yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[General Questions and Answers] Exidoous:
Looking for lowest common denominator

Needs:

Unlockable bootloader with existent custom roms

US Verizon MNVO VoLTE bands

Preference:

Least expensive possible

Background:

My parents have been on Page Plus burner flip phones (from a decade ago) for emergencies. It's been wonderful, it serves their purposes perfectly. They pay less than $5/month. I'd like to keep them on Page Plus, but the carriers' impending mandatory-4G VoLTE curveball has complicated things. I'd prefer flip phones for them, but my research has already shown that is not practical or cost effective at this point. The available flip phones are just Android with spyware now: there are seemingly none that are actually feature phones - aside from a few niche options that are absurdly expensive.

So if I have to get them smartphones, I at least want to be able to strip the bloat and spyware out - that's why I want custom rom support (hence unlockable bootloader).

My research thus far has been deeply frustrating, not only are feature phones seemingly gone forever, but smartphone prices apparently keep ticking up. My first Android experience was a ~$50 Optimus from Virgin Mobile - custom roms and low price of entry. My apparently-now-unattainable baseline. I was hopeful when I saw this https://xdaforums.com/android/software/bootloader-unlocking-qualcomm-zte-t4100897 thread about how older ZTE phones have unlockable bootloaders, presumably many of their cheapo MNVO box phones. However, I'm not finding any of the cheaper ones with custom rom support on here. I'd love to get a $30 phone in a box and put the debloated rom of its equivalent non-Tracfone hardware on it.

Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance.
[General Questions and Answers] rhythm_dx:
Can anyone recommend a tablet that meets these criteria?

-Android 8 through 10

-4gb of RAM or better

-rootable

-around $100

I know that's a pretty restrictive set of criteria. I wouldn't be surprised if nothing like that exist, but I thought I'd ask around here.

I don't care what size it is, the brand or how good the camera is. Just looking for something reasonably modern, snappy and inexpensive for streaming, reading and light photo/video editing.

Thanks for any suggestions!
[General Questions and Answers] Droidriven:
The thread linked below is where you should have posted your question.

https://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1846277
[General Questions and Answers] rhythm_dx:
Another mod actually moved my question to this thread from a general questions thread. Your link is to this thread. Was there a tablets thread somewhere that would be a better fit? Thanks!
[General Questions and Answers] Droidriven:
No, that thread is meant for questions about device suggestions. Why else would I tell you to post there and why else would the Moderator move your question to that thread? Why are resisting the flow? When I first responded, your post was in another thread, I think the moderator moved your post while I was responding because it wasn't in this thread when I first saw your question, that is why I provided the link to this thread. I guess my reply got moved here along with your post somewhere in the process.
[General Questions and Answers] vygavedha:
I am from India, looking to buy a phone under 20 k with promising development.

Can you guys suggest?

Expecting a decent camera and processor with 128 GB storage.
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
i would suggest you top those 20k with a little bit and get yourself a Xiaomi Redmi K20. very good smartphone, seems a good long time investment, with plenty of custom roms.
[General Questions and Answers] kamer4u:
Gaming phone - which is the best?

I purchased a tencent edition Rog Phone 2 primarily to game PUBG/ COD. Rooted the phone to install global ROM/ tweaks around 3 months back. Everything was fine until 2 days back when the phone when black. Wont charge or turn on, except giving a connected sound on PC. Assumed it was in EDL mode, tried flashing it with Qualcomm/ MiFlash but kept getting "failed to open device, type:UFS, slot 1, lun 2 error 3". Telegram channel said probably UFS chip is fried, and will need to be replaced along with the motherboard, which will be approx half the cost of phone. There were discussions similar issues were pretty common with the device.

Now, I am looking for an alternate phone, given I do not want to keep investing in a phone which gave up within 8 months, in spite of using original charger/ cable accessories (except root, which I do not think would be an issue 3 months after I rooted). I need a phone primarily focussed on gaming and confused whether to go for

1) Phones with exclusive focus on gaming (read triggers). Not wanting ROG again - options are Black Shark 3 pro and RedMagic 5.

2) Phones with high end specs but not exclusively focused on gaming. I am pretty open except for Samsung given there is only Exynos available in my geography.

