I currently have an iPhone X. I like it, but it’s gradually dying. It’s also a bit too big. Perfect size would be the iPhone 7 or similar. I’ve had different brand phones before this, so while I’ve been on Apple for a while, I’ve had Samsung, Motorola, Sony, Nokia etc. all the way back to the Nokia 3210.
I’m becoming a bit fed up of big brands and so want to de-Apple myself, but also not go Google. I would love a dumb phone, but I do have some regular apps: MS Auth for work; Lemmy; Philips Hue; Sensibo; WhatsApp.
I was looking at alternative OS options such as Graphene OS, that in theory allow you to run Android apps without Google. But how well do they work?
This would be my primary (only) phone.
So given size considerations (iPhone 7), ability to not be Apple or Google OS, but also be able to run my key apps, what do my options look like?
I’d go into a store and ask, but say ‘not apple and not google’ and you get a vacant stare in response.
The only phones that are deGoogled out of the box (Huawei, mostly), did’t manage to deliver very satisfying experience, so no special recommendation from me.
However, there are options like /e/OS that provide easy to install, de-Googled Android installation, providing the phone is on their compatibility list. If I were in your shoes, I’d check one of such options and consider a phone from the compatilibty list they maintain.
For example:
https://e.foundation/e-os/
These phones are sweet, as far as I’m concerned.
I’m not familiar with e/OS/ but fairphone recently released their phone to the US market with this OS preinstalled.