While it’s obviously sad to see devices lose support, Android 5, 6, and 7 came out ±10 years ago. If you’ve been running those Android versions on a device as your primary driver for this long, you’ve already missed out on a decade’s worth of software and security updates.

At this point in time, assuming your battery hasn’t given out and still lasts <2 hours (trust me, I have an iPhone SE 2016 I’d love to use as an MP3 player, but I’d need to replace the battery first to get any meaningful usage out of it), if you still don’t want to/can’t upgrade your device to a new phone…

…It might be (long past) time to upgrade to a new OS such as LineageOS. Even if your device can’t reach the latest Android 15 or 16, newer “custom operating systems” can oftentimes be even better than the original. This is speaking from a Pixel 2 XL owner who recently upgraded it from the long-discontinued Android 11 to the newest Android 15, now getting significantly better battery life and performance on top of a beautiful near stock experience.

Very true. I just installed LineageOS 22 on a Pixel 2 XL, and on top of being significantly more performant and efficient (as well as app compatibility going up from being on a newer Android version), I have more refined options for features such as the “squeeze for assistant” (I can change more of those settings, as well as even make it not bring up an assistant at all but do something else) and notification light. That much is very cool to see.

And yes, I’d also love to see Linux phones take off, and worst-case scenario, this might end up being the big push for that. After all, Linux on ARM saw a very similar push with Asahi Linux after Apple switched to ARM processors, then the Steam Deck arrived and changed much of the PC gaming landscape. Both of these factors, as well as how Android phones have gotten increasingly capable, point towards Linux phones potentially being the answer in ways even peak Android might’ve been unable to achieve.

A sad thing to be sure, though installing custom operating systems is reducing in popularity. I’m all for options, but as newer versions of Android get programs and functions that were previously only available via rooting and custom ROMs, hopefully it won’t be too bad…? I am sad about the potential loss of sideloading though, especially as even iOS now supports it to an extent in certain regions.

There really aren’t a ton of truly “small” phones these days… a Samsung S-series base model is about as compact as these phones are at this point unless you’re in more Eastern markets, in which case there might be a few more options. You likely won’t get the same level of Android software updates though, that being another reason I’d been looking at Samsung again.

I know, right? I’m excited to see it progress, especially if it can truly become THE “FOSS Lightroom killer” as Darktable is to Lightroom Classic. Having used all four programs, with the exception of Lightroom’s AI quick masking, Darktable’s already become one of my favorite programs IN GENERAL. I’d love it if this could be the simpler, more accessible equivalent to LR for everyone else, though.

Think about the current dual-screen laptops. That would be cool, but I’m not sure how usable a keyboard of those dimensions would be. Not discrediting the idea, though; I’d love to see it too.

Side note – imagine a fold-out accessory like the Mcon controller but thinner and lighter. That could make for a cool keyboard, no?

Valid arguments. Laptops are not ideal for everyone, and even the “best” ones are hardly “one-size-fits-all.” Still, considering the percentage of the world that does rely on them over bringing around a mechanical keyboard and bunch of other accessories, laptops aren’t necessarily the BEST computers – they’re the “go” computers. I’m just suggesting that with future tech, folding phones and proper accessories could also begin to fill that gap. Think of Android’s desktop mode and the lapdock – the phones are getting powerful enough to do “real work” for a lot of people, had their phones just had the same screen sizes and proper keyboards.

That’s why I mentioned the keyboard accessory, be it some advanced folding keyboard with iPad Magic Keyboard-like tech or something of the sort. Sure, it’s not replacing laptops anytime soon, but again… think of the iPhone. “An iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator.”

I’m surprised Jobs didn’t add “a camera” considering how for most people, smartphones have now encapsulated all four of those already. Sure, if you REALLY want the best out of each of those categories, you’ll almost always be better off carrying each individual item, but in terms of ease of use and convenience, smartphones win just about every time for those categories. In the future, I could see devices like these becoming the next “mini laptops” for most people, assuming we get to a point of comfortable prices and well-made accessories.

Meanwhile sometime in 2007: ”Dude, have you seen that new iPhone thing? So cool; imagine being able to have one device that could do it all! Even if it’s not the absolute best at all of those, it’s only a matter of time before it progresses! What do you think?”

