Ask HN: What is your opinion on non-mainstream mobile OS options (e.g. /e/OS)?

6 points by sendes 115 days ago | 4 comments

Pretty much the title. Context: I have to change my phone, and I thought it is also an opportunity to think about what I would value in a phone OS (privacy and control) vs what I would need for convenience (app availability, seamless connectivity, etc.).

I am gathering opinions, and where else to ask this but here?

What is your experience/thinking on mobile OS options? Would you recommend any brands that use non-mainstream OS versions (eg Fairphone)?

reify 115 days ago |

I dumped smart phone shite with CyanogenMod back in 2010.

I still have an old Oneplus 5T running lineage with android 15

A samsung S4 with android 11 as my kitchen timer.

My family have Motorola edge 20 and Motorola edge 20 pro both with android 16.

  https://doc.e.foundation/devices

  https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/

I personaly prefer Lineage over E.OS.

I use droid-ify app store, which saves messing about with adding extra repos for Molly, a fork of signal messenger and Ironfox.

basic apps I use every day; Protonmail, tutamail, mullvadvpn, termux, lawnchair/launcher, Rhythm/music payer, Comaps/maps and navivation, bura weather app, chaka book reader, open camera, monocles browser,

It just feels so much cleaner faster and better. No intrusive shit constsantly nagging on screen.

I have over the years installed lineage on the old peoples phones at my local old care home. It started with my mum and they all wanted it.

those in their 80's love it. they dont need 500 apps cluttering the home screen, bombarded with adverts every time they try to send a text messsage to their families or doing 50 clicks and swipes to find a friends phone number. I leave them three apps on the home screen, contacts, phone and text.

anttiharju 115 days ago |

I've Fairphone 6 with e/OS. Works well. Ok, some caveats:

- mobilepay does not work (I think Danes have an issue with non-mainstream platforms for whatever reason)

- the default browser does not work for some of the authentication flows when it integrates as the in-app browser. But it does give one dark theme on hn so I can just keep it on my homescreen while fireflx is the default for compat reasons.

Muhammad523 115 days ago |

I think it'd be a very nice experience to use an OS like postmarketOS, based on busybox and the standard linux kernel. Btw, Fairphone does use mainstream android, but it's suppported by many alternative OSes

WaalkTheEaarth 110 days ago |

I used CrDroid for a period of time, i enjoyed it for a while since it worked with everything i use (Nationwide bank, Google Wallet, Whatsapp, Phocid, YT Music revanced, all that), i was conscidering buying a Google Pixel 3A to try PMOS or Ubuntu Touch.