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

[SchumannFrequency]

Realme C11 3GB RAM

Realme C11 - Full phone specifications

www.gsmarena.com

The smartphone is now 3 years old and I bought it for 78 EUR (new price).

Strengths:

Li-Po 5000 mAh BATTERY
The iPhone 13 (830 EUR) offers a 3227 mAh battery.

It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Most flagship smartphones no longer have a headphone jack.

microSDXC card slot

Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)

FM radio, Accelerometer, proximity, compass

The Pepper Gray version of the device has a similar appearance to flagship smartphones.
It doesn't look especially cheap. Although it was extremely cheap.

 

[Shou Miko]

Realme C11 3GB RAM

Realme C11 - Full phone specifications

www.gsmarena.com

The smartphone is now 3 years old and I bought it for 78 EUR (new price).

Strengths:

Li-Po 5000 mAh BATTERY
The iPhone 13 (830 EUR) offers a 3227 mAh battery.

It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Most flagship smartphones no longer have a headphone jack.

microSDXC card slot

Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)

FM radio, Accelerometer, proximity, compass

The Pepper Gray version of the device has a similar appearance to flagship smartphones.
It doesn't look especially cheap. Although it was extremely cheap.

Enjoy, I like to pay a smartphone with some OS upgrade garantee like what Apple and Samsung does this is why I got a Samsung Galaxy S23 and I am totally rocking the 6.1inch size compared to my old iPhone 12 Pro Max which was 6.7inch it's really a different in size to hold even I got big hands.

 

[SchumannFrequency]

Enjoy, I like to pay a smartphone with some OS upgrade garantee like what Apple and Samsung does this is why I got a Samsung Galaxy S23 and I am totally rocking the 6.1inch size compared to my old iPhone 12 Pro Max which was 6.7inch it's really a different in size to hold even I got big hands.

I can work with any operating system so it would be no problem for me to install another OS than Android.

I like LineageOS in combination with GCam on old Sony smartphones. It works more stable than any iPhone or Samsung phone.

But I agree that smartphone manufacturers should offer minimum 5 years of support. Is it not agreed that this will be the new law in many European countries?

 

[Shou Miko]

I can work with any operating system so it would be no problem for me to install another OS than Android.

I like LineageOS in combination with GCam on old Sony smartphones. It works more stable than any iPhone or Samsung phone.

But I agree that smartphone manufacturers should offer minimum 5 years of support. Is it not agreed that this will be the new law in many European countries?

Well as much was I like rooted and custom firmware I cannot do it because of government apps for health, drivers license, bank, digital mail and a 2 factor apps this was why I was looking at which android manufacture promise the most android version updates and Samsung do the most which is 4 years.

Plus going S23 I saved about £346-462 compared to a new iPhone Pro 128GB or 256GB so that's nice for a change.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I like LineageOS

Right there with you! I'm running it on 3 of my personal devices.

 

[SchumannFrequency]

Well as much was I like rooted and custom firmware I cannot do it because of government apps for health, drivers license, bank, digital mail and a 2 factor apps this was why I was looking at which android manufacture promise the most android version updates and Samsung do the most which is 4 years.

Plus going S23 I saved about £346-462 compared to a new iPhone Pro 128GB or 256GB so that's nice for a change.

LineageOS became renowned for its stability, wide device support, a Google-less environment, and unique features while still retaining the Android experience.
It is perfectly compatible with the apps you list.

In my opinion, Sony has made better flagship devices than Samsung in terms of quality for the last 9 years. Samsung phones are generally uglier than Sony smartphones. They also have a camera that produces more fake photos compared to Sony (inferior camera software). Both the CPU and GPU-based benchmark tests usually tend to favour the Sony smartphones. And Sony smartphones have significantly better manufacturing quality than Samsung.

And since you seem to prefer smaller smartphones, the XZ2 Compact is the last really powerful and quality Android smartphone you can find:

 

[Shou Miko]

LineageOS became renowned for its stability, wide device support, a Google-less environment, and unique features while still retaining the Android experience.
It is perfectly compatible with the apps you list.

