I currently have an iPhone X. I like it, but it’s gradually dying. It’s also a bit too big. Perfect size would be the iPhone 7 or similar. I’ve had different brand phones before this, so while I’ve been on Apple for a while, I’ve had Samsung, Motorola, Sony, Nokia etc. all the way back to the Nokia 3210.

I’m becoming a bit fed up of big brands and so want to de-Apple myself, but also not go Google. I would love a dumb phone, but I do have some regular apps: MS Auth for work; Lemmy; Philips Hue; Sensibo; WhatsApp.

I was looking at alternative OS options such as Graphene OS, that in theory allow you to run Android apps without Google. But how well do they work?

This would be my primary (only) phone.

So given size considerations (iPhone 7), ability to not be Apple or Google OS, but also be able to run my key apps, what do my options look like?

I’d go into a store and ask, but say ‘not apple and not google’ and you get a vacant stare in response.

  • trot@lemmy.world
    7·
    11 months ago

    I use Graphene OS. While you can run it completely de-Googled, in order to run Play Store applications Graphene OS takes the route of sandboxing Google Play services. This means that they run with the privileges of a regular application and you can deny it access to e.g. sensors.

    Sandboxed Google Play is practically identical in functionality to its non-sandboxed counterpart from the stock ROM, and nearly all applications should work. I can confirm that WhatsApp works for certain, as well as my banking app.

    Calyx OS is another one that uses MicroG as a replacement for Google Play Services instead, but I have not used it.