What phone you use as your daily driver? And, a discussion of them.

[iSpeakVeryWell]

I'm on a Pixel 9a and I'm a little bit disappointed. Not because it's a bad phone! No! In fact it is a really really good phone! It's just that the pixel 4a I had before was more fun to handle. It was more lightweight. The 4a had the perfect shape for me with its soft rounded edges and was also slimmer and smaller which I liked a lot! The 9a feel like I'm holding a brick compared to the 4a and I hate that. I don't like that the edges are too square and its a bit to heavy for my taste.

But it's the only thing that disappoint me so far, everything else is great! Maybe the price a bit too high. GrapheneOS run very good on it.

 

[dgianstefani]

Quite strange.
Mine is:
Kernel version: 5.15.167-android13-8-00014-gbf0a81a7f319-ab13297889
Google Play system update: April 1, 2025
OS version (for POCO): 2.0.201.0.VNKMIXM
Android security update: 2025-06-01
Android version: 15 AQ3A.240912.001

Is yours 2.0.200.0.VNKMIXM or something else?

Lower end phones in the Samsung stack get older LTS kernels. It's a lot of dev hours and effort to migrate to newer kernels. Lots of stuff gets backported anyway, and the chipsets/kernels often don't support some of the features those newer kernels offer anyway, or at the first time of introduction in older still higher end phones, used what Sammy were targeting at that point. The chipsets/families being reused on newer lower-end phones means reusing that previous dev work is simpler and more cost effective than writing something new. Because of all the backporting it's not a 1:1 comparison as to using the "same" gen kernel on a desktop Linux platform for instance.

Still, on my S25U I'm on relatively recent, but still not latest Linux kernel. It's LTS till Dec 2026, at or before which I suppose they'll either continue to backport new patches or migrate to a newer kernel.

I'm on a Pixel 9a and I'm a little bit disappointed. Not because it's a bad phone! No! In fact it is a really really good phone! It's just that the pixel 4a I had before was more fun to handle. It was more lightweight. The 4a had the perfect shape for me with its soft rounded edges and was also slimmer and smaller which I liked a lot! The 9a feel like I'm holding a brick compared to the 4a and I hate that. I don't like that the edges are too square and its a bit to heavy for my taste.

But it's the only thing that disappoint me so far, everything else is great! Maybe the price a bit too high. GrapheneOS run very good on it.

New phones getting bigger is irritating.

Making Galaxy Ultra spec, but without S pen (since it's gimped now with no BT anyway), and size of the regular S series, would be good. Apple has right idea with Pro and Pro Max, with same specs besides display and battery size.

I don't mind as much as I might do if the phone size increase was as significant as the display size increase, as the transition to a larger screen S25U from S10+ ceramic was buffered by the fact that the S25U has much greater screen to body ratio, and with the lighter phone case and lack of ceramic back panel, the weight difference isn't really noticable either.

Hopefully the next kernel within the seven year update space Galaxy S phones get will be the 6.12 release, the 25th LTS.

6.12 has SLTS till 2035.

Obviously testing on DT isn't same as on phone, but Phoronix did an interesting comparison between 6.6 and 6.12 LTS releases.

The Performance Benefits Of Linux 6.12 LTS Over Linux 6.6 LTS - Phoronix

www.phoronix.com

 

[ARF]

It's the best camera phone currently on the market.

I don't think so. It's ranked 13th, while the top one is Huawei Pura 70 Ultra.

Huawei Pura 70 Ultra Camera test

Discover the exceptional camera performance of the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra in the DXOMARK tests. Top scores for still images, impressive detail retention, and natural skin-tone rendering.

www.dxomark.com

Xiaomi 15 Ultra Camera test

Explore the Xiaomi Ultra 15 camera, featuring groundbreaking technology with four sensors, including a stunning 200MP, and top-notch performance in photography

www.dxomark.com

Lower end phones in the Samsung stack get older LTS kernels. It's a lot of dev hours and effort to migrate to newer kernels. Lots of stuff gets backported anyway, and the chipsets/kernels often don't support some of the features those newer kernels offer anyway, or at the first time of introduction in older still higher end phones, used what Sammy were targeting at that point. The chipsets/families being reused on newer lower-end phones means reusing that previous dev work is simpler and more cost effective than writing something new. Because of all the backporting it's not a 1:1 comparison as to using the "same" gen kernel on a desktop Linux platform for instance.

Still, on my S25U I'm on relatively recent, but still not latest Linux kernel. It's LTS till Dec 2026, at or before which I suppose they'll either continue to backport new patches or migrate to a newer kernel.

View attachment 409531

You are fine, I think that you are on the latest possible, because the one latest is reserved for Google only.
Soon you will be getting Android 16.

