this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2025
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I currently use an iPhone, but given the recent attacks made by the US president and members of his administration on my country (tariffs, annexation threats,etc) I am loathe to support any company based out of that nation any longer. Obviously I know that it is likely impossible to get a functional mobile experience with zero US corporate involvement, but what is the least possible I could do and still be practical? A degoogled fair phone device? Something Chinese running a custom rom like lineage os?

I want to sell my iPhone and Apple Watch ASAP and get something that won’t have my sending money to the US via my app purchases (store cut), monthly services (iCloud), and my data being used/sold.

Thanks!

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[–] schnapspraline@lemmy.world 64 points 3 months ago (5 children)

Devices

  • Fairphone 5 (Netherlands)
    • OS: LineageOS, CalyxOS
    • Or buy it new from iode (France), they also sell other phones as well
  • Shiftphone 8 (Germany)
    • Is the only Android phone with hardware kill switches (for mic and camera)
    • Working on CalyxOS and LineageOS support

For OS comparission

[–] olof@lemmy.ml 11 points 3 months ago

I have a Fairphone 5 and am very satisfied with it. Would definitely recommend

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 8 points 3 months ago (3 children)

For OS comparission

It's worth noting that graphene doesn't have automatic calls recording, and the Devs have been weirdly aggressive about deleting and banning people that ask for it.

[–] xep@fedia.io 17 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Graphene OS just has weirdly aggressive devs.

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 13 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I guess it's very "on brand" for the devs of a privacy project to be extremely paranoid.

[–] SidewaysHighways@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

isn't it more security focused than privacy?

[–] TheLightItBurns@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

I use GrapheneOS and have reviewed a lot of the documentation in the OS and built in apps. They like to pair the words privacy and security together in that documentation. The info sheet for the chromium degoogled browser they developed called Vanadium is very focused on both aspects. I personally think the two concepts go hand in hand.

Its also the first time I've used a non-firefox type of browser in almost a decade. It feels weird, but they are good at describing why it's more secure in GrapheneOS due to its superior ability to maintain app sandboxes, which is a big reason I use the OS. Full control over what apps can see on my device.

[–] ashaman2007@lemm.ee 8 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Maybe because... automatically recording calls is literally illegal in some places around the world? It should probably be user choice to opt in to that so it wouldn't be on by default. And then, if you have it on while travelling, you could forget and break the law when going through a jurisdiction that does not allow it. Better to explicitly allow for each call, like it does currently.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_call_recording_laws

[–] maxmalrichtig@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 3 months ago

I have the Fairphone form iode with their OS on it. Best phone I had so far and the System ist pretty much set up the way I like it out if the box.

[–] knoedelsuppe@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 3 months ago

I would add the Mudita Kompakt to the list. It's from Poland and runs on a de-googled AOSP. With a 4,3 inch e-ink screen it is a niche phone though.

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Such a bummer that I can’t use one here in the US.

[–] CMDR_Horn@lemmy.world 51 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Used pixel, put grapheneos on it.

Helps prevent e-waste and youll end up with a fully functioning phone

[–] BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Yes, used is the way to go to be the most socially and anti-capitalist conscious.

[–] ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 months ago

This is a very good option

[–] stardust@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 months ago

Yep buying used is the route to go to not directly source a company with new revenue.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 30 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You already own it. You aren't doing Apple any favors by continuing to own it and you're not hurting them by getting rid of it.

[–] daddy32@lemmy.world 22 points 3 months ago (1 children)

False. You are hurting them by not providing them a recurring revenue and stream of your data.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

What "recurring revenue stream" are you referring to? And what data?

[–] daddy32@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

OP mentioned store or inapp purchases plus cloud subscription.

And ALL data, noone knows what apple is doing with it.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

OP mentioned store or inapp purchases plus cloud subscription.

I mean they could simply...stop doing that?

noone knows what apple is doing with it

I assume nothing until proven otherwise, considering we know for a fact that any other device is going to be sending a plethora of data for Google to monetize.

