yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
Why not go for a midrange smartphone? Got headphone jack, got micro sd, use gcam port for low light photography. Go for a Oneplus nord Ce 2
[General Questions and Answers] DiamondJohn:
He did say a "secure / private custom ROM" which I would assume he means something like GrapheneOS, iPhone are definitely not "The Best", especially regarding Privacy. Also, if you Jailbreak an iPhone, security goes down the drain, which is what most people complain about Android security, as custom ROMs normally go hand-in-hand with rooted devices, and iPhone is much less involved with custom ROMs.
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
But how secure is the graphene os? After all you already unlocked the bootloader. And given that, couldn't a malware app get root access?
[General Questions and Answers] DiamondJohn:
No. Two things to note.

GrapheneOS has been built SPECIFICALLY with security and privacy at front of mind.

Once you flash the ROM (or any custom ROM &/or recovery) , you can re-lock the bootloader.
[General Questions and Answers] marriedman:
Thanks for replying! I am not opposed to a midrange phone, however flagship phones tend to have a larger developer community and a greater chance of having a root solution & custom rom.

That phone you recommended doesn't seem bad, but with a MediaTek processor it isn't likely to get custom roms. From what I can tell, that phone is a Europe/UK phone too.
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
You can relock the bootloader with a custom rom? Isn't this a guaranteed way of hard bricking your device?
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
I ve got a Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 pro. Running mediatek. It got around 40 roms and 2-3 custom kernels. That might be an Europe phone only. No idea what smartphone selection is available/isn't available for Americans.
[General Questions and Answers] DiamondJohn:
Yes, you can unlock, flash a custom ROM, and then re-lock your bootloader again. No, it will not brick your phone NB This is generally accepted, but there is bound to be possibly one exception, but it would be an exception. What it does do is that you wont be able to flash updates, without unlocking the bootloader again, which in turn wipes your data. I learnt that the hard way :mad: It just means you have to make sure to do a backup first. However, when you choose a path of security and privacy, you have explicitly chosen to not do things the "easy way".
[General Questions and Answers] marriedman:
Just in case anyone is interested in a follow-up to my post because of similar situation - I ended up buying a Oneplus 8T refurb. It's a name I know and I have an excellent track record with them. I did not get my "Would Like" list, but that's why it called a "would like"! There is currently a lot of 8T's on ebay so the prices were nice and competitive. I got the 12GB RAM/256GB storage version for well under my budget.

I had seriously considered the Oneplus 6T because of the crazy support it still has and the 3.5mm jack, but they are still going for about what I paid for the 8T. The Samsung S20 FE was also a consideration, but prices were just too high and I never did find a root method that didn't require Windows.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on my question!
[General Questions and Answers] Miaua:
I have plan to buy Realme 9 Pro+.

It has Android 12, Dimensity 920 cpu and Sony IMX766 main sensor.

Can someone verify if HedgeCam 2 works on it? I mostly take 7 shot exposure brackets in DNG, will it work? The default camera app has fastest shutter speed 1/8000. What is actually fastest shutter speed? My Nokia 6.1 goes up to 1/108790 sec which is good for bright clouds in HDR.
[General Questions and Answers] ParrSt:
I have loved Samsung for a LONG time. Well when they stopped being developer friendly, I grew sourer on them. I just got my wife an S10 and I can't even add an SD card to it. I am done with Samsung. Can anyone recommend a developer friendly phone that easily allows custom ROMs to be installed? I don't want to break the bank and don't need a top end phone, just don't know what is out there anymore. I typically find a ROM I like and stick with it. I have a Galaxy not 8 with a 2 boot-loader but am starting to get notices that my version of android will no longer be supported.

Thanks.

