Maybe try the Apple one when Android 16 comes out (in GrapheneOS form) which fixes the volume issues.

Which brand of adpater did you get? If you got a generic one then a bad DAC and durability aren't surprises.

That's why you don't just buy the cheapest one you see on Amazon. Google/DDG around to know which ones are good.

Re-read the article. All this feature does is give you the ability to say 'set a timer for 10 minutes' or 'start a phone call to John'.

If you have 'Gemini apps activity' off then they won't use anything you say to train their models.

You can get a USB-C splitter adapter.

You can get good Bluetooth earbuds for under $50 and a USB-C to AUX dongle for under $15.

The average person is fine with Bluetooth earbuds or an adapter, and audiophiles would not find the inbuilt DAC/amp on a phone to be adequate.

It's 6.3" because of the lack of top/bottom bezels. The phone itself is not much bigger than a Galaxy S7.

I love the idea but the price is too high for the chip given that this is designed to be a longevity phone. A chip like the 7s Gen 3 would make the phone sluggish after a couple of years with how unoptimised todays apps are.

The Gorilla Glass 7i and IP55 water resistance are also concerning given that budget Samsung, Xiaomi, etc phones beat this.

However having components of the phone being easily replacable is a great thing.

You can turn it off by going to Settings > apps > default apps > digital assistant > Google > none.

You should disable the Google app entirely while you're at it.

Gemini can be disabled. Uninstall/disable the Gemini app if your phone has it then go to Settings > Apps > Default apps > digital assistant > Google > none.

You can buy any TV. Just turn off the tracking in the settings and plug in a streaming stick.

The built-in OS on smart TVs almost always sucks. The built-in OS on our LG is slower, has less apps, and has less support for HDR and higher resolutions than our Fire stick.

Just don't use it and instead plug in a Fire stick, turn off its tracking, then sideload apps like BeeTV and HDO Box.

I know Amazon has a bad rep from a privacy standpoint but the Fire stick is super cheap compared to its competition and lets you turn off the tracking in one page of the settings menu.

official native support for sideloading any Linux distro you please.

I thought you had to remove a write protect screw and flash a custom firmware.

Have they stopped that now?

Schools setup their Windows machines in the same way. There is (for a rule abiding student) hardly any difference between a locked down Windows system and a Chromebook.