Privacy Friendly Smart Phone?
I don't trust Apple on my data privacy anymore. Just partnered with worst offenders just for AI namesake. Samsung and Google are doing the same forcing to login to use the phone and handover all data to their cloud. What remains as choice if you still like quality smart phone but not made by these major brands?
I'm using a Pixel 6a with GrapheneOS for about 18 months now. Love it. No need to login to Google. Putting GrapheneOS on the phone took 5 minutes.
Prrivacy is important. I kept using my Blackberry Z30 long after its demise had been signalled. I then moved to SailfishOS on a Sony XA2+, which I ran with until late 2023. Unfortunately as I get older, larger phones become less usable, and the full Sailfish experience isn't available on any truly small phones. So ... after a lot of research and with my fingers and toes crossed, I bought a Jelly Star from UniHertz and flashed it with LineageOS without Google.
It's been a revelation. The phone is superfast and very capable. Any concerns about the three inch screen size were quickly erased, and I have the convenience of a phone that fits in any pocket. Flashing a Google-less OS and using non-Google apps and services has been a good fit with the Linux environments I run everywhere else.
I'd suggest getting an Android and flashing a privacy ROM like /e/OS, GrapheneOS, or LineageOS. These all remove all Google-specific parts of Android and replace them with homebrew solutions as needed.
Google Pixel with Pixel OS wiped and GrapheneOS installed in its place.
Ironically, a Google Pixel with GrapheneOS installed on it.