In my family it’s my turn to get a new phone for Christmas this year. Since I’ve learned all this new information I would like to get a degoogled phone (I think) to play with until I’m ready to give up my iphone. I have heard some concerns about certain phones not working on the Verizon network or being ‘locked.’ My most important needs are maps navigation, texting with photos, playing podcasts, a Bible app, and playing music. Can someone point me in the right direction of phones that do these things and work on the Verizon network?
there are some bible apps for Linux discussed here - Bible Apps on Linux - #6 by Caleb_Christian - I am unsure of the others, especially in a mobile environment - but there is Gnome Maps and sound cloud for Linux. Verizon is a strange animal they want everything locked down, so I am not sure what will or wont run on a Verizon’s network - definitely a @Will or @LoneRanger topic. Just putting in my $.02
Cheers!
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Just found Magic Earth maps. It uses OpenStreetMap to provide a more user friendly experience. Alternatively, there is OsmAnd that is strictly raw OpenStreetMaps and is kind of clunky.
Music is kind of a hard one. I use Spotify, but just found out that they’re owned by a Chinese company. There’s Bandcamp and SoundCloud as alternatives, but they don’t have much of the popular music that is out right now. Mostly small independent artists.
You can also go to AlternativeTo.net and search for alternatives to the apps you use.
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Does the phone have to be ‘unlocked’ in order to install Lineage or Calyx?
Yes it does. You can find unlocked phones on backmarket.com or ebay or Rob Braxman’s online shop.
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Also, I remember hearing that Rob Braxman puts LineageOS on his phones. For what it’s worth. =)
I just bought a Pixel 4 with GrapheneOS already installed on it in ebay. I use Tracfone with a Verizon sim.
I followed the additional steps in this link (I could skip graphene install as the phone came with it):
It took a tech call to Tracfone (they actually are good) to set up the data to work right. Needed a new Access Point Name (APN) added and voila. That was the worst part but it DOES work with Verizon, phone, text AND data. The Messaging app (texting) works with photos.
Bible app: From F-Droid I installed Bible Study App. It is the best Bible app I have ever used.
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Thank you Fasterpill for that great information. Glad to hear you got your Pixel 4 up and running. 
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I’d like to see more people flashing GrapheneOS (or CalyxOS). It’s the way to go, and you save SO MUCH DAMN battery power.
Why do you like GrapheneOS? I’m working on getting google out of my phone (Pixel 3aXL) and currently shopping around for a new OS. Thank you!
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It’s probably the most secure, even recommended (somewhat) by Edward Snowden. The lead dev is also a fanatic about security, which I like. In this context, I like something that’s closer to a sure thing (nobody says GrapheneOS is not secure) than looking for other very good, or perhaps even “better” operating systems that don’t have the notoriety.
Start with a “sure thing”, learn what you like and don’t like about it, and that will give you a good foundation for exploring others.
thank you for this information, its very helpful to understand the considerations the experienced users look for. I’ve read more about GrapheneOS and its encouraging. I was surprised how transparent their website is and how easy to understand. I’m going to install it on my pixel, thanks again
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Excellent. Please let me (us) know how you do with it.
Yo, taxed. Thanks for your description of GrapheneOS. I flashed CalyxOS on my device and I’m loving it, but the main reason I didn’t go with Graphene was because I read the UI was not as snappy, and that if you wanted to use Play Store apps you would be limited, what with no micro-g and all. I’m curious about your own experience, would you say these are valid points or rubbish?
Thanks, and sorry to bump an old thread.