These are the things i care the most: I want a smartphone i can repair on my own (battery and screen are the essential parts), with a bootloader easily unlockable, even better with verified boot / supporting a custom OS with re-lockable bootloader.
I don’t care if it’s supported by an official foundation or by custom ROMs foundations, i want something that will most likely get the longest term updates and security patches.
Does a device like this even exists?
I know that probably one of the few alternatives here is the fairphone, however it’s really expensive and i’ve read many negative reviews of it (pieces staying out of stock for months or stuff like that), and i can’t see the meaning of having a repairable smartphone if i have to spend the same money that i would spend buying 3 smartphones with the same specs that would last me the same time. That said, i know the market isn’t favouring these kind of businesses and these devices NEED to be expensive in order to keep existing, but i would like to know some other possible alternatives that satisfy these requirements, if they even exist.
Honestly i’ve come to a point i would probably prefer spend my money on a guitar instead that on a smartphone and just give up, the industry is terrible 😅
Other than the FairPhone, which you already mentioned, nothing really matches all criteria.
I’d give a nod to the Pixel line, though. Google already offers 5 years of software updates, and the next line is rumoured to get 7. Plus Google allows Custom ROM support, which makes it a fan favourite in the privacy community. Granted it’s not as repairable as the FairPhone, and it’s not as eco-friendly, but it’s decent enough.
Not to forget that Google also supplies iFixit with official parts which I think is pretty cool
Also, Google has a habit of pulling out rugs for the slightest reasons with no regard to who’s standing on it… 7 years is a really long commitment when you look at the Google Graveyard.
This is 100% true but there also aren’t really any reliable alternatives for long-term firmware support. It’s either private companies offering 2-4 years or a somewhat open alternative whose longevity as a company and support capabilities (dev support) are unproven.
I’d say it mostly comes down to whether you want a phone you can tinker with and that supports a slightly better approach or something with the benefits of mainstream adoption and support from ROMs like GrapheneOS.
