[Buying advice]Budget 450-500USD, need waterproofing, wireless charging, rooting (A MUST!), and custom rom support. Been out of the phone loop.

[remixedcat]

some detect and then shut off data... don't want that.

 

[flmatter]

How about Catipillar Phones ? Might not be the latest greatest but rugged yes.

 

[remixedcat]

How about Catipillar Phones ? Might not be the latest greatest but rugged yes.

much XDA activity in case I need help? their forum is being very slow for some reason...

as for the ruggedness.... I can deal with cases to protect against that well, however waterproofing fails more cases before scratches/cracks do.

 

[flmatter]

XDA Catipillar forums a number of pages there. I would dare to say decent to average support. I noticed some rooting questions in there as well for newer models. I just skimmed the first 2 or 3 pages

 

[remixedcat]

just hope they figure something out for root by x-mas-ish when I plan on getting the phone... Just throwing ideas out now to budget more precisely...

 

[moproblems99]

some detect and then shut off data... don't want that.

I don't think rooting your device is going to stop the carrier from detecting tethering and shutting it down. Your carrier either allows it or it doesn't. Root isn't going to change that. Wouldn't it be pretty easy to determine if your carrier allows tethering?

 

[R-T-B]

I don't think rooting your device is going to stop the carrier from detecting tethering and shutting it down. Your carrier either allows it or it doesn't. Root isn't going to change that. Wouldn't it be pretty easy to determine if your carrier allows tethering?

There used to be a "provisioning bit" the carrier could set to allow tethering. Root would let you bypass that and tether, but it won't stop them from realizing a metric button of data is being siphoned.

 

[moproblems99]

There used to be a "provisioning bit" the carrier could set to allow tethering. Root would let you bypass that and tether, but it won't stop them from realizing a metric button of data is being siphoned.

While I don't know (clearly), I would be willing to bet that is not the only way they know. It has been a really long time since I bothered with rooting and flashing. Nothing against the developers but I always found the roms to be generally buggy. This didn't work. That didn't work. Video was recorded upside down...couldn't send text messages through native apps. Need a special apn...

Way more trouble than it was worth. Fun no doubt. But not great for a daily.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I, however, did not directly quote you and attack your opinion.

You recommended the Pixel 3a, a bad choice considering the needs of the OP. I'm not going to apologize for pointing that out. If a Pixel is going to be recommended, the 3a XL is the MUCH better model, but a bit expensive.

How about Catipillar Phones ? Might not be the latest greatest but rugged yes.

Here's the more reasonably priced model;

Cat® S41 Smartphone | Cat Phones USA

www.catphones.com

Water resistant up 2 meters for 60 minutes. Catch is, it's got a Mediatek SOC. I personally don't understand the issue with Mediatek, they have some excellent SOC's.

However, the next model up has a Qualcomm SD630;

Cat® S61 Smartphone | Cat Phones USA

www.catphones.com

That one is water resistant up to 3 meters for 60 minutes.

Amazon, Ebay, Microcenter, B&H and Fry's all have them.
@remixedcat Remind us all, are you in the USA or in the UK? Can't remember...

 

[R-T-B]

While I don't know (clearly), I would be willing to bet that is not the only way they know. It has been a really long time since I bothered with rooting and flashing. Nothing against the developers but I always found the roms to be generally buggy. This didn't work. That didn't work. Video was recorded upside down...couldn't send text messages through native apps. Need a special apn...

Way more trouble than it was worth. Fun no doubt. But not great for a daily.

You are complaining more about custom roms than root, honestly. And project Treble fixed a lot of that, because it's now basically up to the vendor to build the driver framework, and the rom is just a UI on top.

 

[biffzinker]

Catch is, it's got a Mediatek SOC. I personally don't understand the issue with Mediatek, they have some excellent SOC's.

Something to do with their lack of releasing source code which makes custom roms a difficult task.

 

[R-T-B]

Something to do with their lack of releasing source code which makes custom roms a difficult task.

Yep. They thumb their nose at the GPL and blatantly violate it with every release. It's really an ethics concern, and also just sucks for custom roms.

 

[moproblems99]

You are complaining more about custom roms than root, honestly. And project Treble fixed a lot of that, because it's now basically up to the vendor to build the driver framework, and the rom is just a UI on top.

