After only 3 short years my Google Pixel 4A is EOL. It still works perfectly fine, but since our entire lives run through our phones I don’t feel safe trusting my bank accounts and so on to a phone without security updates. I feel like I wasn’t quite aware how short the supported time would be when i bought it.
So I gotta get a new one. I don’t really have a lot of requirements. I just need the basics: A camera, headphone jack, USB-C charging and F-Droid (so app side loading). I just watch some YouTube, use lemmy and messaging apps, 3fa, email and so on and if there is something to take a video of photo of I like doing that too. I don’t need NFC or high refresh rate or 3 cameras or wireless charging and I don’t play any phone games so pretty much any phone should work, right?
I was thinking of getting something a bit sustainable and long lasting so I looked at Fairphone but the Fairphone 4 is only supported until 2026 which is not really long and also it’s really expensive for just another 3 years. Looks like there will be a Fairphone 5 soonish? But since the 4 didn’t have a headphone jack the 5 probably won’t either?
So since it looks like a ~6 or 7 year lifespan is just not something that’s available I’ve been thinking why not go cheap? Thus I’ve considered getting the Samsung Galaxy A14 (non-5G). Are there any significant differences with the 5G version? The 5G version has good reviews as far as i can see. Feels a little bad to downgrade to a phone that cannot even record 1080p@60 and to go back to USB 2.0 and 15W charging but whatever.
So I’m open to suggestions, either on the longer lasting side or something cheap yet secure for a couple of years.
I have a 4a/5G and speaking of security, I would like to get off the Google spyverse, so I may try replacing Android with real Linux DE, there are a handfull available. All the pixel phones are compatible for replacing.
Google changed its latest privacy police to add total filtering of your info via AI. If that isn’t a “security” concern, it is definetely a privacy one.
If you do want to stay on the Google gravy train, a 7a would be a good replacement. Google has lengthened their support window on new Pixels from 3yrs to 5yrs.
I like the idea of a Linux Phone. I don’t know much about it. My bank’s 2FA probably wouldn’t be supported on that and i do need to have WhatsApp because it’s the default mode of communication for everybody that’s not deeply into privacy, right? What DE would you recommend?
Linux doesn’t have good user experience yet(for mobile) like battery management and calls and text so I would advise against it
try lineageos, it is privacy friendly and gets updates, use opengapps/nik’sgapps if you wanna use bank applications(some won’t run without play services)
if you like a complete experience with all the pixel features you have now, then user pixel experience rom
also, don’t use twrp if you don’t intend to change from one rom to another frequently
meanwhile, you can check out this showcase of a beta build of gnome mobile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJq8Cq9LixE
Here are the ones I am looking at;
- LineageOS
- GrapheneOS
- CalyxOS
- e.foundation
I think Lineage and e.foundation might be your solution because they use a degoogled verson of android replacing google services with microg. This allows the os to be fully compatible with all the apps.
If the hardware is still great, how about installing LineageOS? Here’s the direct link to LineageOS for the Pixel 4a: https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/sunfish/. I’ve been using LineageOS on all the old devices which are supported, mostly OnePlus and Nexus devices. Lightweight, and does everything I need.
Have you considered installing a custom ROM? That’s what I do especially if the phone is still totally functional. It looks like Lineage supports the 4A https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/sunfish/
I had the 4a as well. Bought a Pixel 6a directly from the Google Store, traded-in my 4a and got some money back. That way I only paid like 200 bucks for the 6a.
Congrats on making it to 3 years without breaking your screen.
As the others have suggested, i would install lineage with open G apps instead of buying a new phone.