In my opinion, Sony has made better flagship devices than Samsung in terms of quality for the last 9 years. Samsung phones are generally uglier than Sony smartphones. They also have a camera that produces more fake photos compared to Sony (inferior camera software). Both the CPU and GPU-based benchmark tests usually tend to favour the Sony smartphones. And Sony smartphones have significantly better manufacturing quality than Samsung.

And since you seem to prefer smaller smartphones, the XZ2 Compact is the last really powerful and quality Android smartphone you can find:

The issue here is not "android experience" it's the rooted status the apps which are used here for identify banks, digital post of the government and more requires a non-rooted device so it's still a no go.

Only issue I have beside my bank have issues with Samsung Pay and Google Wallet which they are investigating what's wrong, the only issue is when I swipe up to like open to see apps in the background is Samsung pay opens from time to time which I could disable this feature (Disabled the wallet it's nice and so far I enjoy Samsung's One UI).

 

[datnoz]

Samsung galaxy note 10 lite
charge port just died yesterday thanks i have a replacement one lying around
good phone but after 6 years the battery is starting to loose his capacity

 

[SchumannFrequency]

The issue here is not "android experience" it's the rooted status the apps which are used here for identify banks, digital post of the government and more requires a non-rooted device so it's still a no go.

Only issue I have beside my bank have issues with Samsung Pay and Google Wallet which they are investigating what's wrong, the only issue is when I swipe up to like open to see apps in the background is Samsung pay opens from time to time which I could disable this feature (Disabled the wallet it's nice and so far I enjoy Samsung's One UI).

What worked for me is installing Insular (from F-Droid) and then clone the App that complains about root to the work environment.
Many banking apps work fine with LineageOS. You can generally try following guides for making banking apps work.
And most banks in 2023 will also have a website where you only need a browser and a (bank)card reader to use it.

In many countries, you are also not going to have the slightest problem using digital post and/or government apps on LineageOS.
And usually that's only once or twice a year that you do this kind of thing.
You usually have a windows/Linux/macOS desktop/laptop somewhere that you can use once for these rare tasks.

With my Realme C11 3GB RAM, I have had no real problems. The only thing is that the volume sometimes jumps when I use the 3.5mm jack to play music on my Hi-Fi system.
But most high-end smartphones don't have a 3.5mm jack, so it doesn't bother me.

What I have also often read is that the Realme C11 3GB 2020 was a better device than the 2021 version.
They probably determined at realme that they were actually offering way too much in that price range, and then downgraded the device the year after.

The autonomy of the device is really good, it lasts almost two weeks before I have to recharge it.
I usually only check 2 times per day +- one minute to see if I have a message. I am more of a desktop user than a smarphone user.

I think realme can easily handle Samsung in the high-end segment:

Compare Realme GT Neo 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra - GSMArena.com

www.gsmarena.com

This is a 340 EUR vs 1.051 EUR comparison, but the realme is still better in serveral basic specs:

144Hz

16 MP selfie camera

gyro-EIS

aptX HD

QZSS

Infrared port

150W wired charging

Li-Po has an advantage over Li-Ion in that it is safer (lower leakage risk)

16GB RAM

Dual-LED dual-tone flash

realme UI is very stable

Etc.

 

[Shou Miko]

What worked for me is installing Insular (from F-Droid) and then clone the App that complains about root to the work environment.
Many banking apps work fine with LineageOS. You can generally try following guides for making banking apps work.
And most banks in 2023 will also have a website where you only need a browser and a (bank)card reader to use it.

In many countries, you are also not going to have the slightest problem using digital post and/or government apps on LineageOS.
And usually that's only once or twice a year that you do this kind of thing.
You usually have a windows/Linux/macOS desktop/laptop somewhere that you can use once for these rare tasks.

We have a national system in the country I live with a government identifier which do no work on any root, some has tried on LinageOS but the success on hidden root for this app even with 2 phone on the same brand is lower than 5% success rate so I wouldn't even bother to try root this time around because I don't want to run around with a keychain that generate 6-8 numbers or maybe a NFC tag because this limits me even more because than I need to read the tag every time I login anywhere.

