I'm INSANELY frustrated with the mobile phone insanity. What puzzles me is how, or why, is it nearly impossible (and then, hit or miss) to find simple, inexpensive Android hardware that's amenable to loading a SECURE (google-free) & useful OS -- something simple like CM11 or CM12. Sailfish is amazing, but the hardware limitations exceed what's practical (for myself).

I am posting this in hopes that someone is aware of something ALREADY available in the market.

I'm keenly aware that most Android devices perversely resist installation of anything OTHER than "carrier ware". What research I've done invokes suspicion that more effort has been made to sabotage what should be useful, effective hardware componenents than has been invested in developing the (basicly good, useful) hardware itself. **

In that these devices are usually produced in the orient for pennies on the retail dollar -- surely they exist. Yes, I have found some, even bought a couple. "Unlocked" devices. One I COULD get CM11 into, but poor call quality rendered the unit useless. The other was only marketted as unlocked (alibaba and google translation fail, I suspect). In both cases, the sources have dropped off the map.

I guess the companies making them change hands pretty quickly. It's sad to see the ethical hardware producers forced to the bottom-feeder end of eco-system.

If anyone can recommend even a source for finding a suitable unit, based on a short list of specifications, I'd be very grateful.

THANK YOU,
S.

** If there are FCC regs etc. preventing this, plz. advise. I'm a little autistic, the hardware is much easier to understand than the "social issues" for me.

I think that fundamentally, the hardware makers and the carriers love Android. Why should they spend R&D money/time/effort on an alternative when they're making plenty of money with Android and they're comfortable with the level of control they get with Android? What's the bottom line benefit for them, that justifies the cost and technology risk?

In the meantime, if you want something less than $100 you could get a used netbook and use something like Skype or whatever software you're comfortable with for phone-like functionality. It won't fit in your pocket, but ... meh.

Or if you are handy and don't mind spending a bit more, there's a Raspberry Pi phone.

Hmmm....this one looks like it's less than $100:

https://hackaday.io/project/19035-ze...sked-questions

Samsung's Tizen is open-source too.

http://www.tizenphones.com/samsung-l...g-z3/#more-197

I see you don't like Ubuntu but that is another option. buy a supported device and install. http://ubports.com

find a device that is supported by cyanogenmod and find that same device on ebay, used.
buy it, install CM on it.
use it.

CM is gone so unless a new team steps up there will be nothing. Current hope. https://lineageos.org/



I'm always shocked at how many millions and millions of devices are out there that can never be updated. Every one with a security hole as big as day.
OK that may be harsh. Google suggests that one could build an image from source and apply it to these outdated devices from source. ...........

"OK that may be harsh." no it is not , it really resembles the TRUTH