Though I seem to recall GPS shim that's available and which I really should swap in on my BOOX tablet.
It's just not possible to use an Android phone as Google intended (and as the vast majority of users actually do) without that tracking mechanism taking center stage.
My solution is to disable or uninstall Google Play Services/apps and I never create a Google account. Also, wherever possible, I use a rooted phone.
The penalty for such action is that many of the attractive so-called free services are unavailable to me. However, the benefits of closing down or uninstalling all unnecessary services and apps and disabling JavaScript are that my battery now lasts for days, ads are a thing of the past and the phone and internet access are much faster.
I accept however the vast majority of users either aren't capable of making such a tradeoff or aren't prepared to do so and Google knows that—that's why it's a winner. For Google, users like me are just insignificant noise.
These things are not as tightly woven into the OS as you make it seem.
It is very much possible. GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, roll your own AOSP-based image.
A completely degoogled Pixel series is even practical and realistic for casuals. As you say you miss out or have to fiddle a big for many apps which break without SafetyNet and other malware.
I know that but try and tell it to the average user. Even many of my techie colleagues aren't game to make changes to their phones for fear of losing some beloved feature. Frankly, I'm amazed at how tolerant people are to this level of surveillance.
That said, much can and does go wrong, resurrecting bricked phones seems to be a pastime of mine. As you know, whether one can decouple Google's spyware subsystem easily or not depends on the phone. If you can't gain access to the OS then it's not possible to roll one's own ASOP-based image or use some other one.
These days, many manufacturers are making it harder and harder to bypass security features, unlock the boot loader and install custom ROMs. Nevertheless I won't buy a phone without first checking whether I can install a custom ROM and it's definitely harder now than it was say five years ago.
That said, I know many can't.
At least on Android there's a way to use a custom rom even if it's difficult.
I may be hallucinating that shim, though I'm pretty sure it actually exists...
Buy an iPhone, install an ad blocker, disable all the tracking, and be done with it while still being able to use the features of the phone you bought.
2. When I make phone calls I use a feature phone, it's incapable of doing anything else. That is, it has no Internet access—not even Bluetooth.
3. I wouldn't be seen dead on social media or using a Gmail account, and I've no need of Apple's store or Netflix, etc. so the functionality you refer to isn't an issue.
4. My Android phones are for limited internet use only and or portable computer use. Similarly, the functionality you speak of just doesn't apply. They are hacked and tailored specifically for my requirement and they do exactly what I want. Right, I'm in control (unlike iPhone users).
5. Even then, as a rule, my Android phones don't use SIM cards, they connect to the internet wirelessly via separate pocket routers which further isolates them from internet gumpf and garbage.
Clearly you're right (sometimes I'm overcautious). :-)
1.https://sneak.berlin/20230115/macos-scans-your-local-files-n...
Later thought. I also occasionally install Play Store apps via Aurora Store and it's worth noting that some state that they require Google Play Services but in fact they do work without it (I normally have GPS/Google Play disabled or uninstalled).
I've not bothered to research why but I presume it's the reporting mechanism that's not working, the core operation of these programs being independent of GPS (presumably this would simplify programming if the programmer is also coding the program for iPhone).
I'd be most interested if you or anyone else has more info about this.