Privacy

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Small phone with privacy friendly OS (feddit.org)

submitted 6 days ago by Flubo@feddit.org to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

13 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I am desperately looking for a small phone compatible with a privacy friendly OS, best would be if the phone is not too old, lets say Less than 3 years.

I had a pixel 5 with graphene. Its Brocken and to be honest it was already too big for my small hands.

Usually phones with a width less than 70mm are considered easy to use with one Hand -even with small hands. I dont need a big screen at all since i have good eyes and use small fonts.

E.g. the unihertz jelly max seems perfect but i didnt find an easy way to put a privacy friendly OS.

On the other Hand looking at the supported devices oft graphene/ callyx and e/OS not a single one seems to offer ONE small phone.

Are there people here with the same Problem? Whats your solution?

I See 2 options for me: either i get a cheap (second Hand) big phone and hope that there will be smaller phones again in the near future. or i give up on using phones with one Hand and get a fairphone or pixel (second hand) again... What do you think is better? The Option to compromise in privacy is not an Option for me.

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[–] perfectly_boiled_pizza@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

I'm also looking for this. I'll probably end up buying a Fairphone 6 when it comes out and use CalyxOS, but I have looked at alternatives.

These require using LineageOS:

The Asus Zenfone 8 is from 2021. It's 148 x 68.5 x 8.9 mm and has ok specs. I don't do anything demanding anyway.

The Sony Xperia 5 V is from 2023. It's 154 x 68 x 8.6 mm and has good specs, but is expensive.

The Samsung Galaxy S10e is from 2019. It's 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm and has below average specs (compared to modern phones). This is my favorite phone. I used this before my current one and miss it so much. I should have just changed the battery. I would pay lots of money for an S10e with a modern, more energy efficient processor and higher density battery.

[–] Flubo@feddit.org 1 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Is lineage nowadaxs as good AS graphene ans calyx? I had it 10 years ago in a phone and when i switched to graphene it was so much better. But the list lof small phones they have is promising. Thanks!

[–] sonalder@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

GrapheneOS is superior in many regards. CalyxOS is a more de-googled experience than standard LineageOS which it is based on with optionnal microG for better compatibility. LineageOS still have many Google blobs in it's code even though it's cleaner than every Stock Android OS in regards to privacy and third-party bloat.

[–] perfectly_boiled_pizza@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, I should be using GrapheneOS. It is the better OS. I absolutely agree. I just don't like the hardware.

I want a small (max 71 mm width) phone with lots of local storage, a 3.5mm port, card slot, replaceable battery, optical fingerprint sensor, plastic back, IR port and wireless charging.

I understand that I can't get all of this in 2025, but I'm trying to at least get as much as possible. That's why I'm probably going to end up getting a Fairphone 6 when it comes out and use CalyxOS.

[–] sonalder@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Fairphone are big tho

[–] perfectly_boiled_pizza@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

I know :( They also removed the 3.5 mm port. It's getting harder and harder to find a phone with good hardware in my opinion. Makers of phones largely focus on improving stuff I don't care about.

[–] perfectly_boiled_pizza@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

CalyxOS is based on LineageOS, so it's very similar. microG is not included though, so you have to install that yourself if you want it. You can't get Datura on LineageOS but it's based on LineageOS's firewall which is kinda similar but more basic.

LineageOS does not come with Gapps. So LineageOS is basically a good clean Android experience and CalyxOS is the privacy focused fork. Both are waaaaay more private than the version of Android installed from the factory but CalyxOS makes privacy a bit easier.