Correct. I am complaining about roms and not rooting. That said, most roms are rooted and most are done at the same time anyway. Rooting is opening yourself up to problems you don't need. You gain (mostly) nothing and now run a privileged user in a (comparatively) wild west. Yes you can remove bloat but you can simply buy a phone that doesn't have it to begin with.

Rubbish. One of my employee's has one and the thing barely gets him through lunchtime.

My Pixel 3 lasts two days. Not sure how the 3a and 3 batteries compare. Maybe mine lasts longer because because my phone and head aren't joined with my rectum.

 

[R-T-B]

Maybe mine lasts longer because because my phone and head aren't joined with my rectum.

Come now. That was completely unnecessary. Let's keep this civil.

 

[lexluthermiester]

My Pixel 3 lasts two days. Not sure how the 3a and 3 batteries compare. Maybe mine lasts longer because because my phone and head aren't joined with my rectum.

He uses his a fair amount while on the job. I'd say normal use. Of course there is this development;

Some users report that their Pixel 3a and 3a XL phones are experiencing random shutdowns

Several Reddit users (via Android Police) report that their Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL phones have been experiencing random shutdowns. These are said to be occurring...

www.techspot.com

He's been having that problem lately. Been trying to talk him into a Blackberry Key2 as he does a ton of texting and has big hands like mine. He borrowed my Priv for a week and liked it. But we're off topic, I digress..

 

[moproblems99]

Come now. That was completely unnecessary. Let's keep this civil.

That wasn't really intended for anyone in particular. More of the current culture where you can't buy groceries without people blaring music from their cart, yelling into at the checkout line, or killing people while they are driving because they can't put it down.

Apologies for the seeming attack on lex's employee.

 

[er557]

That wasn't really intended for anyone in particular. More of the current culture where you can't buy groceries without people blaring music from their cart, yelling into at the checkout line, or killing people while they are driving because they can't put it down.

Apologies for the seeming attack on lex's employee.

I spend my time 30% galaxy phablet, 30% desktop pc, 30% car android head unit, 30% smart tv, 5 minutes sleep.

Gaming, eat, sleep, repeat...

 

[lexluthermiester]

Apologies for the seeming attack on lex's employee.

No offense taken. Some people do walk around with their heads up their bum while glued to their phone.

I spend my time 30% galaxy phablet, 30% desktop pc, 30% car android head unit, 30% smart tv, 5 minutes sleep.

That math doesn't work, even if you account for overlapping..

Gaming, eat, sleep, repeat...

Ah 1994, that was a good year..

 

[remixedcat]

You recommended the Pixel 3a, a bad choice considering the needs of the OP. I'm not going to apologize for pointing that out. If a Pixel is going to be recommended, the 3a XL is the MUCH better model, but a bit expensive.


Here's the more reasonably priced model;

Cat® S41 Smartphone | Cat Phones USA

www.catphones.com

Water resistant up 2 meters for 60 minutes. Catch is, it's got a Mediatek SOC. I personally don't understand the issue with Mediatek, they have some excellent SOC's.

However, the next model up has a Qualcomm SD630;

Cat® S61 Smartphone | Cat Phones USA

www.catphones.com

That one is water resistant up to 3 meters for 60 minutes.

Amazon, Ebay, Microcenter, B&H and Fry's all have them.
@remixedcat Remind us all, are you in the USA or in the UK? Can't remember...

USA

 

[lexluthermiester]

USA

Cool, you've got great options then.

 

[SoNic67]

some detect and then shut off data... don't want that.

Then don't get that carrier. Also, they can detect it even if you are rooted most of the time - based on TTL values in the packet.
Only "unlimited" plans are stingier with the tethering now days, because... their "no limit". There are people that try to use the cell as whole house Internet and that's not what a cell connection is ready to do. Not until 5G.

 

[bug]

Cool, you've got great options then.

That's debatable. From the other side of the pond, having to let the carrier bastardize your OS in order to sell you a phone doesn't look like a great option

 

[lexluthermiester]

That's debatable. From the other side of the pond, having to let the carrier bastardize your OS in order to sell you a phone doesn't look like a great option

The Cat phones are unlocked and unaffected by carrier whims, so that is not a problem. I personally only buy unlocked phones from sources other than carriers. Remixedcat is likely doing the same for similar reasons.

 

[remixedcat]

any updates on this? any developments on roms/root/new thoughts or devices? got the money saved!