Bob
[General Questions and Answers] SigmundDroid:
Don't know about dev friendly but I usally check these two pages when I am about to pick the next phone:

https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/

https://stats.lineageos.org/

Fun Fact: After having my screen broken I switched to modular phones and got an FP3. On paper an excellent choice... just finding parts and accessories is the proverbial pain :cautious:;)
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
See Xiaomi. Their redmi series are affordable and custom ROM supported
[General Questions and Answers] DiamondJohn:
some phones will be easier to install custom ROMs, however, remember, that newer versions of android are more difficult, not just Samsung. I have a Pixel 4a, and there is no stable TWRP for the device, which used to be the vehicle to easily install customs ROMs. Pixel devices are usually heavily supported by the dev community, but not so much on this one, and people are now moving onto the pixel 6 :(

Although I wouldn't say there are a heap of custom ROMs for it, you only need to find one good one, unless you are a flashaholic. I got it as it was basically a cheap Samsung S10e; which I was eyeing for a while, but could not justify the price.
[General Questions and Answers] mon0theist:
Hello all,

I've got a LG V30+ that seems to be on it's last days, so I'm trying to figure out what I should get as a replacement.

My biggest concern is getting something with an unlockable bootloader, is rootable, and has a decent selection of custom ROMs. I realize this seems to be getting less common as time goes on.

In terms of hardware performance, camera, etc. as long as it's an upgrade from the V30+ I'm fine with it. I greatly prefer an SD card slot as well.

I was thinking perhaps the Exynos variant of the Note 10+ (SM-N975F/DS specifically) since it's officially supported by LineageOS, but I'm not sure if I can get one in the US. Even though I'm in the US I prefer to get the Global Unlocked variants of phones whenever possible.

Is there a better choice than the SM-N975F/DS?

Thanks in advance
[General Questions and Answers] Jhyrachy:
Hello!

I have a Xiaomi Mi9T (not pro).

His battery is almost dead and since changing it will cost me ~50€ (I paid the phone 300€ in 2019) I was thinking of changing it instead.

My budget is ~350/400€.

I was watching the Motorola Edge 30 (360€), but I would like something with a "good" (for this price range) camera.

I was also checking the Samsung A53s (~350€), but I read mixed reviews.

others suggestions?
[General Questions and Answers] AsaSpades:
Hey everyone, I need a little insight. Sorry for the long post. So I've been a member of the XDA forums since Android first came out but have not been as active recently. I have always rooted my devices, but of course as phones become more locked down every year, it has become more and more difficult. I am currently on an overseas version of the Galaxy S9+ that I use in the US on Verizon. It is rooted and has an unlocked bootloader. Since it's not a 5G phone, by next year, I will need to upgrade to a 5G device. What are my options for root able devices that I can still unlock the bootloader for? I was considering or hoping to order a carrier unlocked Hong Kong or Korean Note 20 Ultra or S21 Ultra and use it on the US Verizon network but then found out that the 5G bands are different and I wasn't sure if the bootloader would already be locked. So now I have been considering the Pixel 6 Pro or the One Plus 10 Pro but if I purchased either of those from the manufacturer as a carrier unlocked phone, would I still be able to get 5G on Verizon? What are my options for good devices that can still be rooted and hopefully get the bootloader unlocked? I know root isn't as useful as it used to be but I'm stuck in my ways. Any info is appreciated. Thanks
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
Would suggest Xiaomi, but I don't know how available is that in states. See motorola moto g100
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
Xiaomi poco f4
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
Is there a specific reason why you need root? Some utility or some apps that you didn't find a non root replacement? Have you tried Shinzuku? (https://www.xda-developers.com/shizuku/?)
[General Questions and Answers] AsaSpades:
Thanks for the reply. I am dead set on keeping root if I can. I have already considered not having it but there are apps and utilities that I use that require it, and I love being able to edit almost anything. Practical? Not really nowadays but hey, that's me. Unfortunately I'm not interested in trying Shinzuku which is why I posted on this thread for opinions on which phone to buy, not to be deterred into something else.
[General Questions and Answers] saurabhchavan134:
Hi,

Please update this thread if you find anything. I too have similar requirements as yours. My primary requirements is good gcam support for a phone in budgetish-midrange category (lower the price rhe better). And secondary is good custom rom support.
[General Questions and Answers] Jhyrachy:
I ended up buying the Samsung S21FE 6/128Gb because it was on sale for 399€

3 major android version and 5 years of security update are so good for that price
[General Questions and Answers] ajmc1:
Hi could someone pls suggest which phone should i buy?