Please I do not want to fill up this thread with a lot of stuff just because ppl do not understand what I mean.... In the country I am currently living we are using something called YourID plus my country is helping Germany getting more digital how this turns out I am excited to see

 

[SchumannFrequency]

We have a national system in the country I live with a government identifier which do no work on any root, some has tried on LinageOS but the success on hidden root for this app even with 2 phone on the same brand is lower than 5% success rate so I wouldn't even bother to try root this time around because I don't want to run around with a keychain that generate 6-8 numbers or maybe a NFC tag because this limits me even more because than I need to read the tag every time I login anywhere.

Please I do not want to fill up this thread with a lot of stuff just because ppl do not understand what I mean.... In the country I am currently living we are using something called YourID plus my country is helping Germany getting more digital how this turns out I am excited to see

Realme UI Update Policy 2022: 3 Major Android Updates & 4 Years Of Security Patches

Realme UI Update Policy 2022: 3 Major Android Updates & 4 Years Of Security Patches

Spread the loveAndroid smartphones, generally, are supported for less time than iPhones: among the manufacturers most attentive to this aspect, however, we find Realme, which is preparing to announce support for up to 4 years for some top-of-the-range smartphones, Realme has jumped on the...

www.rmupdate.com

Android smartphones, generally, are supported for less time than iPhones: among the manufacturers most attentive to this aspect, however, we find Realme, which is preparing to announce support for up to 4 years for some top-of-the-range smartphones, Realme has jumped on the bandwagon of offering more OS updates for its devices, starting with the Realme GT 2 and GT 2 Pro.

 

[Shou Miko]

Realme UI Update Policy 2022: 3 Major Android Updates & 4 Years Of Security Patches

Realme UI Update Policy 2022: 3 Major Android Updates & 4 Years Of Security Patches

Spread the loveAndroid smartphones, generally, are supported for less time than iPhones: among the manufacturers most attentive to this aspect, however, we find Realme, which is preparing to announce support for up to 4 years for some top-of-the-range smartphones, Realme has jumped on the...

www.rmupdate.com

Android smartphones, generally, are supported for less time than iPhones: among the manufacturers most attentive to this aspect, however, we find Realme, which is preparing to announce support for up to 4 years for some top-of-the-range smartphones, Realme has jumped on the bandwagon of offering more OS updates for its devices, starting with the Realme GT 2 and GT 2 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy S models give 4 year of android updates and 5 years of security patches and they are the only one doing so

I am happy with my device had OnePlus in the past good phone just some software issues here and there this S23 is a better experience by far and battery life plus I am running with "protect battery" activated which should extend the lifespan of the battery and limit charging to 85%.

 

[SchumannFrequency]

Samsung Galaxy S models give 4 year of android updates and 5 years of security patches and they are the only one doing so

I am happy with my device had OnePlus in the past good phone just some software issues here and there this S23 is a better experience by far and battery life plus I am running with "protect battery" activated which should extend the lifespan of the battery and limit charging to 85%.

Samsung Mobile Security

security.samsungmobile.com

And select devices launched in 2019 or later will be supported with firmware security updates for a minimum of four (4) years following their global launch, while select newer devices will receive up to five (5) years of security updates.

What I understand from this is that Samsung in certain price ranges does not give more security updates (currently) than realme.

Realme UI 3.0 vs Samsung One UI 4.1 Comparison - Which is Best & Minimal UI?

As you can see, samsung's UI is very cheap compared to realme's. The realme UI is also more stable.

Furthermore, Samsung cannot compete with realme in the price/performance ratio.

My impression is that Samsung is going to lose a lot of customers in the mid range segment in the coming years.

 

[FoulOnWhite]

Iphone 12, good enough.

 

[SchumannFrequency]

@karanpratap2791 1 year ago
I'm a MIUI user but Realme UI is looking really smooth, clean and better

@kaushalvaghela3508 1 year ago
Real me ui 2.0 is the best thing ever. I'm running beta on my 2 year old real me 5 Pro.. fantastic experience..

@cosmins3268 1 year ago
Coming from stock android (a nokia 7 plus) Realme ui on a realme 7 pro is awesome . It has the nice aesthetic of stock Android and the costumization I'm looking for .

