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In case you need some motivation to de-google (mastodon.online)
submitted 3 days ago by to c/buyeuropean@feddit.uk
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[โ€“] 14 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

You don't need to get a non-Android phone in order to get a non-Google phone.

Android is open source, and if you are willing to forgo the Google Play Store and Google Play Services there are non-Google options. GrapheneOS and /e/OS are de-Googled versions of Android, for example.

Fairphone comes with an option with /e/OS installed by default, if you don't want to bother installing it yourself.

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  • [โ€“] 6 points 3 days ago

    Android may be technically 'open source' but it is not a collaborative project. It is completely controlled by Google, who are reducing the frequency of their source code releases and gradually making it more difficult for third-party Android forks to survive by convincing app vendors to make their apps refuse work on non-'certified' Google Android installations.

    Alternative phone operating systems are the way to go if you really want to de-Google. Lots of them can run Android apps as well as the Android forks for now, and their own app libraries are growing rapidly as developers get tired of Google's shenanigans.

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  • [โ€“] 5 points 3 days ago* (2 children)

    I need to look into this. Fairphone seems a good option.

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  • [โ€“] 7 points 3 days ago* (1 child)

    If you specifically want /e/OS, you need to watch out where you buy the Fairphone.
    There is two versions, with the regular Android (with Google services) version being the more common one.

    https://www.fairphone.com/nl/the-fairphone-gen-6-e-operating-system

    If you buy this one from their website you are guaranteed to get the /e/OS version

    Edit: Also worth noting that you could also unlock the bootloader, and install /e/OS on the regular Android version as well. You might be able to save โ‚ฌ 150-200 that way.

    To my knowledge you can relock the bootloader after you are done? You'd have to look into that yourself though.

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  • [โ€“] 1 point 3 days ago (1 child)

    You're only saving โ‚ฌ50 and you lose your warranty...

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  • [โ€“] 1 point 3 days ago*

    Not sure if you can buy unlocked phones from 3rd parties where you live, but over here in the NL I can get a green one for โ‚ฌ511,-

    https://www.galaxus.nl/nl/s1/product/fairphone-gen-6-256-gb-bosgroen-631-sim-esim-5g-smartphone-57937990?offertype=retail&offerid=2705624

    (They used to be under โ‚ฌ500 for all models, but the RAM shortage makes a fool of us all)

    Buying the /e/OS version from Fairphone directly is โ‚ฌ649. So the difference is still โ‚ฌ138, which I wouldn't say is insignificant.

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