What phone did you use most in 2024? Has BItcoin changed how you choose tech? \ stacker news ~alter

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What phone did you use most in 2024? Has BItcoin changed how you choose tech?

3803 sats \ 41 comments \ @DavidDobis 21 Dec alter_native

I have been a tech nerd for most of my life. Especially when it comes to cell phones. In the touchscreen era, I have primarily used android phones, because I find them to be more functional and I like options. I have tried a few Apple products over the years. I using an M1 Mac right now. Its amazing. I bought it cheap and it does what I need to and it's easy. It keeps up with me. For me, tech is a tool.

I am old enough to have used phones that connected with each other through wires that ran inside of walls and across power poles. And I was using computers before we connected to AOL on the same wires at 33.6kbs, to check the chat rooms.

So from flip phones until now, I have been trying out, a LOT of phones. I was the type that wanted the brand new one every year. And... I wanted to try the new shiny one from like 3 or 4 different companies. For real, I would buy, sell, and trade phones, all year long... for years. And it was a right-off for my business, so, why not... Like I said, I have had a LOT of phones...

Now I run a de-googled, Sony Xperia XQ-AS72. Its a few years old, a 512 GB SD, 256GB Internal storage, headphone jack, great battery, high refresh bright screen, great sound, good-enough camera, super quick charging. It does everything I want to, quickly... I bought it used for like $400. I see no reason why I would change phones again any time soon. When this one feels slow, to a point that annoys me often, or the battery is bad, maybe I will, but honestly, I don't want to. I like mine. I want to keep it a long time.

Why did I go from constantly NEEDing the new shiny thing to just sticking with old reliable?

Bitcoin

Since I started stacking, there is no need for new things, for the sake of being new. I want tech that enables effective, budget minded solutions to improve my life now. Why would I want the new shiny thing that does exactly what my old less shiny thing does well?

What about AI "features"

To me, AI is mostly hype to get us to want new things that we really don't need. I prefer what google used to do, over what it does now. I prefer raw human creativity over recycled over-computed content, personally. I don't care about self driving cars. I like driving. So, for me, AI is a shitcoin. Just my 2 sats. I am sure it is very useful for a lot of people in their work. I am just speaking for myself as it relates to how I prefer to use tech.

Here is a MKBHD video where he talks about his favorite phones for the year. I just couldn't imagine wanting any of them.

I don't think he ever mentioned AI. Interesting.

What phone are you using? Has Bitcoin changed the way you purchase phones, or tech in general? Is AI useful for you?

I put this in alter_native, because my stacker stack is still a tiny stack. I wan't to build my stacker stack without un-stacking from my other stackier stacks. My stacks are what I value. Once I manage to stack enough of a stack to upgrade my stacker stack to a stackier stacker stack, I will put this sort of post where it belongs. in ~tech

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23 sats \ 0 replies \ @aljaz 22 Dec

I finally bought a pixel 7 and switched back to android (running graphene) because my old iphone 11 was starting to behave shaky. Its probably the most expensive phone i ever bought (I got the iphone at my last corporate gig years ago)

151 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 21 Dec

I'm still using an iPhone XS. I think next year it'll probably stop getting updates and it's super banged up and nearly dies before I get to bed most days.

My plan is to switch to a Pixel and put Graphene OS on it.

Has Bitcoin changed the way you purchase phones, or tech in general?

It's made me more privacy conscious. It's also made me more conscious of disk space - I like to make sure I have enough space on devices to run a full node if I get the itch to.

Is AI useful for you?

I find it occasionally awesome and frustrating, and in a goldilocks ratio, meaning it's early and going to be a really big deal sooner rather than later. I haven't really tried to "get into" AI, yet I'm using AI all the time.

20 sats \ 0 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

I really like the graphene Pixel experience. Have you tried actually using it yet? The privacy element is huge once I got into BItcoin.

I like to make sure I have enough space on devices to run a full node if I get the itch to.

Interesting, I never thought about this factor before. I have lots of space but its all used up with music, movies and shows, i really "need".... I don't need them at all. It's a comfort thing I guess.

