You must be logged in.
You must be logged in.
Good Smart Phones for Libertarians?
Hoping to get some recommendations for smart phones. I’m looking for an Android with good encryption and good for filming interactions with cops if need be. It’d be a bonus if I could get free libertarian apps on it too and if it is rugged. I’m not good with phones and I’d like a recommendation from people more savvy than myself. Does anyone have a smart phone like that they’d recommend?
I’d recommend buying it used whatever you get. You can get some good deals on reconditioned phones on ebay. Also, the service provider is where you spend the money. There are several resellers who market cell phone services from the big cell phone companies for a fraction of what they charge.
That’s a good idea, I’ve been checking that out since you recommended it. Do you know about phones with encryption?
both new versions phone os are supposed to have encryption by default. Android it exists currently now but it isn’t by default and when you restart your phone it takes longer to start up supposedly. I don’t know, I am waiting for the next version of droid that has it on by default. Their is also the black phone (think is the name), not sure it is available for purchase in the usa yet. It supposed to be anti spying phone. Announcement from apple and google both stating that the will by default encrypt phones and not keep a record of the key has the government spying agencies in panic mode and trying to get something done to stop them from doing it.
Cool, I’ve heard about the androids so I’ll keep my eyes open for them. Thanks!
Libertarian phone… is that like Obama phone for smart people? 😛
On a more serious note… avoid Apple. If you have an iPhone, you don’t own it. Apple does. Same if you have a phone on Verizon (any smartphone). If by a libertarian phone you are looking for the most freedom, I’d recommend Google’s Nexus line. I have a Nexus 5. It’s affordable (as smartphones go). You can use it on any carrier (other than VZ) and it’s actually yours. Root it, unlock it, load up a customized version of Android… whatever you want.
All current Android phones support encryption. All new phones shipping from the manufacturer with Android 5 (lollipop) will be encrypted by default. Just remember that encryption doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t have a strong lockscreen password/PIN/pattern/etc…
I run a custom version of Android on my Nexus 5. It’s called CyanogenMod. It’s open source, and created by programmers who contribute to the codebase. It’s more secure than stock Android and even includes native SMS encryption (assuming you are texting someone who also has it).
Haha yeah I had trouble thinking of how to word that. Phones that have features that libertarians use? Too wordy!
I’ll check out the Nexus. But no Verizon?
If you’re goal is the freest, most open phone you can get, VZ is a bad bet because all current Verizon phones (with the possible exception of the Nexus 6) have locked and encrypted bootloaders. This prevents end users from installing customized versions of Android. I’m not a fan of anything the prevents me from doing whatever I want with something I own (ie: my phone). Also, my suggested phone – Nexus 5 – is not compatible with VZ’s network.
No verizon is a option of convenience and metropolis. It would be nice to use freedompop, ting, or some of these other carriers but for people in rural america you have a few choices and only one of those scant choices works reliably. That choice is verizon. I am finding an internet provider issues much the same issue.
Sad, but true. VZ is the only game in town in many rural areas.
If verizon wireless is the best/only available carrier, then check out Page Plus. Theyre a reseller of verizon services. Prepaid and BYOD, but about half as much per month.
Richard Branson and Elon Musk will be launching satelites and a world wide wifi will be completely live in 5 years. I believe it will also be free so there goes phone companies 🙂 im sure theyll offer faster speeds and permissions. KimDotCom from MEGA is also looking into a satelite internet system.
I was about to post a question in this forum. “Has anyone found a nice android system alternative?” All i have found is an expieremental service called CyanogenMod(CM). Encrypted CM in conjunction with a nice vpn service, should be the best free and easy way to liberate your phone.
Has anybody checked out the Ubuntu phone or the firefox phone? I have not.
I rooted my HTC One M8 on Verizon and installed CyanogenMod. It took me a long time to do this — about 10 hours over 2 days — as it was my first time installing an OS on an Android device. Now that the hard work is done, I LOVE CyanogenMod and would not use a smartphone without it. I especially like that I can have it block all apps from taking my location and identity information. If installing CyanogenMod sounds too hard, try buying a used device with it already installed. It looks like Swappa has a marketplace for this. See here: http://swappa.com/cyanogenmod
Thanks @mikereid! I used the Sunshine unlock tool for $25 from http://theroot.ninja/ and the CyanogenMod how to guide at http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_m8 . Give it a try. Once you liberate your phone you can move on and do all the phones in your family!
Buying a used cell phone with modded software sounds like a securuty risk to me. Cyanogenmod is opensource, so one could mod the code and make it do weird things with your data, right?
Moto E for $99
Moto G for $149
Moto X for $299
Moto X2 for $399
Plans go from $5/month for WiFi only, to $40/month unlimited voice/text/4G data. No contract.
Their service works on the Sprint network and roam on Verizon towers.
I personally have the OnePlusOne. I am unsure of encryption abilities, but I love the phone itself. OnePlus as a company is a start-up based out of Hong Kong and the only way you can obtain a phone is by gaining an “invite”. I love their marketing technique and I love the product they released. They spent no money on advertising but rather spent all of their capitol into the development of the phone. Thus, the product is top of the line and only costs $350USD for a 64 gig unlocked phone.
If you want to look at more specs you can visit oneplus.net
Next time I get an invite I can send it your way if you’re interested.
-Ryan
It is! It’s an unlocked phone which means you can use it with any carrier. I will message you when/if I get another invite. Keep in mind, once you receive the invite you only have 24 hours to use it, so you may want to look up the phone beforehand.
I’ve been looking at that One+ phone, and I’m intrigued. But I’m wondering what is the point with only being able to purchase through an invitation. . . almost makes me wonder how legit they are, though the site looks good.
You’ve been happy with the phone? What are your thoughts on the exclusivity?
You can buy the invites for a OnePlus One, and even the phone itself, on Ebay, apparently,
I would not trust to buy invites online, but that’s just me. I love the phone. It has a few minor bugs, but overall is an amazing piece of technology. As for the exclusivity, I think it’s an ingenious marketing technique. With the company spending all of their money on development rather than advertisement, I think it was necessary for them to find a unique technique to stir up interest. Making the phone exclusive makes it desirable, and thus just by word of mouth they have all the advertisement they could ever need. (I.e. – this conversation).
Check it out: https://pack.resetthenet.org/#phone
All free.
I’m still using a pay-as-you-go flip phone (I know, I know. . .) but I’m going to have to make the switch to a smartphone within the year.
Hate Apple.
Love Amazon and my Kindle. Does anybody have an opinion about the Firephone (?) or other suggestions? I’ve been mostly pretty happy with ATT for voice, though in NV all the carriers are sketchy; I have ATT and the hub has Verizon, so that wherever we are, one of us might be able to get service.
