You should be good if you're using Android without Google services, I think.
That's exactly the rub. We don't really know.
My Windows phone is going defunkt and the only alternative I really see is either an iPhone, or then back to a dumb phone (a 4G wifi hotspot function would be great, but I haven't found a reasonable dumb phone supporting that).
I'll be damned before I carry any Android device on me.
Replicant runs on a total of around 5 devices. LineageOS runs on a lot of devices, the only difference is that LineageOS includes proprietary drivers, but not proprietary userland.
So, Lineage is a more realistic alternative. They're unlikely to spy on you through the drivers, at least it's more unlikely than being spied on by Apple by using an iPhone.
The problem with that approach is that I don't want to fiddle with my phone. I don't fancy installing custom roms and I don't need the frustration about a device running 99% fine, except for those annoying 1% that you need right now.
I see an analogy in GNU/Linux, which I started to use in 1999 (yeah, on the desktop). It was really good fun. I liked compiling my own kernels because I could. It's great when you can compile, say, Postgresql to the exact specifics of your box, etc.
But then you get to the point where you just want that damn thing to work. You don't want to waste a couple hours or more in figuring out how to burn a cd. let alone games (a situation, which is much better now). So, at one point and as much as I like GNU/Linux, the philosophy behind free software and the endless possibilities of tinkering with your system I switched back to Windows.
It's probably even worse with a phone. I want that damn thing to just work and I don't see that with keeping an Android phone Google free.
At least Apple is not in the business of selling my privacy to the sleaziest of sleaze in order to make a quick buck.
Edited to add : Thanks for the Librem 5 suggestion. I'll look into it.
My phone on Lineage OS 15 without Google stuff just works. There is nothing that does not work. It is flawless.
Actually, it works better than an average Android phone, or than the same phone with stock system:
- better battery life (it used ~ 2% battery during this very work day, with a few texts and one call) because it quite literally does nothing if I don't use it (granted, I use ForceDoze and that helps a lot).
- It never shows any sign of slowness, is never laggy like I can witness on many phones around me (and I use Firefox Mobile, which is supposed to be slow from what I read).
- I didn't have to disable any unwanted app.
Well, except for EAP SIM Wifi authentication, which does not work on any custom ROM that I know of and flashing a custom ROM is indeed a stressful experience, especially the first time.
Librem 5 will be pricey but seems like a good option when it is ready.
Maybe I should indeed do some research and look into it seriously. Your experience sounds really good and, provided I go that route, should save me a bundle (iPhones, especially the new lineup) are brutally expensive in Europe.
Your reply (and others in the thread) once again shows what a valuable resource HN can be.
This is my only chance right now unfortunately. As I've written here before I use open source closed loop insulin systems and Android is the most convenient OS to run them without needing to reinstall every now and then as you do in iOS.
I'd like something more linux-y, maybe with support for Android that I can run xDrip and AndroidAPS. But nothing else from Google. Anyways Signal, Email and Firefox are the other apps I need from the system.
