Basically trying to see if I should wait for any exciting phone or get a Xiaomi 13T right now
I’m as excited by cellphones as I’m excited by underwear at the supermarket: I need it, it needs to fit me, but I’d rather do something more interesting than shopping for new underwear. And just like underwear, no amount of gimmicks makes them more exciting: at the end of the day, it’s just a locked down computer loaded with spyware that you need to live a normal life.
This is exactly where I am. 15, maybe even 10, years ago I was excited by phone releases that had significant upgrades. This is no longer the case. Screen size ratios have maxed out, cameras are far better than anything I need them for, most flagships have (or have the option of) adequate storage.
Gimmicks like the foldable don’t really excite me. I find them interesting, and could see myself owning one in the future if they become commonplace and affordable. But they’re really not that interesting.
Ultimately, I use my phone primarily for messaging, emails, listening to music/podcasts/audiobooks and browsing the internet. Nothing on the Horizon is going to significantly improve those experiences for me.
I previously had a OnePlus 7 Pro and ran that until the Pixel 7 came out, as my battery life had significantly degraded. I don’t see myself upgrading from this phone for several years at least.
The only thing that would change that, as far as I can predict, would be some startling innovation to battery technology that allows me multi-day battery life.
Edit: I would also jump ship onto a Linux phone if that were to pick up and become a serious contender.
To be fair, I’m not far from this. What is your current phone, are you happy with it?
FairPhone 4 running CalyxOS. It’s not cheap but the repairability factor is important for me, it runs a deGoogled OS which is even more important, and I stocked up on spare parts to make it last as long as possible.
As long as it serves me, it’s the most exciting phone I can think of and I already own it :)
None. Except maybe foldables, all other phones have become boring - it’s basically the same formula every year: incremental spec update + some feature removal no one asked for + some gimmick no one asked for either (“AI” anyone?).
Thank you for your answer. What is your current phone, are you happy with it?
Currently using the Fold 5, upgraded from the Fold 4. Before you ask, no I’m not rich, I got it for free thanks to my company. The Fold has its pros and cons. For the pros, I’m a heavy book/manga reader, so it’s super convenient having the large screen. Or even for browsing websites, or ssh/remote access, or just Lemmy - or heck, even when typing and editing this reply - it’s a far better experience than a small screen, a huge quality of life improvement. So in that regard I’m happy, and wouldn’t go back to a normal phone.
The thing I’m ambivalent about it is the bloatware. But it wasn’t really a problem, nothing Universal Android Debloater couldn’t take care of. Once debloated + with a custom launcher, you don’t even care that it’s a Samsung.
What I dislike about it mainly is the lack of dust resistance - I’ve seen people complaining about dust somehow getting under the display or inside the hinge, so I’ve been super cautious about it. Like recently when I was on a holiday and we went to this desert area where you could go sandboarding and stuff, I didn’t dare take my phone out of my pockets or even touch it, until I got back in and washed my hands, in case some sand got into the hinge or under the screen. I think that’s a bit unacceptable for a such a premium priced phone.
The second thing I dislike about it is the camera - it’s pretty average, at least for a flagship price. Not that it’s a dealbreaker for me (I mainly take photos of food lol), for the price you’re paying, Samsung could do much, much better.
The third thing I dislike is the e-fuse/KNOX. It’s incredulous that Samsung permanently voids your warranty if you unlock your bootloader, and that you permanently lose some features - which reduced the resale value of the phone. No other Android OEM goes to this extent.
Finally, the new official grip/strap case sucks - because it’s a hard plastic/rubber thing that you need to slide downwards and bend (requires two hands) you can’t simply hold the phone and slip your fingers into the strap one-handed, which makes it very inconvenient. It’s a massive step backwards in usability compare to the Fold 4 version. People have also complained about the new strap coming off easily (because it’s swappable) or even breaking and causing you to drop the phone. No idea what Samsung were thinking when they made this change. Thankfully, it looks like there are third-party cases with the same strap design as the Fold 4, but I haven’t tried them yet. I actually managed to make my old Fold 4 strap case fit my Fold 5, as a temporary measure until the thirdparty case arrives (had to order it from overseas).
No headphone jack -> no excitement
I haven’t been excited about a new smartphone since 2016 or so. I’m not in the target audience for any of the big brands.
It’s minimal upgrades all around. You would perhaps get some AI features here and there and possibly updated software guarantees this or next year like samsung and Google pixel. The 13T is decent. You should get it. Don’t expect major breakthroughs anytime soon.
