Well, so long as I continue to get security updates, I'm not concerned with anything else. Guess I should start looking for what's out there that isn't google/apple/samsung
darnit. mines a 7.
You can always downgrade, If you feel like you're getting too involved. :x
Oh no! Anyway...
I have an iPhone 16 Pro Max. It wasn't that long ago that it was the second-best iPhone Apple made, only behind the 1TB version (I have the 512GB version).
We're not getting a couple features in iOS 27.
This was the phone advertised to support Apple Intelligence, too.
But here's the thing... if your phone was a flagship in the last 5 years (sometimes more), it can still do everything you need a phone to do.
Easy to say as I have a 2024 iPhone, and the top model at that, right?
I also have a Galaxy S10. From 2019. It is seven years old.
You'd think the iPhone would kick its ass in every metric, right? Nope. The Galaxy S10 is easier to type on, due to the keyboard not hallucinating or inserting sponsored shit or whatever bullshit Apple is on about. The S10 is lighter. It's the perfect size. (Apple guys: It's the size of the 11 Pro.) It has a memory card slot, and I'm pretty sure I could slot in a 512GB microSD card and have 128GB more space than my iPhone, but I only have a 64GB card in it, and that's full of music.)
I have Apple Music on both of them, and Plexamp (for streaming off my Plex server). The S10 also has Poweramp for local music playback.
If I had to make the S10 my daily driver, I would not be that upset. I like using Apple tech, but I'll happily use what I have in my hand and make the most of it.
All these new phones with their new updates that only work on the latest couple models? It's all AI bullshit. Every. Last. Bit of it.
You don't need it.
Years ago, we used to crave the latest update. Phones were updating fast. They hit a plateau years ago. AI is breaking the plateau. Only AI is. Okay, there might be some game you need the latest iPhone or Galaxy S phone to run, but if you don't care about that, you're good. It's not free, but you can do cloud gaming on just about anything. GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming, for example.
We need to get off this "mandatory updates" thing. Security updates are important. AI slop, not so much. Unless that's what you want. Then have fun in the rat race, buying a new phone every year.
Does your S10 still get security updates?
I have been prioritizing hardware choices for years (Xperia 5 III - charge limit, 3.5mm jack, microSD slot; LG V20 - same but removable battery) but I had to give the LG up due to lack of VoLTE support and the Sony's fingerprint reader failed plus battery life seemed to be deteriorating - and both lost any kind of software support years ago. I finally caved and begrudgingly bought a Pixel purely for the 7 years of software support and GrapheneOS
Android updates its kernel?
Yeah. It has for quite a while. My phone upgraded its kernel from v4.19 to 6.6.30 and finally to 6.6.82. I too was surprised seeing it updated from an outdated kernel to a more recent version.
At this point, any time there is "next big update" of anything, I don't want to have anything to do with it.
Kernel might be an exception (I mean, I did work in cybersecurity, so I understand the importance of updates pretty well), but still. I don't think there has been an update of anything I've been using that wasn't just an enshitification bullshit in the last few years...
Same!
My MacBook is 10 versions behind because the latest updates are all cosmetic or adding weird AI shit I don't want.
I watched my wife's windows 11 which she only uses to play The Sims go to shit with AI garbage and constant ads to upgrade her Microsoft Office, which she never uses.
My TV updated and now there's fucking banner ads.
I'm reaching a point where I don't trust updates anymore.
I watched my wife’s windows 11 which she only uses to play The Sims go to shit with AI garbage and constant ads to upgrade her Microsoft Office, which she never uses.
I would propose Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021, works fine if you need Windows. The only thing is that Microsoft won't sell you a license as a private person, but if they don't want the revenue, fuck em.
I'm not sure if it's still the case but the updates on older MacBooks used to essentially brick them because they made them so slow. I know several Apple users who refuse to update their device unless forced to because of this fear.
I had issues with ads popping up on my Samsung TVs. Started using a pihole and it went away.
i remember hearing something along the lines of the pixel 6 booting the upstream/mainline linux kernel with very few patches. if that's the case this wouldn't be much of an issue..
I guess my old 6 Pro is finally making the jump to GrapheneOS.
They usually drop support after Google does no?
GrapheneOS aims to maintain update support for at least 5 years (from their FAQ). GrapheneOS still supports Pixel 5 for example (released 5 years, 8 months ago), Google stopped updating that model in Nov. 2023. GrapheneOS likely won't maintain support for older models forever, but for older devices they can extend the life a good few years past Google's end of support.
