Ask HN: What's the most open/hacker friendly Android phone for 2026?
16 points - 12/22/2025
I am a long time Apple user, but their software keeps getting buggier, worse and I just want to switch. I moved all my data to self hosting solutions, so I all I need now is an Android phone which… is fun? Like Framework Computer fun.
Are there still community based OSes out which I can flash onto a phone? Last time I had an Android phone was 2013.
If you are mainly looking for a phone with user replaceable parts:
Fairphone: https://shop.fairphone.com/home
Widely available in the EU, in the US (and elsewhere) only through:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTZFFVYC?th=1
Murena: https://murena.com/shop/smartphones/brand-new/murena-fairpho...
(Note: The Murena version also comes with /e/OS instead of vanilla Android)
If you're mainly looking for deGoogled phones:
Google Pixel w/ GrapheneOS (Pixel 10 support now in early beta)
Any Android phone compatible with /e/OS;
Any Android phone compatible with LineageOS;
Previously any Android phone compatible with CalyxOS would also be advisable but not any longer due to the lack of maintenance
I'd have expected Fairphone to support GrapheneOS:(.
If you need strong security, then any Google Pixel starting from Pixel 8 (The Pixel 8's chip includes ARMv9 architecture, which supports MTE and Branch Target Indicators (BTI) for enhanced memory safety that provides protection from entire class of exploits). Get one with unlocked bootloader (available starting from $250 on ebay). Flash the Graphene OS - not really "fun" but the most secure option if that is what you need.
Otherwise, for purely "fun" option, I would get smth like Google Pixel 3a (about $150) and install Ubuntu Touch on it https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/device/sargo/ .
The most practical option is probably to get Google Pixel 9/9A and use it as is with the latest Android, Google AI, etc. Also having an option to flash something else (like Graphene OS) if needed
Graphene OS has very spotty RCS support. It's effectively unusable
It can be annoying to get it to work with your carrier, but I would hardly call it effectively unusable.