a because I refuse to spend more than $200 on a phone. The battery is starting to not last very long so either I am going to replace the battery or get a Pixel 6a for $200. I'd really prefer to not need a new phone because I like the headphone jack.

  • I've got the Galaxy S22 standard and I like it quite a bit. I've used the Galaxy series primarily since 2012 and my most recent was the S20. It was definitely an upgrade in terms of camera quality, which is one of the main reason I got it. I can take so many more pictures now, but never do. So that says a lot about me :)

    I usually go 2-5 years between phones, so this one was quicker than some I've held onto. I don't have any other Android devices and have only once before owned a Macbook Pro (2015 Core 2 Duo, I believe).

  • What phone are you using?

    Galaxy S23 Ultra.

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

    Absolutely love it. It's only the second Galaxy model to be sold with the Snapdragon chip in 🇦🇺 Australia, after the S22. I had an S21 Ultra (Exynos) and decided to wait for the S23, because of the rumours that the cameras would be improved.

    Glad I waited, and also very glad to have an included stylus, because I'm a photographer and designer, so the stylus is bloody useful!

    I honestly can't think of an downsides to this phone, I'm so damn satisfied with it.

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

    As noted above, I had the S21 Ultra previously. I actually bought a Pixel 7 Pro when it was released, but after about a month I decided that while it was a great phone with some clever new features, I still preferred my S21 Ultra — so I sold the Pixel 7 Pro and went back to my Samsung!

    Other previous phones, let me think... First modern smartphone was the iPhone 3G, followed by iPhone 4, iPhone 5S, HTC Desire, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Sony XPeria V, LG Nexus 5X, Google Pixel, Google Pixel 2, iPhone 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S10, iPhone 13 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, S23 Ultra.

    Not sure if that order is exactly right... haha.

    How often do you upgrade to a new phone?

    Usually every year, to be honest, which obviously isn't super responsible either financially or in terms of e-waste, but it really is my number one addiction. 😂

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

    Galaxy Watch 4, Pixel Watch, Galaxy Tab S4 (now my son's), Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (now my daughter's), and a Galaxy Tab S8.

    Oh, and the Chromecast with Google TV.

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

    I have an iPad Pro A12X (pre-M1, annoyingly) for drawing with Procreate, and I still have my iPhone 13 Pro — mostly just for shooting videos for work, since phone gimbals integrate better with iOS than they do with Android (or maybe just Samsung). I also have a work-supplied MacBook Pro 14" M1 Max.

    Lastly, I also have a pair of AirPods Pro that I bought for my iPhone but now mostly only use with my Macbook, and a pair of Beats Fit Pro that I absolutely love using with my S23 Ultra. I was tempted by the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, but I really prefer buds with winglets for a more secure fit.

  • Using a Galaxy S10e rn, everything in this phone is great except the battery.

    And my laptop has Arch Linux btw.

  • Samsung galaxy S21. I really enjoy it and has worked perfectly. I like Samsung rendition of Android, I feel like it gives me a larger overview of settings and so forth. I've had an iphone 6 and Huawei Mate 20 lite. My problem with the iphone was that i didn't really understand it, and the app library was limited. The Huawei became slow fast, but that might just be because of it being the lite edition. In edition to the Samsung S21 i also own a Samsung galaxy watch 5 and a pair Samsung buds 2. Both these works great, and i really enjoy Samsungs health app wich is how the watch connects to the phone. The buds are even compatible with my windows computer :)

    • @MrCenny the mate 20 life's processor just hasn't held up particularly well, my smol huawei tablet has a similar setup and modern apps just make it choke. It can do one thing at a time okay, but multi tasking is a no go.

      • Yeah, it just got slower and slower by the years. At some point i couldnt even load up my emails, and that was when I had to switch phones. BUT it did actually last 3 years!

  • What phone are you using? Huawei P50 Pro

    Are you happy with it? What are its best and worst qualities? Absolutely love the phone, I'm not big on voice assistants or ecosystems so I don't need Google to be connected across all devices and have everything linked together.