Any guidance will be appreciated. Need your kind help :)
[General Questions and Answers] mitsosJL:
xiaomi

Hello guys, after several years of owning my sony z1 and with the z1 forum dying I decided that it is time for a new phone. After some research i ended with three phones all three xiaomi. The Mi 10 lite 5G, the K30 5G and the Mi mix 3 5G. My criteria were to find a relatively cheap phone with high performance and 5g in order to be future proof. The prices between those 3 phones are almost the same with slight variation between the 64 and 128 variants (350-400 euros). My question is about the performance in the long term. Do I buy the Mix 3 5g with the sd855 (last gen high end chip) or the other which have the sd765g (current mid-range topper)? My point of view is that the 855 is better in terms of raw power compaired to the 765g but the 765g is newer by almost 2 years with whatever this means in terms of technological features (plus longer support because of the newer phones). Also the mi 10 lite and the k30 seem more solid as phone choices in terms of features. What do you think? (also alternatives are welcome)

Thanks in advance.
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
well, if money arent a issue, you could go OnePlus 8 Pro or IPhone 11 Pro Max. afterall, most game companies go to Apple first then Android.
[General Questions and Answers] dokvader114:
hey guys.. so it's like this:

I really want to upgrade my awesome one plus 6 to a new flash chip phone with the best gaming possible.

I've been thinking about buying the black shark (mostly because the pop up buttons ) but it really bothers me that it doesn't have 120 hrz screen refresh rate , now I know most games doesn't have 120 GHz anyway but its like its not "future proof" .

the second phone I've been thinking about is the red magic 5g which also have some sort of shoulders buttons but I understood the the battery is worse and that the fan may cause problems in long range.

any thoughts?

what would you choose as the best gaming phone available ? should I wait for the next asos rog phone?

thanks in advance
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
if i were to invest that much money in a gaming phone, i would get an iphone, maybe the upcoming iphone 12 pro max or whatever is gonna get called. now, for android side, Oneplus 8 Pro seems like a safe bet for gaming with a ton of custom roms awaiting.
[General Questions and Answers] dokvader114:
ill never switch to iPhone,

as awsome oneplus is (written from my oneplus 6) I really thought about blackshark 3 pro (big screen and 2k res) or red magic 5g (144 refresh rate) because they both have those awsome shoulder buttons .
[General Questions and Answers] zirogx2:
I'm looking for a phone with at least a snapdragon 855 and good community support. I am thinking on the oneplus 7 pro but am still deciding. Needs to work on Verizon
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
maybe oneplus 8 pro. the oneplus is already an expensive phone, better go with the latest
[General Questions and Answers] ekeluo:
Good day people.

I'm looking to buy a new phone around the $250 mark to partly replace my aging p2 as primary phone.

Must have is dedicated memory card slot, 4000mah+ battery, a cool running phone (I live in Western Africa), 6gb+ RAM & 128gb storage

Would like: AMOLED screen, 5000mah battery, NFC

I've been eyeing the Redmi Note 9 Pro & the Realme X2

Please educate me.
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
you could better go with K20 Pro. or k30 pro, if is not so expensive in your country.
[General Questions and Answers] ekeluo:
Neither of those has dedicated card slot, and I doubt they can be bought for $250. They're out of reach
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
no micro sd card, true. but not out of reach. no idea on what market you are searching on, but the k20 pro, brand new, is 310$. just 60$ over. surely it is under 250$ at second hand.
[General Questions and Answers] Torpedda:
I think that my next phone will be an iPhone SE2.
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
and what seems to be the question?
[General Questions and Answers] nicoboum:
Hey there !

I need help picking a phone, I'm on very tight budget (but can buy second hand) :

- Needs to be around 100€ (that would be less than 150 us dollars after tax to give you an idea)

- Needs to be running a 64 bits Android version (that one is tricky because most of the listings will tell you of the SoC is a 64bit, not if the OS is),

- I want to use Custom ROMs, so I want to be able to unlock the bootloader. For that same reason I would ideally like a phone with an active xda community (edit : after some more thinking, I can do without Custom ROM as long as I can root with Magisk)

- At least 1.5GB of RAM

As for everything else, the camera, the battery life etc., I don't really care.

I've considered

- Xiaomi Redmi 7a, but its OS is 32bits.

