Smartphones: are there any alternative to the big tech?

I’m not sure this is the correct category, but I don’t want to support big tech companies (especially Google) at all. Are there reputable brands from smaller companies? I was checking out the Fairphone(s) and it looks pretty good, what do you think about it?

One commonly suggested way to still get a secure device such as a modern Pixel without supporting the big tech companies is to buy one second hand. That way your money goes to whoever is reselling the device instead.

I really can’t recommend you get a Fairphone. While I understand the appeal of such a repairable device they are chronically insecure due to slow updates, and historically using AVB test keys, among other shortcomings. See more here: Fairphone 5.

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Fairphone 5 is quite bulky but does support CalyxOS. If you don’t want to support big manufacturers and dont want to get a used phone, then I think it is a sensible move.

Edit: According to Qualcom, they intend to support the SoC till 2036.

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Yes the choice here of the Qualcomm chip is designed so that it can deliver updates long into the future
I do have to agree with @phnx a little here: If Fairphone rolls their security updates even more slowly than CalyxOS and LineageOS for example or Samsung or whatever. Especially if that delay is as long as say at worst 6 months to 1 year, It makes the support cycle pointless imo. (like we don’t need Google levels of security patches here, that’s impossible but manufacturers should at the very least make updates monthly, at minimum)

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Doesn’t that depend on the OS, though, so by using another one it will be fine?

No because custom AOSP distributions still depend on the OEM for firmware updates and other device specific code. Therefore using an alternative OS only partially resolves these concerns. The alternative OSes that do exist for Fairphones are generally quite bad at keeping up with security patches anyways so it’s not really an improvement. Their use of older SOCs which aren’t fit for purpose and lack important security features is also a major concern.

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