You could buy a used Pixel, if you don't want to support Google.
this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2025
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Privacy
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GrapheneOS is the only one cellebrite admits it has trouble with, I can't recommend another OS, but I can say that being resistant to the government hacking your phone has recently become more important and it might be worth reconsidering.
I sorely miss DivestOS for this purpose, but I'd consider CalyxOS (development sadly on pause) ~~and iodeOS~~ as runners-up. /e/OS got caught sending voice-to-text data to OpenAI, so I'd stay away for the time being.
edit: sad to see that iode has a freemium model on some of its features. see replies for more nuance on the /e/OS situation.
LineageOS will get the most years of support out of the most devices. While leagues ahead of Android for privacy, bear in mind that it still isn't airtight with regard to the occasional piece of telemetry data sent back to Google. It's about the only thing that can keep one of my older Pixels somewhat up-to-date.
LeOS is like LineageOS with all Google telemetry stripped out, but only in GSI form (no builds optimized for specific devices), so YMMV with hardware compatibility. I have this on my Samsung tablet.
I've also heard about Volla Phones (with VollaOS) and Brax Phones (with iodeOS or Ubuntu Touch), but haven't taken a serious look since the screen sizes offered are too big for me.
I might try out a Linux phone next, but the relative lack of battery optimizations and edge-case issues leave me a bit hesitant. Also, check out detailed comparison of the common Android ROMs with regard to privacy and security: https://eylenburg.github.io/android_comparison.htm
Thanks for all of the options! May look more into LineageOS
/e/OS got caught sending voice-to-text data to OpenAI
To clarify it's an optional STT service, not on by default if one is not using Murena services, which before sending data proxy it so it's not associated with a specific user account, for anonymization. It even says so in the screenshot of the links post, for premium Murena service users. FUD from https://lemmy.ml/post/35472063?scrollToComments=true seems to already be working out, sadly.
Details https://doc.e.foundation/murena-voice-to-text including "This feature is exclusively available to Murena Workspace Premium users."
The developers' response to the threads bringing this up with them were absolutely abysmal. They wouldn't even answer the question "does e send data to third parties when this feature is turned off" directly
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Do you work for them or something
No, why do you suggest that? If one were to say something incorrect about Google or Meta, even though not only I do not work for them but even spend quite a bit of resource to get away from them, I would still say it aloud.
Here I said, multiple times, that the post that sparked this is not correct... because it simply is not true. Nothing more, nothing less.
I gave up and went back to a flip phone. XP3plus. More durable, way less of a headache compared to smartphones that are high maintenance. Sure, it runs Android. But they big factor is, it's a scaled down version of Android; it comes that way out of the box. Just basic apps and no app store. It's been a breath of fresh air.
Best part? It's designed to be a utility. Not a human pacifier with social media apps.
More power to you! I enjoy browsing videos and reading webcomics too much to go back to a flip phone though. Don't go on social media much so if I go deeper down the rabbit hole, a flip phone may bot be out of the question. It would also be a great alternative for a work phone
LineageOS and the companion microg for LineageOS is a good alternative. They offer a wide variety of phones (and some tablets) that are supported. Been using microg for LOS for over 5 years now with no major issues.
Good to know, thanks!
Why not install LineageOS on your S20?
Thought since my phone couldn't be rooted I wouldn't be able to change the OS. It's the SM-G981U model
Check out UBports/Ubuntu Touch, it’s a linux-based OS with a neat desktop mode when docked.
Suggesting a non-Android-derived mobile OS shouldn't get you downvoted. While I too risking going against the grain, I recommend OpenHarmony. It is available on laptops and should become available on smartphones eventually.
pinephone or a H.A.M radio
If you want a new phone consider /e/OS as you can directly buy a phone from Murena (who maintains /e/OS) and thus get something working from day 1, no tinkering.
To clarify, because there is constant FUD around /e/OS (I think the deGoogled Android crowd is VERY passionate and invests a lot of effort into picking the "right" ROM for them leading to a kind of "holy war" which tends to lose focus on what actually matters, namely leave Google!) so to clarify
- /e/OS is not Murena
- Murena is the French company that sells phones, including refurbished, running /e/OS
- /e/OS is open source https://gitlab.e.foundation/e/os/
- services from Murena are optional, including STT (which is a premium service) and anything cloud based requires Murena accounts
- one can buy a phone from Murena and not using any of their service, it's as straightforward as NOT creating an account when booting the phone the first time, or not using an account, that's it.
Honestly I recommend this solution if you want a good compromise because IMHO
- Linux phones, e.g. PinePhones (I have 2, cf post history for details) aren't daily drivers yet for most
- it works, simple as that
- it's quite affordable, you don't need a flagship to run /e/OS
- it is actually deGoogled Android, which is IMHO the whole point
- depending on your bank you might be able to use their banking app
Feel free to ask questions, happy to clarify.
