I’am myself an IT guy, but the unnecessary complexity of the Android phone and what the brands does… etc. make too many steps and I cannot spend ~two weeks to unbrick it.
You can thank the closed-source SoC drivers for that.
this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2026
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why we should struggle and trick so much just to gain root access?
Not saying that we should but there are security reasons. OEMs typically cater to the lowest common denominator and most people can't be trusted with such power.
Unlocking bootloaders means giving yourself freedom. Most Android OEMs and cell carriers make a bunch of money filling your device with bloatware and spyware and ads for their first-party products and services, and unlocking the bootloader gives you the ability to remove those things, which is not in the OEM's financial interest.
around 100-150€/$
So, a used phone? I would check your local markets (ebay, kijiji, whatever).
Check out OnePlus Nord N100 (global version, well-supported by Ubuntu Touch, with VoLTE reportedly) and Nord N10 5G (supported by Ubuntu Touch and LineageOS).
Both have a headphone jack, SD card expansion, and global version has unlocked bootloader (do not get T-Mobile or Metro versions)
Nord N10 5G on Oxygen 11 had some nasty bugs for me, but Lineage seems to work OK.
I guess a Pixel 7/7a would fit your criteria. It's between 100-130€ on Vinted for example.
I'm liking the pixel 7 so far but it has no jack, also it feels weirdly hollow inside, although I dropped it several times(with case on) and it's still working
I’m liking the pixel 7 so far but it has no jack
Every Pixel starting with the Pixel 2 has omitted the headphone jack.
also it feels weirdly hollow inside, although I dropped it several times(with case on) and it’s still working
I had the 7 Pro for a couple years. I liked it, but my first one failed catastrophically after dropping it, and its warranty replacement began failing in a similar fashion after maybe 6 months. I traded it for my current 9 Pro XL the day that was released, which has worked really well. I intend on keeping this one for quite a while.
so no way to download again those ROM !
go here and search twolip
well honestly i'd keep just using that version (18.1) since I hate android 12. but if you want a newer version, go here. scroll up a bit and there's a LOS22 (Android 15) build from March 2025.
you could say that's from an untrusted dev and kinda outdated security patch wise, well android 15 / LOS22 is still updated and almost the latest version. just build it yourself and you get an up to date version of lineageos for your device
I'm really happy with my Pixel 3a. (And I think the Pixel 3a XL is just as well supported by FLOSS ROMs but with a bigger screen.) It mostly checks all the boxes you had in your list, and I think it's probably the only real option you're going to find in that price range.
I ran Lineage for a good while, but I've switched to Ubuntu Touch more recently. It's incredibly well supported by both operating systems and just from what I've seen, most FLOSS ROMs tend to support it. (One exception I know of is PostmarketOS, which last I heard didn't support the 3a very well at all.) Being honest, Ubuntu Touch's app availability is pretty abysmal. Writing apps for Ubuntu Touch seems more accessible than for Android, though (especially now with the bullshit that they've pulled with sideloading restrictions.)
One caveat: If you're looking for 100% FLOSS, probably the 3a isn't what you want. Even Ubuntu Touch uses a bunch of proprietary driver blobs. But again, the options for fully FLOSS-compatible phones seem pretty pricey.