[mey]

I have been looking around for my next phone, most likely android. The thing I've come to realise is that I'm no longer able to buy an Android phone, instead I am buying either a Google phone or Samsung phone. Even the "pure" android experience is really a Google experience.

Since I will be in the market to replace my aging phone sooner rather than later, the phones I've been eyeing are

HTC U11 Unlocked

Essential Phone

OnePlus 5T

Google Pixel 2 (not the XL to avoid screen issues, it's mfg'd by HTC and similar to the HTC U11)

This list is US centric, etc.

I would consider the iPhone 8, but not the X personally.

[trendia]

OnePlus has spyware.

https://betanews.com/2017/10/11/oneplus-telemetry/

[tfigment]

Just listened to interview on All About Android and their explanation sounded plausible that it was done wrong and they will delete any collected data. I just bought a 5T and did not hear about this so I'm interested. Sounded like they are removing in OTA update. I'd probably have switched to iPhone if Apple didn't lock development to their OS.

[daxfohl]

Yeah it seems odd to me that the pixel is lauded as a "Pure Android" experience, as though that means a clean slate, when it is really a bunch of Google apps. And it's a bit befuddling how Microsoft couldn't even include a browser in their OS without massive lawsuits a few years ago.

[pxndx]

Oneplus also has this kind of shitty ads. All Oneplus owners got a notification when the 5 was released.

[mey]

I can't edit the post any more, but it looks like OnePlus should be stricken from this list above, as trendia pointed out. Additionally they don't have a great track record of OS updates.

[slezyr]

I'll go with OnePlus 5T most likely it will get LineageOS port and I planing to use it with microG(open replacement for google services)