I’m a complete and utter newbie to this. But, based on the discussion about “not needing a new phone” and the availability of alternatives in Canada, can anyone recommend what might act as a suitable alternative to Android and iPhone OS. Ideally, I can keep my phone and just use a different OS. But I have some problems and could use some foundational knowledge to start my research and make a decision:

  1. I’m trying to keep my Samsung S21 Ultra as long as possible. I looked at Graphene and Lineage and both do not support it from what I can tell.
  2. Internet, heavy data use is not an issue. I have wi-fi wherever I go.
  3. I’d prefer not to buy a new phone. If I need to buy a used phone, I am leaning towards an older Pixel and Graphene OS. Is that a sound decision? If not, are there phones such as Fairphone (not in Canada…) to consider?
  • lemmysmash@piefed.socialEnglish
    6·
    13 days ago

    Unfortunately, there’s no alternative to a GrapheneOS phone nowadays.

    • Linux phones: good privacy and good customization, but poor security, poor hardware support and poorish software support (e.g. android apps that require play verification)
    • iOS: good security, almost okayish privacy, but you basically don’t own your phone
    • Mainline Android: good compatibility, good hardware support, but poor to abysmal (depending on the make) security, poor to abysmal privacy, you almost don’t own your phone
    • Lineage OS / iodeOS / etc: goodish privacy, adequate support for a lot of hardware, control over your phone, but poorish security, poorish software support (e.g. android apps that require play verification), lack of hardware support (e.g. the very S21)
    • Fairphone & similar — they fall somewhere in the middle between mainline Android and LineageOS stuff — better privacy than mainline, more flexibility than mainline, but still dependency on Google whims, and poorish security.

    That said, IMO there are two directions:

    • Pixel phone (or Motorola in the future) + GrapheneOS — good software but new meh hardware —
    • Current phone, maximally decrapped (ideally, almost everything but very core services disabled, e.g. via universal debloater or manually via adb) — much more private than mainline Android, relatively stable and with at least some baseline security + critical security patches from the OEM

    Great OS comparison (Android-based only): https://eylenburg.github.io/android_comparison.htm

    • Tehdastehdas@piefed.socialEnglish
      1·
      13 days ago

      I agree. GrapheneOS is the best (unless Google hardware is backdoored - does anyone check microchips with a microscope?).

      Lineage OS / iodeOS / etc:

      /e/OS is very beginner-friendly (as was Mandrake Linux from the same guy) compared to GrapheneOS, and it has been translated to more languages. My newest opinion about /e/OS after 1.5 years of use: https://piefed.social/post/2293825#comment_12563961