I went with Nvidia and I never really had any issues on Linux with it (I only use Linux).

AMD might be better on Linux out of the box in the sense that you can just install whatever distro and it’s going to work and with Nvidia some distros will require to install the drivers yourself or tinker one time in the terminal but it’s really not that big of a deal

But go with whatever you think is best for you.

I have graphene OS on my pixel 8. RCS works flawlessly with the Google messages app. No issues…

Personally I’d be way more concerned with using OEM Android in the West than using wechat anywhere but if it’s really an issue for you then I’d say insist on trying session or signal… One of those are probably your best options if you’re worried about being spied on…

If she’s unwilling to try them or doesn’t like them then I guess you have to settle for wechat or traditional SMS (although without RCS I find SMS to be a trip to a previous decade lol)

I have play services on one profile on mine. It’s working fine for me too. Must not apply to everyone. Not sure why but I’m not complaining lol

This only applies to people on the stock rom? Or?

I’m using graphene and not having any problems with my device.

I can’t remember. It’s been such a long time. Usually vending machines don’t have anything I want anyway since I don’t drink soda and rarely eat junk food and that’s the overwhelming majority of what I see in vending machines at least where I live

In my experience I’ve noticed Linux tends to (disproportionately) attract both libertarians and socialists/communists. I feel like I run into more of both within the Linux community than I do in other communities.

I started using Linux because I couldn’t force myself to use Windows 8. Up to that point I used whatever version of Windows came right before the graphical interface but 8 was too awful so I started playing with mint and never went back…

I got off the capitalism train in the middle of that but that was only because I decided to major in business and when I saw how the sausage was made I jumped ship but I didn’t know anything about socialism or communism or marxism or whatever you want to call it. I was so not into politics or economics that I literally had to search the Internet and ask people on social media what was an alternative to the crap I was reading for my classes… And then I went down that rabbit hole. If was enlightening. I learned a lot.

Also… for people who think college is Marxist indoctrination…Marx was brought up for one paragraph in one book at the very very end of my 4 years. But by that point I already knew who he was just from the rabbit hole I went down when I was curious for some alternative to what I was being taught.

Oh. I didn’t realize that OP was in Germany.

I might be in the minority but I actually like the camera visor more than what Samsung does because Samsung phones never sit flat. There’s a small wobble because the camera is on one side. At least with the pixel camera visor the phone doesn’t do that when you set it down on a flat surface. If anything it very slightly tilts the phone towards you. Not as extreme but it reminds me of a keyboard the way it’s slightly titling the keys towards you to make typing easier.

Swappa.com is the place to go. You can find them new in the box there for less than the Google store or if you’re willing to go used they’re even cheaper. Plus you have PayPal protection as a buyer. I’ve bought and sold phones on there since like 2014 (I think I’ve bought 8-9 phones and sold roughly the same amount on there without any issues)

I think it’s likely updates. The phone was originally built with an earlier version of the OS in mind. Just a guess. I feel like this happens to all my phones eventually.

Fwiw I have an old s21 fe version that I still play with (I have a pixel 8 now) and it feels more sluggish than it used to.

I’m on Lemmy.world & using the eternity app I haven’t had any real issues yet but it’s only been about 2 months for me since I started using this platform.

Are you using the VPN on your laptop or phone only? If so, maybe try to run your VPN at the router level and see if you can cast then? It might work…