[fireman15]

The main problem I have with android smart phones is google. For amusement, I put a VPN on my android and monitored google web traffic and access. With the phone on, idle and with no one using it, the android contacted google’s servers over 3000 times in a day.

I hear what you are saying and agree with you, but Android is easy to root in almost all cases and you can take control back, especially if you install a custom ROM. The situation is similar to Microsoft vs Apple. Android now had around 80% of the market for the last several years. It has grown to over 85% in the past couple of years.

Apple is actually starting to falter. "Apple’s phone market share took a double-digit hit, Samsung and Huawei gained."

https://www.androidauthority.com/smartphone-market-share-2019-q2-1015107/

But just like devices made to run Windows Android devices are fairly easy to modify if you have the inclination to do so for whatever reason that you have.

[Windflier]

Android is easy to root in almost all cases and you can take control back, especially if you install a custom ROM.

Please define "root" and "ROM". I'd like to know what those terms mean, so that I can get an initial grasp on what it is I have to do to improve my old Android phone. It's about five years old.

[cyberstoic]

I have rooted androids in the past and run google free. The problem is not all phones can be rooted, have their bootloaders unlocked, etc. The /e/ project has a device ready to go with google free android but they are in Europe and the phone does not appear to have T-Mobile frequency. Same with the Librem 5 just launching. Secure and google free but lacking the late bands I need.