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In 2022 I got my Moto G Play 2021 Android phone at Costco. I didn't know there were a lot of Moto G Play models and later learned it wasn't in the deGoogle-able list (may have been updated since).
Every year my phone's battery swells up needing to be replaced, the screen has finally cracked (likely replaceable too), and its run out of space for texts and apps.
The space issue is a problem. It never had much, yet I have a less-useful 1tb SD card with lots of room that can't run apps.
Or I could spend that repair money on a new phone.
What do you recommend? And why?
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Used Google Pixel 8+ with GrapheneOS. It's gotta be OEM unlocked (which is different than carrier unlocked). Secure, longer security updates, degoogled.
3 questions:
What does it cost to purchase the replacement components; screen, battery, spare battery, etc.?
Have you looked into pricing for new-inbox older generations of phones?
Did you watch this video until the very end: https://matrix.gvid.tv/c/Science/BTTRYFd3La ? He goes into detail about how to make batteries, and that might be a good place to start.
Yep. You can make a simple water cell battery for your phone with some duct tape, acrylic, sulfur, roofing lead, graphite, and chlorine salt. Though bath salts are better. A single bag from CVS will give you too much salt so you can smoke the rest.
I think it was $30 or $60 to replace the battery last time. I forget but remember I thought it would be higher.
Haven't priced anything yet. Didn't have a direction to go.
I will now.
Oh, I already did.
Callback 8020: The Future of Flip-Phones - commodore.net
Meet Callback 8020: the perfect blend of functionality and privacy in a Flip-Phone, no social media or browser allowed.
1980's + 1990's inspired Commodore flip phone might be worth checking out with lots of neat features.
The Smart Flip with No Social Media
As seen here:
https://goatmatrix.net/c/Technology/2hM7NyABds
New Commodore Product Drop! First Look at the Commodore Callback Phone (5:08) ~ Boing And Beyond
I love that music track on the Callback 8020 page.
"Tune In Log Out" By: The Commodore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_XJyCgytCI
https://soundcloud.com/mathouyoloswag123456789/tune-in-log-out-the-commodore
A battery replacement is an easy thing but replacing the screen is more expensive and running out of storage space is a pain. How much space does it have? If it's 64 GB try to uninstall unnecessary apps first and if you can manage, replace the screen and battery. If it's 32 GB, then I'm seconding Drewski, get a used Pixel 8+. I recommend 8 or 8 Pro depending on your preference of screen size.
Besides the swollen batteries and stifling space I've been very happy with my Moto G Play and would otherwise have absolutely no reason to consider anything else.
In my file manager it says I have 19.8gb/20.2gb but I'm pretty sure it's 32gb. That used up 19.8gb is texts (including images) and what few apps remain (I first filled it with apps and have deleted tonnes since, but am now on fumes). I don't keep anything at all on Main Storage that can be on SD Card - such as OpenCamera, screenshots, etc. Oddly my 1tb MicroSD card says 215gb/495gb. I don't know how it determines space or file sizes.
Also, I didn't think to mention - if I deGoogle one, then I may very likely deGoogle more phones for freedom friends, perhaps more for a side gig if it's worth the bother.
The multiple swollen batteries it's chewed through has to be caused by a faulty BMS (battery management system). It probably didn't break. It was probably faulty in its design. There is a safety issue if your phone is creating swollen batteries. As well a money issue if it keeps trashing the replacements.
If you have a 1tb card and you are running out of space, that's a file organization problem. This is part of the problem of these locked down operating systems. You can't even truly manage your files. I don't know how much an "unlocked" adroid helps. It's still android and so even it abstracts you away from a real system.
This is why we need real operating systems on phones instead of locked down skins that call themselves an operating system. I really do think there is some kind of DARPA conspiracy to keep real general compute systems off of small form factors.
They will let you have a real OS on desktop (Windows, Linux, OSX). But won't let you have it on a phone. They are both just PCBs with a CPU and ram on them. So why the difference in how locked down these things are?
