Hello there! This is my problem: I’m going to buy a new smartphone, and I’d really like to degoogle myself as much as possible. The idea would be to buy a device compatible with LineageOS, but… Supported devices are usually older models, and often there are newer devices with better specs for the same price, that does not support lineageOS. Is seems a shame to buy a device with lower specs than another one just because of software compatibility. So the alternative would be to buy an unsupported device, unlock the bootloader and debloat it as much as possible, flash privileged fdroid and aurora store on it, install microg, etc… What do you suggest me to do? Is the second alternative a viable option? What other steps should I do if I decide to go that way?

Thanks in advance folks!

Edit:
Thanks to anyone for the great answers! I finally decided to buy a pixel 6 (or 6 pro if I find a good deal) and install a custom ROM on it! GrapheneOS will support it for “only” 3 more years, while other roms like lineageos or divestos will have longer support. What do you suggest? Graphene OS and when support ends switch to another one? O directly use the other one?

  • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
    0·
    7 months ago

    If you have the money and you care about not buying or owning a Google product, and / or you care about repairability, get a FairPhone: you can install GrapheneOS or CalyxOS on them and they too support relocking the bootloader. It’s not just Pixel phones.

    Bonus: they have a SD card slot, unlike Pixel phones.

    They’re not the speediest or sleekest devices, but that’s not where the interest lies with Fairphone cellphones: they’re mostly designed for long life and easy maintenance, and they’re made by a cool company I want to support personally. And they’re not made by Google, so buying one won’t support Google or the Pixel ecosystem in any way.

    • tubbadu@lemmy.kde.socialOPEnglish
      1·
      7 months ago

      If you have the money

      here’s the problem XD I’m willing to pay around 350€, 400 at most, and the fairphone 4 starts from over 500€

  • Pope-King Joe@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    7 months ago

    Ironically, the best devices for degoogling are Pixels. You can unlock the bootloader very easily and then flash something like GrapheneOS or CalyxOS, and finally even relock the bootloader afterwards for security. Graphene can run google services in a sandboxed mode and Calyx has microG by default iirc.

  • MigratingtoLemmy@lemmy.world
    0·
    7 months ago

    I am dismayed at the current scenario of basically nothing but the pixels being supported for rooting (not the fault of the community). Also a bit saddened by how easily everyone has accepted it.

    If I don’t go the pixel route, I will probably purchase a cheap OnePlus mobile next year with at least kernel version 5.10. By next year, KernelSU should be more mature, and if you know about KernelSU, you know that passing SafetyNet is not a problem. I’d run microG in the work profile and put my apps there, and also debloat the pathetic excuse of ColourOS (or whatever Oppo uses). Fuckwads couldn’t even keep the damn tool open to unbrick devices (which is why development stopped). By next year I just need to figure out how to install patches with a modded kernel.

    Sorry that doesn’t answer your question since you need a mobile now. I’m just quite annoyed at the state we are in. I really hope linux mobiles take off in the near future and I don’t have to deal with such nonsense.

    • azdle@news.idlestate.orgEnglish
      1·
      7 months ago

      I am dismayed at the current scenario of basically nothing but the pixels being supported for rooting (not the fault of the community). Also a bit saddened by how easily everyone has accepted it.

      Serious question, what the the community not accepting it look like?