What phone brand do you like the best?
What phone brand do you like the best?
*In terms of privacy, customisation, camera quality, and battery time.
For the longest time I have only used either iPhone or Samsung. I plan on switching to Android for the next phone I get, but I find that Samsung phones are often too big for me and put too much energy on camera quality (I don’t take many photos). I have started to look into brands such as Nokia and Motorola, and I would like to know what you guys think of them. Additionally, do you suggest any other phone brands aside from them? My biggest priorities are privacy and long battery time. Bonus if the phone can run LineageOS (I have excluded Graphene as they are only compatible with Pixel phones).
Thank you for any answers. Cheers!
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The irony of using Android is that if you want privacy and security you'll have to buy a Pixel phone. Everything else is either less secure or harder to install alternative systems.
I don't recall it was hard to install IodéOS on a Fairphone 4.
It isn't, but it isn't also secure. Your bootloader is easily compromised and people can get to your data in no time.
True, since Fairphone's focus seems to be on fairness in the hardware. I wish they were better on the software side as well.
I think if Fairphones get GrapheneOS support, it would be a no brainer for many. A phone you can repair yourself, which is fairly produced, with the safety and the absence of Google from GrapheneOS would be a good combo
I think if Fairphones get GrapheneOS support...
Then Fairphone needs to up their hardware security and software support. GrapheneOS has minimum requirements that vendors must meet for GrapheneOS to support them, and Fairphone doesn't measure up. Only Pixels do, at the moment.
Me too.
Fairphone should also work on the fairness side of things, because they dropped the headphone jack and, with a heavy heart I'm sure, started selling unfair Lithium Earbuds...
Their reasoning was, in part, people who bought their modular repairable phone said it was too big.
In that case, would you not recommend Motorola? I’m not very well versed on their terms of privacy, and I really like the way they look and how seemingly good the battery is, but if it’s considered unsafe or full of malware then I might need to look other ways.
The problem is that GrapheneOS really, truly, actually is the only way to get even reasonable levels of privacy on a mobile device right now.
That sounds so much like a shill statement, and it seems that way from others too I'm sure. But its true. If you understand anything at all that happens under the hood of an operating system and android in general, GrapheneOS is the ONLY option for actual privacy and security. And the unfortunate part, is that only Pixels are supported by this.
I will read more into this, but it sounds reasonable. If I were to get a Pixel, is there any particular model I should get or does it not matter? Does Graphene support all models?
Read this: https://grapheneos.org/faq#device-support
Unlike others, Graphene has very strict requirements when it comes to devices to ensure you're safe.
As usual if you’re looking to have any security (Verified boot) GrapheneOS + Pixel phone is the only options. I really don’t get it how come people in places like this are okay with having a phone with all their personal data and logins without verified boot. Stolen / lost phone and game over.
Calyx, for instance, isn't as good as GrapheneOS, they do a lot of snitching on you (including to Google and Mozilla) and they overlook critical details such as this one allowing the OS to contact 3rd parties such as Qualcomm.
Other phone brands, let's say Fairphone just don't make thing right. Fairphone guys have been petitioned multiples times to open their platform and/or collaborate with projects such as GrapheneOS and CalyxOS so user can have private and secure phones but they don't care.
CalyxOS does support the Fairphone 4 however that's only due to the persistence and reverse engineering efforts of the CalyxOS project / community. If you decide to use it you won't have a secure bootloader anymore due to a bug in Fairphone's firmware that they choose not to fix. That's how "fair" the "Fairphone" really is.
Here is more relevant information for you from here:
XTRA is technology offered by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. in the US and QT Technologies Ireland Limited in the European Economic Area to improve mobile device performance. XTRA downloads a data file from Qualcomm containing the predicted orbits of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites. Using the XTRA data file reduces the time the device needs to calculate its location, thus saving time and battery power when using location-based applications. Newer versions of the XTRA software also upload a small amount of data to us. We use the uploaded data for purposes described in this Policy, such as maintaining and improving the quality, security, and integrity of the service. XTRA uploads the following data types: a randomly generated unique ID, the chipset name and serial number, XTRA software version, the mobile country code and network code (allowing identification of country and wireless operator), the type of operating system and version, device make and model, the time since the last boot of the application processor and modem, and a list of our software on the device
Before you say this is the CPU's fault, it isn't, at least on its own. GrapheneOS also deals with this kind of stuff and has patches and options so you can block it.
Calyx does a lot of snitching on you
That is certainly over dramatic for what is in that article. All they do with Google is trivial things like updating your systems internal clock. A large portion of what is in that article is able to be disabled and prevented by not using Micro-G.
There seems to be massive beef and drama between Calyx and Graphene communities, I have no idea what any of that is about, but this dramatization doesn’t help.
That is certainly over dramatic for what is in that article. All they do with Google is trivial things like updating your systems internal clock
No it's not... https://calyxos.org/docs/guide/security/network-activity/ and even if it "only" updating your clock, don't you think that google adds that info to their database? I'm sure they'll at least log your IP and try to cross with your other google queries to know who you are. Mind that with the IP you get an approximate location. It also contacts SUPL for GPS and Remote Key Provisioning that opens the door for you to become hostage of Google in certain situations.
There seems to be massive beef and drama between Calyx and Graphene communities, I have no idea what any of that is about, but this dramatization doesn’t help.
This is not dramatization, Calyx is good in some aspect, way better than everything else stock and whatnot, but they overlook important details as described before.
GrapheneOS supports recent Pixels. I think right now they are supporting the 5a and later, with legacy and extended support back to the 4.
In general, they stop providing updates when Google does. Check both to be sure, but newer is better if you want longer support.
I'm going Google will launch a Pixel 8a in a couple months so I can either get it or the 8 at a discount.
For posterity and nuance, here's the answer from their site: Which devices are supported? but you're right for the most part.
Grapehene has historically offered extended support, but for the longest support time the pixel 8 isnt a bad option. The 7a is also I think the king of budget phones right now but the 8 is on sale for a few hundred off the last I checked :)
And the unfortunate part, is that only Pixels are supported by this.
Because unlike the Fairphone guys google actually plays fairly and builds a decent phone with security in mind.
I can't speak for privacy interworkings but Motorola makes it very easy to unlock the bootloader. I'm a fan of Xiaomi as well but my current Motorola is doing everything I need it to do and wasn't expensive at all.
This isn't about malware, it's about how much you value your data and how likely it is for a mobile phone to be lost / stolen. GrapheneOS + Pixel phone is the only true option if you want any kind of ensure that even of the device is lost your data won't be accessed.
Details here: https://lemmy.world/comment/8732695
GrapheneOS + Pixel phone is the only true option if you want any kind of ensure that even of the device is lost your data won't be accessed.
I think that's an exaggeration. You don't need secure boot for your data to be encrypted. What secure boot prevents is someone modifying the device without your knowledge (e.g. to capture your keys).
Yes, and if they capture your keys what happens? They get to your data.
Why is this a problem? Buy one used if buying from Google is a problem. Then flash.
Yes, there's no problem. I was just stating that the irony is that if you want privacy and security you'll have to pick a google made device because the others will fail one way or another in some important detail.
This irony shows the superiority of Google.
They monopolize without having intention of monopoly.
It's admirable