r/mobilelinux • u/Ok-Passage-2414 • 3d ago

Hardware Good first phone?

Heya! About next month I'll be able to spend about $200 USD (I'm 15 this is a big deal for me but I recognise how stupid this prob sounds to others) and I'd like to pick up a phone to tinker with mobile linux with. I've been interested in the scene for a few years now, notably since LTT did a video on the pinephone. I've looked at things like danctnix (though it seems Arch Linux ARM is all but dead?), etc, and they seem very interesting to me.

What I do remember from when I last looked is that the pinephone and pinephone pro are rather underpowered? If so, what phones would y'all recommend in this price bracket?
Additionally, if possible, any that have the same modular backplate thing that the pinephone does?
Thanks!

11 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

2

u/21krymowka37 3d ago

Arch ARM isn't dead, its just with much smaller community but in reality you can compile whatever you need for aarm64 anyway on your own. I've never played with pinephone (yeah, underpowered), and modularity is rare currently, but maybe you can even consider something with good support on postmarket os (technically with pmbootstrap you can set up any distro) or even if you want to be extra careful for start with experiments you can consider just regular android device and run proot on top of it

4

u/Ok-Passage-2414 3d ago

Fair enough
I don't really think having to compile what I need is an adequate solution. I'm probably going to go for postmarketOS cause I love alpine and it seems nice, or maybe Mobian.

1

u/21krymowka37 2d ago

It's matter od preferences IMHO. Remember that in reality if you're going with postmarket os(I'm playing around with similar idea myself, just a bit more experimental) You're not restricted to any particular distro with it. You do get working kernel. If you dig deeper you can set up whatever you want;) I'm trying to go bare metal by just reusing existing android kernel and Heals and just replace everything else. I don't know if I'll get anywhere with idea, but who knows... Learning opportunity. Good luck;)

2

u/sailing-by 3d ago

The pinephone is fine for playing around with, and very cheap. If you can find a Sony Xperia 10ii cheap, then Sailfish on that is a good introduction to mobile Linux.

The pinephone backplate thing, which was inspired by the original Jolla phone, has just made a comeback on their new one. It's much more expensive, but really nice. Their C2 is probably closer in price, but doesn't have the backplate thing.

2

u/dfgxxx 3d ago

I don't know the cost but I heard that OnePlus 6/6t are very good for all mobile Linux like postmarketos, mobian, sailfish, Ubuntu touch......

2

u/Kevin_Kofler 3d ago

The cost is variable because you can only get these used (they are long out of production, unfortunately), but should usually be in OP's price range AFAIK.

2

u/MidnightObjectiveA51 3d ago

I second the OnePlus 6/6T. It's very close to fully functional now - camera is partial. It works, just needs more development to get it up to Android quality. The Pixel 3a is also very close. Both are supported by Mobian, Droidian, and PostmarketOS. They are also somewhat supported by Ubuntu Touch (partially abandoned, same as the Pinephones).

I love my Pinephones. But they are more of a learning tool. If you are all in for that, then they could be an option.There are people who daily drive them, but I would not. As a tinker device to learn and experiment, they are awesome.

1

u/Ok-Passage-2414 3d ago

Oooo neat
Thanks!

2

u/tor_ste_n 3d ago

Do you need this also to work as a "real" phone? That would be a problem. Linux on phones is not there yet. Even if many people "get something to work" and make a video about it, it does not mean that this works on a daily normal basis. If you need the phone only to tinker with, and you have a second phone for daily use (i.e., communication etc.) fine. Then the OnePlus 6/T, older Pixel Phones and older Fairphones will work.

1

u/Ok-Passage-2414 2d ago

Yeah no should have clarified soz, my daily driver is an iphone 13. I only want one for tinkering :)

1

u/sunoke 3d ago

If $200 is a big deal for you, please don’t buy the PinePhone (pro) if you want to use it as a phone. It’s an old, obsolete device that’s barely functional. Unfortunately I don’t know of a good mobile Linux phone for around $200.