I can't believe some of the points Linus made against the Fairphone, especially given he's onboard with the same compromises for the Framework laptop. 🤭

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[–] 12 points 2 years ago (2 children)

7 years is only for Pixel and S24 phones. The vast majority of existing Samsung phones will only get 5 years of security updates.

https://www.howtogeek.com/797200/how-long-will-my-android-phone-be-supported-with-updates/

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)

    Most common middle- and upper-tier phones, as well as any Pixel and Fairphone (thanks to being more open) will get a custom ROM with updates 8+ years after the release, and you can buy a used 5-year-old phone quite cheaply.

    Typing this on my 10-year-old Sony Xperia Z with Android 13. It cost me $0 (found in e-waste) including a data plan (owner forgot SIM inside). The camera has low sensitivity and dust in it and the battery is worn, but everything else is decent. I will open it some day to fix the problems, a replacement battery cost me $10. There is even 4G and NFC, and the 1080x1920 screen is nearly "retina-density" at such small size. I decided to not use the SIM as it could be criminal, and I have my prepaid one in s dumb phone, but I use it for entertainment - the phone fits in my hand and the design is quite timeless. The CPU is a little weak, it cannot decode 1080p30 or 720p60 video in real time, and gets hot quickly on demanding websites.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago

    Most people aren't comfortable with flashing unofficial ROMs onto garbage bin phones. I'm unironically glad that you have rescued a perfectly good phone but that's just not a scalable solution IMO. Buying a used phone that you know has a lineage ROM is a more viable path but you're still back to square one if the battery or port or screen give up on you.

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  • [+] 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)
  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago

    Yes of course. The point of this phone is to trade cost/perf/etc for improved repairability and business ethics. Long software support is a prerequisite for repairability being useful.

    This phone isn't for people looking primarily for best value.

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