ETA: In fairness to Google, their support window on newer models is a lot better. From https://endoflife.date/pixel, for Pixel 8, 9 & 10 series they've committed to 7 years of Android updates. My Pixel 7 is only getting 4 years of updates, hence my interest in GrapheneOS.
Doesn't matter. I haven't tried Graphene yet because I needed to keep the phone for corporate use. Now that it will be obsoleted, I canbtry Graphene, even ifbuts an older build.
Given that the goal of GrapheneOS is security OS, and not the ability to run it on anything and everything, I would expect them to phase out support for old devices very shortly after the official support stops — primarily due to the fact that security fixes for those devices won't be coming.
Just updated my pixel 6a to 17 through graphene 💪
So get there while you still can, GrapheneOS is awesome :)
While we can? What happens and when, so that we won't be able to?
TL;DR
A new leak claims Google is preparing to upgrade the Linux kernel on most Tensor-based Pixel phones to version 6.12.
The new kernel could potentially bring real performance and efficiency improvements, thanks in part to Google’s AutoFDO.
Judging by the leak, the Pixel 6 will not receive the update
5 Years is still respectable when support for most phones ended at the 3 year mark for phones launched at that time period.
My pc cpu is from 2009
Good to know your phone with your PC CPU from 2009 still works fine.
Joke aside, phones at that time barely got any updates. Pixel phone starting from series 6 was one of those which had longer update cycle than average. Nowadays, you easily get 6-8 years of software and security updates.
It can improve. But, hardware level support is not that great compared to a desktop computer. So, we have these short support cycles.
Except that my 6 is still functioning just fine. battery still lasts the whole day, it doesn't feel sluggish with normal usage, and I just replaced the case like a month ago. I have no reason to upgrade for at least another year.
It should. For general, usage most smartphones are fine. My phone has less processing power than your phone. But, thanks to 12GB of RAM and fast UFS 3.1 storage it handles 98% of tasks without lag. Only those needing high CPU and GPU power like local LLM models or high end games which require more horse power have a hard time.
Wasn't this already known that pixel 6 won't get A17? I've known this for some time, pixel 6 support ends this year, it's been the ~5 years.
The Pixel 6/6 Pro already have Android 17. Any major updates past that are in question. We'll see if they continue with security updates after 3 months at which point I'll have to make a decision on a new phone.
Ah, ends this year but still gets 17. Mine hadn't gotten the update yet so thought it wasn't coming.
I was going to milk this one via graphene or iode but not sure yet.
I mean I'm running graphene on mine and I highly recommend, if for nothing else it removes all the google Gemini Ai BS. Haven't used iode so can't give you a comparison between them.
The new home of /r/Android on Lemmy and the Fediverse!
Android news, reviews, tips, and discussions about rooting, tutorials, and apps.
🔗Universal Link: !android@lemdro.id
💡Content Philosophy:
Content which benefits the community (news, rumours, and discussions) is generally allowed and is valued over content which benefits only the individual (technical questions, help buying/selling, rants, self-promotion, etc.) which will be removed if it's in violation of the rules.
Support, technical, or app related questions belong in: !askandroid@lemdro.id
For fresh communities, lemmy apps, and instance updates: !lemdroid@lemdro.id
📰Our communities below
Stay on topic: All posts should be related to the Android OS or ecosystem.
No support questions, recommendation requests, rants, or bug reports: Posts must benefit the community rather than the individual. Please post to !askandroid@lemdro.id.
Describe images/videos, no memes: Please include a text description when sharing images or videos. Post memes to !androidmemes@lemdro.id.
No self-promotion spam: Active community members can post their apps if they answer any questions in the comments. Please do not post links to your own website, YouTube, blog content, or communities.
No reposts or rehosted content: Share only the original source of an article, unless it's not available in English or requires logging in (like Twitter). Avoid reposting the same topic from other sources.
No editorializing titles: You can add the author or website's name if helpful, but keep article titles unchanged.
No piracy or unverified APKs: Do not share links or direct people to pirated content or unverified APKs, which may contain malicious code.
No unauthorized polls, bots, or giveaways: Do not create polls, use bots, or organize giveaways without first contacting mods for approval.
No offensive or low-effort content: Don't post offensive or unhelpful content. Keep it civil and friendly!
No affiliate links: Posting affiliate links is not allowed.
Our Communities
Lemmy App List
Chat and More