I have gotten so many questions about good cellphone device alternatives and I finally have some answers!
Mobile phones have two key parts to them – the actual device that you hold in your hand with its computing power, ability to connect to a network, camera, etc. The other piece is the mobile operating system (mOS) – aka the user interface on the phone, and the ability to connect to one or multiple app stores to get the apps you want to work on your phone.
I looked at only at alternatives that will work in the US for both the device manufacturer and operating systems. But fear not my international friends – I noted for the ones I reviewed where they are available worldwide.
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Fairphone: Fairphone is the best mobile device alternative in the US market. It is the only device manufacturer (besides Google, ironically enough) that is part of the Fair Cobalt Alliance, an organization dedicated to improving working conditions, child rights, and income diversification in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has 70%+ of the world’s cobalt supply. To be clear – I’m not saying Fairphone’s cobalt supplies are 100% conflict free, as cobalt supply chains are incredibly fragmented and hard to trace, but they are part of an organization trying to make it better, which is more than I can say for the other alternatives.
The other incredibly cool thing about Fairphone is their devices are modular – meaning you can easily repair your device yourself or through third-parties without losing customer support access (I’m looking at you, Apple 👀).
There’s a ton of other things I could mention, but to keep it short the last thing I’ll call out is that they’re not an American company, they’re European! 🇪🇺
The Details: Fairphone B.V., the company behind Fairphone is based out of the Netherlands and was created in 2013 as a social enterprise company. Fairphone B.V. is held privately with investor funding and is a Certified B-Corp. They do not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy, which can be common for European companies.
Conflict Minerals: Fairphone has been part of the Fair Cobalt Alliance since 2020. Beyond cobalt, they also have a number of sustainability measures and programs.
Operating System/s: For the US you can order either the Android or /e/OS version. The European version runs on Murena e/OS/. Note: if you buy a European version, it may not be compatible with US mobile networks. See the mobile operating system section for additional mOS options that are compatible with Fairphone.
Carrier Compatibility: Major networks: T-Mobile, AT&T only, it does not work on Verizon’s network. It also works on MVNOs that utilize T-Mobile and AT&T’s networks, like US Mobile’s Dark Star & Light Speed networks.
***HUGE CAVEAT: There are some limitations to Fairphone’s compatibility with MVNOs, so please check with your carrier before you purchase if possible or review the carrier compatibility in detail.
If you have a Fairphone, please share what carrier you use beyond T-Mobile or AT&T! I’d love to hear from the community on where Fairphone works as I can’t test this on my end and I’ve found limited info on US Mobile and other MVNOs compatibility.
Popular Models: Their only model available in the US is the Fairphone Gen. 6+ at $649.
Available In: US and Europe through Fairphone’s website. If you’re in Canada, you can purchase the Murena e/OS version through Murena’s website.
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If you want a simpler solution – buy secondhand! It reduces tech waste as you’re using the product for longer, and you’re not giving money to Apple, Google, or whoever made the phone, just the person selling it (and likely a small fee to the platform they’re selling it on). This is by far the easiest option for those who aren’t super tech-y and just want a decent device.
I recommend using BackMarket – I talked about them in my “Where to Shop for Tech” article. They inspect devices through their Verified Refurbished program that includes customer car and a one-year warranty.
If you want some help on what older phone model to choose, you can check out these guides from Tom’s Guide, SlashGear, or Android Authority.
If you buy an older Android phone, you can also potentially de-Google it by installing a different operating software. See below for more mobile OS options.
I can’t in good conscience recommend Nothing phones for De-Googling when one of their investors is Google Ventures. However, I am sharing their detailed info as they’re one of the few alternatives in the marketplace besides larger corporations.
Nothing Phone: Created by Nothing Technology Limited, a privately-held company based out of the UK, founded by Carl Pei and others. Carl Pei retains “significant control” of the business according to government filings. Nothing Technology Limited has investment from Qualcomm, Charlie XCX and unfortunately, Google Ventures.
Conflict Minerals: Nothing has a lot of sustainability measures, but does not mention anything on their website as to how they source cobalt.
Operating System/s: Nothing phones run on the Nothing OS 5.0 and/or Android.
Carrier Compatibility: AT&T, T-Mobile, it does not work on Verizon’s network. It theoretically should work on MVNOs that utilize T-Mobile and AT&T’s networks, like US Mobile’s Dark Star & Light Speed networks, BUT they don’t call it out on their website.
***HUGE CAVEAT: Please check with your carrier before you purchase if possible or review the carrier compatibility in detail.
Models: Phone (4a) Pro ($499-$599), Phone (3) at $699.
Available In: US, Canada, UK, Europe, India, Middle East.
Xiaomi and Motorola have spent a lot of money on lobbying, so I can’t recommend them, though you can get them secondhand (see above).
Xiaomi: Xiaomi is a publicly traded company on the Hong Kong stock exchange with cofounders Jun Lei and Bin Lin as the largest shareholders with significant voting shares. Xiaomi has spent $2.2 million on lobbying since 2023 on issues related to right to repair, cybersecurity, AI, procurement, & tax provisions. Xiaomi doesn’t have a clear diversity & inclusion policy on their website, but in their 2025 ESG report they do talk about diversity & inclusion (page 14).
