u/callthesomnambulance

I want to keep this phone for a good 4-5 years, hence the security upgrades. I don't game on my phone and mainly use it to browse the internet or use apps like Reddit and YouTube so it doesn't need a hugely impressive processor etc, and I can live with the fact it'll be pretty outdated at the end of its lifespan.

The camera will be used but doesn't need to be anything special

I've always liked the Moto g series but they only have a couple years of guaranteed security updates at this point.

So far it looks like the Samsung a17g and a26 are the best contenders, around £130 and £180 respectively, with security updates guaranteed until 2031

Thoughts?

Mamedica and IPS are no longer stocking it as it's available for cheaper on the grey market (CBD is legal in the UK but CBD flower remains technically illegal, though the police have indicated they won't pursue those selling it). I've tried a few strains and a few retailers but find their CBD flower is much harder on the chest than the prescription stuff from glass pharma and the like so I'd prefer to spend a little extra and get something I find easier on the ol' lungs. Any thoughts?

I've always used the face mask store but they seem to have very limited stock ATM, as do the other major online retailers I've looked at. Thanks.

The researchers that conducted the fascinating DecodeME study exploring the genetic fingerprints of MECFS are back at it with an even more ambitious project, this time aiming to conduct "long-read" whole-genome sequencing on 9,000 people with ME/CFS and 9,000 with Long Covid. They're still in need of a significant chunk of funding but this is exciting stuff nonetheless

More info here:

https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2026/03/16/whole-genome-me-cfs-long-covid-sequence/

https://www.actionforme.org.uk/research-campaigns/our-research-work/sequenceme-long-covid/