I am looking for a new Android smartphone (currently on iOS).
Obviously I read about GrapheneOS as the „Gold Standard“ of alternative OS. But the downside is that it only runs on Pixels. Which is kinda weird to buy a device from a company you want to „boycott“ (de-Google).
On the other hand I kinda like the approach of Fairphone: most parts are easy repairable, parts are available and cheap compared to Google and Apple. But the downside here is that it isn’t supported by GrapheneOS, doesn’t have the most capable hardware for the price and probably won’t get 7 years of updates like the Pixel 8a in comparison.
So that leaves me with a „analysis paralysis“: I have to choose a device and a CustomROM.
/e/OS does seem interesting but I read some comments that it isn’t that secure like GrapheneOS. I don’t need that high-level of security but it should be significantly more than stock Android to be worth all the hassle by installing/using a CustomROM. On the other hand I don’t want to sacrifice every comfort for the sake of the last bit of (theoretical) security.
Did someone go down this path as well recently and can share some experiences? Maybe there is even some better alternative.
Sony's Xperia phones are fantastic and the bootloader can be unlocked on most models (check the sony bootloader unlock webpage to check). Xperia phones have a micro sd slot, headphone jack, and physical camera shutter button. I have an Xperia 1 iii running LineageOS w/microG and it's fantastic and stable. Bit of a learning curve to set it up though.
Depending on where you live, I would recommend the new Xperia 1 VI; Sony is promising support for three OS versions and four years of security updates. It's not great but it is far better than what they previously promised with their phones.