For me its the ‘Knock Code’ that LG had on their phones (I really wish LG still made at least the V series phones)
Basically there was a four-square area and you set up a sequence of where you would tap to unlock the phone. That set of squares was only shown when you set up the code
Then, to unlock your phone, you would tap those areas in the sequence you set up (even with the screen off).
Fingerprint readers are nice, but I really do miss the knock code
Edit: did find this article with a way to do the knock code, but if done wrong, could brick your phone I guess.
Plus, article is from 2014. When I looked at XDA’s info on it (they also being the developers) it looks like development on it is over, but individual modules may or may not still be supported by their devs
Unlockable bootloader, removable battery, headphone jack, being assembled with SCREWS rather than GLUE.
Love the first answer as, I have to get on my Linux soapbox here.
I remember first using Linux (Ubuntu 9.10 for those curious). One of the big ideas behind it was ‘its your computer, do what you want’. That’s why you can have access to Root or the Super User. Since its open source, root can do what it wants.
Android was initially built on Linux, but they have taken Root and turned it into a way to restrict users not just from sensitive things (like necessary system apps), but also from bloatware (looking at you Samsung). Years ago I had a phone that came with the NFL Network which I didn’t want. Could I remove it? Of course not, I would have to be Root to do that!.
Sorry for the rant, but really, I should have access to anything on my phone if I want it. Give me a warning, make it so people can’t get to it ‘accidentally’, but then let it be on me.
You want to… own the phone you bought???
You can still buy Android phones that have manufacturer support for unlocking the bootloader. Once that’s done obtaining root is trivial. Pixel phones notably support this. Personally, I only buy phones I can unlock the bootloader on to show the demand for this feature. It doesn’t matter to me how great a phone is otherwise. Can’t unlock the bootloader? Not buying it.
That said, I completely agree with you. We all pay for and own the hardware, but let the manufacturer dictate what software it can run. That’s like buying a car and letting the car company tell you what roads you’re allowed to drive your car on. I don’t really blame the average use for not giving a crap because end users will never care about this stuff as long as their basic needs are met. It’s a failure of the people in the software industry to stand up for the open systems that built everything we have today. Without that constant fight for openness companies are going to be more than happy to take advantage of a locked down system to create a competitive advantage. Hell, look at what Google is currently doing with WEI in Chrome. If they have their way, the web will become just as locked down as smartphones are now.
Android was initially built on Linux
For the record, it still is.
Spot on, my daily driver is a PinePhone Pro with keyboard case. It ticks all the boxes. It also covers the “physical keyboard” feature which is a few comments down.
It has its downsides, but it’s a full fledged Linux computer in my pocket. What’s not to love?
Shits me off that rooting the phone immediately blocks most banking apps.
After a few years of playing cat and mouse with the workarounds for safety net I finally said fuck it.
If they’re going to force me to live with an unrooted phone, I might as well have shit that works with the rest of my families eco-system and go iPhone.
To be fair, there still is quite a bit that can be done using ADB and no root, much more than you’ll ever get with iPhone.
But yeah, I agree my banking app is 100% of the reason I stopped rooting my phones.
Yeah, but I mostly did it for ad blocking.
I was able to strip ads out of games too, super effective.
iOS does everything else, and I still have an android tablet
Lucky Patcher strips ads without root.
Yeah, but that needs to patch each app.
Root level ad blocking was apply once
This isn’t an Android thing. First-party Google phones can do this. This is on other Android OEMs.
Fair phone seems to be doing it… except their last phone removed headphone jacks and introduced “fair ear buds” or some such… even the open company wants to increase sales.
Yeah that’s why I have the fairphone 3, also the 4 is REALLY expensive. And fairphone isn’t really an open company but more open than others
Screws. Hell ya.
Many midrange phones still have headphone jacks, and removable battery has to come back if they want to continue selling in the EU.
Slowly going away though. Samsung took them off in the A53, and Xiaomi did the same with the T series phones.
Sony phones still do the bootloader and headphone jacks at least. I’m pretty happy with mine.
Problem is they’re kinda overpriced and not very good value. Also I hate the super tall aspect ratio that they’ve gone with.
wait phones have non-unlockable bootloaders? I’ve never seen that before although you do have to do some annoying stuff on some to unlock them which isn’t necessary
Plenty of phones have unlockable bootloaders and it used to be pretty much an expected thing on Android phones until manufacturers and carriers started locking it down and being more Apple-like. You can’t run most custom ROMs without an unlocked bootloader as being able to run a custom kernel requires an unlocked bootloader. Being able to use non-Android Linux operating systems like postmarketOS also depend on unlocked bootloaders.
