I’ve been looking into moving towards a more privacy friendly OS on my phones; I’ve been deGoogling my phones to the maximum extension I can manage, deactivating stock apps and putting in as much FOSS possible.
But what other options are there out there?
I don’t want to go full out into Linux Phone territory, as I am not tech savvy enough to maintain a phone on that line, and I have two bank and a carrier applications I would like to keep using.
As I write this, Murena and their /e/ OS seems to be a good option, as they have some accessibly priced equipments and the OS itself seems to be a clean(er) Android.
Digital payments require a digital payments app which require google play services. I cannot function without it. My transactions are 95% digital. I do not deal in cash. Its much simpler and easier to scan and pay rather than count change and deal with it.
Do you have access to or have you considered a credit/debit card? It’s an easy way to no longer require google play services, it fits in nearly anything, and is just as quick as the phone with tap.
Most shops in my region support Scan and Pay. Credit card and debit cards are a luxury. No shopkeeper is paying for the added transaction fees and the cost of card machine.
Scan & pay is much cheaper. There are also no transaction fees for online payments. I’m talking about UPI payments. That’s the best payments system I know. Especially, for small transactions.