Hi everyone,

Currently looking at either a Pixel 8 or a S23 as a replacement for my Zenfone 8 that is slowly becoming a hindrence due to (primarily) the battery. I would replace it, but as it costs a lot to do that here and I have needs for a non-compromised water protection DIY feels like a dangerous option.

So S23 vs Pixel 8, what would you guys recommend assuming I can get either for the same price?

I like the S23 hardware a bit better on paper, but as Pixel phones generally are very flashable my anti-Google sentiments might (ironically) push me there.

I would get a fairphone 5 for the hot-swappable battery etc if they weren’t so expensive for what you get, and as Im buying second hand reuse is better for the environment anyways.

  • VarykEnglish
    101·
    10 months ago

    Two cents, I was going to recommend fairphone, my pixel 6 has been one irritating “update” after another that has made features worse and worse and some at this point have become bugs.

    I’m completely over pixels and will be getting a fairphone next, great design and ethics I can feel good about.

    Also, wtf no expandable storage, Google? What a shitty choice. I had cheaper phones with terabytes of storage years ago.

    Check the 8 camera too, my pixel does some irritating high contrast postproc that I cannot turn off no matter what options are deselected, and even if I choose raw photos, the night looks like day.

    Night sight is amazing for night vision but it makes my night pictures look almost like daylight, it’s crazy.

    I’ll stop there, but the issues abound.

    • Pantherina@feddit.deEnglish
      11·
      10 months ago

      If you own a Pixel, get GrapheneOS. Please give it a try! AOSP has not very many features, but GrapheneOS is profound.

      I sadly have to advise against Fairphones. They make empty promises, include outdated hardware in their phones so they will not actually get that long firmware updates as promised.

      Also, they are way less secure than a Pixel.

      And they get quick access to Android Updates as they are certified, and still are extremely late at shipping the updates on time.

      GrapheneOS can literally just see them when they are out, but still has only a delay of a day or so.

      Fairphone is not a good company it seems. They are a bit more repairable, but their phones are way less secure and you shouldnt use their OS.

      • VarykEnglish
        2·
        10 months ago

        But I haven’t heard anything that negates their ethically sourced materials or work force re Fairphone

          • VarykEnglish
            2·
            10 months ago

            Afaik, they don’t use child slavery, use sustainable manufacturing practices, they’re highly transparent about their labor practices and sourcing, strongly focused on environmentalism, and making things easy for their customers in terms of reparability and os customization.

            I’m sure they’re not perfect, but they’re blowing away the competition I’m aware of with respect to responsibility, sustainability, trust, respect and service for their customers.

            • Pantherina@feddit.deEnglish
              1·
              10 months ago

              Fairphones run Google’s Android operating system. As phone hardware improves, Google updates Android to increase functionality, and these updates render long-life hardware of Fairphones obsolete. Fairphone responds by slowing the frequency of updates on their phones, but certain apps require the latest Android version to run.

              Source

              Thats not a technical report but still very strange.

              In general I couldnt find anything through a quick search, but I remember hearing that Apple pays the workers more than Fairphone.

              • VarykEnglish
                1·
                10 months ago

                Oh, I’m definitely getting one of the murena fairphones, I wanted a Linux phone OS forever.

                I’d be interested in seeing a source for Apple and fairphone worker wages, that makes zero sense to me, since so much of apples assembly work is done in China, specifically to keep manufacturing costs down.

                Maybe because Apple pays more to their US engineers or something? But the children harvesting the minerals and the factory workers working 16-hour shifts in apple factories in China are the ones I’m concerned about.

                I much prefer ethically sourced smartphone materials and workers, and as far as I can tell, fair phone is the only smartphone company committed to those sustainable and respectful ideals.

                • Pantherina@feddit.deEnglish
                  11·
                  10 months ago

                  Android is Linux, and every custom Android is just using AOSP (The Android open source project) ans putting some stuff on top, adding apps, thats it.

                  GrapheneOS is the only project adding substantial hardening, security and privacy improvements.

                  They will also never do something that doesnt work well. For example they have an internet permission, while LineageOS has a different method that may not be as secure and thus privacy friendly.

                  Phone companies often use the same manifacturers. No those were about the wages of the workers in the factories in china. Everyone produces in China basically, they are the best and have the most advanced tech too.

                  Yes I also think Fairphone is trying to be sustainable. They are doing good stuff, but they are too small to have their own factories etc.

                  They have the best repair documentation

                  This video from Our Changing Climate was my source

                  • VarykEnglish
                    1·
                    10 months ago

                    I guess I didn’t make that very clear, I want a non-closed system.

                    Apple os is obviously a jail, but Google is getting worse and worse at controlling their environment, what you’re allowed to do with your phone and bloatware and so many of their featured updates encumber my phone.

                    For instance, I can’t remove the date and time from my home screen?

                    Or Google still won’t tell me which devices are connected to my hotspot?

                    That is absolutely ridiculous.

                    Fair phone on the other hand, is deliberately providing an open source Linux operating system for phones that allows actual privacy and customization of your phone if you choose that route.

                    I vastly prefer that option to any corporate environment OS I’ve tried so far.

                    China does not have the best tach, Taiwan is far and away leading the charge in chip tech, even Intel is ahead of chinese chip tech.

                    China has been the cheapest factory country for a couple decades, but that does not mean that they manufacture the best products.

                    And I haven’t heard any reports about workers jumping off the roof of fairphone buildings in China, not to mention that apple works very hard to obscure their manufacturing base and organization, while fair phone does not.

                    I’m not convinced that Apple, who uses child labor and sweatshops to build their phones specifically to cut costs, treats their workers better than a company focused on transparency and ethical manufacturing and supply lines.

                    I’ll need some sort of evidence if you’re going to insist on that point.

                    I do keep hearing about graphene OS, and I will look into it has an alternative because this stock OS is as frustrating to use as any I’ve ever had.

      • VarykEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        Thanks, I’ll look into that you’re saying.

        I have heard a lot about grapheneos but haven’t tried it yet