- Redmi 8a seems to be 64 bits, bit I'm not really sure, and there's not really any ROMs available, just some people using Treble ROMs (never used them), apparently the ROM should be "arm32 binder64", not sure if it means 64 bits or 32 bits...

Any suggestion ?

Thanks in advance !
[General Questions and Answers] CamoGeko:
That seems like a very tiny amount of money for a phone with a lot of specific requirements.

Your best bet would be to save for a month or two so you can actually get a decent phone that fulfills all your wishes. At least €200 I would say.

For that amount you'd be able to pick up a second hand good condition Pixel XL for example.

Sent from my PH-1 using Thebear Blue XDA Labs
[General Questions and Answers] flash713:
Check out the Motorola G7 Power/aka Ocean. There's a telegram group for the device and that's where all the roms are. About 20 or so more less different custom roms and a few kernels and out of the whole 20 or so roms probably 7 to 8 updated regularly. Amazing group of people on Moto G7 Power telegram group!! Very respectful and willing to help anyone and always someone working on something there. Group: (Link removed)

I believe the unlocked model had 4gb ram. Mine is a Metro by T-Mobile and has 3gb ram , 32 GB with sdcard slot, snapdragon 632 and a decent camera with quite a few compatible google camera mods available that work quite well and improve camera quality very much so! These devices were $200 US dollars when they came out went 12+ months ago so I'm sure you could locate one cheap cheap now. Also the og Pixel XL has some pretty active development as well and is an excellent device! I purchased one about a year ago new sealed box for $150 on eBay and absolutely loved it until I sat on it on accident. ? My Pixel XL was definitely one of my most favorite devices I've ever owned and I've been using Android since day 1 G1 and owned many flagship devices along the way! Lastly but certainly not least I'd recommend a Pixel 3a and or 3a XL. They would be slightly more but you can find them in excellent condition used for about $200-250 US dollars if you look a bit on eBay and Swappa. Another great device!! All these are 64 bit AB partition devices and in my opinion great. You just can't beat the camera on a Pixel! Good luck in your search for your new device. :good:
[General Questions and Answers] nicoboum:
Thank you for your answer, I'll keep an eye out for the Pixel XL

I won't be able to just double that budget though, I'm open to any Chinese brand but going above 150€ will not be feasible for me :/

Thanks again !

---------- Post added at 01:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:21 PM ----------

That g7 power looks perfect ! It's close to 200€ second hand though, but I'll definitely be trying to snag a good deal on that phone :)

Thanks for your help
[General Questions and Answers] xXfreshXx:
Hello guys,

I broke my Note 5 Pro (whyred) display and looking for a new phone now.

My biggest wish is a phone with wide XDA ROM base.

My heart beats for a Mi Note 10 lite, because of the camera and battery, but there is not even a dedicated XDA forum for this phone.

I would go also for a Poco F2 but because of the lack of 5G bands it's not really better than the Mi Note 10 lite in my opinion (730G would be fast enough for me).

The Redmi Note 9 Pro also would be an option, but the camera shall be very weak and it maybe still has a wifi bug.

Mi 10 lite also looks nice but no ROMs either and the battery and camera is weaker (compared to Note 10 lite only better processor).

My Budget <=400€

Someone has a recommendation?

Screen for my Note 5 Pro is already ordered, but it will take at least 4 weeks to arrive and I would give the phone to my mum if I get it repaired.

Thanks in advance!
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
how about k20 pro?
[General Questions and Answers] xXfreshXx:
it's almost the same price as a poco f2 in my country.

not the best camera and battery, but yeah, maybe I go with it.

deep in my heart I just wish some good developers get the Mi Note 10 lite :D
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
you could go as well with the note 10 lite. worst case scenario, you only got like 20 gsi roms.
[General Questions and Answers] xXfreshXx:
Aren't GSI roms often full of bugs because they're not hardware optimized? Like not working Bluetooth audio or something like that?

Or is this info outdated?
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
a few are. but the most only have something like a fingerprint bug. most fuctions work as intended.

Second, this phone will come with miui 12. stable, doesnt look bad at all, a lot of privacy functions added.
[General Questions and Answers] xXfreshXx:
I simply don't like MIUI. I could go with it (+Magisk) for a while, but that's not my expectation to a new phone :D

Fingerprint is an essential feature for me. I looked in the Xiaomi Note 10 forum (not lite) and they can't fix fingerprint, nfc and magisk for GSI Roms (three absolute core features).