The thing is that my phone POCO F6 Pro is pretty expensive and it doesn't make sense to compare it to the lower end garbage that those low-end Samsungs are.

 

[Thimblewad]

I don't think so. It's ranked 13th, while the top one is Huawei Pura 70 Ultra.

Huawei Pura 70 Ultra Camera test

Discover the exceptional camera performance of the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra in the DXOMARK tests. Top scores for still images, impressive detail retention, and natural skin-tone rendering.

www.dxomark.com

Xiaomi 15 Ultra Camera test

Explore the Xiaomi Ultra 15 camera, featuring groundbreaking technology with four sensors, including a stunning 200MP, and top-notch performance in photography

www.dxomark.com

I was talking about this list.

Best camera phones 2025 - buyer’s guide

Last updated: June 25, 2025 (Changelog) The best camera phones are usually the best phones overall, and you'll mostly find flagships in this category...

m.gsmarena.com

 

[dgianstefani]

The thing is that my phone POCO F6 Pro is pretty expensive and it doesn't make sense to compare it to the lower end garbage that those low-end Samsungs are.

Yeah but it's a Chinese phone, using a (admittedly good) chipset from 2022, so that's par for the course. From my experience helping friends with their phones, software support isn't the selling point, it's cheap hardware with good enough software. Unfortunately these Chinese phones tend to have very middling long term software support, if any is even offered. There's often development on XDA etc, but those are third party and don't have as good drivers or compatibility as first party support, specifically for cameras, plus the whole no payment apps etc that comes with root, though there are ways around that. I get that these phones are two thirds, or even half the price of the more widely known options with similar tier hardware, but that savings has a cost. I mean, even Oneplus isn't the "flagship killer" they used to be considering their current prices are what, just 15-20% lower than the big boys these days.

Personally I'm not sure the economics work out for the initial cost savings, considering you're lucky to get two, maybe three/four years of OS updates, who knows how many security updates etc. That was normal five to ten years ago for Samsung/Google etc, and for some reason still with Sony phones, but Google, Apple, Samsung etc, all offer six/seven years of guaranteed OS upgrades, and at least that long for security patches. Six years is about how long I generally keep my phones, unless something really great comes out (I upgraded from S7 to S10+, that was a killer phone), so that is how long I require software support for.

 

[sudothelinuxwizard]

Yeah but it's a Chinese phone, using a (admittedly good) chipset from 2022, so that's par for the course. From my experience helping friends with their phones, software support isn't the selling point, it's cheap hardware with good enough software. Unfortunately these Chinese phones tend to have very middling long term software support, if any is even offered. There's often development on XDA etc, but those are third party and don't have as good drivers or compatibility as first party support, specifically for cameras, plus the whole no payment apps etc that comes with root, though there are ways around that. I get that these phones are two thirds, or even half the price of the more widely known options with similar tier hardware, but that savings has a cost. I mean, even Oneplus isn't the "flagship killer" they used to be considering their current prices are what, just 15-20% lower than the big boys these days.

Personally I'm not sure the economics work out for the initial cost savings, considering you're lucky to get two, maybe three/four years of OS updates, who knows how many security updates etc. That was normal five to ten years ago for Samsung/Google etc, and for some reason still with Sony phones, but Google, Apple, Samsung etc, all offer six/seven years of guaranteed OS upgrades, and at least that long for security patches. Six years is about how long I generally keep my phones, unless something really great comes out (I upgraded from S7 to S10+, that was a killer phone), so that is how long I require software support for.

Also, installing custom ROMs on the newer ones (anything with HyperOS) is a massive pain in the ass, as you need to download their "Xiaomi Community App" and request to unlock your bootloader, but they only accept a certain amount of requests per day, so you need to pretty much always do it at some specific time, and even then getting approved is far from certain. I believe the only manufacturers that let you easily unlock bootloader are Samsung (unless you're from NA, rip), OnePlus, Google, Nothing, Motorola, Sony, and Fairphone. The only chinese one is obviously OnePlus, but their range just kinda sucks these days both hardware and out of the box software-wise so I mostly would recommend against them.

 

[ARF]

Yeah but it's a Chinese phone, using a (admittedly good) chipset from 2022, so that's par for the course. From my experience helping friends with their phones, software support isn't the selling point, it's cheap hardware with good enough software. Unfortunately these Chinese phones tend to have very middling long term software support, if any is even offered. There's often development on XDA etc, but those are third party and don't have as good drivers or compatibility as first party support, specifically for cameras, plus the whole no payment apps etc that comes with root, though there are ways around that. I get that these phones are two thirds, or even half the price of the more widely known options with similar tier hardware, but that savings has a cost. I mean, even Oneplus isn't the "flagship killer" they used to be considering their current prices are what, just 15-20% lower than the big boys these days.

