What it does | Why I love it | |————–|—————| |
Size – Small enough to disappear into any pocket (or a
sock drawer). | It’s the James Bond of phones: sleek,
inconspicuous, and always ready for a mission. | |
SIM‑only – My sole carrier for calls and data. | Keeps
the main line clean and lets me hotspot the rest of the crew. | |
Android (Google‑flavoured) – Limited to apps from
F‑Droid or the Play Store. | Guarantees I only install
vetted, open‑source goodies (or the occasional necessary proprietary
app). | | Banking & Government Apps – Driving
licence, health records, etc. | Essential paperwork stays on a device
that’s easy to lock away. | | Sandboxed WhatsApp – For
friends who haven’t migrated yet. | Gives them a familiar bridge without
contaminating my primary ecosystem. | | Signal & Delta
Chat – Secure messaging. | Because privacy never takes a
holiday. | | Mail Clients – Proton Mail, Tutanota. |
Encrypted inboxes on a device that’s literally pocket‑size. | |
Hotspot – Feeds Wi‑Fi to my other phones. | The little
engine that could… power the whole fleet. |
Tip: The Jellystar’s tiny form factor makes it
perfect for “phone‑only” days when you want to stay reachable but not
distracted.
2️⃣ The Main Stage –
OnePlus 9 (“IodeOS” LineageOS)
Feature | How I use it | |———|————–| |
Hardened LineageOS – Built from the ground up with
privacy in mind. | No bloatware, no Google‑tracking ghosts. | |
FDroid + Aurora Store – My curated app marketplace. |
Everything is open‑source, verified, and up‑to‑date. | | All
Social, Productivity & Media Apps – Notetaking, cloud
services, photo editors, email, fediverse apps. | This is where the
day‑to‑day magic happens. | | No SIM – Pure
Wi‑Fi/Hotspot mode. | When I’m out, I simply tether the Jellystar. | |
Battery & Performance – Still humming after a year
of refurbishing. | Proof that a second life can be a first‑class one.
|
3️⃣ The Playground –
OnePlus 6 (PostmarketOS)
Capability | Why it matters | |————|—————-| |
PostmarketOS – A true Linux‑based mobile OS. | Turns my
phone into a mini‑desktop, perfect for tinkering. | | Phosh
(Phone Shell) – GNOME‑style UI for touch. | Seamless
integration with the rest of my Linux ecosystem. | | Software
Sources – GNOME Software (Flathub) + native packages. | Access
to a universe of apps. | | Chat Apps – Flare,
Conversations, Delta Chat (my favorite). | Keeps me
connected on the Fediverse without sacrificing privacy. | |
Email – Tutanota (native), Proton Mail (PWA). |
Encrypted communication. | | PWAs via Tandem – All my
web‑apps live together. | One‑tap launch for everything from calendars
to note‑taking. | | Simplenote & Tuba – Quick notes
& federated social browsing. | Light‑weight, fast, and always
synced. | | SSH & Terminal – Remote access to the
phone itself. | I can ssh into my own pocket‑computer | |
Calls – No SIM, but Delta Chat handles voice over data.
| VoIP that respects my privacy preferences. | | Camera &
Maps – Functional, but not my go‑to. | Not even good enough for
occasional snaps, doesn’t matter as I’m a “proper camera” person anyway
for serious photography. |
Looking Ahead – Hopes for
2026
Full‑time PostmarketOS Adoption – I’m aiming to
migrate most daily workflows onto the OnePlus 6. The goal is a truly
Linux‑first mobile experience, where every app runs under the
same open‑source umbrella.
Phosh Maturity – As the Phosh UI continues to
polish its gestures, notifications, and multitasking, I expect a
smoother, more desktop‑like feel—without sacrificing the convenience of
a phone.
Hardware Refresh – While the Jellystar remains
unbeatable for size, I’m keeping an eye on newer ultra‑compact devices
that could replace it without compromising my “no‑Google‑bloat”
principle.
Expanded PWAs – With Tandem proving its worth,
I’ll keep adding more progressive web apps—think offline‑ready
note‑taking, collaborative docs, and perhaps a self‑hosted Mastodon
instance.
Community Contributions – I plan to give back to
the PostmarketOS and Phosh communities—bug reports, patches, and maybe
inspire others who want to “re‑boot” their mobile lives.
✍️ Closing Thoughts
My three‑phone setup might look like a tech‑savvy circus act, but
each device plays a distinct, purposeful role:
Jellystar – The pocket‑sized sentinel for essential
services and hotspot duties.
OnePlus 9 – The powerhouse stage for everyday
productivity and media consumption.
OnePlus 6 – The experimental lab where Linux meets
mobile, and where I get to geek out with SSH, terminals, and PWAs.
If you’re a fellow tinkerer, I hope this glimpse inspires you to mix,
match, and maybe even re‑cycle your own mobile arsenal. The
future is open‑source, modular, and—most importantly—fun.
Stay curious, stay secure, and keep those batteries
charged!
