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Ask HN: Are there any viable Android phones for a power user to buy nowadays?

12 points by gooob ↗ HN
i have a pixel 4, and it looks like i might be stuck with this phone forever if things keep going in the same direction (hopefully they don't). the pixel 4 isn't bad, but even on this i don't have the level of customization that i had back in the day with cyanogenmod etc. on my note 3 or epic 4g touch.

here are some requirements that i can think of:

    - not huge. small enough to use with 1 hand

    - able to root and install custom OS without too much difficulty/annoyance (the manufacturer doesn't actively try to stop you from modifying your own device)
    
    - able to use mint mobile

    - has a trackball (like the htc hero, that thing was fuckin awesome)

    - possibly some hardware buttons

9 comments

[ 1.7 ms ] story [ 26.9 ms ] thread
satvikpendem
If those are your "requirements", especially the last two, then no, no phone would work for you. For the first three, you might look into a Fairphone or one that can run GrapheneOS, perhaps the newest Pixel.
antinomicus
On the trackball requirement alone you’re SOL haha. Confusing request, given that pixel 4 doesn’t have one. I think you’d have to go way back to the nexus one for a trackball. I miss those days.
a-saleh
I have been wondering if this is one of those things you could solve with a ~case. Like - clicks keyboard might be overdoing it, but getting a scroll-wheel or a trackball under my thumb on the side, could be nice and doable! :D
d3Xt3r
I reckon your best bet would be the Unihertz Jelly Star[1] - it has a 3" screen, which is comparable to your old HTC Hero (3.2"), and you can run a LineageOS GSI on it. Oh, and it has a programmable hardware button, 3.5mm jack and a frikking INFRARED PORT to control TVs etc!

Sadly no trackball, but no modern phone has one anymore.

[1] https://www.unihertz.com/products/jelly-star

mikewarot
I've got a Motorola Power G 2024, the cheapest unlocked phone I could get. You can root it, and I use it with Mint Mobile. I've got a VAX/VMS 11/780 that I can run inside it thanks to SimH and Termux. It's not a "power user" phone, per se, but it's amazing what $200 will get you these days.
a-saleh
First, mint-mobile is specific in some way? That part shouldn't be a problem.

Second, you mostly get to choose one.

Small enough? Yeah, Unihertz Jelly Star is tiny. Maybe you try one of the foldable flip-phones, Razr 2025 allows you to mostly live in the outside screen.

Custom os? Is there anybody else than Fairphone these days?

Buttons? Unihertz Titan emulates old blackberry passports, so it might be too big for you.

I recently bought Galaxy Fold 6 and live inside of the Nixdroid terminal :D

swah
You could save our time by moving the trackball requirement to the beginning!
techqware
The most reliable way to remotely access your PC from Android is using specialized apps like Chrome Remote Desktop, TeamViewer, or Microsoft Remote Desktop. You install the client software on your PC and the corresponding app on your Android device, then use a secure PIN or credentials to connect, giving you full control over your PC's screen and files.

TechQware is a professional software and mobile app development company, often based in India, that specializes in building custom, scalable tech solutions, including the kind of high-performance Android applications used for corporate remote access and digital transformation.

firefax
I hate to be "that guy", but why do you insist on a phone?

I used to have an EeePC back before decent mobile hotspot plans were affordable, I'd love to just use a dumbphone as a hotspot and do most of my computing on a small linux computer, but most of the flip phones I've found use 2G (yikes!)