The repair guy says I shouldn't always keep it fully charged. I could be more mindful about letting it drain out more often to contrast my (good?) habit of plugging it in everywhere (I have many "stations" in many places) as I don't know when I'm going to need a full charged for whatever reasons.
1tb SD card is fine. It's the 32gb main storage where the texts and apps are that is the problem.
This is the problem. I should be able to put apps and records wherever I want.
Not just that, even before the recent RAM and hard-drive price insanity, fearful geeky folks have been talking on how they want to take away our PC towers and self-reliant tech to force everyone in to their cloud - TechnocraticHeaven™.
It would be neat if someone could invent DIY Raspberry-Pi based phone/tablet/laptops where you just swap out modular screens and accessories.
Yes, definitely be more mindful about it and what he noted was my first thought. Check your settings for an option to stop charging when it reaches 80%. You can recharge frequently but try to only do it when it gets below 60%. Shorter charge cycles are in fact better for battery health. The problem lies in keeping it charged too long like over night, or turning it off at 80%+ charge and then keeping it in the drawer for extended periods of time. Don't do that. If you won't need it for a while, get it to 40-60% and then put it away. But forgetting to turn it off first likewise damages it. If it goes down to 0%, it has to be recharged in time or your battery life will go down. This is just general advice on how to maintain a battery. The specific issue of a swollen battery indicates that you are overcharging it so that is what you should focus on avoiding.
How does this work? You say that you only use it for apps but at the same time it contains texts and images that somehow fill up the drive. I don't understand how texts and images can take up so much space but beside that: they sound like personal documents so shouldn't they be on the microSD card?
Is the microSD properly formatted? How much space does it show if you plug it into your PC (if you have a microSD card reader)? That is only a worry for later.
Older Android versions have this but yeah, a device from this decade probably can't do it. You said you already checked. I'll reiterate that it all comes down to weather or not you can address this issue. From the sounds of it you'd better get a Pixel.
I don't know how to move the text-message history or apps to the mircoSD, which is otherwise working fine.
What is the issue with the texts and photos?
You should be able to download an app that transfers text messages to text files, and save them to your MicroSD
and transfer them to you computer. Similarly, there's a folder for text images.
The 1tb card may be too large for the phone to read. Some older tablets were restricted to max card sizes of 256gb or 512gb. You might try checking the specific details with your specific make and model.
Also, they make apps that track excessive battery usage by certain apps, etc. Like was suggested earlier.
That's another good place to start.
Photos are fine on mircoSD. It's max and not too big (I would have gotten bigger if I could, but they put a limit on it for some stupid reason). But images sent and received by text-message have taken up space in the history/memory.
That sounds logical and rational but I've not seen anything like that.
Letting it drain down isn't great either. LIPOs want to sit in the middle.
Still, charging it to 100% often shouldn't be completely killing a battery. Basically there is no such thing as 100%. It's up to the hardware/software of the battery management system and OS to decide what is "100%", and they should be defining that where the phone isn't self destructing.
A non-faulty BMS should be 1. Stopping before it kills batteries. 2. Not fast charging in the 80-100% range.
A bit more on LIPOs just for fun. LIPOs are known to be the most annoying battery for safe operating range for voltage. Just 3.3v on the bottom to 3.6v on the top. Compare that to a lead acid battery with 10.5v at the bottom and 14v at the top. That is the lead acid can get 33% more volty than its minimum while the LIPO can only get 10%.
So the contention is trying to claim more charge time by trying to get a battery to operate as close to those edges as possible. But then you sacrifice durability. So as the device owner you want to either keep it away from those edges or have a BMS that enforces it so you don't have to think about it.
I think the second option is the better one. There are plenty of phones (most of them) where you don't really need to think about it. If you buy any other random phone it will probably have a better BMS than the one you have.
I think my ebike battery just died too (59 to 67.5), though I was not pushing it.
I've bricked several otherwise good headphones by pushing them beyond their warning.
Lithium is not a fun anti-depressant either.