[–] strict0768@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Another comment mentioned GrapheneOS.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 0 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Even Graphene is nigh-unusable without Google services.

[–] kmacmartin@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 months ago

I use GrapheneOS without Google services and the only issue I have to work around is Slack notifications. Everything else is fantastic.

[–] strict0768@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

Well, it is if you depend on google services. But you don't have to.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 27 points 3 months ago

Second hand Pixel phone and install GrapheneOS on it.

https://grapheneos.org/

[–] MTK@lemmy.world 17 points 3 months ago

For the phone itself I would say fairphone, but another option is buying a second hand android and installing a custom rom, No money given to the owner company.

[–] aramis87@fedia.io 14 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Not being stupid here, but: do you need to? I completely understand and support the anger, but what in-app purchases are you making and can't you stop making them? You can switch to the free iCloud account (so they don't get money) and download/delete your content so they don't have access to it.

I think your data being used is the big one, but it leads down a big privacy hole; you'll have to decide how far you want you take that.

I'm just wondering if you'll end up giving more money to them by buying a new phone, Rather than sticking with your current phone, stopping in-app purchases, deleting iCloud, and installing privacy protection.

[–] BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago

Right. Purchasing new sends money to the ultra rich somewhere in the world.

[–] toodd@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 3 months ago

if your in the EU give fairphone a look, over 7 years of updates promised for the fairphone 5 in addition to being one of the more repairable phones out there

[–] ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

If you want a phone that can run a degoogled rom without voiding warranty and don’t mind some American parts Fairphone

If you don’t care about warranty or some American parts you have a lot of choices. Samsung is Korean, Sony Xperia is Japanese, etc

If you want a phone that has absolutely no American parts (which means avoiding the Qualcomm chips in the above phones) you are limited to Chinese phones and really to Huawei. Xiaomi still uses some Qualcomm chips. This will make using western apps a bit of a chore though as they will have to be sideloaded, they won’t be available through the huawei appgallery and the kirin chips don’t support 5g. These are degoogled though. I don’t think you’re in the us based on your post but just in case you are these won’t work in the USA, carriers may not activate them bc sanctions

Qualcomm is hard to get around for cellular modems but their stranglehold is finally starting to get broken. Mediatek (Taiwan), Samsung (Korea), Huawei (China), etc are making cellular modem ics now. Even within America apple finally released theirs with the newest iphone that just released the other day

[–] thefartographer@lemm.ee 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Ulefone is a great option if you don't care about security updates and want to beat something to death with your phone.

I dropped my power armor 13 while getting out of my car one day and left a half-dollar sized dent in my door frame.

[–] ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 months ago

I’m unfamiliar but some brief searching shows they use kigen for sim handling and mediatek for processor/modem so it appears they also have little to no American parts, though I’m not sure of this

[–] 0x0@programming.dev 7 points 3 months ago

Anything second-hand, really.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Not really.

Chinese phones sold in the west still have Google Play Services, which give google (potential) ad revenue.

So you just get spied on by BOTH the NSA and the Chinese Intelligence Agencies.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 months ago

I mean you could get the chinese domestic versions. I think Huawei has ones with stripped domestic Android.

[–] NightOwl@lemmy.one 1 points 3 months ago

I remember when Chinese phones used to have a thriving custom rom scene. Then one by one they started locking their crap down or making tools available for it poor enough that custom rom support died out.

[–] Gxost@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

Samsung is from South Korea, and their flagships are on par with iPhones.

[–] BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

If you want to cost a company money, calling and talking to a person is a big expense for any company.

[–] John@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Maybe Jolla with SailfishOS would be the best bet.

[–] YerbaYerba@lemm.ee 1 points 3 months ago

They had significant Russian funding last I knew. Has that changed?

[–] Horsey@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

Samsung is basically all Korean?

[–] pet1t@lemm.ee 1 points 3 months ago

Nothing Phone is British, if I remember correctly

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