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I was looking under Moto and Nokia, but their devices have some really outdated processors or used Unisoc.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.
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.