Rs.31482/- iqoo neo6

Rs.35757/- mi 11t pro

Rs.35793/- samsung s20 fe
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
go for mi 11t pro
[General Questions and Answers] mrdivi:
Help me decide rog 5s or poco f4 gt. Rog 5s promotions until 31st july so its cheaper atm.
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
go for rog 5s
[General Questions and Answers] diana11:
Hi, my phone is a note8. I use the stylus a lot for writing (studying languages and math).

But I'm tired of bad battery life. Anyway, the battery of my note8 is practically over and I need a new phone.

My needs in order of priority:

1) the best battery life + fast charging combo.

2) Good for running tomb raider games with PPSSPP emulator.

3) good for writing (if I use a stylus, that it is responsive to it)

4) less than, say 1000 euros. Not refurbished, as I'm afraid a refurbished phone will already have decreased its battery life.

Thank you for your help!
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
see the samsung s22 ultra and s21 ultra. both are compatible with the s-pen, which might be better for writing.
[General Questions and Answers] christiebunny:
My old Pixel 3xl is dying, so trying to find a verizon compatible, twrp/magisk compatible phone, preferably w/ 6+in screen and 6+gb ram... does such a beast exist anymore?
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
pixel 6 pro
[General Questions and Answers] christiebunny:
The 6 Pro looks amazing, but I was under the impression the 6 & 6 Pro had a lot of hardware bugs?

And apparently there's no TWRP fir the 6/6 Pro, either?
[General Questions and Answers] Fytdyh:
the phone is still new, give it a few months. for sure official twrp will drop. and about those bugs, seem the worse of them had been fixed. afterall, this is the latest pixel flagship, i expect by the end of the year it would be a very good functional phone.

Google Pixel 6, 6 Pro, & 6a new updates, bugs, issues, problems tracker

A detailed & continuously updated round-up of everything related to Google Pixel 6, 6 Pro, & 6a updates, bugs, issues, & problems.

piunikaweb.com
[General Questions and Answers] christiebunny:
Good point, it's a bit newer than I though— and it fits the bill, thank you!
[General Questions and Answers] josiahg52:
I have a Samsung S9 960U1 on AT&T. I purchased it on eBay a few years ago. Its been good for me. I wouldn't be thinking of another phone but I dropped my S9 in a parking lot a few weeks ago and the screen has a chip and crack in it. First time I've broken a screen since I've owned a cell phone, including all the smartphones I've owned since the Motorola i1 I bought in 2010. I used to root every phone I had and would like to again.

My requirements for a new phone are:

1) Memory Card Slot

Would like support for at least 128GB. Higher support is acceptable.

2) 3.5mm audio jack

I like the option of a physical connection with having to use any other adapters.

3) Rootable with ROM support

I have experience with one-click, TWRP, Cyanogen, etc., been rooting since my Epic 4G Touch. Before that, it was setting bits and bytes on Motorola flip-phones like the Razor V3.

4) 64GB or greater device storage

5) Device performance at least on par or similar to the S9 I have now. I don't need a screaming fast phone.

6) Would prefer something with less than or close to a 6" screen but bigger is acceptable to me since everyone else seems to want a tablet for a phone and that's where the market went.

7) Must be compatible with AT&T.

I've been perusing the OnePlus Nord offerings. They're not powerhouses but I like the price. I recently saw a BLU phone at Best Buy. I've looked at Nokia and Motorola phones also. I also know there are some Samsung phones that can be rooted and have ROM available. The other option is to repair my S9, of course, and continue to live without root. Thank you for any advice.
[General Questions and Answers] DiamondJohn:
I bought a Pixel 4a a few years ago, partly because i believed it would have the best dev support; such as TWRP. Still to this day there is no fully functional TWRP. Part of the problem I think is caused by the constant upgrades and associated changes to the software, associated with new android versions applied to pixel devices. Living on the bleeding edge is a double edged sword.
[General Questions and Answers] blackhawk:
Meh... don't get me started.

A low volume of production plays against it.

I don't know about Pixels but with Samsung the first thing I do once I have a good stable platform is disable updates. I learned long ago that upgrades/updates can and do break things. If you're constantly upgrading you get less time to enjoy the device.

