Advanced Plus Security Stargazer_Steve Mobile Config 2022

[Stargazer_Steve]

I have to say, I am loving these Chinese phones! The price to performance is awesome and it has the added benefit of a manufacturer made bootloader unlocker to add a custom rom onto.

I just somehow need to convert my family and partner away from their all so precious iPhones

 

[CyberTech]

Interesting config!

I have to say, I am loving these Chinese phones! The price to performance is awesome and it has the added benefit of a manufacturer made bootloader unlocker to add a custom rom onto.

I just somehow need to convert my family and partner away from their all so precious iPhones

Let them enjoy it whatever they want its their likes dont bother them, if they dont upgrade it every year or two years so save their money which no laggy no slow because it's an iPhone they have software updates for 5-6 years and your phone updates for like 2-3 years.

 

[Zero Knowledge]

The problem is not price and performance because they undoubtably offer great value for money. It's a trust issue. Can you 100% trust the phone?

 

[Stargazer_Steve]

Interesting config!


Let them enjoy it whatever they want its their likes dont bother them, if they dont upgrade it every year or two years so save their money which no laggy no slow because it's an iPhone they have software updates for 5-6 years and your phone updates for like 2-3 years.

Very true, it's their decision and like you say my partner doesn't upgrade yearly, but my family frustratingly does. There's also the argument of Apple pushing updates to purposely slow down older iPhones (for which they were fined for), and also 'accidently' slowing down older phones with newer updates - so sometimes longevity updates aren't always the best when it comes to iPhones.

In regards to the 2-3 years updates for my phone - I feel with the specs my current phone has it'll last me easily 3 years and I checked their website, they guarantee updates to 2025 & Android 14, with potential further dates. But in 3 years time I'll happily upgrade and get a similar priced phone. I could argue that both prices combined of this phone and the future phone, would still be cheaper than just purchasing 1 iPhone. Update lengths are important, but when the chipsets and specs are so close in performance for half the price if not more, it's a no brainer for a cheapo like me

The problem is not price and performance because they undoubtably offer great value for money. It's a trust issue. Can you 100% trust the phone?

This was a concern of mine too! Which is why I decided to use a custom ROM stripped of all of default Xiaomi apps, telemetry, pings etc. (except gallery as it works best with the camera).

However, Xiaomi phones in the EU do have preinstalled EU/Global roms which abide by EU data regulations, and within the phone itself all forms of data consent, pings etc can be turned off/uninstalled freely. Personally I don't use my phone for anything entourage and as all phones will have some form of inbuilt data sharing, I feel it comes down to just picking one of the lesser evils and which company you'll give your data to. I don't think I could be 100% trustworthy of any company in 2022 unfortunately. Which is quite sad now I think about it haha.

 

[Zero Knowledge]

Sounds like you have thought about security and privacy very thoroughly.

I really like your setup and using a custom ROM is a good way to combat the risk of foreign phones.

I don't think I could be 100% trustworthy of any company in 2022 unfortunately. Which is quite sad now I think about it haha.

You right you can't trust anything 100% that is correct.

But I think you can trust Google and Apple not to backdoor your device without a proper warrant with proper oversight or judicial review unlike foreign phones where I imagine they just tick a box and own your phone without any checks and balances. There is off course downloading bad apps from app stores but if your careful you don't need to think of that attack avenue. The only thing you need to think about is/are 1 click RCE in certain apps or someone stealing a cert and having physical access to your phone and sideloading malicious apps with the stolen cert.