@aabhapaulofficial8482 2 years ago
Always Realme Ui

@diegorm75 2 years ago
Realme UI 2.0

@jajananpasar4158 8 months ago
Realme looks so simple and clean

@dinkarfowkar999 2 years ago
Realme Ui

@Epixel14 2 years ago
This definitely opened up my eyes that Samsung's One UI is pretty outdated it a lot of areas and these other UI options are just like how I wish One UI was..

@azim4ik_gaming239 1 year ago
Realme ui love

@biswajitsethi4797 2 years ago
Realme ui is very clean, smooth and lag free

@mdmehefujrahaman3643 1 year ago
Realme ui Clean Experience

@jesrellanzaderas1876 1 year ago
The Realme so smooth

I will speak from personal experience, my realme C11 (2020) feels like a more expensive device in daily use than ten times more expensive samsung smarphones, simply because the UI has more sophistication.
And in some of the videos, you can also see features that don't work as they should in One UI, but work perfectly in the UI of 4 times cheaper realme smartphones.

 

[lexluthermiester]

The issue here is not "android experience" it's the rooted status the apps which are used here for identify banks, digital post of the government and more requires a non-rooted device so it's still a no go.

Where are you? I have all of my Android devices rooted and have never had issues with banking or "special" gov apps.

 

[Shou Miko]

Where are you? I have all of my Android devices rooted and have never had issues with banking or "special" gov apps.

Currently living in Denmark where my family (Dad, Mum, Little sister and soon niece).

Samsung Mobile Security

security.samsungmobile.com

And select devices launched in 2019 or later will be supported with firmware security updates for a minimum of four (4) years following their global launch, while select newer devices will receive up to five (5) years of security updates.

What I understand from this is that Samsung in certain price ranges does not give more security updates (currently) than realme.

Realme UI 3.0 vs Samsung One UI 4.1 Comparison - Which is Best & Minimal UI?

As you can see, samsung's UI is very cheap compared to realme's. The realme UI is also more stable.

Furthermore, Samsung cannot compete with realme in the price/performance ratio.

My impression is that Samsung is going to lose a lot of customers in the mid range segment in the coming years.

The S line is 4 years and 5 years security.

Like this line up for the S22 model:


So since S23 started on Android 13 it ends on Android 17 according to Samsung's own promises if not Google changes something that causes the whole world to go side ways, then the only one you can trust with bringing a older device up to a new software is Apple.

 

[FoulOnWhite]

Just got a Galaxy S21 256gb. Considering switching back to Android. Jeez how much easier was it dumping my music on it, even FLAC files with no complaint. Using Power Amp off the store to play music

 

[Space Lynx]

@Shou Miko just fyi, the new A line also gets 4 years OS and 5 years security. A52 5g and a53 5g both have that. My phone will get android 17 and a year of security updates after that. Not bad at all considering the price i paid.

@FoulOnWhite why not use foobar? Never heard of power amp, maybe i will look it up

 

[lexluthermiester]

@FoulOnWhite why not use foobar? Never heard of power amp, maybe i will look it up

I use Music Visualizer 2.0. It plays anything and has all the option I think are important.

Music Visualizer - Apps on Google Play

An audio player with beautiful audio visualization.

play.google.com

 

[Dr. Dro]

Anyways: a follow up on my Z Flip 3's case, I went to the Samsung store today. Upon arriving I was told my phone qualified for premium concierge service with high priority. Manager told me that they receive around 5 to 6 Galaxy Z devices every day with the same problem, almost all of which have around the same age as mine - 6 months or so of use before the screen film begins to peel off at the fold. Thing is, my phone was exceptionally well cared for, and the problem manifested at 6 months on the clock. Nope, I'm not becoming a regular at a Samsung service center to ensure my phone has a pristine screen.

It was all solved in around 20 minutes from the time I walked into the store, quite easy and bureaucracy free - they ran the diagnostics battery on the device, made sure it was updated (it already was) and replaced the PET film. It's not perfect, as there's still a tiny dot of visible UV glue again at the hinge that I was told would go away with use, but they've repaired my phone for free under warranty. It looks almost as good as it did when it was new now.