On most it’s just a matter of toggling an option in developer settings and using fastboot to unlock. Some make it more difficult than that, others completely prevent unlocking (and thus become e-waste after the official software stops getting updated).
Removable battery is the big one. I had a phone where they only cost like $15, so I could take 2 of them on a trip and last a week w/o charging.
Removable batteries may come back since the European Union has mandated all smartphones have them by 2027
I did see that, of all phones and manufacturers, the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3 on Verizon actually has removable batteries (and an sd card slot).
The next administration will just revoke it
Not really how the EU works.
Every president does it
What are you talking about? The EU doesn’t have a president.
Typical Americans
Go back to Reddit troll.
There’s definitely a business opportunity for hot swapable batteries. I really don’t understand why no one is exploiting this market. Construction, factory and all scale workers need phones and if they can hotswap battery they’ll gonna love that.
They make rugged phones and tablets for industrial setting with replaceable batteries. But they are way more expensive that consumer devices of the same spec.
Just curious, what situations do you find yourself in relatively frequently that a hot swappable batter would be more convenient?
Nowadays w/ 15 SOT I don’t think I’ve actually needed one minus camping where I don’t really use my phone much anyways.
Being able to rip the battery out when the phone locks up. Needing to make sure it’s actually off and can’t be remotely powered on. When it’s 3 years old and the hardware is still well up to the task but the battery lasts 4 hours.
Being able to rip the battery out when the phone locks up
How often does your phone lock up that that’s necessary? I used to have lockups a lot more but android is damn stable now, haven’t had one in years.
Needing to make sure it’s actually off and can’t be remotely powered on
Do you disconnect your PC’s PSU?
When it’s 3 years old and the hardware is still well up to the task but the battery lasts 4 hours.
Fair, but if you’re getting 4 hours SOT after 3 years, it’s just not a great phone. My current Note 10+ still pumping out 10 hours SOT and I’m a HEAVY user.
Honestly in 2015 I’m totally on your side for this, but in the last few years I’ve never felt the need to hotswap batteries, and only slightly felt the need to replace it in general.
I don’t understand that argument, power banks are widely accessible nowadays, you can charge your phone without downtime, also can’t imagine charging this additional battery, like shutting the phone down jest to charge the second one? I’m all for user replaceable batteries tho in case of battery degradation and prolonging device’s life
While true, my personal gripe is when the main battery goes to shit. It’s nice to be able to swap it out and get another 3-4 years out of it
Yeah that’s what I meant, it’s carrying extra batteries to swap in case one in the phone dies, that I don’t understand
At that point you are using outdated tech
That’s not the point. Everyone has their reasoning for prolonging the lifespan of their equipment, outdated or not. This mindset of disposable gadgets needs to end.
I prefer newest tech
Good for you, not everyone can afford to upgrade their stuff every two years
Thats a choice. Anyone can make money. Sell your old stuff
The only phone I had to even consider changing the battery was a Windows phone in 2015 and the replacement battery was the same age (and degraded state) as the old one. I don’t get the need for quickly swappable batteries.
The real key to making this work properly is standardized battery sizes. You know, like the AA and AAA standards we’ve had for one hundred years.
IR Blasters!
I feel like I’m the only one who used them or cares that they were quietly phased out of phones.
You used to be able to use your phone as a universal remote. Being able to control my TV, sound system, ceiling fan, and lights all from my phone was so convenient! Plus if you were stuck in like a waiting room and they had ads or garbage like Fox News on, you could change the channel or turn it off completely. It was an incredibly useful feature to me, but I guess barely anyone else used since it was removed from phones without any complaints.
Except me. I’m complaining!
3.5mm headphone jack.
User-replaceable batteries.
They’re coming back!
Maybe a better term is field-replaceable batteries. It’s great for the longevity of a device to be able to install a new battery in a few minutes with just a screwdriver, but I miss the earlier days of cell phones where you could keep a spare battery in your bag while out and about and swap it out with the dead battery in your phone in just a couple seconds.
Well, in my opinion battery banks works better for this (and they weren’t available in early days). And they are much easier to recharge :P
EDIT: and works with every device
If you have a Fairphone that’s still the case
Fairphone being locked to /e/ to keep warranty in the US is a big detractor for a lot of the types of people that would want one.
I didn’t know this, and am disappointed.
3.5 jack
Replaceable batteries.
