Pixel 4a (not 5G) owners, what do you plan to do with your phone now that it reached its final Android update?

This month is the final month of guaranteed major and security updates, and we already know Android 14 won’t land in the Pixel 4a (though it will in the Pixel 4a 5G as it has guaranteed updates until November).

So for those of you who own that phone, what do you plan to do with it? Are you going to keep using it for a couple more years without the updates? Install a custom ROM (which one?)? Or are you maybe planning to get a new phone (a Pixel?)?

If you still own an older Pixel phone, how are you keeping it alive?

RustedSwitch,
@RustedSwitch@lemmy.world avatar

Install a rom that continues to receive updates

Disclaimer: I’m a 15 year iPhone owner, so I don’t have practical experience with this, but this is the angle I’d be researching, were in your situation. Or considering an iPhone, lol, Apple is still updating 10 year old phones. Of course, I don’t expect this crowd to take that last comment seriously ;)

pimento64,

Apple is still updating 10 year old phones. Of course, I don’t expect this crowd to take that last comment seriously ;)

Least smug Apple user

RustedSwitch, (edited )
@RustedSwitch@lemmy.world avatar

Nothing but love. I know better than to think I’m going to convince anyone. And honestly, I think everyone has the right to personal preference.

southsamurai,
@southsamurai@sh.itjust.works avatar

My dude, I’m right there with you.

It’s all down to preferences. I hate iOS, but only for myself. I can’t stand using it, I don’t like the way iPhones are designed, etc, etc. But (other than joking with friends), that’s where it ends. This isn’t a religion, we don’t have to convert people lol.

Hell, I end up bitching about google’s bullshit more than I go around praising android.

RustedSwitch,
@RustedSwitch@lemmy.world avatar

This is the way

mojo,

bro are u on the ipod touch or something

RustedSwitch,
@RustedSwitch@lemmy.world avatar

I haven’t used the same iPhone for 15 years… I upgrade every 4 years or so.

mojo,

what are you doing here outside of your walled garden

RustedSwitch,
@RustedSwitch@lemmy.world avatar

Most of the services I use are on the web anyway, so the platform doesn’t block me from doing much.

I’d like a little more root access for advanced automation, but the built in tools are getting better all the time.

That said, I like the effort that app developers put into their products, and I prefer the hardware design. Personal preference type stuff.

random65837,

Apple only has to care about 1 phone, Android has to work on countless phones from flagships down to piece of shit under $100 ones. More people have cheap phones than flagships, if the Pixel were the only one, it could possibly be very different. But constantly forcing newer OS’s into aging hardware also screws everything up, as Apple found out when they attempted to secretly down clock phones because of the beating they were taking from more demanding OS’s after upgrades. Tech expires in any way that matters, people need to accept that. Just because something still turns on doesn’t mean it can keep up anymore.

Minty95,

Try Lineage. I ran it on my Pixel 3 for about two years when Google stopped updating it. Then when I decided to sell it, just reflashed the Google OS back on it

bastion,

Running lineage on pixel 3 still.

notepass,

Has it gotten easier to pass SafetyNet with ROMs? I still want to use my banking apps, but want to use a custom ROM for more safety now.

Minty95,

I’ve stopped using lineage as i changed the pixel3 for a 6a, so stock android. Although at the time I could get PayPal to work my banking app was a no no

Jean_le_Flambeur,

Lineage OS

Blackmist,

Are you supposed to stop using your phone once it stops getting updates?

Mine is on Android 9 and idgaf.

I replace my phone when it stops working well enough for day to day use.

Murvel,

Yes, when the security patches stops it’s time to switch. But since these are usually a separate deploy chain from regular Android updates its hard to figure out when these patches stops coming. I’ve tried to find out out when the security patches for my Samsung S20+ stops, no idea still.

UsernameIsTooLon,

If you’re smart with your phone, you technically don’t need to update. You can also prolong life with custom rims and their own monthly patches.

kamenlady,
@kamenlady@lemmy.world avatar

I’m still on the default pacific rim - where can i find those custom rims?

AlmightySnoo,

It depends on whether you do sensitive stuff with your phone that’s going to risk getting exposed if your phone stops getting security updates and a malware gets made specifically for it. But I guess like on PC with careful vetting of apps and avoiding sketchy websites the risk should IMO be minimal.

jwagner7813,

I’d say for most users, this is the case. But you’re not in a thread of “most users” 😂. There’s definitely a niche here that would like to stay on the most recent system software as it probably brings them functionality they need or will want to use.

gcfbrian,
@gcfbrian@lemmy.world avatar

I plan to make the jump to an 8 this year. I was holding out on the headphone jack but it’s time. The 8 should be a decent jump and the rumors about docking are really appealing to me for light office work.

warmaster,

Docking also means video out. The community for the Pixel 8 will be huge. I bet even Postmarket OS and Pure OS wik make ports for it. I just wish Waydroid gets good enough by then, to use WhatsApp, Google Maps, and my Banking app.

The_Mixer_Dude,

I still use my pixel 2 regularly. There really isn’t a reason to not use it that I can think of.

Mereo,

It’s such a shame that Google will no longer support a phone that is only 3 years old.

ladicius,

They dropped their “Don’t be evil”-claim for a reason, and that reason is lots and lots of cash.

