Poll: Which abandoned Android phone features do you miss the most?

[natanael@infosec.pub]

IR transmitters

Miracast (in base open source Android, especially access to the ability to receive)

Scrolling notification text in the notification bar (seriously, that was sooooo much better than the obnoxious new default pop-up notifications)

A bunch of permissions that's been too locked down (stuff used by Tasker, networking tools, etc)

[redex68@lemmy.world]

Not sure how you can want a layout that takes 3-4 button presses to type some characters but sure I guess.

[zink@programming.dev]

Oh I’m well aware! The TV actually has a dedicated PC connected to it that’s hidden behind the wall. I’m going to move that PC out of there to a desktop for my kid, but I digress.

I mentioned the family context because that’s what makes the swing-out monitor awesome. We can be watching a movie or even playing a game together on the TV, but in my field of view I have the monitor floating off to the side of the TV. It’s like playing on a phone, but it doesn’t occupy my hands, it has a 27 inch 144Hz screen, and it’s a proper open platform that’s running linux.

Plus having my monitor in addition to the TV means that there’s already a 2-player LAN ready to go at all times. If it’s something cross platform where my kid can use phone or tablet (like Roblox which seems to have great cross platform support) then it’s 3-4 players with their own screens.

[ilinamorato@lemmy.world]

Anti-consumer for the sake of the bottom line is to be expected, but they're burning millions of dollars on this.

[pirat@lemmy.world]

Not a universal solution for Android, but maybe it could lead your thoughts toward something useful. I know that Kodi has a toggle in the settings to stop that from happening. It works by constantly playing an inaudible low-frequency noise. Kodi runs on pretty much any OS, including Android, but since it's HTPC software, the UX is not optimal on a small touchscreen in my experience, though there are some skins and/or skin settings to optimise the UI for touch-based navigation.

[itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world]

I've never ran a custom rom that didn't have root.

[exec@pawb.social]

The holy grail / unicorn of a phone would have:

• no notch / punch hole
• a headphone jack
• an sd card slot
• nfc
• a proximity sensor

This currently results in Sony phones and one Ulefone one with outdated Android and a lack of updates. Sony's phone branch is currently dying and it's very much possible there won't be any new phones next year. They released a single flagship this year which they recalled because of issues.
Next year phones might get a bit more interesting because of the new EU regulations coming into effect this June but almost no phones have been released just since then.

I have no idea what I'll get but for now my current phone (Asus Zenfone 6, from 2019) just refuses to die.

[roscoe@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

If you can't do that, that's a manufacturer restriction. I've never had a phone that couldn't do that and my current one is only last year's model. I plug it in, it gives me a few options: charge, usb storage, i think something else also, and it works like it always has. I assume the OS files and some app files are protected but everything else is drag and drop as if it was any other storage device like it has been since my first Android in 2010.

[drunkanroot@sh.itjust.works]

i use graphene os and have 2fa fingerprint and pin on stock android ifs bad

[trainguyrom@reddthat.com]

I don't know if that would work in this case. So one example that's relatively easy to replicate, y'know how in Doctor Who (this was specifically David Tenant era that I was watching) they'll sometimes have some soft choral mood music? It would cut out when the only sound was the softer notes of that choral music, or worse when characters are speaking with the choral music in the background it would cut out every time there was just enough time between a character speaking and the choral music hitting a louder note it would cut out, cut in for the note, cut out again then cut in after the other character responds

[ricaz@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

In my experience it's very optional

[alfredojohn@sh.itjust.works]

What phone do you have? I have literally never had any issues with the on screen fingerprint readers on any of my samsung phones. It literally still takes less than half a second if that to unlock

[pirat@lemmy.world]

If they don't, you'll have to use something like an external RTL-SDR dongle and a USB OTG adapter...

[lavdusk@floofy.tech]

@bobby

@supersquirrel

For people in the US (in 2025) the headphone jack is still in the newest releases of:
Motorola Moto G Power and Moto G Stylus
ASUS ROG Phone 9
ZTE Nubia Redmagic 10 Pro
TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper 5G
Various HMD smartphones, though they are pulling out of the US
https://www.androidauthority.com/hmd-global-leaves-us-market-3576404/
Not too many options

[bobby@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

The Samsung Xcover series only killed the headphone jack with release of the Xcover 7 Pro a mere 3 months ago. All this time a series of phones from one of the world's top brands were available even in the US.

You can get the 2024 model and receive Android updates until 2031 because of Samsung's 7 years of updates policy. Xcover phones also come with an SD slot and user replaceable battery, btw.

[bobby@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_xcover7-12784.php It has a notch but the other features are covered.

[bobby@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

Did I say replaceable battery already?

Fairphone, Samsung Xcover.

[bobby@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

GIMME THE FUCKING SD CARD SLOT

• https://www.gsmarena.com/fairphone_6-13955.php

• https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_xcover7_pro-13780.php

[disgrunty@slrpnk.net]

YOU'LL USE MAGNOLIA AND YOU'LL LIKE IT /jk

[auth@lemmy.world]

yeah it did this little cicle thing on the back was a finger print scanner and it was so good.