Hype and distraction are 2 common annoying philosophies Google and Samsung share. All I care about is something that runs reliably and fulfills its mission with minimal maintenance.
[General Questions and Answers] Oswald Boelcke:
Moderator Announcement

Thread has been cleaned from off-topic posts or more precisely the last eight posts. The subject of this thread is "**What phone should I buy next?** -- Not sure what device to buy?". If you like to discuss topics like rooting, back-ups etc. I'm convinced there're already suitable threads available to do this. I appreciate your understanding.

Regards

Oswald Boelcke

Senior Moderator
[General Questions and Answers] Userisroot:
just looking for an android 8 and below phone that is good for rooting
[General Questions and Answers] PsalmEquipt:
Hi, HTC phones are mostly a few years old and are popular for rooting.

Perhaps these on eBay.

Dave
[General Questions and Answers] techack:
what possible use cases for old phones do u have in mind?

Others may also get some idea :)
[General Questions and Answers] Userisroot:
Thanks for the link, definitely will consider these phones.
[General Questions and Answers] Puufa:
Hi guys, I’m looking for a phone for travel purposes. The main priority is to have an excellent camera for shooting some memorable travel photos and videos. My max budget would be 500 Euros but the cheaper the better. I might even consider buying second hand/refurbished. I’m not into gaming so the performance doesn’t matter much.

My current phone measures at 156.7 x 78.8 x 8.1 mm (6.17 x 3.10 x 0.32 in) and the new phone should be roughly the same or slightly smaller.

Must have:

-excellent camera (also in low light and zoom)

-good battery life

-dual SIM

-headphone jack (I might reconsider though)

-fingerprint scanner

Would like:

-SD card slot

-call recording

-long term OS updates and/or custom ROM friendly

-decent repairability (esp. battery replacement)

-water and dust resistant

-maybe 5G for future proofing

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
[General Questions and Answers] xunholyx:
You won't get SD card support, but you'll get everything else you mentioned with a Pixel 5. It still has over a year of updates coming and has 128gb of internal storage, so not having expandable storage/SD card support shouldn't be an issue. You can pick one up for less than $200USD (I just looked and found a couple for $160)
[General Questions and Answers] Puufa:
Thanks! I could live without the SD card but as far as I can see Pixel 5 doesn't support dual physical SIM cards which for me is an essential feature when I travel abroad...
[General Questions and Answers] TomDavid25:
What is the best gaming phone?​

Hi,

I am looking for the best gaming smartphone.

I want that you guys suggest me the best phone which is specially for gaming.
[General Questions and Answers] Hitti2:
looking with bootloader unlock, recovery twrp, rootable "magisk", sd card slot powerful smartphone with xda development roms support etc.
[General Questions and Answers] mrberni:
Well if you liked your Desire consider upgrading to the HTC One S: Really nice piece of hardware.

But personally there are no performance issues with my HOX: Free RAM is difficult to determine because Android tends to fill ram with caches (which is good because free ram is wasted ram), but I never ran out of RAM for my apps. Currently I am on MIUI: Internal Storage: 2.3 GB (0.5 GB Apps / 1.8 GB free). No laggs. :)

MrBerni
[General Questions and Answers] mrberni:
Correct... 16 GB only... But personally I never need so much SD storage... :)

The HOX is a great phone. A little bit too large maybe... But really powerful.

MrBerni
[General Questions and Answers] ljesh:
Thanks for your advice, I hope there will be more of them :)

Xperia S is way too expensive (double the price of Desire X, 1/4 of S3 Mini) and Nexus 4 is still not brought in this country. If it was, I would have gotten Nexus 4 no matter how much it costed, but since I cannot get that I am trying to get something cheap and pretty good. Xperia S is way too expensive under those conditions :(
[General Questions and Answers] JamesChuang:
My Dad ask me HTC Butterfly DNA or samsung galaxy note 2?
[General Questions and Answers] vj_dustin:
Oh, actually here in India Xperia S costs INR25000 (you can google and convert to your currency) and GS3 Mini hasn't yet launched but is speculated to be around the same price bracket.

Also even here Nexus 4 is said to come in Jan'2013 (i'm waiting for it as well :fingers-crossed:)

So for a current buy, if Xperia is shipping expensive to your country you have options of Samsung S Advance, Xperia P..

And oh, i skipped this model (since Motorola has wrapped it's operations in India, so i discarded this one :p)

Check out THIS ONE!!!!