Thanks for the comment.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @wingalt 20h

Graphene OS all the way so that means pixel phones, second hand for better value. Otherwise, any laptop that can run a Linux distro

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @Fiatrevelation 21 Dec

For most of 2024 I was using an iphone 8 since it came out basically. That thing is beast. It still runs pretty well too, but the screen is busted. I use it for some of my lightning wallets. I upgraded this year finally to a samsung a35 5g which I got for a good price. Seems to do what I need it for, and it does feel good to have a phone that is not almost a decade old. I wasn't really aware of "de-googling" until now - i should probably look into doing that. I always connect via a vpn since I started on the bitcoin journey. Also, I installed a linux os on my old windows machine because I read it was more secure. I am not that tech-y but I like to learn.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

I really enjoy the "de-googled" life. I use Newpipe Instead of youtube which means I see no ads, Amyethst for nostr, stacker news. No old school social apps. I like my phone to be a tool, not a distraction. And removing the google element helps a lot.

1100 sats \ 1 reply \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

Thanks to whoever hit me with a FAT ZAP!!! (Sponsored by Canva)

Now I feel rich. I am about to make so many posts and probably even put them where they belong, this time. Thanks again!

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

@Canva, don't forget to zap it 👆⚡️

20 sats \ 5 replies \ @zapsammy 22 Dec

cheap flip-phone for text, call, & authentication.
cheap slow motorola smartphone without data or mobile plan, for use with wifi/blutooth only.
grapheneOS pixel for bitcoin/nostr-only tasks, that i was gifted for free with a cracked screen.
backup 2-SIM card nokia phone for travel in the global south.

5 sats \ 2 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 22 Dec

You sound like you have a solid plan.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @zapsammy 22 Dec

it is not efficient, but it helps me break the blue-light screen addiction and focus on the interaction with people. it's a hassle to even navigate somewhere and this is how i force myself to think ahead.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 22 Dec

i force myself to think ahead.

I think this is great for keeping sharp. People are turning into zombies hypnotized by their screen. Losing their ability to think.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @dtonon 22 Dec

authentication

Do you mean 2FA by SMS? SIM swap is a thing, I would avoid this.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @zapsammy 22 Dec

there is no account i care about enough, lol. i would not even complain if a sim-swap occurs.

11 sats \ 3 replies \ @siggy47 21 Dec

Bitcoin definitely affected my phone choice. I have a graphene pixel w/o any Google apps.

41 sats \ 2 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

Pixel was my favorite phone line for a while. I even rocked the all the Nexus phones before they switched to Pixel. Newer Pixels are supposed to be more secure with an extra chip or something, right? What year pixel do have?

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @siggy47 21 Dec

It's a 2023 pixel 7. @final actually works on the project and is our guru.

41 sats \ 0 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

Awesome. I didn't know that. Nice to have them here. I ran Graphene in the past. Now I am using LineageOS because I like my hardware features of my Sony (sd, and headphone jack mainly). I don't know if it is as secure, or good as Graphene. @final, do you know if lineageOS is as good for security?

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @OT 21 Dec

I'm using a Pixel 4 with CalyxOS

I still use an old iPhone 11. It is my last apple product.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

So you use both at the same time. Is one your preferred?

10 sats \ 3 replies \ @af1f6f3e17 21 Dec

mostly a pixel with grapheneOS, but I prefer my linux phones with mobian. Unfortunately there's no LN wallet yet for linux mobile so sending and receiving sats can only be done with grapheneOS in my case. It would be great to have some porting of zeus into linux mobile, I wish I had the skills to do so.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

Nice. You don't here about a lot of people using Linux on their phone. I didn't expect there to be an issue with wallets on a Linux phone. That seems backwards to me. Because when I think nodes, I think linux.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @af1f6f3e17 21 Dec

Indeed I have my own Ln node, the problem around linux is that most people involved are those that you find on mastodon, drinking soymilk and etc. I am very grateful for those people as I am a linux user on all fronts from many years, but they mostly have an aversion to "crypto" as they call it. They have a very anti-corporation mind, but they say they hate capitalism and bitcoin represents the "finance world" which they hate. I really wish they were more open to that as it could literally speed up bitcoin adoption a lot. Just reflect about it, there is no app like Zeus phoenix wallet of satoshi and etc for linux desktop, isn't it crazy?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

drinking soymilk and etc.

😂

isn't it crazy?

Yeah, it makes no sense. Its upside down world.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @DesertDave 21 Dec

I don't even have service on my phone. I am actually a ghost.

10 sats \ 3 replies \ @ama 21 Dec

I've been using an Android 7.0 based one that I bought second hand for 40€ a few years ago. I'm not sure about make and model, since it has signs of the telephone company which distributed it.

Unfortunately the lid doesn't hold any longer, so last Wednesday I bought my first first hand smartphone ever, a Redmi Note.