Thanks for the detailed information. The Fairphone 6 is a strong contender to be sure and if I'm able to buy one with the OS installed all the better! Only problem is I'm in the US so I don't know how much more expensive it will be for me to buy.
And after doing a quick search of /e/OS it looks like an iOS clone, which I am not super fond of. Have you used it before?
Also, it seems my bank isn't supported. So that's another bummer
You're welcome, briefly :
- yeah... I'm not going to guess with tariff what's going on, they might not even ship anymore
- I have been using it for half a year now and I like /e/OS , it's literally just Android without Google, that's it. If you find Android customizable enough to have the look&feel you need then you'll probably be OK
- if you use mobile banking daily, it might even be enough to look for another solution. Be cautious though that if it's not working there, then most likely it won't work on other deGoogled solutions. Might have to consider changing banks. Before going through all that trouble though I'd try 1 week without the bank app and see how feasible that is. Maybe it's a big deal, maybe it's actually not that bad.
Thanks for clarifying. I guess I'll look more into /e/OS to see what it's really like.
My parents are going to France in October so if I decide on the Fairphone I may just ask them to pick it up for me. Not sure how that'd work though so I'll look more into it.
As for the banking, I use it about once a week or every other week to deposit checks. I will definitely still need that though since it's hard for me to physically go to the bank due to my limited mobility. Might be best to keep my old phone just for that purpose
If they come to France still check that the US SIM would work there, or that eSIM is supported. Theoretically it's compatible but US carriers can be ... finicky.
For banking if depositing check can be done simply via the Web, then the app is not needed. Might have to ask your bank. Keeping the old phone would work indeed but not the most convenient.
Oh right, sim card compatibility was not something I had considered. Thanks for the tip!
I tried using the browser site for my bank but unfortunately it doesn't allow depositing checks. Will have to think about that when choosing a phone.
Still, I appreciate all the helpful information you've provided. Lots to think about
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Sad that there are no Linux phone versions for the Xiaomi brands, they're good, resilient and powerful for their price IMO.
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Would anyone know of a custom ROM for an Oppo Reno 4 Pro? Looked everywhere, can't find one.
I am curious to why no google Pixel?
Eh. I don't fault anyone for not wanting to give google the money. I love my pixel, I love my graphene, but at the end of the day privacy is the first, last and only priority.
Get your Pixel secondhand. That way you are not contributing to their profit margins and have more flexibility on the Pixel version you want without having to break the bank.
And I also agree with the comment that Pixels are not the most robust phones. They are good, but not the most robust thing you could own. Power but to issue across Pixel devices is a real thing. I had two of the power buttons on separate phones fall out. Good thing is that you can get them online cheaply and manually replace them yourself.
BUT Pixels are gorgeous phones and a real delight to use as well. Lovely screens, decent battery, good camera and is buttery smooth with Graphene.
I am on these Pixels because if Graphene.
The hardware shortcomings I can live with and work around. I mostly have great experiences with Pixels with the occasional hardware issue to slove.
I use the on-screen Accessibility Menu shortcut to adjust audio volume, screen brightness and un/locking the phone.
Are there serious issues like motherboard problems (I know them from my mi 11 lite, which is now completely useless), or some other serious problems, I couldn't fix without professional tools?
I've had about five different Pixels. One of the Pixel 5 just blew a motherboard. I tried replacing it, but It just made more financial sense to buy another one given that the phone came out in 2019(?) and I got it used. The Pixel 5 also stopped receiving security and GOS updates last year so it wasn't worth saving. Other than this one account, the phones I own have been without serious issue. This is not a direct answer to your question, but I hope you find some meaning to help you decide.
Wow, thanks. Will keep researching, but I hope my Redmi survives until some new info on the GrapheneOS partner brand comes out. Hopefully it's something that can last ~10 years without problems.
That's always the hope. I've not yet had a phone that has lasted me 10 years yet but hopefully with reparability and designs that favour stability instead of bleeding edge tech, we'll be able to see a time when that happens. Good luck in your pursuit.
Pixels are very well made though, google is not a hardware company; data and ads is their business. So, buying a pixel and starving them of your data is actually bad business for them
I have a Pixel 7 and my wife has the Pixel 6a, I don't find them particularly well made. My pixel 7 is already show signs of wear with the power button getting stuck after about 2 years of use, with a case pretty much always on. My former phone, Huawei P20 worked flawlessly and was like new after 5 years of use. In the end I wanted to run GrapheneOS and decided for the Pixel. But at this price, I am quite disappointed with the hardware quality.
To be fair, Huawei hardware (in my experience) lasts way longer than any other, if you take care of the devices.
Nothing against the Pixel per se but I wanted to keep my options open. I wanted a big upgrade from my current phone to justify buying a new one and I read a lot of Manga and webtoons. Hence, why I was looking at the Fold 7.
However, I will keep an open mind about phones. The Pixel 9 doesn't look too bad tbh.
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