Hello All,

TLDR: Are there any device ecosystems that are worth exploring outside of the major hardware producers?

As we collectively watch consumer rights sink into tar, it begs the question of which mobile platforms (hardware and software ecosystems) one should be exploring.

Unfortunately, my mobile development knowledge is near zero. What options currently exist besides Android for those who want to tinker with every facet of their computing device? A good preference would be to begin learning with tools that will be around and widely accessible 10 years from now.

I’m not looking for a cutting edge, just something I can use to store music, make calls, edit photos, etc.

Thank you all for your suggestions on the previous post. The discussion led to a huge improvement in my search engine results!

Another post in the autism form, given we are here on Lemmy, and increasing collective technology literacy is generally good 😊

  • paultimate14@lemmy.world
    2·
    11 days ago

    Fairphone seems interesting, but is not officially supproted in the US. I have seen there are workarounds… I did research recently for my wife and figured it would be too janky for her, but I’m going to strongly consider them in a couple years when I need a new phone.

    For now I’ve got a Sony Xperia. Which has mostly been good - bit of a weird aspect ratio, but I love having a headphone jack and micro SD card. However, I just saw a headline today that Sony is changing some of the apps that control special features to now be paid… So if I had bought this phone specifically to use it as a monitor for my camera, I now have to pay $50/year. I don’t have any such camera and don’t plan on ever using that feature, but it WAS something advertised as included when I bought the phone that looks like it’s getting locked behind a subscription retroactively. Not as evil as Google or Samsung or Apple, but I have a hard time recommending Xperia’s now.

    Honestly buying a phone kind of feels like a Faustian bargain these days. They’re incredibly powerful tools necessary to function in the modern world, but it’s nearly impossible to get one without selling a piece of your soul.