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Google Keeps Making Smartphones Worse
(jacobin.com)
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this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2025
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Can I get a rundown of the few non-flagship phonemakers that are currently out there? I have heard of The Nothing Phone. Are there more companies that put together Androids to operate within the US?
Fairphone just released the Fairphone 6.
~~Unfortunately for the EU only.~~
Not true, it can be bought in the US at Murena's website.
Cool! Last tine I checked out wasn't there. Must have been added recently.
Ebay it is. Bands are what matter. If it picks up Tmobile, Tello and the like, who cares who's market it's for?
But really, for me, it's still Android. It's just a band-aid on the bigger problem of reliance on Google.
Well AT&T banned the (better) international models from their network a while back. They work fine. Just banned.
The big problem with anything not Google or Samsung is, as it's always been, software support. You get 2 or maybe 3 years of updates and then the device is trash. So you can save a buck on the short term but it will cost you more in the long run and you'll have shitty devices all the way along anyway.
You can buy a 2 year old Pixel for $2-300 and it will last you another 4-5 years (unless Google remotely nukes your battery).
Just because it doesn't have latest Android doesn't mean it's trash. And Fairphone also aims for 7 years support just like your Pixel example.
It doesn't need to be the latest android version per se, but I wouldn't want to use a phone that's not getting security patches anymore
Not having security updates makes it effectively trash, as far as I'm concerned.
Yeah, I've noticed this as well...
... which is why I was surprised when I read that Nothing Phone 3 will get 5 years of updates + 2 years of security updates.
https://www.androidauthority.com/nothing-phone-3-software-updates-3568533/
Although, you can't install GrapheneOS on Nothing phones... so, 🤷
With the new sustainability laws in EU they have to offer 5 years of updates from the sale of their last unit.
https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/news/new-eu-rules-durable-energy-efficient-and-repairable-smartphones-and-tablets-start-applying-2025-06-20_en
Wonder how if there is an equivalent that applies to eBike. Been waiting for my CowBoy belt since February now. Do not recommend. No more "designer" eBike now, I'll only buy bikes with the most standard parts.
Yeah that's great news. Esp. considering it's an $800+ phone.
isnt graphene mostly pixels only.
it's not "mostly", it's only available for several latest Pixel generations.
It's not the "latest" Pixel generations, devices as old as the Pixel 4 receive extended support (although it's obviously not recommended) and that's mostly because Google does not support them. This will be greatly improved moving forward, since Google has promised much longer update cycles for new devices.
All phones that are sold in the EU now have to have 5 years of updates after the phone is no longer sold.
Basically, all phones have 6+ years of updates now.
You realize there's a whole rest of the world that's not the EU?
Oh my fucking god, really?!
You're so smart, that never occurred to me. I thought that there was only 27 countries in the world, and all of them were in one continent!
Yes, I do realise that, genius. I'm not from an EU country myself.
However, I engaged my brain cells and quickly realised that most phones that exist are sold in the EU, and therefore the OEM has to make and test these updates anyway. In virtually all cases they will then release these worldwide.
Like how the EU mandated USB-C and now it's worldwide. The EU has quietly become the market that sets international standards over the past 20 years.
I know it seems like I'm being mean in this comment, but fuck me it's the most Reddit comment ever. A pointless comment just begging to start a pointless argument. Nobody can be bothered with that trolling shit. Do better.
I wouldn't be so sure. There's a vested interest in NOT shipping them outside the EU. It's called planned obsolescence. Just looks at Macs and OCLP. It's so easy to keep older Macs updated that it's actually able to be done by some random developers in their free time (not to trivialize this effort, just to say that it would be extremely trivial for Apple as the developer of the OS and one of the most profitable companies in the world to do it). And yet Apple does not ship these updates to them. Why? Because they want you to buy new shit and they know not doing so will render them virtually useless in a short time.
You are just being mean and extremely rude. It's completely unnecessary and I've done absolutely nothing to deserve such language. You are actively making this community shittier.
Be rude, someone is rude to you back. Boo hoo.
Trying to bait people into absolutely pointless arguments makes the community shittier.
I wasn't being rude. That was only you. And since you continue to do so, you can have this argument with yourself. Goodbye.
Motorola.has 5 years on most of its new phones nowadays
Would Moto count? I've been rocking their basic-ass phones for years now. Way, way less bloatware than Samsung, etc. and only like $200 unlocked.
I think Moto is actually Lenovo now?
Yup. Motorola is Chinese Lenovo now sadly. Lenovo is absolute trash devices and support.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Mobility
I think Moto's are a pretty good budget friendly phone. Sure their update policy is lacking, but the Moto G Power or Moto G Stylus phones come decently equipped. Plus you can still get expandable storage and headphone jacks.
Trying to find a 2025 moto g stylus currently. Recently rediscovered hired much I enjoy a headphone jack. Headset runs out of power? Plug in and continue. Also expandable memory wouldn't have lost me hours of recording that I won't ever get back because my phone got a little wet and shit the bed
Been using Moto since Z1 and would say that their phones are fine. $200 for a phone that lasts 4 years is a decent deal.
Besides Nothing Phone, you've got Fairphone (sustainable/repairable), Sony (great cameras), Asus (gaming focused), Nokia (budget-friendly), OnePlus (speed/value), and Xiaomi (if you can import) all working to varying degreees in the US market - tho carrier compatibility can be trickly so always check bands before buying.
i have oneplus12r this my first non-pixel phone, you might want to visit the oneplus sub to look for other peoples experience. if you are looking for good deal on phones, online stores like swappa is a good start. i like the battery life of it. midsize cost, if your looking for budget , you can go motorola series, i did consider it at first.
Motorola is full of bloatware. Can not recommend.
The hardware is fine, though.
Daily driving the cmf with /e/OS from Murena for few months now, warmly recommended.