Also it seems that Note 10 still got not the whole kernel sources available, and so not a single custom rom. That makes not much hope for the Note 10 lite...

I'm so undecided which phone I would go for :(
[General Questions and Answers] CamoGeko:
Xiaomi has gone downhill fast since a few years ago when they were actually making meaningful devices. Now almost every single one is a rebrand of a previous model whether it would be their Mi range or Redmi.

Even their off-shoot company Pocophone separated just to release another device as a copy, so they could easily scam more money.

2-3 years ago I would have recommended one of their devices without hesitation, now though I encourage people to stay away from them, and most Chinese manufacturers in-fact. You're simply better off getting an older flagship.

Sent from my PH-1 using Thebear Blue XDA Labs
[General Questions and Answers] mrfeh:
Moto G6 or Moto G7 Play?

Looking to buy a phone with a price under $150. Current finalists are G6 and G7 Play.

Aspects that are important to me: performance, display and battery life. Things I don't care much about: cameras.

From what I've read, the G7 Play has a better processor, but less RAM. Screen dimensions of the G6 display seem to be better, but that's only one aspect of display quality...

Which one would you suggest? Thanks!
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
mate, no idea where did you look, but thinking of performance with only 2 gigs of ram in 2020..... put it simply, you are going to have lag in facebook.

here, i ve got more luck :

https://www.ebay.com/b/Android-Cell-Phones-Smartphones/9355/bn_341779?rt=nc&_udhi=150&_udlo=75

go for something from samsung or Google, in order to have custom roms available.
[General Questions and Answers] mrfeh:
The Moto can have its bootloader unlocked and a custom ROM installed also.
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
true, but the problem with those two moto phone is that the ram is quite low. i did struggle with my s6, keep in mind 3 gb ram. so i would suggest finding something 4+ gb of ram and 4000+ mah.
[General Questions and Answers] mrfeh:
It seems such phones are out of my price range.
[General Questions and Answers] xXfreshXx:
You have any recommendation?

Maybe with camera and battery comparable to the Mi Note 10 lite and <400€?

I didn't find any old flagship that fits me.
[General Questions and Answers] CamoGeko:
Pixel 2XL, Pixel 3XL, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, LG G7 ThinQ, Samsung Galaxy S9? Do you want me to keep going?

You just have to look, and you will find... It only takes some time and a bit of brainpower.

Sent from my PH-1 using Thebear Blue XDA Labs
[General Questions and Answers] xXfreshXx:
I have a totally different opinion.

None of the phones above beat f.e. the Mi Note 10 lite (except in Processor speed), the Poco F2 or the K20 Pro.

Additionally they won't get Android 11 officially (except Pixel).

Pixel 3 XL is above 400€ and not buyable from serious sellers anymore (DE/GER).

The only available true alternatives are above 400€.
[General Questions and Answers] Artaherzadeh:
Mi 9T or Nova 5T ???

Hi

I want to migrate from iOS to Android and I don’t know which phone should I choose Nova 5T or Mi 9T ? They’re both great mid-range phones and both have cons and pros.

I fully explained here : https://xdaforums.com/android/help/android-phone-mi-9t-nova-5t-t4116265/post82852497#post82852497
[General Questions and Answers] TapaSte:
for less than 150 euro/pounds is there something better than redmi note 8t ?

Sent from my Redmi Note 8T
[General Questions and Answers] CamoGeko:
I'd say go for Mi9t.

The community and support is almost certainly going to be way bigger on the Xiaomi.

Yeah, a second hand OnePlus 5 or Pixel 2.

Sent from my PH-1 using Thebear Blue XDA Labs
[General Questions and Answers] hulkyboi:
Mi9T or Mi9Tpro all the way bro

---------- Post added at 03:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:25 PM ----------

Check out Moto E 2020 or (Moto G series for ~200$)
[General Questions and Answers] VonSparq:
Hello!

I need a new phone ASAP since my last one died a few days back, my intention is to use it for a few years and eventually once the updates stop and the phone starts slowing down, unlock the bootloader, root the device, flash TWRP and get strated with some ROMs.

I considered the following phones:

The 8T would probably be fine, but it's a very small difference in price between it and the 4gb version of the 9S which seems to be better in every way.

