TL:DR; should be close to AOSP, under 15k, should be root-able, no Unisoc or Exynos processor, chipset must be released in 2023, but okay with 2022 stuff as well, priority to Qualcomm over Mediatek.
The screen glue for my realme 5 Pro came off, and the ribbon cable snapped. Replacing the screen costs about ₹6-7k, which is ridiculous for a phone that is five years old, given that the phone was about ₹16k when I bought it. I would’ve used this phone for two more years, the battery is just fine, it charges quickly, and everything is snappy about it.
Yes, the screen is available for cheap online (~₹1k for fake, ~₹3k for the original screen, plus the screen glue), but I am not really confident about performing a successful repair. Also, I don’t have a drier or a heat gun, so there is no way to access the back panel, which is how I’m supposed to disassemble.
I’m forced to use a spare Redmi 9A, which is a very laggy phone. It’s horrible for day to day usage, the phone heats a lot and the cache is so low that when I lock the screen, I lose everything I was working on. The UI is terrible too, and unlike the realme 5 pro, I can’t root this device to install a custom ROM.
I wish I didn’t have to contribute to another e-waste, but I’m planning to buy a device under 15k. But this time, I want something that comes with a modern processor (2023 release, also open to 2022 stuff if there are no choices). I don’t want any Unisoc or Exynos stuff. I want to prioritise Qualcomm over Mediatek.
And I want the vanilla ROM to be as close to AOSP. I don’t care about 5g, but since modern processors come with 5g enabled, I have no choice to avoid it.
I was looking under Moto and Nokia, but their devices have some really outdated processors or used Unisoc. Any other recommendations? I’ve not checked out on other brand that use close-to-vanilla-AOSP ROM and is easily root-able. I don’t care about games. I’m a power user, and I want the flexibility to use hardened alternative mobile OS in the future like Graphene or postMarket OS.
That’s going to be tough; why the insistence on a new SoC though? If you could somehow get a phone at that price range with everything but it comes with say, a Snapdragon 778, which was announced in 2021, would you really reject it? Think you should be looking at performance levels instead.
Well, newer processors usually have modern features and are more efficient.
Performance is really of no concern to me, as long as all the basic apps work fine and cache well in the background, as I’ll not be gaming at all.
From my experience with Snapdragon 710, I was quite satisfied with the result, and since four years have gone by, I’d like to believe that 400 and 600 series have most probably reached to that stage where it can outperform the older 700-series chipset.
I am not really concerned about the camera as well, I need a good battery, but also an efficient processor with 20 watt and above charging speed.
Also, I’m buying with future-proofing in mind, so I don’t want to stick with a two year old processor, which will be dated by three years time.
But given how the situation of the market is with none of the post-2021 processors available, there’s no choice for me but to settle with these old processors. Maybe a Snapdragon 695 or a 480+ phone or it’s Mediatek equivalent.
I read your other post, here are my suggestions!
I’d mainly suggest the Poco M6 Pro 5G/Redmi 12 5G (they’re both extremely similar). They have a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 but the software may not be of your liking. It’s a really great value for it’s cheap price though. Their 6GB/128GB variants cost around 13k. Other honorable mentions (that cost a little bit more):
- Moto G73 - Costs 17k for the 8GB/128GB model. It has a Dimensity 930, which is pretty good performance for the price. It has very nice cameras for the price and also has a stock-ish Android UI called MyUX. It is probably the closest phone to meet your expectations.
- Samsung Galaxy M34/F34 (F34 is a complete rebadge of the M34) - Costs 19k for the 6GB/128GB model. It has a Exynos 1280, which isn’t all that bad. It’s marginally faster than the Snapdragon 695, which is available in more expensive phones. Exynos itself doesn’t mean the phone is all bad. The display is also top notch, a SAMOLED 120Hz display. The cameras are also pretty good. The long term software support is basically unbeatable by any other manufacturer selling phones in the same price segment. It will get 4 years of major Android updates and 5 years of security patches. Only big con is the exclusion of a charger in box. You have to purchase it separately. A 25W Samsung original charger costs around 1000 rupees in local markets. They sell for way much more online, which is almost a scam.
