this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2023
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Because I don't even know what that is?
To put it simply, a "custom ROM" in this context means a modified version of Android. Many of these versions are based on AOSP (Android Open-Source Project), which is still maintained by Google, but is in fact open-source and doesn't include Google services. Therefore, there is a possibility to use Android phones (given you have one with unlockable bootloader) without any Google apps or account.
I guess I am just past the time where I enjoy...or even am willing to...delve into the way my devices work, run non standard stuff on them, or have some unique setup on them.
I don't feel like my needs or desires are too awfully picky or niche at this point, I just don't want my shit to be actively fighting me in day to day function.
When I got my first smart phone, I went Android for the increased options to customize and more hardware and app options.
As time went on, I got to a point where the hardware all sucked compared to iPhone, couldn't find a phone I liked that did all the things as well as an iPhone, so I switched, trading customize-ability for function.
While that was a trade that worked, I still missed Android as I found the iPhone trying to constantly force me to do things a certain way. And when I went looking for ways to change that, most of the apple community basically said, "If you don't want to do things the apple way, you're the one that's wrong and needs to change"
So after that one, I came right back to Android.
My last phone was pretty good but this one has so many quirks and hardware issues that just the experience of using the phone frustrates me and I've only had it a few months.
Not seeing anything else I like on the market, my options seem to be annoyance with hardware, annoyance with software, or annoyance with hardware and fuss with installing non typical software.
I get it, I have a similar situation, except since I came back to Android I have been nothing but happy.
I used to be into running custom stuff on Android before my switch to an iPhone. And I, too, have found it frustrating to be forced to respect Apple's rules.
Now, however, I have a Pixel 7 and it's been a perfect experience so far. Running the stock OS non-rooted, it finally feels like my phone.
I have the Pixel 7 Pro currently.
It'd be a nice phone if shit worked, but the fingerprint scanner is literally worse than useless, various apps and functions lock up all the time, gestures don't always work like they should, the Bluetooth connection with my car is wonky, it frequently gets in "moods" where I don't get notifications, or texts come in on like a 5-15 minute delay, and sometimes it loses signal and won't pick it up again until I restart it.
The fingerprint scanner is the big one though. The backside scanner on the Pixel 3 was flawless. This one is so bad that I'd rather just not have one, and have the thing designed around not using one. It's fantastically, wildly, comically bad.
It should be the same fingerprint reader across the whole lineup, so I dont know what's happened to yours. Mine works fine, not as fast as some ultrasonic counterparts, but I have no issue with that coming from iPhone Xs.
There's tons and tons of reports of fingerprint sensor issues with pretty much every pixel model since they went to the in-screen reader.
If you've had good luck with yours I guess congrats on the good luck.
Mine pretty much only serves as a negative. Any time face unlock can work, it does. Any time the face unlock doesn't work, the fingerprint sensor also doesn't work...but it forces me to try three times before giving me the option to enter my PIN.
So all summer, when I'm wearing sunglasses, every single time I want to check my phone, I have to hit the fingerprint sensor three times then enter my PIN. Google should be embarrassed by how awful it is.
All I can recommend is to delete all the fingerprints and just use the PIN at this point.