Hi all!
My company is kinda forcing me to ditch my perfectly working android 12 phone (S10e) due to not supporting passkeys (so MS authenticator will refuse to let you pass that step).
Of course they’ll finance the purchase of a new device (up to a point). I’m interested in having a small phone that could have an intune work profile either in Grapheneos (unlikely), or LineageOS.
What would you suggest?
Edit - sorry I’m realizing the way i phrased this might meant it would NEED to have lineage or gos support. While this is something I’d really appreciate, my S10e has been running all this time without any of that, and what i really appreciate/need is a small phone of similar size. Any extras are welcome.
Check out the Unihertz Jelly phones, they have 2 or 3 models now.
Not sure how much of your requirements they meet, but they’re small and I’m pretty sure on current versions of Android.
Alternatively, any phone running Lineage with standard Google Play services should work fine (or maybe even microG). Pixel 5 with Lineage and Play Services is a similar size to your S10 and should work.
Alternatively - use their money to buy a new, sought-after device. Use it for now while you look for a used device you really want for this use-case. Get that device working as needed, switch to it, sell the brand new device.
Personally I’d never use a device for both work and personal. Too easy for their to be problems, or get personal data mixed with work, etc.
i think your s10e with a custom rom might work though. safetynet very likely passes when it’s not rooted, and even if it doesn’t it’s still not hard to spoof.
modern phones are all huge except for some weird chinese phones that’s worse tham s10e. spec wise i’m not aware of a better phone. i personally dislike amoled and have a xz1c instead tho.
Have you considered a custom ROM, like LineageOS? Custom ROMs can revive older devices by updating to a much more recent version of Android including much more modern security patches and can solve some of the problems you have listed. I have not found a phone as small as what used to be available and ended up upgrading to a Pixel 6 Pro which is obviously much larger.
I have a Fairphone 6 with CalyxOS. It is literally the largest phone I have ever had. Definitely not a small phone… Very happy with the phone except for its large size. It literally doesn’t fit into my bike phone holder or almost any I can find online. Other than that, great phone with built in work profile, unlockable and relockable bootloader, etc… Switch is handy too for vibrate switch (it has a variety of options for functions) like the old iphones.
The only recent phone that is a similar form factor as the S10e is the Sony Xperia 10 VI from 2024 (and I guess Oukitel minis but I don’t think you can get those) maybe the 10VIII that is one full centimeter taller. 168g vs 150g (S10e). The fairphone is 193g, almost 30% heavier that your current phone.
Pixel 10a might be a compromise in between the Sony 10VIII and the fairphone and runs GrapheneOS or calyxOS.
I am pretty happy with my Xiaomi 12. 6.2" screen. Althought unlocking the bootloader is a pain.
I just picked up a Pixel 9 Pro, primarily for use with GrapheneOS. I’m very impressed with it. P10 didn’t really get anything special, and P11 got reduced RAM and may not be supported with GOS due to MITM. This one has 5 years of updates left in it.
If you use it for work you can create a work profile using either “private space” or Shelter creates an MDM work profile so you can keep all that sandboxed.
Thanks. I have a 9 pro fold myself and i agree with everything you said. However, GrapheneOS is incompatible with inTune’s work profile. It always failed ending in an error or timeout
I see. Well, as far as I know, “small” phones like your s10e no longer exist. The Zenfone was the last one but it went big again.
The entire market has pretty much settled on 2 sizes: “Small” 6.3" and “XL/Max” 6.7-6.9" devices. And of course a variety folding phones that the market is still playing out.
So, other than size do you have any other criteria?
I have a Fairphone 6 with e/os and have non issues with it. It is also installed in a work profile which is turn off 99% of the time, and I just turn it on when needed.
