Ask HN: Are there any viable Android phones for a power user to buy nowadays?
10 points
1 day ago
| 1 comment
| HN
i have a pixel 4, and it looks like i might be stuck with this phone forever if things keep going in the same direction (hopefully they don't). the pixel 4 isn't bad, but even on this i don't have the level of customization that i had back in the day with cyanogenmod etc. on my note 3 or epic 4g touch.

here are some requirements that i can think of:

    - not huge. small enough to use with 1 hand

    - able to root and install custom OS without too much difficulty/annoyance (the manufacturer doesn't actively try to stop you from modifying your own device)
    
    - able to use mint mobile

    - has a trackball (like the htc hero, that thing was fuckin awesome)

    - possibly some hardware buttons
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satvikpendem
4 hours ago
[-]
If those are your "requirements", especially the last two, then no, no phone would work for you. For the first three, you might look into a Fairphone or one that can run GrapheneOS, perhaps the newest Pixel.
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