Motorola: Owned by Lenovo since 2013. Lenovo is publicly traded on the Hong Kong stock exchange with Legend Holdings as the largest shareholder at 31.5% (March 2025). Lenovo has spent nearly $5 million on lobbying since 2023, ($4.79M) on issues related to tech (right to repair, cybersecurity, AI, tech procurement), and other areas. Lenovo supports diversity & inclusion through employee resource groups.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Motorola broke into two companies, Motorola Solutions and Motorola Mobility in 2011. Motorola Solutions has contracts with ICE, Motorola Mobility is owned by Lenovo and does not contract with ICE.
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I don’t recommend these companies for new phones. But if you want to buy used/pre-owned versions I think that’s fine!
Samsung: Samsung spends so much money on lobbying – $24.7 million on lobbying since 2023 & they were ranked the 69th largest lobbying client in 2024. Also, Samsung stopped supporting their native messaging app and is making everyone switch to Google Messages which is incredibly frustrating from a user perspective.
The Details: The Samsung Group is a publicly traded company based out of South Korea, but the Lee family, descendants of the original founder Lee Byung-chul, maintain significant control of the company. Samsung has spent $24.7 million on lobbying since 2023 on issues related to supply chains & trade policy, the “digital divide” and others.
Apple: They’ve given Trump or his various funds money, also have spent crazy amounts on lobbying ($33.3 million since 2023), and they changed their map’s name for Lake Ontario to Lake America.
I admit, I’ve been in the Apple phone ecosystem for awhile, but I thought there were a lot more Android device manufacturers out there then there are now. Here is a list of those that have exited the US market in case you’re wondering about these options like I was.
OnePlus is not releasing new phones in the US as of July 2026.
Asus stopped making new cellphones in 2026.
HTC stopped making cellphones after 2023.
LG stopped making cellphones in 2021.
Nokia sold their phone device business to Microsoft in 2013, they do not make phones anymore. (RIP OG Nokia phones.)
If you have a Google device like Pixel, or an Android-based phone, you can keep the device itself and switch the mOS to De-Google-ify your phone. Generally, mOS alternatives use modified versions of the Google Play Store like Aurora or microG, or app stores like F-Droid or Obtainium. I don’t think you can run an alternative mOS on any Apple devices, or at least without some serious technical know-how.
However, you can run into issues where apps don’t work well or at all with certain app categories like banking. If you’re highly dependent on specific apps, I would search to see if others have experienced issues with the app/s on these mOS alternatives before making the switch.
e/OS/: e/OS/ from Murena seems to be the easiest in terms of setup and app-store compatibility. Their OS is “De-Googled”, meaning no Google apps or Google services access your data, and in their App Lounge they show privacy ratings and reveal apps’ trackers. They also have an advanced privacy widget to adjust settings like hiding your IP address or geolocation.
The Details: Built & maintained by Murena, who I covered in De-Google Part 4: Email, Calendar, Docs, Drive, & Photos.
Devices Supported: Fairphone Gen 3-6, Nothing 1, Pixel 4,5,7,8; OnePlus 7, 8; SHIFTphone8
App Stores Supported: The nice thing about e/OS/ is that they have the “App Lounge” which combines apps from multiple sources including Google Play (without requiring sign-in), F-Droid, and Progressive Web Apps (aka when you install one of those shortcut links to a dedicated browser experience on your phone instead of an actual app itself).
Installation: Instructions here
CalyxOS: Very privacy-focused mOS. CalyxOS has a ton of features to limit your data and keep your phone & activities private.
The Details: Built by the Calyx Institute, founded in 2010 to promote and defend the right to privacy in the digital age. The Calyx Institute does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy, but in 2024 Calyx Institute employees became unionized!
Devices Supported: Fairphone Gen 6, Gen 5;, Moto G 5G, Moto G84, Moto G34, Moto G45; Pixel 6-9; Shift Phone, and some older models.
Installation: Instructions here
iodéOS: Open-source, European-based privacy-forward alternative. The one thing I don’t love about iodéOS is that you can use it for free, but you have to upgrade to a paid plan to get advanced blocking & customization features. Though to be fair, I don’t think most people need the extra features.
The Details: Built and maintained as an open-source project by Iodé Technologies, based out of France. Iodé Technologies does not have venture capital or other external investors that can influence what they create. They also do not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy, but they only seem to have about 5 employees including the two co-founders.
Devices Supported: Fairphone 3-6, Pixel 3-9, and various models from Motorola, Samsung, OnePlus, Sony & Xiaomi. If you’re in the UK or Europe, you can order a Fairphone 6+ or other devices with iodéOS already installed. If you’re in the US, you can use iodéOS but you’ll have to install it yourself on your device.
App Stores Supported: F-Droid, Aurora, microG.
Installation: Instructions here
Cost: The basic iodéOS is free, but you will need to upgrade to a premium version (starting at €3.99/mo) for advanced blocking & customization features.
GrapheneOS: If you have a Pixel device, GrapheneOS is a good alternative, but it doesn’t work for other manufacturers’ devices.
The Details: GrapheneOS is an open-source project with many contributors maintained by the non-profit organization GrapheneOS.
Devices Supported: GrapheneOS only currently supports Pixel models 6 – 10, and you will need to have an unlocked device (aka one not specific to a carrier like Verizon).
App Stores Supported: Sandboxed Google Play, F-Droid, Obtainium, Aurora. This guide is helpful to setup your app stores and apps, and GrapheneOS has a guide for setting up the Sandboxed Google Play.
Installation: Instructions here
You can also find additional mOS alternatives on RebelTechAlliance.org.
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