smartphone without any google connectivity

DaggyStyle · Watchman Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5909

I got a sony experia mini st15i, it has android 4.0.x, not sure what I can do with it as it is an rather old phone.

as I got it from a friend, I'm not sure I want to replace the existing os on it. I don't want to brick it...
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erm67 · l33t Joined: 01 Nov 2005 Posts: 653 Location: EU

512MB ram - 1ghz single core CPU ????

throw it in the dust bin, if it is small enough you could use to keep a window open in summer ....
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Zucca · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:35 pm Post subject:

It could be usable if there was a up-to-date OS for it.
Unfortunaltely cellphones aren't like PCs. :(
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John R. Graham · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 10:27 pm Post subject:

On eBay there are new and/or refurbished Google phones:

Pixel XL under $180. This one is still receiving security updates.
Nexus 5 under $90. This one can run SailfishOS and Ubuntu Touch.

Both of these are good phones. In fact, I may get a spare Nexus 5 just to play with Ubuntu Touch.

- John
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ChrisJumper · Advocate Joined: 12 Mar 2005 Posts: 2390 Location: Germany

Its a shame.

Sometimes you can get an old Smartphone, good in shape for a small price. However i would never bought one from Ebay, or install a fresh OS and a fresh Bootloader, like TWARP, before using it.

Usually there is no big danger. If you phone connect to a PC and you know how to unbrick it (just in case). The Hard issue is to have an exploit for rooting it (if you have to). However with time there are more and more Ways to root that phone. Some Security Researches found some AT-Commands to update the Firmware (WTF?) or Unlock the Screen through USB-Connection and Using the Phone as Modem.

You could buy a fresh patched libreos Phone on Ebay too, but i think i would just made a fresh install there too.

DaggyStyle, OS 4.0.x should NOT be used. Just for calling a Pizza. No, i would Dump that phone, as soon as possible. In that case a new Commercial Spyphone (Basic OS) is to favour before a Android 4.0.x.

Zucca · Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 4:55 am Post subject:

DaggyStyle · Watchman Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5909

Zucca · Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 1:02 pm Post subject:

What I'd be more worried about is the lack of security updates.
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DaggyStyle · Watchman Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5909

I don't intend to access the internet with it.
moreover, my current phone doesn't have any os security updates (the phone is pre android Samsung).
in fact, taking os security in mind, every pre android 7.0 phone has no security updates and needs to be replaced. I don't see everyone rush to replaces their phones.
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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the former - Albert Einstein

erm67 · l33t Joined: 01 Nov 2005 Posts: 653 Location: EU

DaggyStyle · Watchman Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5909

erm67 · l33t Joined: 01 Nov 2005 Posts: 653 Location: EU

Zucca · Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 4:10 pm Post subject:

DaggyStyle · Watchman Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5909

DaggyStyle · Watchman Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5909

erm67 · l33t Joined: 01 Nov 2005 Posts: 653 Location: EU

https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2524872

The bootloader might be locked, you will have to unlock it to have some fun, the fun will be probably limited to using some old roms.
So unlock the bootloader, boot to fastboot, connecto to pc, boot a legacy TWRP like 2.4.3, use it to flash itself and a rom.

Probably the bootloader cannot be locked again so it's irreversible. You can also backup the original firmware using twrp.

Don't worry it is not so easy to brick an Android phone, basically as long as the bootloader works you can recover the phone in fastboot, and it is usually well protected.
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DaggyStyle · Watchman Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5909

erm67 · l33t Joined: 01 Nov 2005 Posts: 653 Location: EU

sao98021 · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 8:48 pm Post subject:

its realitivly easy to do these days, there are alot of alternatives now where as 8 years ago, not so much.

get a cheap phone but make sure it has some sort of development going on at xda, root it, flash your twrp custom recovery, flash AOKP or lineage, and dont flash gapps.

thats about as minimum google you can get. Use f-droid.org for apks, and even non-free apk's on apkmirrors and file hosts.