Personally I'm not sure the economics work out for the initial cost savings, considering you're lucky to get two, maybe three/four years of OS updates, who knows how many security updates etc. That was normal five to ten years ago for Samsung/Google etc, and for some reason still with Sony phones, but Google, Apple, Samsung etc, all offer six/seven years of guaranteed OS upgrades, and at least that long for security patches. Six years is about how long I generally keep my phones, unless something really great comes out (I upgraded from S7 to S10+, that was a killer phone), so that is how long I require software support for.

Well, that Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, even if announced in the end of 2022, was and probably is still the flagship one.

My history of how long I use phones:
Sony Xperia S - bought in August 2013, sold in March 2017.
VKWorld S8 - bought in March 2017, a rain destroyed it in September 2020.
LG G8s ThinQ - bought in October 2020, sold in October 2024.
Xiaomi POCO F6 Pro - bought in October 2024 - pending replacement.
Huawei Pura 80 Ultra - will be bought in September 2025.

You can see that those six or seven years guaranteed OS upgrades are not needed and overkill - because the phones are obsolete long before that time period expires.
Don't forget that phones are very fragile pieces of equipment, and even regular annual replacements are very common.

 

[sudothelinuxwizard]

Well, that Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, even if announced in the end of 2022, was and probably is still the flagship one.

No, it absolutely isn't, the 8 Elite defeats it in a landslide in any serious benchmark.

You can see that those six or seven years guaranteed OS upgrades are not needed and overkill - because the phones are obsolete long before that time period expires.

Hard disagree, I have a Galaxy S5 on Android 14 and it's certainly usable. You probably wouldn't choose to use it, but you could 100%.

Don't forget that phones are very fragile pieces of equipment, and even regular annual replacements are very common.

The only person I've ever seen who does that is this one moron in my class who lives exclusively off their grandfather's slush fund, not someone who's behavior you should emulate.

 

[jallenlabs]

I see now - your phone is with a different SoC - Mediatek Dimensity 8300 Ultra (4 nm) and Mali G615-MC6.
Mine is with Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) and Adreno 740.

I will wait a bit more and if the next update doesn't bring the Kernel version up to Android 16 6.6 or at least Android 15 6.6, I will throw the brick through the window and buy the new Huawei Pura 80 Ultra.

I didn't spend so much money on this garbage in order to run outdated software and have that terrible battery drain.

I was coming from an LG G8s ThinQ and it didn't touch the battery - one battery charge lasted at least 3 weeks.

How is this experience better than what you'd get with an iPhone?

 

[Sithaer]

Yeah but it's a Chinese phone, using a (admittedly good) chipset from 2022, so that's par for the course. From my experience helping friends with their phones, software support isn't the selling point, it's cheap hardware with good enough software.

This is also the case with me.
Personally I couldn't care less about software support like if I get 2-3 years then thats perfectly fine with me cause I don't do anything serious on my phone so its like whatever to me and as long as it works then its good enough.
Like all I do on my phone is casual media/internet consumption and casual gaming when I'm too lazy or tired to sit infront of my PC but still gotta at least do my dailies in my gacha game that I'm actively playing.

So for my use case the Poco lineup is perfectly fine since its the best bang for buck option where I live and I refuse to spend more on a device that barely gets any use for 90% of the day since I aint one of those ppl who are glued to their phones all day long.

 

[ARF]

Kernel updates are really important, especially when the device (such as the POCO F6 Pro) is unstable | low performant | high power consumption | becomes hot, etc.

https://www.reddit.com/r/oneui/comments/1jkxs32/kernel_version_is_still_android_14_while_device

 

[Sithaer]

Kernel updates are really important, especially when the device (such as the POCO F6 Pro) is unstable | low performant | high power consumption | becomes hot, etc.

View attachment 409568

https://www.reddit.com/r/oneui/comments/1jkxs32/kernel_version_is_still_android_14_while_device

Its a non issue with my global X6 Pro, its been working just fine since I've bought it a year ago.
I can drain the entire battery with gaming and it wont overheat nor have stability issues.

I never use custom ROM's or anything of the sort on any of my phones. 'I've upgraded from a Realme 8 4G and that phone also worked with no real issues for like 3 years until I've sold it'

 

[TheLostSwede]

And these days, a Pixel 9 Pro, technically since last year though.
Really good cameras, battery life and enough processing power for all my needs, but the ai shit... urgh...