I don't think I will be keeping it, though. I'm gonna end up taking a loss on this device's cost and try to sell it for about half the price I paid on it and keep on using my old S10+ for the time being. Maybe in the future I'll grab an iPhone 15, let's wait for iOS 17 and see if it's sideloading-enabled. If not, I'll likely see if Motorola has released a successor to the G200 (Snapdragon 888+), perhaps with a 8 Gen 2 SoC.

I genuinely loved and enjoyed my time with the Flip, but my long-term review is: don't buy one unless it's purely intended to be a disposable plaything (and at its price, I wish I could say it was and that I had the job or wealth of anyone who can consider one a disposable plaything). It's still a prototype, unproven form factor, and the internal foldable display is VERY fragile. Will need to drop by my carrier's shop tomorrow or sometime this week and ask them to transfer my eSIM into a physical chip so I can use it with my old phone again. On the upside, I guess my OLED upgrade comes sooner than expected

Following up on this: I kept the phone, after all it was repaired and I only had it for 6 months, right? Fast forward to another 3 months since this, and the replaced screen film ripped across on the hinge in the exact same spot from last time... except this time it's not just on the left corner, it's across the entire fold, and it looks like the PET deformed in a way that it doesn't look right even if you put it back. It's some sort of chronic mechanical failure with this device that will always occur, it seems to be a matter of when and not if - the screen film is probably good for 300 open/close cycles, less if your phone runs warm.

That meaning; you will be a regular at the Samsung service center for as long as you own this device, and given how it's always at this same stress point and how it creaks when the UV glue is separated from the bare OLED panel, I wouldn't be surprised if the OLED itself ripped eventually - if this occurs, the phone is e-waste from there on out, the repair cost is far too high and will exceed the device's market price. Monday I had another appointment to have the phone serviced by Samsung - again - but I couldn't go as I was feeling sick and later that day I learned that my entire family tested positive for Covid.

I gave up on it. Once I'm fully recovered and no longer a public health hazard, I'm going to have the screen film replaced yet again and sell this phone. I wonder how bad this issue is on the original Z Flip and its 2nd gen 5G counterpart, as well on the Flip 4... the 5 must be better since it can fold flat, but I'm going to call the whole foldable phone an expensive mistake and a total write-off for me. The extreme overheating and shutdowns with 5G signal were never resolved and still occur. It's been quite frustrating dealing with these problems, and honestly, I would feel bad selling this device to someone just knowing what a nightmare it is.

Looking at a S22 Ultra as a replacement. Price on them came down quite a lot recently... either that or a standard S23, but given how much I use my phone (it's more than I'd like to admit), I think the S22U is a better choice even with the slower SoC. Wish I could afford the current year's device, but then again it's because Galaxy phones' value drops like a rock the next year that I can afford these gadgets to begin with.

 

[tabascosauz]

Following up on this: I kept the phone, after all it was repaired and I only had it for 6 months, right? Fast forward to another 3 months since this, and the replaced screen film ripped across on the hinge in the exact same spot from last time... except this time it's not just on the left corner, it's across the entire fold, and it looks like the PET deformed in a way that it doesn't look right even if you put it back. It's some sort of chronic mechanical failure with this device that will always occur, it seems to be a matter of when and not if - the screen film is probably good for 300 open/close cycles, less if your phone runs warm.

That meaning; you will be a regular at the Samsung service center for as long as you own this device, and given how it's always at this same stress point and how it creaks when the UV glue is separated from the bare OLED panel, I wouldn't be surprised if the OLED itself ripped eventually - if this occurs, the phone is e-waste from there on out, the repair cost is far too high and will exceed the device's market price. Monday I had another appointment to have the phone serviced by Samsung - again - but I couldn't go as I was feeling sick and later that day I learned that my entire family tested positive for Covid.

I gave up on it. Once I'm fully recovered and no longer a public health hazard, I'm going to have the screen film replaced yet again and sell this phone. I wonder how bad this issue is on the original Z Flip and its 2nd gen 5G counterpart, as well on the Flip 4... the 5 must be better since it can fold flat, but I'm going to call the whole foldable phone an expensive mistake and a total write-off for me. The extreme overheating and shutdowns with 5G signal were never resolved and still occur. It's been quite frustrating dealing with these problems, and honestly, I would feel bad selling this device to someone just knowing what a nightmare it is.

