Android is the only alternative and that's a Google product. I think when the SHTF I'll just put my Android under a wheel when I roll out to the rally point.
The security problems posed by smartphones are obvious and it's so tempting to just ditch it for a dumb phone (or no phone) as you say. Difficulty is that everyone has some must-have application on which they depend. For me it's Google Maps I absolutely need it to get around. If you're in a foreign city and you can't speak the language then Maps will tell you exactly where to find the correct bus or train and show you the route.
With this line of thought, you're assuming the dumb phone hardware is safe...
Most devices uses modems from only a couple of manufacturers, Qualcomm and Samsung being two major ones.
And old devices, which depended on 3G no longer work on most networks or are being turned off.
If you want to not be tracked, get an old school landline from the late 90s/early 2k. š Because literally everything else out there, especially on cell networks, is 1000% tracked, and may even be when turned off.
Honestly, though, what about a 2000-era flip phone? (The fact that I am even writing these words when Iām feeling my 1999 self stating -what in the fuck - is just beyond belief! Intertwining timewarps!š¤£)
If you want a cell phone with a web browser, e-mail, and a few other basic things, take a look at the Librem 5 in about a year. The carrier support is not great at the moment, and the apps are very basic, but it is a normal Linux distribution with basic cell phone features that are under development. As such, the privacy concerns are similar to a Linux laptop.
Speaking of Linux, currently, I do not recommend the phone at this time to people who have not used Linux before. Their preorder process is similar to crowd funding, and new orders will not ship for about a year. If you want to try it out, get one from eBay or wait until they have the phones in stock. By waiting, you will probably get a more finished product.
Android is the only alternative and that's a Google product. I think when the SHTF I'll just put my Android under a wheel when I roll out to the rally point.
The security problems posed by smartphones are obvious and it's so tempting to just ditch it for a dumb phone (or no phone) as you say. Difficulty is that everyone has some must-have application on which they depend. For me it's Google Maps I absolutely need it to get around. If you're in a foreign city and you can't speak the language then Maps will tell you exactly where to find the correct bus or train and show you the route.
With this line of thought, you're assuming the dumb phone hardware is safe...
Most devices uses modems from only a couple of manufacturers, Qualcomm and Samsung being two major ones.
And old devices, which depended on 3G no longer work on most networks or are being turned off.
If you want to not be tracked, get an old school landline from the late 90s/early 2k. š Because literally everything else out there, especially on cell networks, is 1000% tracked, and may even be when turned off.
š¤£š¤£š¤£
Honestly, though, what about a 2000-era flip phone? (The fact that I am even writing these words when Iām feeling my 1999 self stating -what in the fuck - is just beyond belief! Intertwining timewarps!š¤£)
If you want a cell phone with a web browser, e-mail, and a few other basic things, take a look at the Librem 5 in about a year. The carrier support is not great at the moment, and the apps are very basic, but it is a normal Linux distribution with basic cell phone features that are under development. As such, the privacy concerns are similar to a Linux laptop.
Speaking of Linux, currently, I do not recommend the phone at this time to people who have not used Linux before. Their preorder process is similar to crowd funding, and new orders will not ship for about a year. If you want to try it out, get one from eBay or wait until they have the phones in stock. By waiting, you will probably get a more finished product.