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What smartphone brand is safe to buy nowadays? It feels like every single one is terrible and anti-user.
Google pixel + GrapheneOS
FairPhone?
Either way you'll be locking yourself into either Google, who will extract more money from advertisers, or Apple who will extract more money from you.
Google Pixel phones (easily allows bootloader unlock and custom ROM if you need to but I can't be bothered until EOS most of the time)
Nothing Phone (same as above but with different light skin, interesting design and not Google if that bothers you)
You don't get any of this crap with the Pixel Android phones.. I believe Motorola used to be good about not loading up junkware also, but that was years ago and I dunno if they're still like that.
Yep, never had any of my stock Pixels install anything I didn't put on them intentionally
I've stuck with the Pixel since they came out and won't go back until they really screw it up. Every couple of years Verizon will run a special where you get the previous model for free, which works for me.
Get one designated for European market, we have two Samsungs at home at neither of us get autoinstalls or ads
So I don't know about Samsung specifically but most commonly this whole "installing random apps by developers you've never heard of" is most commonly not from the manufacturer but caused by purchasing a carrier variant of the device. Traditionally Verizon did that a lot, but they've shaped up some in recent years.
Make sure to buy direct from the manufacturer or otherwise ensure you purchase the manufacturer unlocked variant to avoid this (there's also an unrelated "carrier unlock" which is a carrier variant that has had the modem unlocked to allow you to use it on other carriers than the one it's branded to, but your still stuck with the carrier's variant of the software and hardware.)
Also worth noting carrier models will in some cases actually have differing hardware from the unlocked model too. Traditionally this was usually related to the modem for carriers using uncommon cellular network technologies but some large carriers will even cut down the memory or storage just to squeeze a buck or two off the price!
TLDR don't buy direct from the carrier and make sure to buy manufacturer unlocked phone!
This happens on mine with facebook book being installed by samsung themselves, i dont think i get the mobile services manager thing. And mine isnt from a carrier or locked to one
in india, we dont have the carrier based phones yet Samsung will install all unwanted apps when you set up first time
My previous phone was the Motorola RAZR 5g. No bloat as far as I could tell. Definitely a refreshing experience after the shovel of crap Samsung provided!
Ive had a couple Nokias now (Nokia is Finnish) and find them pretty robust and both have been Android One phones so there is basically nothing on them which isn't just stock android. Plenty fast enough for me. Note: I only buy low end phones (~$300) so YMMV
If you want a nice user experience, Google pixel line is pretty good.
If you want privacy, etc. there are better options.
Actually, Pixel is the go-to choice for privacy-concious folks as well. That's because the two most secure and private mobile operating systems, Calyx and Graphene, support only the Pixel lineup.
Naomi Brockwell has a video on this and more. Highly recommend.