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Just make sure beforehand that they're supported by LineageOS. Then you can wipe the OEM crap and run software you trust instead (assuming you trust the LineageOS developers).

If they're the kind that's sold artificially cheap under the assumption that they can make up the difference by showing you ads for the whole lifetime of the device, running a different OS has the added benefit of eating into their profit margins.

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People should also be aware that certain devices will have specific features disabled when flashing to a custom ROM like LineageOS; vendor binary blobs on the OEM side and LineageOS' policy on reverse engineering them.

I believe the only manufacturers that have features disabled for unlocked bootloaders are Sony[1] and Samsung (Galaxy Z Fold 3 only).[2] Many Snapdragon-based Samung devices can't be bootloader-unlocked in the first place, and this includes most U.S. models.

Vendors that are LineageOS-friendly include Google, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Asus.[3] If you already have a Xiaomi phone, replacing the stock operating system with LineageOS could improve your privacy.

[1] https://developer.sony.com/develop/open-devices/get-started/...

[2] https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/24/22639869/samsung-galaxy-z...

[3] https://www.lineageoslog.com

Yes, but there's always the risk that the malware is planted deeper, aka a rootkit

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