Motorola with GrapheneOS preinstalled.
this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2026
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Google Pixel Phone with GrapheneOS. You'll have to flash a custom ROM, but GrapheneOS provides more security and privacy (even if you do install Google Play Services, they're limited to only the permissions you give the app). And no built in AI or telemetry (I think). It's free and open source. Added note: GrapheneOS will not have the restrictions on Android sideloading that are supposed to be coming this year. https://grapheneos.org/
i 16nd this suggestion for graphene
grapheneos on a pixel
Don't give money to google!
Even second hand purchasing encourages people to buy new pixel phones cause they know it sells well in the used market.
When I bought my Pixel I saw it like in the meme: "I'm gonna pay you 460 bucks to fuck off". I could have waited until Motorola releases their GrapheneOS phones, but mine was overdue for an upgrade, it was reeeeally slow.
I wouldn't be surprised if they lost money on the hardware. Remove their software and the revenue stream is severed from day one.
And instead buy a normal phone which Google gets all the data from anyway? I'd rather drive the used market for pixels up slightly than have people get any other phone which hands Google money indirectly. I can't imagine the small bump in prices in the used market even matters to Google in new phone sales
Buy a second hand Pixel phone. Google gets exactly nothing from me.
Only if you buy online, they've no way to track in-store and in-person secondhand purchases
Even on a years-old, out-of-service-window Pixel, GrapheneOS is worth it. I'm still using my Pixel 4a 5G and it's functional if occasionally quirky because of the hardware's age.
GrapheneOS has an in-browser installation utility now, so it'd be pretty easy.
Worth mentioning that GrapheneOS is going to be an out-of-the-box option for some upcoming Motorola models.
Fairphone
I absolutely love my FP6 with e/os
samesies :3
Pixel with grapheme, installing it is done through a web page that walks you through doing it in chrome with a USB cable.
You can even do it from another android device.
Ironically, iPhones are pretty close to stock with no bloatware installed. You can delete most any of the Apple apps, they don’t allow carrier apps to be preloaded, and you can disable Apple Intelligence to get rid of anything AI they provide.
The only phones I would ever touch now are iPhones or GrapheneOS. Grephene seems dope but I have a million computers at home I tinker with all the time, I don’t want to have to THINK about anything on my phone… so I’ve been using iOS for a very long time now. I honestly love it. Expensive, but bloat-free like you said, locked-down permissions which I love (I don’t want any apps being able to see my photos!) and each phone I’ve had has lasted five or more years. I also love how easy it is to make full encrypted incremental image backups to my non-Apple desktop computer, and when I get a new phone, I plug it into computer, pres butan, and it is exactly the same as old phone but new!
I am considering the Jolla phone. It looks like it fits the bill. Personally I have two issues. One is that stuff like banking and Danish id services probably won't work because they're bound to Google Play device integrity. The other big one is that my Google Pixel 7 pro still works fine, so there's no pressing need to upgrade.
Is Graphene OS not an Option for you? Just asking, because you already own a Pixel phone.
Not sure. For the same reason. If I install Graphene and the play integrity check fails, then I lose access to these services. And I'm a bit of a coward in that regard.
I don't think you're cowardly. Rather that Google makes it as inconvenient as possible to not use their intrusive services. My (only non-FOSS) banking app luckily works on my custom ROM and sometimes I forget hat might not be the case for some.
Fairphone
Sony is pretty vanilla android as far as android goes but it is still android. You can disable some stuff with an app like adb app control but it still keeps all the core os level bullshit unless you root to kill it properly.
On one hand, yes. However, they have absimal software support (2 major os updates and little to no updates in between). I'm also now having a problem on my 5V where my device is "uncertified" on the play store. I found that lots are having the same issue while Sony provides no solution at all. I had to root it to fix it.
Weird, I have a 5V too and its been great. I routinely get updates on it as well. What version/region are you on?
I do get updates but they don't fix the "device is not certified" issue in the playstore. This akso makes some apps refuse to work and google wallet is also disabled. The only solution I found was to root my phone but now face verification in banking apps is not working :( if you google this issue you'll find that there are quite a few users with this issue.
I have an XQ-DE44 that I bought in tokyo and I'm now in europe.
Maybe a region specific thing then, I am in the US on a XQ-DE72. Are all those facing issues on the 44?
Nope. Others are affected too. Even people with a 1V have this problem.
Assuming you're not comfortable with trying to flash a ROM onto your phone: I've been decently happy with my Asus Zenfone 8, but the key to avoiding bloatware is to not buy a phone through your cellphone service provider. There's still crap loaded in it, but it tends to have a lot less of it.
I use an iodé phone. It's basically Android with all the Google crap removed, and it comes with Fdroid.
Xiaomi Poco series
If you do have something like a Pixel / Galaxy already, consider installing DuckDuckGo browser. It's not just a browser... it also runs an onboard vpn, which has the side effect of blocking ad tracking requests. I was kinda horrified and surprised to see what kind of info most of the apps were taking, and how often they were making the requests. GPS (both coarse & fine), IMEI, post code, email address, all kinds of other identifiers.
You'll have to manually let a few apps through (stuff like the wallet, maybe banking apps) but everything else is blocked on my phone.
If I was going to buy a new smartphone right now, I'd prob get a Fairphone:
Fairphone is a Dutch electronics manufacturer that designs and produces smartphones and headphones. It aims to minimise the ethical and environmental impact of its devices by using recycled, fairtrade and conflict-free materials, maintaining fair labour conditions throughout its workforce and suppliers, and enabling users to easily repair their devices through modular design and by providing replacement parts
Current phone is near FUBAR. Had an incident involving the sidewalk, and, uh... the sidewalk won the fight.
Repair is an option, but shelling out more money for a brand I've come to detest is not super appealing.
Fairphone! I forgot about them. In light of recent events, the modular nature of their design is pretty appealing.
Bonus points for Fairphone: you can purchase it with /e/OS, which is a degoogled Android
it also runs an onboard vpn, which has the side effect of blocking ad tracking requests.
I like the adblock VPN and the browser UI, however, in the browser itself, I was surprised to see what third-party requests are "loaded to prevent site breakage", Google and Facebook usually amongst them.
The Chinese manufacturers are actually really good about making a durable, long lasting device with no bloatware. I use a Ulefone, and I really like it.
Hadn't heard of Ulephone, but I like what I'm seeing so far!
What model do you have? A lot of their phones look like they have a thermal camera, which could be really useful (temps get pretty extreme where I live, so being able to see heat-leaks in my home could help to insulate them).
Also thermal aside, how's the camera? I used to think more megapixels = better, but have since found there's a lot more to image quality than just pixels (focus accuracy, good color saturation, etc).
I also have an ulephone but I'm looking for a way out. Sadly their phones don't have replacement parts so if your power button breaks, you can't fix it.
I actually just had to spray contact cleaner into my volume switch to get that to work, seawater is not kind to electronics.
Oh not that. The spring inside mine is broken
No bloatware with Chinese manufacturers? Are you dreaming? Oppos, Xiaomi, and all the sub brands of the bbk group (vivo, realme, etc) come with so much bloatware that they are forced to include an aggressive task killer and Memory cleaner to make it work properly
OK, cool?
I don't have one of those, and the phone I do have is free of crap.