Capitalism

There is a reason we are putting up with decades of legacy stuff still from the original x86 architecture in PCs... the compatibility of hardware and the standardisation even if it's through several extensions build off each other is unmatched.

ARM architecture might be much simpler but you constantly need hardware specific adaptions, which makes support for different mobile devices this mess.

The ptoblem is that all the phone manufacters don't release any drivers, neither close or open

It used to be the same with x86 computers, but over time a standardized interface was developed.

ARM is already getting something similar, but most companies aren't interested, precisely because they're perfectly fine with the restrictions.

One thing I really dislike about the Mobile ecosystem is how much different each device is to each other.

I thought you were sarcastic when I first read this part, since way back when phones used to be innovative in both hardware and software. The current market offerings are all carbon copies of eachother with a strong trend towards converging into the exact same lineup.

Multiple cameras, one in front, 2+ in back. A power button and two for volume. Reader apps may hijack it for scroll. Gesture movements. Fingerprint and face id. Less and less conusmer freedom in software choice. Irremovable battery. No removable back plate. A rectangular brick. A near-100% display area. No headphone jack or SD card, with SIM on the way out.

Covers the vast majority of offerings on the market, with a few slight adds/subtracts. Dumbphones are a rounding error.

This definition covers even tablets, and it isn't even deliverately vague.

Without much experimentation and development on the hardware front, no wonder software's behaving exactly the same.

There just isn't enough interest for proper innovation and experimentation.

And we're not even talking about iphone

And yet they're all the same

Imagine owning a laptop and not being able to install linux without the manufacturer permission.

Fairphone 6 ?

This is exactly why I've waited to get a Graphene OS phone, Google can't be trusted.

Ask Qualcomm. Only the highest level Snapdragon chips have the hardware security that the Graphene folks demand.

@yxc999 @zdhzm2pgp

> even this one is way overkill for what I want in a phone. Why can’t there just be a low-spec one instead

Exactly this.

My solution is: dirt-cheap bargain-basement Chinese phones.

They do the job and you can get a lot for under £150.

My best buy was an Umidigi F2. Stunning device for £125. I have bought dinners that cost more than that.

*But* you'll never get an OS upgrade, they're unsupported by all the alternative OSes, and there is the everpresent risk of spyware.

For me, that's worth it, but I get that it's not for everyone and so I do not unequivocally recommend them.

I will never in my life understand why people want flagship phones

It's easier to compile Rust programs and emulate Wii games on phones with higher RAM/CPU/Storage

I took micro SD for granted! I miss being able to just pop a card in and upgrade.

Edit: @plyth@feddit.org pointed out that Motorola is in fact split into two separate companies. The phone company is effectively Lenovo, so Chinese, and not related to the American surveillance technology branch.

Not sure I'd trust Lenovo/Motorola Mobility either, but that's a different story.

In June 2026, Motorola bricked its whole line of routers without any explanation, leaving their customers with broken hardware.

The main thing you're supporting is Motorola, the second biggest provider of surveillance technology in the US after Flock. Deflock lists 5% of the cameras as Motorola, but the share is increasing as backlash against Flock is growing and Flock cameras are replaced with more low key competitors.

404media has reported on how Motorola cameras are used by ice.

"Gotta support the cause" is one hell of a dangerous sentiment under capitalism.

The 4a was the last light one. When I tested the newer Pixels every of the a models was much heavier. I can't get around it, why would engineers think it's a good idea to make a successor heavier and not lighter?