I have been using a Galaxy S3 running Replicant OS 6.0 for the last month or
so (4.2 before 6.0). I purchased the phone used for just under £50 GBP.
Installation wasn't too difficult with a bit of patience and using a couple
of guides.
I am very happy with the phone and performance is good. It is ideal for me -
I strongly dislike smartphones, but as I lack a landline phone I need to have
some form of mobile telephone. It covers the core requirements - calling,
answerphone, text, - very well. There is also a browser for the rare occasion
I need to check something and lack access to a computer. F-Droid (the 'app
store') has lots of useful stuff if you wanted to use the phone more.
Downsides for me:
1) no WiFi. That said, this helps me avoid procrastination as I am more
conscious of usage when using mobile data vs free WiFi. WiFi dongles work -
plug in a WiFi dongle and you will have WiFi access. Not practical for
everyday use, but handy for grabbing big files - e.g. syncing podcasts.
2) no GPS. I miss having directions (driving or walking) in my pocket.
You can now find Galaxy S3 phones secondhand very cheap. If you decide you
dislike Replicant you can always sell the phone and cover most, or all, of
your costs. If the absolute worst happens you've only lost a relatively small
amount of cash.
I certainly wouldn't advise spending €378 on one from Technoethical. That
is a ridiculous sum of money.
