[LineageOS News & Discussion] xdaslo:
Hello!

I am again, after just 2 years, in a phase of searching for a new mobile device with a good official LineageOS support. And hopefully long support. But somehow I do not know on what my decision should be based. Maintainers are picking up support and dropping it by their own choice and for users there is no predictability.

I find this very problematic, specially if you are determined to use only official LineageOS and you base you purchase merely on that.

Official LineageOS wants to be a trusted, long-lasting system and also available on many devices. But this picking up and dropping of support for an individual phone models is sadly making LineageOS just one of many costum ROMs.

In my opinion, they (stuff, leadership,..) should (maybe even with contributions to few specific developers) "commit" to support FEW devices for a LONG PERIOD. Maybe even just for 1 device in a budget range, 1 in a middle class and 1 a in high class. I would be even prepared to pay for such support. On the other hand, other devices could be further supported in a way that are now - someone picks it up and supports it until the support is dropped. Developer's choice, their kindness, their time, their device choice. But for few devices, more predictable support would be very welcome.

This right there, an insurance of a long-time support (maybe at least 3 or 4 years (?)) for just few devices, would in my opinion rise LineageOS above all other costum ROMs.

In my case, 2 years ago I picked myself a device based merely on a LineageOS statistics website. I wanted to degoogle myself, so official LineageOS (more specifically, LineageOS for microg, which is dependent on official LineageOS, because I needed push messages for 1 specific app) was the best or even only choice. But how to select a device. On a FIRST place on a website stats.lineageos.org has been Mido (Xiaomi Redmi Note 4), so I selected it, of course, in a hope for a good, long term support. It was the device with most official LineageOS installs, good specifications and good P/P value. Even now, it is still very high at 14th place, but support has been dropped 2 times until now. But sure, I cannot complain about developers, they are doing it for free. I am truly grateful for their time, I have even donated to Lineage few times.

I hope the leadership of LineageOS will read this. In my opinion, they will be only able to expand and to exist for a long time, if they provided "guaranteed" long time support for few selected devices. Right now, I am searching for such device, but do not know, which one to pick. Because now, it is just a question "Which device do you think has good and long support?".

Now most of users say Pocophone F1 (or Xiaomi Mi A1) is best budget choice for great support, but hey, this model is from 2018 and in 1 year support could be questionable, just like it was with Mido, even thou it was on the first place as the most used device. I do not want to look again for a new device in 1 year. I could, but would rather have one for as many years, until it breaks. I have small needs, I do not care, how device looks, I do not need new flagship every 2 years (it is a consumerist idiocy), I just need a working, safe, updated, private, deegoogled phone, few specific trusted apps and a case. And a long, official Lineage support, because I trust you guys.

Please consider my suggestion, I am sure it is not a new one. I am sure it would be good for everyone.

Thank you for all good work and greetings!