Hmm, maybe an Ubuntu phone if they start shipping later this year.
It's kind of hard to put into words. I guess you've got to have used the N900 (in particular, but it could also apply to the other non-Symbian N's) and been part of Maemo to know it. I think ex-users can relate to the 'in-depth nerdery with a certain style' that isn't quite part of e.g. the Android DNA and definitely isn't there in iOS and WP.
Oh well if that is what its about then the answer is the Nokia N9.
Using "real nerd" and "non-android" in the same sentence makes me want to hit someone.
Just for that, I'm saying you should get an iPhone.![]()
Are you avoiding Android just because it's popular now?
Maybe "hipster" is the word you're looking for.
If he wants to be an old-school nerd you can always go back to Windows Mobile.It's like Android before Android was... but on crappier hardware.
The phone Nokia wanted to kill since it uses MeeGo which was better than Windows, and they were going to go exclusively with MS. So they only released it in limited markets. Despite being a 2 year old phone, and a dead OS, they are still selling for $200+ on ebay.
On the horizon:
There's Tizen which is going to be Samsung's new Linux OS.
Sailfish is made by some of the people who made MeeGo.
There are also going to be Firefox and Ubuntu phones.
For Android, how about the Asus FonePad, a 7" phone.