AlmightySnoo,

I think part of this is that manufacturers don’t want to keep writing drivers for every new Android release. Not an Android dev, but maybe Google’s driver API is just not stable and keeps introducing breaking changes with every Android release, such that old drivers can’t work anymore? But even then, I still don’t get why that has to be the case. Linux still supports drivers for very ancient hardware.

jmcs,

Meanwhile desktop OSes can easily support 10+ years old hardware. So maybe Google should be putting some effort into standardizing mobile hardware and firmware enough to allow the same instead of ripping off their users. Maybe new laws that demand longer support time will force them to do that, but unfortunately I don’t think the 5 years demanded by the EU will be enough.

exi,

That’s actually exactly what they did and the reason that the new pixels (starting at 6) get 5 years of support.

It’s not much but it’s a start.

The whole effort is called project treble and has been underway for a loooong time. But it’s really hard because it affects every single Android vendor.

Alexstarfire,

But what about that bass?

agent_flounder,
@agent_flounder@lemmy.world avatar

Best to drop it.

Markaos,
@Markaos@lemmy.one avatar

But even then, I still don’t get why that has to be the case. Linux still supports drivers for very ancient hardware.

Linux is kinda infamous for not having any stable driver interface - it doesn’t really have a concept of drivers in the way Windows does, Linux drivers are just indistinguishable parts of the kernel and their only way to interact with the rest of the kernel is to use the internal kernel functions that have no stability guarantee.

The idea is that if someone wants to change any of the internal functions, they will also be expected to go and find all parts of the kernel that would be affected and update them to work with the change. That works great for “drivers” that are part of Linux, but it makes maintaining out-of-tree drivers a nightmare.

This isn’t going to get any better until either Linux gets a stable driver API (fat chance) or SoC manufacturers decide to release their drivers under GPLv2 and go through the effort of mainlining them into the kernel (also a fat chance - current situation works great for them and guarantees more sales of new SoCs).

zurohki,

Nah, Project Treble separated the driver and system stuff years ago.

You can just add a new system image to your existing drivers and away you go.

CharAhNalaar,
@CharAhNalaar@lemmy.world avatar

Pixel 6 and newer have 5 years of security updates

jwagner7813,

Planned obsolescence. It’s how you sell more product without innovation and move people into a eco system without completely bricking their phone, and innovation lol.

BlovedMadman,
@BlovedMadman@lemmy.world avatar

I will be in this position in a couple months when the Pixel 5 gets its last security update, in think my choices are either the Pixel 8 or wait a few more months and get the pixel 8a, I think it will come down to price. Regardless, it will be running GrapheneOS.

BlueLineBae,
@BlueLineBae@midwest.social avatar

I’ll use this phone until the battery won’t hold without being plugged in all the time. Then I’m not sure. I’d like another pixel, but there isn’t a pixel anymore that isn’t massive. It used to be that the main phone with all the features was larger and the sub phone with less features was a bit smaller. I usually opt for the smaller phone because I like a phone that suits my small hands and can also fit in my pocket. Now I’m worried my next phone will be too big to fit in my pants and I won’t be able to reach the other end of the screen with my thumb. Not to mention they don’t have a physical fingerprint reader anymore. My husband has a 6 and he stopped using the fingerprint function because it just didn’t work 80% of the time. And don’t get me started on the headphones jack. I have a Bluetooth headset, but you know those run out of battery sometimes and some cars are a pain to connect to. That’s the least of my worries, but it’ll be a bandaid I have to rip off for sure. Anyway, thanks for coming to my Ted talk. I’ll probably buy the stupid new Google tablet because I’m a hypocrite 🙂

anakin78z,
@anakin78z@lemmy.world avatar

The s23 is fairly compact by today’s standards. Mind you, I returned the s23 and got a Pixel 7 Pro 🤷‍♂️

Anonymousllama,

I’d give the Pixel 7 pro a huge thumbs up. Not overly keen on huge phones but the trade-off is an amazing camera and really great performance.

Anonymousllama,

Even factoring in not getting the Android 14 update, plenty of people I feel will keep phones for ages (I remember having to build aps catering to people on Android 8/9 so people are generally pretty lazy to update). Even without security updates I’ve got a feeling these phones will linger since they’re still decent

Jackthelad,

I’m not fussed about no updates going forward. I still like the phone.

The battery isn’t lasting as long as it used to, obviously, but it should last for another year at least.

AlmightySnoo,

In that case I’d probably replace the battery, iFixit has a $50 kit for that.

Jackthelad,

I don’t trust myself not to make a balls-up of doing that and then needing to buy a new phone anyway. 😂

lom,

I’ve been thinking about doing that, but this phone won’t last that much longer so might as well just save the $50 for a new phone and live with a more or less shitty one until then.

Raxiel,

Every so often I think about how I really ought to replace my Pixel 2, but then it just keeps on working and the price of new devices keeps on inflating at absurd rates.

Redditiscancer789,

When I was more in mobile gaming I’d just multi box with them. Nowadays I just use them as Roku remotes.

NatoBoram,

You don’t need to be at the mercy of Google to keep your phone updated!

The whole point of having a Google phone is that you can easily flash it after its planned obsolescence date.

forbiddenlake,
@forbiddenlake@lemmy.world avatar

I’ll very likely buy a 7a in November.

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • random
  • uselessserver093
  • Food
  • aaaaaaacccccccce
  • [email protected]
  • test
  • CafeMeta
  • testmag
  • MUD
  • RhythmGameZone
  • RSS
  • dabs
  • Socialism
  • KbinCafe
  • TheResearchGuardian
  • Ask_kbincafe
  • oklahoma
  • feritale
  • SuperSentai
  • KamenRider
  • All magazines
    •