Best and most stable Xperia device for SailfishOS?

I know this question is vague at best since all devices are good in their own way. What I’m asking is fellow Sailfish users to give their input and maybe suggest a SailfishOS capable handset with Android App compatibility? I used to be a heavy cellular user but now not so much. What I need is something with a good battery to get me through the day, nice camera that can take semi pro snaps and the ability to use tethering (Hotspot and USB) as my phone is my only internet source. My current device is a Huawei P20 Lite for reference… The apps I use are Al Jazeera, Discord, Fallout Shelter, Hangouts (don’t ask), PSN, Ratchet & Clank BTN, Reddit, Steam and Telegram…

Kind regards, Dean

By what you describe i don’t think SFOS will be something that will/can replace your android phone.

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I would be expecting issues, I’m just wondering how much… I’m not looking to jump immediately into the OS right this second. I first want to see how things go with Ubuntu on my laptop. This would most likely be a 2-3 Year transition for me from Windows and Android to Ubuntu and SailfishOS/ Ubuntu Touch.

It’s not like you have choices: The only available phone, if you are lucky, is Xperia 10 (plus), and trust me: You do not buy this for games, camera and social media.
SFOS is not for that user scenario.

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I had an Xperia X and have now an XA2 dual SIM. The camera has gotten better and better with every release and nowadays comments on pictures are getting far more positive. One has to admit that the early camera software was not good at all. Semi professional photos with a telephone is something I do not believe in. But having nice pictures where the sky is always blue, people have perfect skin etc. is something which might work better with other OSs. For me the camera has gotten good enough.
Tethering via WiFi works fine. I do not know whether this can be done via USB.
Android apps normally work fine. The XA2 and newer models emulate Android 8. Telegram (also Signal and Threema) work fine. I cannot say much about the other apps. Sometimes you will find a native clients but mostly the Android environment will be your friend. You won’t notice the difference, I guess.
If you are open minded and keep in mind that a different experience comes at a price when it comes to convenience, than Sailfish is good for you. I am using it as a daily driver for 3 years now.

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Thanks Sane! This is the sort of comment I was looking forward to reading. I’m not 100% sure that Sailfish will be the best replacement for me but I have plenty of time before I look to replace my P20 Lite with something else. As I said, I want to see how things go with Ubuntu first before I dive right in. After all, it would be a better fit for me than UB Ports…

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Why replace your P20? Why not keep it for gaming and other stuff you do not want to miss and use a SFOS device as your daily driver?

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You are welcome. If you have other specific questions, let me know.