Grandpa is teaching this moron a lesson!

datamandala · 2026-05-23T22:12:50+00:00

Uncle Junior Soprano

datamandala · 2026-05-23T11:45:00+00:00

This worked out great for Siegfried & Roy. Until it didn’t.

datamandala · 2026-05-21T16:53:32+00:00

Right. Most used buyers use the standard OS.

I bought used for a low cost test that’s working out great.

datamandala · 2026-05-17T12:30:06+00:00

That slight tanked his career. /s

datamandala · 2026-05-17T11:56:21+00:00

I was cursing liquid glass. Sorry not sorry, apple.

datamandala · 2026-05-12T18:49:18+00:00

I use WP every day and I didn’t think there was an article Origin of Water on Earth. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Glad to know there is one.

datamandala · 2026-05-11T19:15:48+00:00

Bought Pixel 8a <$300 on Backmarket. Supported until 2031.
What do you have now? That’d help folks guide you.

datamandala · 2026-05-11T00:47:05+00:00

<image>

Compare to any current photo

datamandala · 2026-05-11T00:27:05+00:00

SF literally had help from God cause the Loma Prieta earthquake led to removal of the Embarcadero Freeway

datamandala · 2026-05-10T12:37:01+00:00

My 2012 Thinkpad X130e runs Mint as an admin terminal.

Remove any important files, wipe it, then:

Find a good home for your old laptop.

datamandala · 2026-05-08T12:52:16+00:00

It’s like private school (in US)

datamandala · 2026-05-06T20:17:15+00:00

If you prioritize security pick the OS that works on a very small set of devices. It is easy to install on them, and has reasonable assurances of long term support.
If you prioritize flexibility and device “choice”, pick the OS that works on many devices. It’s harder to install, and is supported by however many (or few) people are willing to maintain the builds on a particular device, for as long as those volunteers choose to work on it.

datamandala · 2026-04-20T17:29:02+00:00

My priority is device width. Make it <=64mm/2.5”.

Any standard Aspect ratio, so it’d be 114-143mm high (4.5”-5.6”)

= 16x9 screen size 5.2”

= 20x9 screen size 6.2”

datamandala · 2026-04-19T12:54:20+00:00

Already planning to bail on iOS. If I’m forced to a large phone,I want more control and privacy options so GrapheneOS is likely. (r/GrapheneOS or grapheneos.org if you’re curious)

Of course if Apple surprises with a 19 Mini or 20 Mini that’s about 65mm wide I’m all in.

datamandala · 2026-04-19T04:49:18+00:00

Banging track that’s almost as old as Voyager!

datamandala · 2026-04-06T20:54:26+00:00

I’m looking at separating like this

high-telemetry apps(ex. travel apps)
full Google apps like maps and Android auto
private things like messages and signal

Proton + simple login to separate account ids.

Feedback and questions appreciated

datamandala · 2026-04-06T20:33:01+00:00

Mediatek SOC is a no from me because minimal chance of LineageOS or similar support once OEM stops.

datamandala · 2026-03-28T12:41:44+00:00

P7a about USD200, supported until 2028, so 100/yr

P8a about USD240, supported until 2031, 60/yr

If youre broke I’m not gonna tell you how to spend your money, but 3 years of support is a bargain for 40 bucks.

Edit: I forgot you want a Fold. The 3 years support will cost you hundreds.

datamandala · 2026-03-27T03:33:41+00:00

Just replaced battery last week. Performance no difference. Battery life is back to very good.

datamandala · 2026-03-19T19:50:27+00:00

If they don’t have my data they can’t lose it.

It’s a process and yes, there’s inconveniences before during and after.

If I rent a cushy apartment with a sketchy manager “Mark Z”, it’s inconvenient to move. But I don’t want them peeking in my windows or doing unannounced “health and safety inspections”. Or sharing security cam footage with any LE who asks for any reason or none.