Other dude: “Bro just use an iPod, a phone, and an internet dommubicator”

Exactly. Think the iPad Smart Connector, and even better with a Magic Keyboard-type hinge that could hold the device up when you didn’t need a folio-type stand.

Honestly, if I could get a phone that unfolds to a tablet size like that + Desktop Mode, I’d combine it with a portable keyboard and trackpad combo and be perfectly happy using that as my laptop solution. One cellular plan, large screen, and super portable too, not to mention phone controllers like the GameSir and Backbone for when I want something more gaming handheld-esque, Linux ARM64 virtual machines, and more!

Speaking from macOS and iOS use, Orion’s great in terms of performance and efficiency in my testing, and I’m excited to see what all can be done on Linux.

Hey, there you go. I’ve yet to encounter one myself, but the Fairphone 6 seems to finally be “viable” for most people. Battery’s still on the weaker side and performance is a bit behind most comparable phones, but in terms of ethics and sustainability, they’re unmatched.

I’d love to check out a budget flagship-killer like the Nothing or CMF Phones, but software update support was crucial enough to have kept me from fully switching to Android for years. I happen to be partial to Samsung after having their tablets for so long, but other brands (so long as they offer comparable update support) have stepped up significantly. Since Fairphone does have that much down though, go for it.

Oh yeah, it’s great. I use it for my Digital Garden website for in-page navigation.

Shame… that stinks. Well, if it’s any consolation, Samsung phones are finally at the 7 years of software update promise, so you might be able to get an S24 or A34 (or higher, of course, just two options), load it up with Material-style launchers and icon packs, even maybe the open Pixel Camera app from that one website, and turn it into your new “Pixel” until the battery FULLY dies. That, or you can embrace ONE UI or another Android skin entirely, up to you.

Okay. You’re now the second person I’ve seen to have Linux issues. It sounds like it’s much more optimized for macOS and Windows for now, as everything worked well with macOS and Windows 11 (the latter in a virtual machine via VMware Fusion) on a 16 GB M4 MacBook Air. You might just want to submit an issue for optimized Linux support. The developer’s still focusing on building out core functionality, but optimization is definitely key.

It might be worth trying one or two other launchers (Nova and Microsoft, perhaps?) and checking OS versions to see if it’s possibly a Pixel issue, an OS issue, or something else entirely. I think recall vaguely hearing about Google discouraging third-party launchers, but I don’t know that they actually did anything to make them worse.

A simple change, but a welcome one to be sure.

Could be. Full file format support is hit-or-miss with newer programs – even if it can read and write the data, it may not be able to fully interpret it. Try running through *Adobe DNG Converter or converting it to a TIFF, then see if that works any better, perhaps? Also check if there’s already a “full resolution editing” suggestion on the GitHub, and if not, make one! I’m away from my computer right now, but if you find/make one, please link it here so I can also share it.

*Adobe DNG Converter is the one Adobe tool I do use since it’s 100% free and offline. It JUST converts images to “standard” DNG files or JPEGs, and I do this for iPhone ProRAWs or other unsupported images when trying to edit in Darktable. I had to make some “iPhone DNG presets” and all since ADC removes the Apple DNG-specific data, but it works well beyond that.

That’s definitely odd. I mean, it is still definitely WIP (even core-functionality wise), but at least on macOS (via M4 MBA with 16 GB RAM) and Windows 11 (via VMware Fusion with 8 GB RAM and 3D Acceleration on the same ARM Mac, mind you), RapidRAW ran well with my test 48 MP shot and some quick edits.

1. I think you have to release (or hold the mouse still) on an adjustment to see it rather than instant live previews, but aside from that, things generally worked pretty well in my testing. That might be the “issue” with it being “slow,” but if you mean just general scrolling around, that might be an actual bug or lack of Linux optimization yet.
2. The proxy resolution cap is definitely understandable, at least while the program’s still heavily WIP and probably not fully optimized for Linux (hence not being available as a Flatpak or AppImage which would be universal).
3. The highlights “falling apart” sounds like a bug. I know there was one bug where the slider directions for two things (possibly highlights and shadows) were accidentally reversed, so it might be worth looking into that, and if this is another issue, report it to the developer’s GitHub.

I’m with you though – Darktable’s an excellent piece of software, but I’d love a “Lightroom-esque” program and this looks promising!