(Apologies in advance for a huge post)

Hello, world! I've been stalking this forum for the past 4 months, and I finally decided to take the plunge. So here I am! I think I might stick around.

I've had my Windows phone for ~2+ yrs now, and I've found it very mediocre. As a phone, it still got the job done (easy to use, takes decent photos, telephony basics are adequate, vkb keys are hard to fat-finger, browser's meh), but those tasks can be easily delegated to an old-beater pre-paid phone instead of a smartphone, which is supposed to do more. I haven't felt the need to get another phone until I dropped it (washed my hands, didn't dry, phone slipped) and cracked the screen (phone still works though).

...actually, now that I think about it, this phone is hella sturdy. Hmph. Definitely a feature that's underappreciated until your phone breaks.

I should also get this out of the way: I'm well-aware that the final decision on what I'm getting rests with me, and I'm well-aware that I should know what I want. I'm just stuck on the final decision. Just help out, please!



What Did I Look For?

The short list:
-Linux/Linux-based OS, or at least Linux interoperability
-Decent specs (nothing fancy, but at least better than RasPi)
-Good feature set (mainly the standards and then some)
-Good support (preferably community-based)
-Continued maintenance of SW (usually, community-based/maintained OSes tick that box as well)
-No specific price range, but nothing extreme
-Any distinguishing features get bonus points



What's Out-of-the-Question?

-Most Android Phones
Especially the ones where I need a damned contract just to afford. I have no need for an octa-core x86-64 phone w/ 8GB LOLDDR9001 RAM and PowerVR graphics. If you can come up with a phone that ships with Android+unlocked bootloader+mostly OSS, be my guest. Android was supposed to be open-source and all that. What happened, Google?



-Iphone
I originally got a WP just to avoid an Iphone. What a blind, numbskull move that was. However, I still stand by what I did. I like to steer clear of Apple (except I have LLVM and CUPS on my computer, so jokes on me ).



-Jolla
I was sweatin' the Jolla super hard for a while. The Other Half (and reading up on TOHKBD) raised my hype levels to critical mass. Even with all the criticisms about Jolla's seemingly quiet support, the complaining about the aesthetics (of which I really like), not selling extra batteries (which I still don't understand), the whining about the specs, the whining about the UI, the fact that the company's namesake is the phone's name, and the general pessimism surrounding Jolla, I was still liking what I saw. So, what made me change my mind? Their support for NA is complete booty milk. They don't even ship over here! C'mon, man! The FOSS "community" is world-wide!

Also, Sailfish is starting to look like a Mini-me Android to me. Feel free to correct this.



What Did I Slim My Choices To?

-Nokia N9
There's one showstopper and a "drawback" holding me back from this baby.So what do I like so far? The screen size is nearly perfect for a proper phone, it looks very nice to me, it's well put-together (I got to hold one and it had the same effect as holding a SEGA Saturn Model 2 controller for the first time), the UI is quite nice (not all over the place like Android), I can do pretty much whatever I'd like with the SW (disclaimer: not a programmer), and it's got this here community behind it!

So, what's the showstopper? From what I've seen, no uSD slot. I've been stressing over the lack of an SD slot in my WP, and I'd have the same problem in the N9 should I choose to get it. 64GB storage is a lot, but why should I have to limit myself to that? I'd really like to be able to expand that, and I cannot with the N9. Also, having OSes on separate uSD cards is FAR less of a chore than dual-booting. FAR less.

The "drawback" that might not be an actual drawback is the perceived lack of focus on the N9's SW from the community, or that's how I percieve it anyway. This might not actually be true whatsoever, and I could just get CyanogenMod if I want, so it's truly a non-issue. I'd still like to run the community's SW though. I have a soft spot for projects like these. <3



-Nokia N900
With the lack of a uSD slot in the N9, I'm also seriously considering the N900. I've been missing a hwkbd for a long time, and the support from the community for this little handheld is stellar. I don't think I have to go into detail over its benefits and features; I'm sure most of you are familiar with them already.

My first issue is with the specs. Its age is REALLY showing. I'm sure it's a lean, mean, efficient machine, and I'm sure there's many optimizations and optimized apps to circumvent its lack of cores and RAM, but I'm still a tad wary of smartphones whose specs are comparable to a RasPi. Call me a non-believer, but that's how I feel.

Another is that there's the infamous HW issues (the USB issue, SIM issue, and the "bright dots" issues come to mind). I'm sure most are quick-fixes, but I'm just a tad averse to carrying a science experiment in my pocket. The phone's not bad-looking though.



-Neo900
If this phone was out today, I'd immediately go over my credit card limit just to buy it. I'm not kidding.

I'd probably wait to get it if I didn't drop my WP. However, I kinda need a new phone right now. I might get it when it comes out anyway and use the phone I get soon as a backup. I'm really liking what I'm seeing. If there's one thing that's confusing me about it, it's the 1GHz CPU, but that's slightly nitpicking IMHO.



-Dragonbox Pyra
Not really, but just throwing it out there. It's not a phone, but it could probably replace most out there, minus the form-factor.

...actually, the form-factor isn't even bad. It looks about as big as a Nintendo 3DSXL, which can easly fit in a coat/sweater pocket, purse/handbag/shoulder-bag, or a slightly big pocket!



I'm in no rush to get a phone, but I'd really like to make a decision now so that I don't have to force myself into one later. Thanks!

Get a used N900 to span the waiting time for the Neo.

+1 to what pichlo said.

They are affordable enough...
get one from ebay or better one from a member here...
that way you know you are going to get one that either has no probs at all....
or you get the straight up goods....about what is wrong with it...
documented so you know what you need to fix...
members here will hardly steer you wrong.
You'll get a ton of enjoyment and usability out of it...
fellow community support..
and the big bonus is you'll get familiar with (maemo) fremantle...
thus it will be an easy seamless transition to freemantle for you when you get your neo900
(hell.... whatever os you wish to use on the neo for that matter).

P.S.
Excellent epic treatise you wrote there.
Almost as long as some of mine
I see more and more essays and thesis (hm .."thesisis"?."thesi"? "thesii"? ) around here...I personally think it's great.
comprehensive, not under-explained ...most assuredly not over -explained...and it makes my posts seem like Haiku's

Howabout a Nexus 4 running Sailfish OS?

This is completely untrue. There are monthly/bimonthly updates, the support forums are buzzing all the time, features/suggestions get listened to and added (if popular enough). There seems to be more issues hardware related, but these have died down an awful lot as of late. If you have hardware issues, from what I have read, Jolla have been very quick to sort them. I can honestly say support is better than many mainstream companies (HTC and Nokia lemon devices like the E7, I am looking at you!).
I agree with you on this, the device is a little too big for me. I have gotten over it though.
I still do not get this. I would be hopeful this could be sorted though.
I've used the phone with heavy duty Android apps and lots of open apps. The device is fit for purpose as is. I think with the recent price cut to €249, the price is a lot fairer. With the HWKB soon to arrive - we will have a QWERTY slider with a modern OS - no other phone has that right now!
UI is fine, a little ugly compared to Harmattan, but intuitive enough to use.
lol - who cares?
As opposed to the Maemo community which is slowly dying, or mainstream OS's like WP/Blackberry which are disintegrating? Only Android or Apple aren't pessimistic right now.
Where is here?
I have no idea why people are so anti-Android compatibility layer. The compatibility layer allows me to fill the gaps (I run banking apps, remote control apps, Firefox and loads of others). If not for Android apps being available on this, I would actually not have bought it.

I had considered selling myself, but the HWKB looks to be the real deal and has drawn me back.

Nokia N9 64gb is a good choice. I still consider it most beautiful phone ever made. Size is good and UI is perfect. Also, after using a Jolla for almost a year, I still miss Nokia N9 low power screen.

Only problem with N9 is - it lacks some apps that I use. For example: Tinder and Viber.

Lol thank you for the suggestions, people. The replies thus far are exactly why I'm torn.

This is true. Even if I personally don't trust the members, it's very hard to rip a forum fellow off and get away with it.

That's the rub. I'm 100% going to get a Neo900, no question about it, but it's a spiritual successor to the N900. Plus, there's the whole situation about not distributing the binary blobs for the sake of compatibility. Kinda like ripping the BIOS out of old consoles.

I does this!

Plural is "theses." And thanks! I am, however, curious about your formatting. It's weird, but not hard to read at all.

+1 to what pichlo said and that way you also pre source the case so you just need the motherboard !

I figured as much. Again, I'd like to reiterate that I was looking for correction. Thank you for that.

I think it's a beautiful device, aesthetically and technologically. Sure, the specs are low, but the entire concept of TOH just does it for me.

IMNSHO, the fact that they don't sell spare batteries has to be one of the most braindead moves of this past decade-and-a-half. It's like selling a Swiffer mop and advertising replaceable pads, yet not sellling the pads (of which no one else makes). So stupid.

This is also very true.

From what I've seen (videos, screenshots), I don't think it's ugly at all.

Lol I do. I know it seems stupid, but I really dislike that. I don't like it when people call an NES a Nintendo, and I find it generally annoying. Imagine if that happened with the iPhone. "Oh, I'm gonna buy an Apple! That new phone, from Apple!"

Interesting. From what I understand (again, could be wrong), the Maemo community is alive and well, and the Neo900's injecting more life into it.

I did complain about their support for NA before saying that.

I'm not against the Android compatibility (in fact, I do hope that Jolla can somehow incorporate ART into Sailfish instead of just using Alien Dalvik). It just seems to me that their priorities are a tad shuffled. They started the whole Android compatibility thing out-of-the-gate, and haven't really let-up on that. I'd really like to see them develop and mature their very own OS rather than taking Google's red pill.

TOHKBD has to be, hands-down, the most beautiful, most nifty keyboard I've seen on a handheld. The d-pad, placement of the Shift and Symbol keys, and the general conventions it follows make it quite the site to behold.

I agree with your summary of the N9, and that's a shame because I really wanna make a decision... Also, those missing apps are no problem for me, since I don't use social media.