Are you looking to switch to Android for the very first time? I'm here to help. Just ask!
Over the years, I've been heavily embedded in the Android ecosystem. I purchased the HTC Droid Incredible in 2010 and never looked back. Since then, I've owned phones from HTC, Motorola, and Google, always using phones that allowed me to run custom ROMs or a stock Android or stock Google experience. I've compiled my own Android OS from source using AOSP and I've compiled and ran my own kernels. I'm also a former Android blogger, writing dozens of reviews of phones, tablets, watches, apps, and other services surrounding Android. I've traveled the world, attending various smartphone launches, attended conference, and Android meetups.
Before we get started, I'd like to say that Apple's current situations with Damus or Zeus is nothing new. Apple does this every year or so and is always involved in these sorts of scenarios with apps, banning and censoring them. Apple is one of the richest companies in the world. You can fight them all you want, but in the end, they always win. Look at the battle that Epic Games had with Apple over Fortnite as an example.
So, you've decided to give Android a try, but don't know where to start or you've heard bad things over the years and you're not sure about making the switch? Switching ecosystems is incredibly hard and a daunting task. I will not sugar coat that. I would not want to do it and I would not look forward to it. However, I hope this makes it easier for you.
**Buy a Google Pixel.**
Not all Android phones are equal. Not all Android phones are completely open. Not all Android phones have unlockable bootloaders. If you go the Pixel route, you'll have the most open phone with the most options available to you.
If you want to run a custom ROM such as Graphene OS, a Google Pixel phone will give you the best options. Graphene OS allows you to run a "De-Googled" phone. You can read more about Graphene here: https://grapheneos.org
Every Android phone allows you to install a third party app store. Every Android phone allows you to install apps that do not come from Google Play. This is by design. You do not need to do anything overly special to just install an app from Github or F-Droid, etc.
What's F-Droid? F-Droid is a FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) app store. You can check it out here: https://f-droid.org
Where should you get a Google Pixel phone? If you're looking to buy a new phone, I'd recommend buying directly from Google as you'll get the best support. I've had to return devices over the years and the times I've had to do so, it's been incredibly easy.
If you you're on a budget or don't want to buy a brand new phone, I highly recommend that you use Swappa. I've met the owner and many of the developers. They are great people. Any time I'e sold a used phone or purchased a used phone, I've only used Swappa. https://swappa.com
Which Pixel phone should you get? Well, that's up to you. The latest version is the Pixel 7 line. This includes Pixel 7a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro. The "a" line is the cheaper or budge line that doesn't have all of the bells and whistles that the other ones have. It's similar to the "SE" line with iPhone. Normally, the "a" line is the best bang for your buck phone. My kids always get the "a" line. The "Pro" version, just like iPhone would be your Pixel with the largest screen, largest battery, and has extra camera zooming features. I always buy the "Pro" version. My wife normally gets he standard version, but this year, she wanted the "Pro" version because she was jealous of my 30X zoom.
I'm going to run an "office hours" Nostr Nest today at https://nostrnests.com/android to help answer you Android questions. If you have them, come ask. If you want to help people make the switch, feel free to join and join the conversation.