If he's fine with putting a 5'5 glass to his face to talk or he can do all day with a blurtooth headset, get him the Note 2!!

Else Butterfly is damn beefed up too :laugh:
[General Questions and Answers] Goetherd:
Just think what you want it for, keep in mind The note is a big phone hibryd between phone and tablet.

is one of the fastest phones out there is an awesome buy. HAvent seen the HTC butterfly on this side ofthe world though.
[General Questions and Answers] violetfinancier:
how is lumia 920? is there any hidden problems?
[General Questions and Answers] mrberni:
What do you mean with hidden problems?

WP has a nice gui but is way behind with apps I think. The lumia is a nice phone with fast and good hardware...

MrBerni
[General Questions and Answers] Dhiraj:
What about atrix2?
[General Questions and Answers] JamesChuang:
Thanks for your reply. :)

But I don't like Korean's products. :silly:

I'd like HTC.... :cowboy:
[General Questions and Answers] b1n4ry:
im on verizon and my thunderbolt is due for an upgrade ive had a love hate relationship with this phone and feel its time to move on to the hotter younger chick on the block

what are the best phones out or to be released for verizon i've had my eyes on the galaxys3 and note2 but im sure there are others out that may surpass or give them a run for their money i want something with good processing and great battry life decent if it has a swappable battery and possibly a car mount like my thunderbolt had
[General Questions and Answers] kwbr:
But korean's make such nice products :)
[General Questions and Answers] Sundizzle:
Note 2 vs GS3 vs Nexus 4 from T-Mobile

Contract is up in a few months, not sure if anything better will be out by then, or if I'm better off just holding off.
[General Questions and Answers] brewy:
Search nexus vs s3 on YouTube it will show and tell you more

Sent from my GT-S5830
[General Questions and Answers] BladedYouth:
LG phones have always been of great quality and reliability since the flip phone era when I had them. In the past years, they sorta fell behind in regards to the smartphone market but they have been getting back on the ball in the past year or so. Optimus series, including 2x, is definitely a great one.

---------- Post added at 01:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:47 PM ----------

HTC Radar 4G is done. Really like the WP7 experience, but also like how ICS works on my Archos 101G9, and wouldn't mind putting it on the LG Optimus 2x.

What should I do? Buy another Radar, or buy a 2x? Which would be more worth it, as pertaining to my price range? ($200-$300)
[General Questions and Answers] In3rDm0RetHeNu:
This decision will kill me, please help. After reading for hours, I am still stuck at the decision of choosing the Asus t700t or the Galaxy Note 10.1. I would like to use a pen, but I have heard it is not as good on the 700t. I will not play games constantly, but I do plan on installing Ubuntu, and that is my main concern.
[General Questions and Answers] b1n4ry:
any thoughts?
[General Questions and Answers] Dane Reynolds:
I'd Give The Nexus 10 Ago.

Honestly after buying the surface RT I really want to get the nexus 10, although I've never used Android, but I'd give it a go. :laugh:
[General Questions and Answers] fernman1:
In my view, I would go with the Asus 700t because they are quite a solid unit and is more accepting (hardware wise) to modifications. And if you were more interested in graphics I would recommend the samsung, however you said you want to install Ubuntu..of course this is just my opinion Good luck! :cool:

---------- Post added at 08:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:26 PM ----------

I would say that because everyone has the GS3 I personally would stay away from it. but that hole line is of devices from samsung are quite high end in my view and talk about and awesome screen and hardware! I have the Note i717 that I ROMed with AOKP however I went a year with it stock and it was fine so i like the S2. But if you want something different I would say it depends on what you are looking for in a device. Modifications? Games? social networking? business all of the above like most of us :p. If you must have somthing different, perhaps an HTC DROID DNA? It depends on your budget too. Good luck! :good:
[General Questions and Answers] chelsea boy:
SGS2

Got the sammy S2 on contract with Orange on monday (my first android phone) and it's wow, was going to get the s3 but all my friends have the s2 so I went for it and it's great

---------- Post added at 10:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:51 AM ----------

rooted it last night, which was very scary as i now it voids the warranty so guess it's time to get away from ICS and install a jb rom, any ideas people