How to Buy an Android Device for LineageOS?

Many people consider LineageOS as associate degree choice to extend the lifetime of their current phone. This is a backup possibility once their phone stops receiving updates from the manufacturer.

But there square measure several professionals to victimization LineageOS on its own. thus what does one do if you like LineageOS to stock automaton however want a replacement phone? this is often the guide for you.

Decide what you want in a phone?

You simply cannot walk into a store, or perhaps a web site, and order a phone that comes with LineageOS. you'll ought to install the software package yourself. this implies you wish to place some thought into what you wish in a very phone in order that you'll be able to realize a compatible device that meets your wants.

There also are many sorts of phones recently. does one like a smaller phone? larger, better? does one desire a stylus? Or, at the top of the day, will it simply return all the way down to cost?

Then there are the glasses. Don't follow marketing or even technical reviews. If you usually use budget phones, and they've always been fast enough for your needs, then continue looking at budget phones. A super-high-resolution display looks good, but it can drain your battery faster and requires a faster processor. Have you ever used NFC in your life, and is wireless charging worth the extra payment?

This advice applies to any phone purchase, but it's especially important to know what you want in advance when looking for a device to run LineageOS. That's because LineageOS isn't available for most hardware, so you can't simply buy any phone and expect support there. You will have to find what you are looking for in the list of supported devices.

Check the list of supported devices

LineageOS provides a list of devices that the project currently supports, as well as models that were supported in the past. The list is broken down by manufacturer, and devices are not listed in any obvious order.

When you click on a tool, you get an image, specs, and precise model range. there is a ton of knowledge here to assist you get a general sense of that choices would possibly work for you. look into this info to seek out a phone that matches your criteria. does one need a larger battery? searching for a camera that may take a lot of megapixels? need a phone that is slimmer than your current phone? LineageOS provides precise dimensions for every supported device.

As you narrow down your options, here are some key areas to look for:

1. Released: This lists the device's release date, which helps you determine whether you can buy a new device or whether you'll need to look for a used model.
2. Current version: This shows the newest version of LineageOS and automaton out there for the device. Since the newest unleash of LineageOS does not hit all devices at constant time, some models should still be stuck on previous releases. The update might take months, or it should not reach all. If you are shopping for a tool to run LineageOS on, you would possibly still get one that is already on the newest version.
3. Supported Models: LineageOS does not technically support entire product lines, such as the Motorola Edge. Instead, you need the phone's exact model number listed on the LineageOS device page (for example, the Motorola Edge has a supported model XT2063-2). This is because there are often different carrier models or other variants that are not supported.

Once you've settled on a device, it's time to start shopping.

Get ready to buy a phone

Most people simply attend the closest carrier store and see what choices area unit accessible. however if you wish to use a custom computer storage, this technique isn't Associate in Nursing choice. These phones area unit usually fastened to the carrier. This introduces headaches that you just typically cannot management.

To avoid such failures, you want to do this.

1. Buy an unlocked phone

Your best bet is to save lots of yourself the trouble and purchase a phone that may not barred by a carrier. shopping for associate unlatched phone is like shopping for a pc. you're liberal to tinker with the device as you would like. this is often a freedom you would like to unlock the bootloader (which is completely different from unlocking from the carrier), a necessary step before you'll install LineageOS on your device.

This usually means paying for the phone in full, rather than offering a monthly payment to a carrier. In the long run, it's often cheaper even if it means paying more up front. If financing is an issue, there are ways other than the carrier to finance your phone purchase.

2. Consider a Used Phone

You can save even more cash by going for a pre-owned device. looking on the phone you are looking for, this could be your solely possibility. On the one hand, that is the great thing about selecting LineageOS over stock golem. you're additional freelance from the planned devolution of every device.

If you prefer the design of older phones, you have the option of continuing to use them — not indefinitely, though, as Google eventually makes changes to Android that LineageOS developers make more compatible with older hardware. Can't make Still, it could be several years down the road. You can potentially buy a used device and see a longer support period from LineageOS than you would buying a new phone from a carrier.

3. Confirm the Model Number

Depending on where you're shopping online, you can often find your phone using the exact model number that supports LineageOS, rather than searching by product name. If that doesn't work, once you open the phone page on the site, see if you can find the model number in the description by pressing Ctrl-F and typing the number.

Sometimes you'll ought to visit the phone's page on the manufacturer's web site to search out specific data. no matter you are doing, ensure you do not rush this step. If you manage to unlock the bootloader however fail to put in LineageOS as a result of you purchased Associate in Nursing unsupported model, unless you'll be able to with success restore your phone to stock golem, you can not come the device.

Follow the installation instructions

Once your phone is in hand, it's time to install LineageOS. This process requires technical knowledge, but since you've done your research ahead of time, you're less likely to run into problems. The installation instructions on the LineageOS website provide steps to work on the listed models. Be sure to follow them carefully, as any mistakes can cause you to restart or worse, brick your device.

The tough half will generally be putting in the mandatory tools on your laptop to act with robot devices. you would like the robot SDK, specifically the flexibility to run ADB and Fastboot commands.

This is something you can download and test using your current Android phone. If you have ADB and Fastboot working on your computer, and you're familiar with how they work, you're unlikely to have any problems following the LineageOS installation instructions.

Should You Buy a Phone for LineageOS?

Unfortunately, with so many changes in newer versions of Android, many older devices aren't able to make the jump. In addition, some manufacturers have chosen to further lock down their devices or use hardware that is difficult for volunteers to support.

This means that your current phone is less likely to support LineageOS. Likewise, you can't assume that your next phone will someday get LineageOS support. If you like custom ROMs, the safest bet is to check what's already supported and go from there.