- POCO X5 Pro - Costs 20k for the 6GB/128GB model. If you want a well rounded overall great phone, this is it. It has a Snapdragon 778G, which is pretty much the most performance you can get for the price. It has a AMOLED 120Hz display, a 108MP main sensor, 67W fast charger and possibly the best custom ROM support out of all of these phones since this is a very popular phone and has a Snapdragon SoC. The only real con is that there’s no SD card slot, if you mind about that.
I’ll be happy to mention other options if you tell me what your needs are. I recently bought myself a new phone myself very recently, so most of my research should still be up-to-date.
Thanks for making a detailed recommendation. Right now, I have the follow options in my mind:
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most probably repair my old phone by buying an original screen (~ ₹3000). All I have to do is get some B-7000 and a new screen. I’m pretty sure I can make it work for two more years.
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decide to buy a new phone. From my personal experience, Samsung phones are worse than Chinese phones, and I’ve never enjoyed using them. Plus the Knox security. So, I’ll be going with either of the following options (prioritizing from top to bottom):
- OnePlus Nord 3
- Moto G84
- Moto G73
- Poco M6 Pro
- Redmi 12 5G
- realme 11x
I’ll be avoiding the Poco X5 Pro as the build quality is pretty bad, and Samsung M/F34 series, as I honestly don’t care about AMOLED screen. I’m okay with IPS as long as the phone is good.
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This will most certainly not fufill the processor requirements, but you might want to consider buying a used Pixel from Amazon. I got a used Pixel 4a 5g for ~100 USD and custom ROMs are fine on it (if you do this make sure you get one that can be OEM unlocked)
Unfortunate, but this model is no longer available. However, there’s a bunch of Pixels like the 6a, 6, 7a and 7. I didn’t see if the Plus models are available, most probably they are, but none of them are in my budget range. Moto and OnePlus looks like two great promising options, but I’m going to miss out on hardened OS. Asus Zenphone also seems to be unavailable at thr moment.
Lineage MicroG is out there for non Pixels but I won’t lie about Graphene being pretty clearly better— on the privacy front, at least.
It’s interesting how the market has changed since the pandemic. When I got my Mi A1 in 2017, I was happy I had a stock Android device for about ₹15k. I had to retire it in 2020 because of a bent chassis. When I looked then, i could never find a decent phone around the same price range, especially with root/custom ROM support. The Poco X2 was just launching, and I missed out on getting it in the flash sale.
Ended up visiting a Mi Store nearby, and found the Redmi Note 8 with a SD processor and an active developer community. Just ended up getting that. Had to retire that phone too, due to an accidental drop, and it took me over a year to find a decent replacement, with a budget increase to 35k.
Ended up getting a Galaxy A53. Not the most ideal choice for me, but I’m tired of flashing ROMs and getting around Magisk and Magisk Cloak to get UPI apps to work.
In that 10 to 22k range, literally most are either a Unisoc, Mediatek, or Exynos processor phones. And none of them have decent development support. Much of this is the after effect of the silicon shortage, Snapdragon messing up 5G, and OEMs reverting to Mediatek for a non-5G chipset.
My recommendation is to check Amazon and Flipkart for any refurbished phones - either older mid range phones, or flagship phones.
Is your price range flexible at all? If so, a very decent phone at 17500 (17999 with a 500 coupon): https://www.amazon.in/OnePlus-Nord-Black-128GB-Storage/dp/B09WQY65HN/
Almost what I was looking for, but the processor is two years older, and I’ve heard negative stuff about the software in general. But I’ll be considering this alongside other options.
Edit: moved the other part of this comment to a new post about why next-gen processors aren’t available.
I think the global chip shortage is making it really tough for the smaller manufacturers. Apple and Samsung get whatever they want, and the rest get the scraps.
Interestingly, there’s going to be a new phone by Motorola called the G84, which is going to be priced aggressively, and will be launching tomorrow. Processor is same as the OnePlus Nord you’ve shared to me before. There’s no confirmation of the price, but it is going to be around 15-24k. I hope that it is available for a cheaper rate.
