Update: still using the Fairphone 6 as my regular Android phone and in a holding pattern keeping it dual booting the latest postmarketOS (edge), an Alpine Linux-based distro.* In April pmOS received display, GPU and mobile data updates for the device to make it look more like the finished product of (maybe) next year. No calls or audio yet but before these updates, texting was possible (because of the modem support).

* This requires active intervention each time there's an Android update. postmarketOS uses the alternate of two slots to Android (A or B) to install. Android uses the alternate slot to what it's using to install its own update, so postmarketOS gets overwritten and requires a reinstall.

This week I received the "used" OnePlus 6T I ordered from eBay for C$173 shipped (in less than a week). After getting recommendations I went with the minimum RAM and storage options, It has no SD card slot, so no dual booting.

 - pmOS installation with pmbootstrap is dead easy, just responding differently to a few of the prompts than for the fp6

- sending and receiving texts works

- making and receiving calls works. I haven't fully tested the call sound yet, but it has been said to work with this version. I'll test it more thoroughly next time I leave the dead zone (Freedom and Telus) of my apartment

- wifi calling (VoLTE to people outside of North America) allegedly works, but requires an elaborate procedure involving the installation of a specific older version of OxygenOS (the OnePlus-branded Android) and invoking an incantation using the manufacturer's testing tools before reinstalling pmOS. I will try this when I get a. vacation days or b. my second 6T

 

Mike