From what I've read it seems that the 8 Pro is the best of the budget Xiaomi phones but it's the most problematic one with a big potential to get bricked.

9s The water resistant coating seems to be a nice touch and it seems to me like this device with a "safer" Snapdragon compared to the similarly priced 8 Pro might get more development then the "bricky" MTK. On top of that the device just came out and it seems to me like it might get support for longer.

9 Pro is a bit pricy for me, and it seems like the only difference is the NFC that i don't need.

What do you guys think i should get?

Do you guys think that the Redmi Note 9s will be a good choice considering what i want to do with the phone? Any other recommendations?

Is the 4GB version good enough or would the upgrade to 6gb be substantialy noticable and worth it? (I initially wanted to get the 8T but it's only ~$25 upgrade to go with the 4gb 9s instead and over $75 for the 9s in the 6gb version.)
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
i ve got the note 8 pro, the problematic one. thing is, custom roms have already started going smoothly. a lot of them are already good for daily usage. and, if you follow a strict guide, there wont be any problem whatsoever. i suggest going for 6 gigs of ram. search my review of the phone, if you are more interested about this phone. its right here in this thread. also, miui 12 comes in july, promising a lot of interesting features, from animations to privacy.
[General Questions and Answers] VonSparq:
It does look like a very good option, when looking at price/performance, but i hesitate to go with it when i can get the 9s 4gb for cheaper or 6gb for slightli more, and those two don't have a potentially deadly CPU in them, have water resistant coating and are newer, thus supported longer.
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
then there is your answer. go with the 6 gb version. its better in the long run. also, keep in mind (https://versus.com/en/mediatek-helio-g90t-vs-qualcomm-snapdragon-720g)
[General Questions and Answers] griz.droidx:
Hey guys I'm liking for a phone that might have a long support life with custom roms. It must work with Verizon. I'm thinking about one of the g7 phones the regular g7 or the g7 power but I'd like a removable battery and an SD card slot is a must. The g7 doesn't have as good of a camera as iid like. I want to be able to take photos of the moon and sky at M night. The new g series seems nice but I've read that being twrp working with Android Q isn't going well. It doesn't have to be a moto. My last phone was an s5 which I loved and still use when working outside cutting seeds or grass. Currently I'm on a a 4 from Verizon that I can't root or unlock the bootloader. I want to get back to Google free with microg.
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
go with xiaomi k30. seems quite a good phone.
[General Questions and Answers] mrrocketdog:
thinking about upgrading from my s4. looking between google pixel and essential ph1.

leaning towards ph1.

whats the concensus?
[General Questions and Answers] griz.droidx:
I can't use those with Verizon. Even if they support 4g Verizon. They must also be able to use 1x and 3g. But I'd love a xiaomi!
[General Questions and Answers] CamoGeko:
PH1 all the way!

Have had mine for almost 2 years, great custom ROM support.

Sent from my PH-1 using Thebear Blue XDA Labs
[General Questions and Answers] mrrocketdog:
ok , what about between ph1 and Axon 7?
[General Questions and Answers] CamoGeko:
Axon 7? Lol

You mean the one with only 5.5 FHD screen? Snapdragon 820 and 64GB of storage?

Sent from my PH-1 using Thebear Blue XDA Labs
[General Questions and Answers] Raresh T:
if you are talking about axon 7, why not dven consider the samsung s6 with the battery mod. almost same specs with a bitter battery.
[General Questions and Answers] diNovoM:
Hey, so I need a new phone, but somewhat undecided. Prob a xiaomi.

What I'd like to have is super amoled hdr, microSD, decent camera, galileo so european version, all with decent quality parts and with a (yet upcoming but likely) strong community.

Nice to have would be ufs 3.1, nfc, infra-red, (usb 3.x if it would ever come)

Not needed is the latest flagship proc, a good midrange is enough.

So yeah K30/X2 doesnt have amoled, which the K30 Pro/F2 Pro has but no SD-Card and a bit pricy and a bit to overpowered. The Mi 9 Lite somewhat has those feature but lower quality parts. So idk, would I have to forget on some feature or is there something like that upcoming? Or did I miss some model?
[General Questions and Answers] mrrocketdog:
[MENTION=3301438]CamoGeko[/MENTION] , allrighty then. ph1 on order.:good: