IR transmitters
Miracast (in base open source Android, especially access to the ability to receive)
Scrolling notification text in the notification bar (seriously, that was sooooo much better than the obnoxious new default pop-up notifications)
A bunch of permissions that’s been too locked down (stuff used by Tasker, networking tools, etc)
HEADPHONE JACK - I scream into the void
Being smaller than a phablet in 2010s. Bring back 4 inch phones for fuck’s sake. You can price them at the same level as your gigantic six-inchers, I’ll happily pay for it as long as the insides of the phone are premium otherwise. I should know that my phone is in my pocket by putting my hands on it, not because it’s sticking out or making it impossible to sit down.
A 4" Pixel 9 Micro running GrapheneOS. I’d pay a thousand euros right now if such a thing existed.
But of course they have fucked up the UX of the operating system in such a way that a regular-sized phone like that cannot be practically used anymore. Oh well.
Ability to automatically turn wifi on and off with screen.
I really miss USB Mass Storage mode. Back then you could plug in your phone into your computer and it would just expose the internal storage and SD card as standard usb storage devices. Nowadays you have shitty MTP which works barely if ever, so you’re forced to use either internet or ADB for syncing files. Old way was better.
IIRC you can still enable it if you compile your own kernel but I wish more ROMs shipped with this feature by default.
Physical keyboards, easily removable backs and batteries
physical home button row.
give me those clickety clicks, i hate accidentally hitting back/home/whatever, whenever I’m typing or scrolling
There used to be a one-click root option in older phones (I don’t remember which one)
Animated and spanning backgrounds.
The core apps (like messaging, and calendar) being free software and open source.
no headphone jack is shitty but god i fucking loathe typing on a touchscreen keyboard
Non-pastel colors. My phone used to be fire orange on black and i loved it!
Really just personalization in general.
I liked the little led light at the top that would blink for notification
Control over it.
- Headphone jack.
- Removable batteries.
- Sidekick/Palmtop form factor with the full width keyboard.
- MicroSD Card slot, and OS support for executing software and accessing data on the card.