Looking at a S22 Ultra as a replacement. Price on them came down quite a lot recently... either that or a standard S23, but given how much I use my phone (it's more than I'd like to admit), I think the S22U is a better choice even with the slower SoC. Wish I could afford the current year's device, but then again it's because Galaxy phones' value drops like a rock the next year that I can afford these gadgets to begin with.

Sorry to hear that. I've stayed away from folding phones because I just do not believe that the manufacturers will deliver a product that is robust enough to age well. Like Android tablets I fully believe they are there to take your money and throw you to the wolves.

The fact the 3785mAh S23 basically matches the 5000mAh S22 Ultra's runtimes tells you all you need to know about 4nm Samsung...........that S22 Ultra had better be at an absolute banger of a good price. 8 Gen 1 is not desirable.

If S23 isn't on sale and I was looking to save some money, I'd look for a 8+ Gen 1 or Dimensity flagship killer instead.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Sorry to hear that. I've stayed away from folding phones because I just do not believe that the manufacturers will deliver a product that is robust enough to age well. Like Android tablets I fully believe they are there to take your money and throw you to the wolves.

The fact the 3785mAh S23 basically matches the 5000mAh S22 Ultra's runtimes tells you all you need to know about 4nm Samsung...........that S22 Ultra had better be at an absolute banger of a good price. 8 Gen 1 is not desirable.

If S23 isn't on sale and I was looking to save some money, I'd look for a 8+ Gen 1 or Dimensity flagship killer instead.

That was a wise choice, I've always liked the concept, and thought that by the third generation they'd be good enough... but alas, I was wrong on this one.

As for the S22U, 256 GB/12 GB RAM version is on sale here for about half of what an iPhone 14 Plus or the S23U go for. I guess the SoC on the S23 might be better, but I guess that unless you get the Ultra, you're not getting the camera goods... it's a tough one. I'll have to give it some thought, but I'm gonna do it as soon as I'm better. I just can't tolerate this thing anymore. It's gotten too bad, to the point even my mom who's not tech savvy at all noticed and told me that she was surprised my phone was acting up so much since her S20 FE never really skip a beat since I gave it to her. Way to go, Sammy...

 

[tabascosauz]

That was a wise choice, I've always liked the concept, and thought that by the third generation they'd be good enough... but alas, I was wrong on this one.

As for the S22U, 256 GB/12 GB RAM version is on sale here for about half of what an iPhone 14 Plus or the S23U go for. I guess the SoC on the S23 might be better, but I guess that unless you get the Ultra, you're not getting the camera goods... it's a tough one. I'll have to give it some thought, but I'm gonna do it as soon as I'm better. I just can't tolerate this thing anymore. It's gotten too bad, to the point even my mom who's not tech savvy at all noticed and told me that she was surprised my phone was acting up so much since her S20 FE never really skip a beat since I gave it to her. Way to go, Sammy...

Yeah I can't really comment on the camera part, it's okay but I'm really not a phone camera user. Half S23U is about $800cad, so not sure if that's a great deal in br.

I was going to suggest following the rumors for the S23 FE, before I realized that it's supposed to come with 8 Gen 1 instead of 8+ Gen 1, for whatever reason. Strange choice, really.

Why not try something different? tbh the appeal for the S23 is more in the fact that it alone brought 8 Gen 2 to the market. It's been half a year since then, now it's just an overpriced flagship (when not on sale) with subpar cooling and a middling camera. There's 7+ Gen 2 and 8+ Gen 1 phones too.

 

[Shou Miko]

@Shou Miko just fyi, the new A line also gets 4 years OS and 5 years security. A52 5g and a53 5g both have that. My phone will get android 17 and a year of security updates after that. Not bad at all considering the price i paid.

It's nice to hear, I could also hear Realme on some of their phones has come up to the same upgrade as Samsung it's a step in the right direction.

But overall I am happy with my S23 battery life even with the 85% charging I get over a day of battery life so I am happy.