Headphone jacks and the ability to expand available memory using SD cards.
Notification LED.
I miss the notification lights. One of my first true smart phones was the original oneplus. It was fun setting up custom colors for different types of notifications and came in handy every now and then
Galaxy XCover 6Pro still has one. Also headphone jack, SD slot and user removable battery
Tactile buttons
Once I get my next phone, I’ll miss the headphones jack.
Battery life, even with massive batteries, modern phones only last a day while older phones could last up to a week between charges.
Privacy
Fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone. So you’d pick it up and your finger would naturally fall on the sensor, so that by the time you look at the screen, it’s unlocked.
I also found these to work way more consistently than on screen fingerprint scanners.
Eh, I was worried about this when I got my current phone but I’m the end I like it much better. It’s just as reactive for me, and has the added bonus that I can unlock the phone while it’s resting on a table without having to pick it up, I guess I do that a fair bit because it was a pain point I felt with my previous phone.
Hadn’t thought about the table use case. Good point
I always put my phone face down so I have to pick it up anyway.
I’m still on the original google pixel, and I am dreading the day I’m forced to upgrade. It has the backside fingerprint sensor, and is in general pretty much the platonic ideal of a smartphone.
Is this discontinued? My phone does this.
I think the most logical placement for a fingerprint scanner is power button>back>bottom screen=on screen
Except at current screen sizes, holding your phone such that the index finger is firmly in the middle of the back of the phone means you have barely any screen reach with the thumb.
You don’t have to leave your finger on the sensor while you use the phone.
That’s my whole point… It’s an extra move.
Small sizes
Multicolour notification LEDS - customisable for each app
Smaller camera bumps and less cameras in general - not everyone wants or needs to be a professional photographer.
Plastic bodies, with removable batteries via covers.
I don’t know how many current phones support it but mine doesn’t… Extendable storage via micro sd
Customisable vibration patterns for different contacts and apps - I remember how super old early Android Xperia phones being able to do this (alongside the LED mentioned above). I used to think this was stock android, I guess not. But if it was, why did they remove it, same guess for LED
Headphone jack and IR blaster
Headphone jack
And its buddy SD card slot.
Why phone manufacturers? Why?
You condemn us to dongle life.
It’s all about selling the solution to a problem they created.
No SD card slot? You are forced to upgrade since you cannot store anything more than what they allow.
No headphone jack? Hope you like buying our inferior first party wireless earbuds or the shitty dongle thing.
Next up on the chopping block will be the charging port in favor of wireless charging, I swear.
By that point, I think I would rather just buy a phone that has all of those features and replace the components as needed instead of upgrading while also having a burner phone I can transfer whatever “e-sim card” they force upon me.
I stopped buying Samsung phones because of this bullshit
Ironically I just stopped buying Pixel and bought a Samsung just to get an sd slot.
Yeah, I sacrificed my SD slot in favor of the headphone jack when I chose my Pixel.
Remember when buying a phone meant they added new features instead of taking them away from you? Those were the days.
Hope you like buying our inferior first party wireless earbuds
You don’t have to buy phone brand headphones. There are other wireless ones.
Wireless ones suck. And the dongle is a shitty DAC that determines what your wired headphones’ tone is like. I’ve got a couple dongles that really only work well in my car’s tape adapter, and others that only sound okay on certain headphones. It’s a crapshoot.
You can get good dongles, but you will pay for it.
I have a Bluetooth receiver that I plug my wired headphones into now.
When did you last buy them? They improved a lot
Been buying them off and on every few months. Don’t.give a damn about wireless headphones though. They’ll never sound as good as wired, and fuck needing to charge yet another peripheral.
If its wired then its always connected
If not then only sometimes
Dumb point
Yes but you’ll always see the phone manufacturers advertising that you should get their product since it’s guaranteed to work or all the other products are inferior or some other excuse, even if you decide to go with another brand.
Look, we have made a 1TB SD card!
Too bad you can’t use it.
My first smart pocket device had two SD slots, a full-sized one and a mini- one, accessible at all time with no bullshit attached. I remember using it to share photos between people’s cards right at the end of parties. I thought it can only get better from there.
Now I’m typing it from the phone that’s twice the size and if I were to attempt ejecting my microSD card / SIM tray, it’ll shutdown.
I got the Xperia 1IV specifically because it still had a headphone jack and an SD card slot :)
I wont buy a phone without one out of principle
How come? The issue is solved
Yeah, the lack of hardware features issue is solved by buying superfluous crap, and that’s lame