    As a phone it started out rough, loss of connection very frequently, dropping calls every day. After a few months these issues resolved on there own, which may have been a carrier issue and not the phone itself. Browsing and interacting with it is seamless, games run fast, apps rarely shutdown. The Camera is spectacular, the only rival is my gfs Iphone 13 but both are amazing. The only limiting factor is small amount of unavailable apps due to the lack G.P.S. but I'm not effected I just go to the mobile site instead.

    Which phones have you had previously? Which were the best and worst of the lot? Huawei Nexus 6P Huawei P20 Pro

    How often do you upgrade to a new phone? Every 3 - 4 years

    What other Android ecosystem devices do you have? Watches, headphones/earbuds, etc. Not sure if they count but I have a TicWatch Pro 3 and EVA Earbuds

    Do you also use any Apple products, or are you Android all the way? (And/or Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, etc.) Nope, no apple for me, Windows 10.

  • Hey y'all, first post for me here ^^ Currently I am using a Galaxy S23. I really love that this phone is an awesome allrounder with quite a nice size for today's standards, that doesn't really have many weaknesses. Coming from an S10e (Snappy version from Hong Kong) I miss the microSD slot though and the size was better but my battery gave up so I needed a new phone (no, replacing the battery is not an option imo since IP rating and end of support). What I really hate on phones nowadays are that close-up shots of objects like documents are horrific compared to earlier phones but the world needs bigger sensors and that seems to be a drawback, I get it. To anyone with the same issue: Just use 2x zoom and your closeup should look a bit better at least. My best phone was definitely the S10e with the Snappy 855 - only drawback was that the battery was a bit small but it was manageable for me. Except for a 90hz panel and telephoto lens, it had quite everything that you could wish for. I only use a pair of earbuds (Comfobuds 2) with my S23 and I only use Windows 11 on my PCs (still think that Windows 7 was the best OS but here we are). Apple isn't really an option for me when it comes to smartphones since the customizablity and the whole eco system doesn't work out for me but I wouldn't say it is a bad system. It has its advantages and disadvantages like any other tech product out there. Have to admit though, their Macbook Airs are mighty impressive. If you have that much patience and read till this point, thank you for reading. Also have a wonderful day and stay safe =)

  • What phone are you using? Pixel 4A

    Are you happy with it? What are its best and worst qualities? Very happy with it. It's still very quick - never felt a slowdown, it, was and still is cheap to buy, has a good enough camera, good enough battery life, love the back mounted finger print scanner, and is a good size.

    Only real downside is it's at the tail end of google's security update support.

    Which phones have you had previously? Which were the best and worst of the lot? Smart phones only - Moto X, nexus 4, nexus 6, essential phone, pixel 4a. Liked all of them, but I think moto x I liked the least & essential phone I liked the most.

    How often do you upgrade to a new phone? When my previous one is broken or the OS gets too slow.

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

    Do you also use any Apple products, or are you Android all the way? (And/or Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, etc.) No apple products. I won't pay premium prices and I'm pretty set on the Google eco system for better or for worse. Have a few windows OS computers either that I built or use for work.

  • Phone I'm Using:

    Samsung A50

    Am I Happy with it:

    Yes, it has been fully capable of performing the daily tasks that I throw at it. Only downsides really is that it no longer receives support from Samsung.

    What Phone Did I have Previously:

    My previous phones were a LG Q6 and I believe an iPhone 6 or 7. Honestly as much as I love Android, the iPhone was leaps and bounds better then what the LG Q6 was able to provide. That's mainly more a statement of how bad LG was at making actually interesting phones that were good.

    How often do I upgrade:

    My A50 is a hand-me-down so atm I don't really decide when I get a new phone lol.

    What other Android Ecosystem Devices do I have?

    If it counts, Google Home Mini (have had it for quite a few years)

    Do you have any Apple products and/or Microsoft, Linux, etc...