sometimes, an app that you know utilizes google services, will have a pop up stating this app will not work without google services, simply click outside of the box anywhere and 9/10 itll still work.

for other things, some large games and what not, you'll have to download the apk, and then it's data file and manually extract it to /android/obb

i've been google free for about 2 years, on the LG stylo 2 plus. the only thing better would be using plasma-mobile, or the abandonned ubuntu-phone os and i would be using them except its near impossible or impossible to port to any thing outside of what they are currently made for due to manufacturer bs modem software

and no, you dont necessiarly need windows to do these things anymore, some tools like odin will require it if you have a samsung, but heimdall is the alternative to that.

if your lucky, on linux all you have to do is 'fastboot oem unlock' 'fastboot flash recovery'

boot the recovery, flash your rom.zip.

one thing to note. DO NOT flash a 32bit recovery, over a 64bit recovery.

erm67 · l33t Joined: 01 Nov 2005 Posts: 653 Location: EU

Billions of people in Asia don't use any google service and live happy
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True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it.
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krinn · Watchman Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 7470

i'm not quiet sure what you are trying to achieve.
but here's what i have done myself (considering i'm having what i would consider a similar problem as you)

i brought a cheap one (samsung g318h, paid it 89€, ~80$, must be even cheaper today)
i create a dumb email address, create a dumb google account with that email (for google i'm john doe, i didn't provide any security feature they ask (phone number they ask, and no credit card), then disable everything in the settings of the google account (privacy settings, thanks to europeean laws!!!)
i didn't create any samsung account (it could be avoid and it seems to suck even more than google)

then on the phone i have disable "position" (your location by phone), mobile datas and bluetooth
and enable "check apps validity" still
in the phone settings -> app handler-> i have try to force stop every apps, then check disable (some are uninstall, some refuse to stop, many emits complains that i have just ignore ; and funny, some complains, uninstall themselves, just to see they get install back few seconds later (google won't allow you to remove them).

each time i try install some apps from google store, i get complains for this or that (no phone number for security is present, no credit card associate with the account) ; i just keep ignoring them.

now each time i try to run an apps, some apps complains they cannot work and i need to enable this or that, i just ignore the complains, if the app can manage to work, great, if not -> uninstall ; i have try many apps to see, and frankly it's just full of crap, nothing is worth, they keep sending publicity but just sucks.
I endup with these install, my bank manager, my box tool (to control my adsl router), androidtv (a remote for my tv), and wifi file transfer (allow me to transfert file from or to the phone via wifi), and an ssh app. I have tried many, and really, it's impossible to get an app that do something useful, they are just all crap or useless (scanning my wifi network to see devices connect to it is funny 2s, and goes to trash as soon it pop up publicity about some game to raise pigs, and it happen at the 3rd seconds)

each time someone send me a message with picture, i must enable mobile datas to get it (but it's 99% time crap, so i just ignore them, even my educated friends love to sent me useless picture of cats), once i get it, i always disable it again (with it disable, apps gets update only thru wifi, which is free of cost for me ; and with it disable the message is a hitbox waiting for mobile datas to be enable and you to click the button to download it). While "normal" message are get without trouble.

so despite having "some" trouble and of course i'm not silly to think google is not stalking me (location could be get from where you are connect to), and it sucks to refind a video i have watch because i have no history to pick it up back ; or some google services that just refuse to work (you cannot get google maps to work with these settings), but i'm happy as it is.
Because for me it's a phone, and i could get call or gives some.

erm67 · l33t Joined: 01 Nov 2005 Posts: 653 Location: EU

http://www.androiddocs.com/google/play-services/id.html

The guys at google are smart and don't use your email address to track and record what you do with the phone, they use an anonymous ID that makes the practice legal, you can put your real address on the phone if you want they don't need it and don't use it to track you since it would be illegal anyway
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True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it.
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ChrisJumper · Advocate Joined: 12 Mar 2005 Posts: 2390 Location: Germany

sao98021 · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2018 9:46 pm Post subject:

erm67 · l33t Joined: 01 Nov 2005 Posts: 653 Location: EU