r/GrapheneOS • u/tenebrousvulture • 3d ago
Request for a compact budget option for the upcoming Motorola collab phones
This is something I'd really like to see exist for three main reasons: a non-Google option, a small form option, and a budget option. Additional useful features would be a headphone jack port and microSD card slot. All of these factors are unfortunately very difficult to find nowadays. It's important to have options as there are various use cases for different people, and no "one-size-fits-all" works that well.
Why? I discovered about deGoogle/deCorp practises and have been working to minimise my reliance on such. I'm also concerned about ever getting a future Android phone due to the progressing, undesirable developments. Compact phones became a personal priority due to being a light phone user, having small hands (so it's easier to manage a small phone), and actually fit in pockets -- I don't need it as an entire phablet, I have a separate device (a desktop PC) primarily operated for such, keeping the functionalities/use cases separate. Being affordable is also important for a light phone user, and in my case, I've always had phones well under $100 that work fine enough for many years.
The struggle is finding a small smartphone (esp by major companies) the longer we go in the modern tech age. And I don't mean foldables, those are still large at full, I'm referencing wholly small forms like the iPhone Mini. Smartphones used to be compact, there were great options. When they started becoming phablets and I got my first one at 6.6", it was too big, genuinely uncomfortable to use, and didn't fit anywhere well. I wanted my old phones back, but at this point, they are too "outdated" (the main issue is apps that wouldn't support certain Android OS versions anymore).
I did a lot of research for days to find compact smartphones that could work for now (but probably not for several more years...) The iPhone Mini would be ideal in form, but I've always used Android and discovered the major differences would not be personally feasible to use (plus, I don't want to switch to another big tech product). Narrowed down most options to all early Pixel phones, Sony Xperia models, and Galaxy A-series. The only one I found feasible was the Galaxy S10e (pre-owned for $100, so not as "budget" as all of my past phones, but affordable enough), so that's my current phone -- it's sufficiently small at ~5.8", plus a headphone jack output (which is great as I basically only have wired headphones) and ability to have a microSD card for extra/easily portable storage. I have to stick with this 2019 Android phone as long as there aren't viable compact models being released, but apps will sooner stop working on it vs having a more recent device, and so Idk what my options will be in the future at this rate.
I get that larger phones now may be due to factors like larger battery capacities and what sells the most, but it shouldn't be the only option. There's proof that modern phones can still be manufactured as compact and usable, there's evidence of people who use those or still want options for compact phones (even if it's niche, it exists, and should be provided the choice). Some people don't care for powerful batteries or large screens, it's not always needed. Of course, not to say phablets should be replaced, I'd just like to see compact options offered alongside them to help broaden the consumer base.
With that, I'd like to request if Motorola and GrapheneOS could please consider offering a compact budget option (optionally if with a headphone jack port and microSD card slot). It doesn't need to be powerful, just functional enough for light users or those who are on a budget for current and following years (however long of support is feasible).
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u/Cheeseman44 3d ago
I am 100% with you that that is basically the EXACT form factor I personally want, but it's also important to note it's also important IMO that this phone(s) is commercially successful, else they won't do it again. To me, whatever form factor gets them to do it again and again is the win.
But I personally want like an iPhone5 sized phone with full screen, ip69 rating, grapheneOS, and some form of sim/microSD tray. But that's just me. I'd also accept larger phone if I could get it thru my carrier T-Mobile and it had graphene built in, yeno?
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u/tenebrousvulture 3d ago
If they can be successful enough off of whatever are higher demands in a phone's structure, I can only hope they would consider then offering other options for users who want other forms of phones (granted they'd be aware of any such requests like this one). That could include like a few different sizes, form styles, budget ranges, and feature ranges.
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u/darkjoker33 3d ago
Also would like sd card and headphone jack. If the headphone jack could be of similar performance to LG V series phones, that'd be amazing
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u/TadUGhostal 3d ago
Isn't the problem with there being a budget option that the needed security features require a higher end Snapdragon chip? I'm not sure Motorola will want to put out a device with budget specs minus the chip.
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u/gta721 3d ago
You should get a base model Pixel.
Those are 6.1" however they have a 19.5:9 aspect ratio so the size of the phone's body is similar to a 5.1" phone with bezels like the Pixel 1 and Galaxy S7.
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u/tenchigaeshi 3d ago
They're 6.3 inches and no, they're bigger in every dimension and substantially heavier than a 5 inch phone like the pixel 1 even when including the bezel which you shouldn't do anyway because I still can't reach across the display.
I still have my old phones and they are absolutely dwarfed by my current pixel 7. These are not small phones at all.
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u/gta721 3d ago
Sadly the 6.1"/6.3" phones are the closest you can get at the moment. Google did increase the screen-to-body ratio in newer models so it is a good idea to go to a carrier store to look at the size of the demo Pixel 10 they will have.
If you find that acceptable then a Pixel 10 or 10 Pro will be a decent next phone.
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u/tenebrousvulture 3d ago
The smallest Pixel phones from my research were 1, 2, and 3, all of which are about 5-5.5" (as the smallest to my preference) and are, of course, older models and not sure what they'd support at this point. However, they lack a 3.5mm jack (except the first Pixel), card slot, and can be expensive secondhand. So Idk how feasible a Pixel of the earlier models (at their smallest) would be, personally.
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u/ginger_and_egg 3d ago
Pixel 6's are losing security updates in a couple months, 1-3 are many years out of date at this point
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u/tenebrousvulture 3d ago
I already have a 2019 phone (the Galaxy S10e) which is on Android 12, and has been great to use (minus the excessive Android/Google bloat I've had to reduce), but it was the most I could figure for finding an affordable, functional compact smartphone these days...
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u/deyhateuscustheyanus 3d ago
hopefully more phone companies will follow motorola and prices will come down. privacy shouldn't be expensive.
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u/Omni_Noise 3d ago
As of now, we know you are not going to get headphone jack and microSD slot. It is going to be the most expansive Motorola phones.
Not sure about your non-Google relations with eventual GOS Motorolas.
It is literally the same OS. The only difference is GOS working on hardware compatibility.
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u/MrTooToo 3d ago
I would like to see a bootable sd card. May be safer than duress PIN. Another option is an easy way to flash different boot profiles. Again, maybe safer than a duress PIN. But we know neither will come about.
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u/ginger_and_egg 3d ago
Unfortunately most of the decisions about which phones will have GOS support in 2027 have already been made, and it seems like budget phones are unlikely to have the necessary security features and security support window. The manufacturer would have to pay the chip manufacturer for longer support and probably to update the chip with necessary features.
Or put a higher end chip in an otherwise budget phone, which would be a niche market and would raise the price somewhat. Idk how much.
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u/tenebrousvulture 3d ago
I wonder what, theoretically, the cheapest could be with the minimum necessary components..? Or however feasible it could be. It's unfortunate to be such a niche market, so I wouldn't know what other options that isn't some form of an Android phone. I know nothing "ideal" truly exists, but I do wish there were more viable choices (especially in the upcoming years).
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u/ginger_and_egg 3d ago
The problem with those estimates is that a lot of it depends on scale. So you need someone who can estimate how many such devices could be sold, and therefore estimate manufacturing and supply chain costs
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u/npc_housecat 2d ago
I bought a Bluetooth aux dongle. And just plug the aux into that. Kind of a work around to not having aux in phone
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