 

[dir_d]

I'm using a Pixel 6 Pro and have been trying to hold out but i am going to cave with the Pixel 10, i cant take the problems i have anymore. The phone is fine for everything except 2 things. #1 the data cuts out randomly. Ill have full 5G and no data, this model had modem issues. 2nd issue is after a late Android 15 update bluetooth does not connect to my car correctly. I have to disconnect, reconnect and have it fail to connect multiple times. Moved to Android 16 and still the same problem. Going to buy a Pixel 9 or 10 after i see what the Pixel 10 is about. Hoping the bluetooth issue is not a Android issue but just a phone issue.

 

[TheLostSwede]

I'm using a Pixel 6 Pro and have been trying to hold out but i am going to cave with the Pixel 10, i cant take the problems i have anymore. The phone is fine for everything except 2 things. #1 the data cuts out randomly. Ill have full 5G and no data, this model had modem issues. 2nd issue is after a late Android 15 update bluetooth does not connect to my car correctly. I have to disconnect, reconnect and have it fail to connect multiple times. Moved to Android 16 and still the same problem. Going to buy a Pixel 9 or 10 after i see what the Pixel 10 is about. Hoping the bluetooth issue is not a Android issue but just a phone issue.

This might be the car, not the phone though, we had major issues with the stereo in our HR-V, as it used some cheap, local head unit made for the Taiwanese market and until we got them to update the firmware, there was no end of issues with my Pixel 6 and the wife's Samsung at the time.

That said, the Pixel 6 is known for having some issues, can't say I experienced any of them, but I really like my 9 Pro and it's better in every way possible.

 

[dir_d]

This might be the car, not the phone though, we had major issues with the stereo in our HR-V, as it used some cheap, local head unit made for the Taiwanese market and until we got them to update the firmware, there was no end of issues with my Pixel 6 and the wife's Samsung at the time.

That said, the Pixel 6 is known for having some issues, can't say I experienced any of them, but I really like my 9 Pro and it's better in every way possible.

I use Google Fi they are offering crazy discounts on the Pixel 9 and i believe i will go that route but I'm still going to look at the Pixel 10 1st. My car is a 2012 Acura MDX, it was perfect for years till around January.

 

[Apocalypsee]

more fun to handle. It was more lightweight. The 4a had the perfect shape for me with its soft rounded edges and was also slimmer and smaller which I liked a lot!

This is what I miss on current breed of phones, a small, lightweight phone that is easy to handle. I miss having sub-5-inch phones, it didn't matter if it got 720p display because it suits that screen size, now it's hard to even got sub-6-inch phones, because the powerful SoC they put a big battery in it and if the phone is good for single hand use, it's too heavy to use for a long time.

 

[wNotyarD]

This is what I miss on current breed of phones, a small, lightweight phone that is easy to handle. I miss having sub-5-inch phones, it didn't matter if it got 720p display because it suits that screen size, now it's hard to even got sub-6-inch phones, because the powerful SoC they put a big battery in it and if the phone is good for single hand use, it's too heavy to use for a long time.

This is something I notice all too well with my S23U. So much so I bought myself a second-hand iPhone 12 mini to experiment both iOS and its size.

 

[ARF]

This is what I miss on current breed of phones, a small, lightweight phone that is easy to handle.

Many recent phones fall in the category you are looking for. Even some samsungs, s23 or s24 are extremely small.

Comprehensive list of devices about to get the Android 16 cover- that is the skin based on Android 16 - how many will get the much needed Android 16 kernel, though?

Android 16 Eligible devices: Full Phone list upgrade

Will your phone get the Android 16 update? See our complete list of Android 16 Eligible devices from Google, Samsung, Xiaomi, and all other major brands

nokiamob.net

Look at the joke that Samsung is - many of its devices are slow like a potato, yet they receive updates. Better make devices that don't lag and crawl like snails, Samsung !

 

[Apocalypsee]

Many recent phones fall in the category you are looking for. Even some samsungs, s23 or s24 are extremely small.

Tbh I don't like Samsung phones, and when I mean small I really mean it, here is comparison of my beloved Z3 Compact compared to S24 and my current Xperia 1 VI.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact vs Sony Xperia 1 VI vs Samsung Galaxy S24 - Visual phone size compare

Compare Sony Xperia Z3 Compact vs Sony Xperia 1 VI vs Samsung Galaxy S24 sizes against each other in real-time with our phone size comparison tool.

www.phonearena.com

 

[Athlonite]

Ooo looks like I'll get Android 16 on my S21FE yippee I wonder how that'll go considering it's still on 14 and kernel v5.42

 

[ARF]

That HyperOS is a power hog, it is crazy.
My old LG G8s ThinQ with 3550 mAh battery could last above 250 hours, while the POCO F6 Pro with 5000 mAh battery can not even reach 100 hours.
If the battery was the same, the POCO would last only 70ish hours.