I've decided, against my desire and philosophy, to buy a new one (a Redmi Note), instead of a second one again, because I wanted it to be compatible win some Nostr clients and some Bitcoin clients I haven't been able to try yet, because developers don't really develop for everybody. Many, many people in the world can't afford to buy a last generation phone to hold a few thousand sats in the LN, as Ecash, or the like.

Bitcoin, well, actually how software is developed, has sadly changed how I've done this time around, yes.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

I thought all nostr clients and bitcoin clients work on all android phones?

How do you like the Redmi Note, so far? Sounds like something we won't get in the US. New is nice because you know you can use the phone a long time. And a new battery is nice.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @ama 21 Dec

I thought all nostr clients and bitcoin clients work on all android phones?

Not at all, they require tons of resources.

How do you like the Redmi Note, so far?

It looks cool and it has plenty of space to try out apps, which is why I got it.

But I'd be much more satisfied with a second hand one I could have bought for a fourth or fifth part of the price, as I've always done, and try to flash it with a friendlier (less Gøøgł€ infested) rom.

I don't like the many apps that come with it. I never use any of the Gøøgł€ apps, which I'm trying to reduce as much as I can by disabling them and hiding them; and replacing them with sane alternatives from zapstore and F-Droid.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

Not at all, they require tons of resources.

I hadn't considered this. I usually have a decently modern, high end phone so I hadn't considered what slower phones just may not be able to do at all.

which I'm trying to reduce as much as I can by disabling them and hiding them; and replacing them with sane alternatives from zapstore and F-Droid.

I have also used this strategy to get mostly a stripped down phone.

This is the best you can do with a lot of phones

10 sats \ 4 replies \ @TheWildHustle 21 Dec

pixel, wasnt able to de-google it because of the carrier lock. But I'm enjoying android more than apple. Shoutout to zap.store.

21 sats \ 3 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

I don't get why people stay so stuck on apple. I guess the ecosystem and its always trendy. Did you use an apple before? Or have you been on android for a while?

20 sats \ 2 replies \ @TheWildHustle 21 Dec

Apple's really user friendly and seamless. I was an apple user for most of my life. My first thoughts after switching was "Oh wow this is like a computer" The permissioned walled garden style doesnt hit you until you leave I guess. And people fear the switching cost of learning a new OS too.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

That makes sense. I had an mini sized iphone phone from maybe 5 years ago for a while. It was the nicest actual small phone I ever used. Small, but same specs as the bigger one. And at the time, I has other Macs, and an ipod. Not going to lie, there was a LOT to like about the experience as a whole. so seamless. I get that side too.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @TheWildHustle 21 Dec

There's something to be said about the synergy between products.

The only apple product I use are the Air Pods though. I've traded synergy for optionality.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @john_doe 22 Dec

I am using a Pixel 6a with grapheneos for around $260 (used). Similarly it does everything I need it to do, so not planning to change soon. For AI stuff I was thinking the same way you do until this year. I think you just didn't have a good use case for you yet. Now I use it to help me solve math problems for me when I am stuck, to help me do some cumbersome programming tasks (like automatically control the browser with Selenium). Now I even create music I like. AI revealed the artist in me hahaha. But I agree many use cases of AI feel contrived, so people ride the wave to go with the trend. Coming back to your discussion, in my case I never was a big consumer in the first place, always just doing sports, going outside, so I never went to shopping malls frequently before. Although now with Bitcoin I have a strong reason not to go there!

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @LowK3y19 21 Dec

I was on a XR for a while but finally upgraded to a 13 pro

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

I think using used phones from a couple years ago is smart.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Imyourfed 21 Dec

I use a Android phone that is rooted, deleted bloatware crap that comes pre installed and use F-Droid to install alternative open-source apps. I always keep the firewall on. Been doing this even before I got into Bitcoin. However, my workspace devices are completely within the Apple ecosystem, which feels terrible for privacy. I can’t do much about it, so I just avoid doing anything personal on them. These devices all have AI integrated, which can be annoying but helpful, depending on your needs.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @DavidDobis OP 21 Dec

Have you found good uses for the integrated AI features, in your work?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Imyourfed 21 Dec

Yes, summarizing emails, taking key notes during meetings, analyzing data, creating any kind of content, and helping with any kind of coding assistance, etc.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @qnm 9h freebie

I use an iPhone and a Graphene Pixel.

Since using Graphene (and Zap Store) I’ve become more frustrated with iOS - but some things (like controlling my home) still need iOS. Once I have my home devices in Home Assistant the choice will be simpler.