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?
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.
Murena (the company behind /e/ os) also sell smartphones with /e/ os installed. They’ve also partnered with Fairphone if you’re looking for a more sustainable model. I bought the Fairphone with /e/ os a couple of months ago because I was looking for a phone with replaceable parts and it works well. They also sell some refurbished models I believe.
Another alternative is iodeOS. They also sell pre-installed Fairphones and support a few more devices (not as many as eOS) https://iode.tech/de/installation-iodeos/#1611161940311-4fb3b2cf-4d60|sc-tabs-1700424213961
Here you can filter the search for Custom ROMs by release year. A few current models are already available: https://www.sustaphones.com/ beside Pixels i.e. Xiaomi, 2023, redwood X5 Pro 5G, Teracube 2e, 2022, emerald, Motorola g32, g42, g52, …
I recommend you purchase a Google Pixel 6a or above (minimum security support ends July 2027) and flash GrapheneOS. (Pixel 8/pro preferred)
Aurora Store doesn’t avoid Google since a lot of the apps from the play store include Google’s SDK and libraries. microG also doesn’t avoid Google as it is still running proprietary Google code and has more privacy/security weaknesses
Sandboxed Google Mobile Services is a much better implementation which is featured in GrapheneOS. The services are not privileged and is treated like any other app. They don’t downgrade privacy or security unlike the other alternatives.
There are much more privacy and security benefits using GOS. Here is a 3rd party comparison between different mobile OS.
thanks for the answer! I would gladly do this if only pixel phones had an SD card… Sadly they don’t, and I really need it, so no pixel for me :(