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Ask HN: What smartphone should I get if I'm concerned about privacy?

7 points by padobson ↗ HN
I refuse to buy an Amazon Echo or Google Home because I don't want anything listening to me constantly. I would also like to be able to carry my smartphone around without worrying about it listening to me either.

I know this sounds a bit paranoid and may be irrational, but I like being paranoid and irrational.

Which phone will best suit my paranoia and irrationality? Are Android and iOS devices immediately disqualified?

9 comments

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PaulHoule
Think different.

If you care about privacy you should own a computer, not a smartphone.

People use this infantile language when it comes to phones, it is "our smartphones". As in, "our smartphones killed the people on MH 370 when a pallet of lithium batteries burned up."

Don't let people get away with that. It is "Verizon's smartphones", "Google's smartphones". They own them, they make you pay rent.

Mononokay
I'd recommend to either go with an iOS device or wait until the Librem comes out.
BjoernKW
The truly paranoid answer probably is burner phones with no personally identifiable information on them but that might not exactly be practical or useful in many cases.

iOS devices fare pretty well in terms of privacy. Siri operates on your data entirely locally, for instance (which some people argue puts Apple's AI efforts at a disadvantage).

Apple's software isn't open source, of course. So admittedly, you can't be a hundred percent sure they really do what they claim to do. Still, I think within a reasonable margin of doubt, iOS devices can be trusted.

nextos
Probably a Pixel or a Pixel 2, and install Copperhead OS which is an open source Android with all Google stuff removed and many extra hardening options. It's really security focused.

Use only F-Droid applications.

For extra level of paranoia, carry a portable hotspot, and connect your phone to the internet through your hotspot via wifi. This would avoid baseband attacks.

Obviously phones are very insecure, but depending on your threat model this is a very good option.

sandov
Copperhead just died
sandov
Buy an android phone and install LineageOS, it's Android but without Google's crap. I use it daily and it's great.
ubporter
check out the Ubuntu phone: now maintained by the community (ubports.com) It's a full Ubuntu linux distro with touch and phone extensions. Hence, you can tweak privacy to your heart's content.