It does not, but I don’t sign into any Samsung/Google things and replace every system app with one from F-Droid including the launcher. The experience is fairly similar to my old pixel with grapheneos like this. I am sure it is far cry from as secure, but I am realistic about my threat model and am willing to make trades to be more sustainable and convenient. The only other difference is the system ui skin, which does its job just fine IMO
Hi, I was considering samsung as an option. Could you please tell me why you dont like samsung? I’m looking for cons but review sites only want to sing praises.
Samsung locks the bootloader, even for carrier unlocked versions traight from samsung’s website. (At least for those sold in the US, not sure about other places)
If you don’t intend to use a custom RON like Lineage OS, you wouldn’t notice a difference. But if you do, then it might be a dealbreaker. As for the Xcover series in particularx the specs are worse for the amount you’re paying. Camera is worse, SoC is slower, assuming if you are conparing the price of a brand new mainstream S or A series phones to a brand new Xcover series. But if you don’t care about worse specs for the swappable battery, then sure, go ahead. I personally wouldn’t get the Xcover series, doesn’t seem like a good deal, the screen is LCD and I’m way too used to OLED/AMOLED of the more mainstream phones.
Does it run lineage, because that is the only way I’ll touch Samsung’s abysmal OS ever again
It does not, but I don’t sign into any Samsung/Google things and replace every system app with one from F-Droid including the launcher. The experience is fairly similar to my old pixel with grapheneos like this. I am sure it is far cry from as secure, but I am realistic about my threat model and am willing to make trades to be more sustainable and convenient. The only other difference is the system ui skin, which does its job just fine IMO
Hi, I was considering samsung as an option. Could you please tell me why you dont like samsung? I’m looking for cons but review sites only want to sing praises.
Samsung locks the bootloader, even for carrier unlocked versions traight from samsung’s website. (At least for those sold in the US, not sure about other places)
If you don’t intend to use a custom RON like Lineage OS, you wouldn’t notice a difference. But if you do, then it might be a dealbreaker. As for the Xcover series in particularx the specs are worse for the amount you’re paying. Camera is worse, SoC is slower, assuming if you are conparing the price of a brand new mainstream S or A series phones to a brand new Xcover series. But if you don’t care about worse specs for the swappable battery, then sure, go ahead. I personally wouldn’t get the Xcover series, doesn’t seem like a good deal, the screen is LCD and I’m way too used to OLED/AMOLED of the more mainstream phones.