>I’ve read of Linux running on a smartphone but a true Linux cellphone would be a step in the right direction for sure.
Yeah but at a US price of $1,999.00, that’s a hard no for me
They have a $799 version. The Librem 5 USA is $1999 because every component is made in the USA and it also has special features like hardware kill switches to turn things off, for paranoid people.
Pine64 phones are $149 and $199 but they are considered to be in Alpha mode. The phones are community edition because they need the community to test drive them and give feedback so they can make it to Beta mode and eventually a final product.
GrapheneOS is Linux based and unlike the above, is compatible with Android apps. They don’t make phones and the OS will only run on the Pixel line of phones, versions 3, 3XL, 4 and 4XL. Pixel is up to version 5. There are people selling Pixel phones on ebay with GrapheneOS pre-installed for $3-700. Pixel 3/3XL were made in 2018, 4/4XL in 2019 and discontinued in late 2020 so neither are ancient. Pixel 3 didn’t do well in sales which is why they moved on to 4 so quick.
Even the Pixel 3 has decent specs, 2.5GHz processor; 4gb RAM; 64 or 128 Storage space. The Pixel 4 specs are right up there with my laptop.
Only two Pixel 4s on ebay right now. One’s $700 and the other $500 but that seller has zero feedback. Newbie.
The downside. Pixel phones are made for and sold by google. Buying one used, you’re not contributing much to google. The Pixel 4 is still available new from google or amazon but we don’t want to support either. Plenty of used, unlocked(not tied into a carrier) for $200 and if you’re techie enough, you can install GrapheneOS yourself. Have to use a phone with straight Android, no carrier software aka unlocked.
Here’s install instructions; https://grapheneos.org/install
Gotta be comfortable at the command line. I’m fairly comfortable with it but would probably still buy one from ebay with the OS pre-installed. I’d hate to pay $200 for a phone and then brick it.
So aside from being a google product, it’s the most normal phone you can get which is Linux based, open source, runs Android apps and would be degoogled. Buy a used unlocked one and install GrapheneOS or buy a used one with the OS already on it and thumb your nose at google. You can just search ebay for grapheneos and that will bring up nothing but Pixel phones.