    No, I don not own any Apple products of any sort. I own an Xbox Series X, a Windows Laptop from Asus, a Google Home Mini along with a Amazon Alexa (well technically that wasn't mines originally I'm just "borrowing" it because it was just left disconnected.) Lastly I have a pair of Jabra Elite 3's which have been pretty good.

  • Reminds me of the olden days of r/Android where threads like this were a blast!

    What phone are you using?

    Following in the footsteps of Captain2Phones, I am simultaneously using a Google Pixel 6a and a OnePlus 7 Pro.

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

    Pixel 6a is the best phone I've ever used, including flagship iPhones. I love the camera bar design and the whole look of the phone's rear while I don't particularly like the chunky bezels and the hole punch. I have been spoilt by the fantastic uninterrupted curved display (yes, you read it right. I like curved screens) of the OnePlus 7 Pro. It's smooth and the cameras are great. I love the animations and the overall look of Material You. It's a really good phone.

    As for the OnePlus 7 Pro, it was the best phone I had ever used until they ruined it all with their subpar software updates which made the phone literally a chore to use. I still use it and like it, but the experience it heavily marred by the atrocious software experience of the new OS which is nothing like OxygenOS.

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

    Have had flagship iPhones for several years until I got the OnePlus 7 Pro. The Pixel has to be the best phone, a shitter Micromax that I had a decade ago has to be the worst.

    How often do you upgrade to a new phone?

    Every 2/3 years.

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

    Not a big fan of smartwatches. Well, a big fan of the smartwatch tech, but not a big fan of wearing one over a traditional watch. Have several fitness bands made by Android OEMs (though none of them run Android) and several true-wireless earphones and headphones by Anker and Soundpeats that I use with my Android devices as well as my Windows devices.

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

    Not at the moment. But my next computer will be an MX Macbook Pro.

  • What phone are you using?

    One Plus 8

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

    I am happy with the phone. I've had it for the past almost 3 years and it has served me well. The thing I love the most about this phone is the specs and the custom ROM community. 3 years later and this phone still holds up very well. It handles everything I throw at it; even the occasional Genshin Impact. The custom ROM community is also very active. My phone is still in good condition after three years. Battery is still holding up. I get about 5-7 hours SOT wifi on light usage. When using data and heavier usage (maps, spotify, max brightness) I get around 3-4 hours of SOT which isn't that bad for a three year old phone. I plan on replacing the battery and using custom roms to extend my phone's life.

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

    s5, j7 prime My s5 was a hand me down from my mother. The phone worked fine but the the display would glitch out and turn off. The j7 prime was just garbage after about 6 months of usage. It was laggy as hell and I'm not sure how I survived with that phone for three years. It was definitely the worst out of the two.

    How often do you upgrade to a new phone?

    I don't upgrade phones until the one I am currently using cannot handle my daily usage, or breaks. When my phone is no longer usable, then I am considering either going back to samsung or going pixel depending on if the charging and efficiency gets better.

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

    I have a galaxy watch active 2 and galaxy buds plus.

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

    I do not currently have any Apple products. I am using a windows pc and my laptop is dual booting windows 10 and ubuntu (windows just in case I have software that doesn't work on linux).

  • What phone are you using?

    Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

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

    Best is screen. Worst is battery. 3-4.5 hours of SoT. Also, it stutters all the damn time. I know most people using it will say it doesn't, but for me most animations stutter. Every 3rd time I open the Edge panel, and about a third of the times I interact with the device.

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

    Galaxy Wonder, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S7, Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Galaxy Wonder was pretty bad at the time, and has not stood the test of time. It quickly became unusable. Galaxy S7 was pretty solid but nothing special.

    How often do you upgrade to a new phone?

    2-3 years.

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

    I have the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds which got the infamous battery drain due to a software update one month after warranty ended and I can't wait to replace them. They don't last over 5 minutes on one charge. If it wasn't for the battery drain, I would keep using them for a very long time. Superior noise cancellation and sound quality.

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

    I have an ancient iPad that is unusable at this point, and an Apple TV that I received for free many years ago. Very recently, I started using Android TV almost exclusively. The only feature I really miss is AirPlay.

113 comments