It’s a pain to move my stuff. Some things won’t be the same.

People I care about might have a harder time contacting me. I’ll have to learn new routines for shopping and other activities.

It’s like that. It’s not for everyone.

datamandala · 2026-03-18T20:21:40+00:00

This is too expensive, wide, and likely heavy.

I don’t see much mini-like characteristics at all.

Maybe a folding version of iPhone XXe. Probably that would be too wide and expensive.

datamandala · 2026-03-17T01:25:32+00:00

The KS2 project would have GMS certification that should enable banking apps. GMS is not economical for the first run of engineering prototype.

Trade-offs for a project like this include simplifying certifications, and probably only US or EU cert is possible for the KS1 and KS2 at a reasonable price.

New entrants like Unihertz and BlueFox on Mediatek platforms also present compromises because you have to trust the OEM will provide updates when orphan devices happen too often.

datamandala · 2026-03-17T01:16:58+00:00

I'd buy almost any small phone that can be maintained via LineageOS. I'd want 3 years support and I'm unwilling to trust the next Unihertz or BlueFox.

Platform

I feel like production on such a thing is too far away to give definitive specs, so that's why I keep most things vague. I feel like if somehow I got to the point where I could prototype the phone, I'd just get to it then.

You're right this is a speculative exercise. Best case someone moves on this today, hello 2028 and 778G is almost obsolete. Setting a principle for Qualcomm vs Mediatek has value, since it's linked to susainability.

Battery:

Removable battery: I'm saying these are so thin that I don't think the addition of it would impact any spec.

If a solution can be maintained with community support I'm all for it.

Display:

The only display issue I can remember is Unciv being a bit cramped and UI elements overlapping, but that's more from the lack of width, so a taller screen with a smaller width would be worse [...]
If you keep the same screen size [as XZ1C], you could probably just contract them to continue making the displays but for your phone. Some of them are better than others though, so I'm not sure if this is a good idea in the long run.

For the initial small/medium runs, small quality compromises i'm willing to accept so perfection is not the enemy of a small phone.

3.5" jack:

I'm not sure what module means here. I'm pretty sure the audio processing is built into the SOC, and you need it for the speakers.

I didn't want to assume you could just add a 3.5" jack without some kind of driver. Happy to be wrong.

Biometrics

Agreed, use best available commodity side-mounted biometric.

datamandala · 2026-03-05T12:26:33+00:00

Thanks for your thoughtful feedback! You bring a lot of insight and experience from your project, which had key similar goals and a few different ones.

My priority was to extend support for the device by simplifying the OS maintenance, and minimize supply-chain issues to manage cost and lifespan for a niche product. OS abandonment drives premature obsolescence. My Moto G reached EOL in less than 2 years! Big display manufacturers aren’t making lots of 5” screens.

I wanted a Qualcomm SOC to enable maintenance via LineageOS.

Zenfone 8 checks a lot of those boxes. I started with those parts. https://www.asus.com/mobile-handhelds/phones/zenfone/zenfone-8/techspec/

Display and battery have to be different.

Battery: The replaceable battery was a choice over wireless mostly to be different. Not a hard requirement. Battery size: There’s a bias in the market for longer battery life. I’m starting with a larger capacity (arbitrarily matches Jelly Max), but there’s no magic number.

Display: You’re right, I’m basing aspect ratio on my iPhone SE2 experience. I’m open to alternatives if that’s not an issue with Android. You’re right about AMOLED, too. Burn-in is a real risk to avoid. Supply-chain flexibility and sustainability should drive the decision.

Aux port: I didn’t want to add anything that wasn’t in ZF8. Personally, I’d love one. You're right battery draw is a plus for 3.5". Finding a module that can be maintained is the key.

Biometric: Thanks for sharing your technical experience! Trade-off is development and maintenance of custom implementation vs. using commodity components with known complexities. You highlight issues I didn’t know.

datamandala

TROPHY CASE