TL:DR - I've had a Pixel 4a running eOS and now a Pixel 6 running GrapheneOS - both Android-based but deGoogled mobile phone operating systems. eOS was great, everything set-up out of the box. Still getting into GrapheneOS which is a bit more of a bare-bones install. eOS feels more like iOS to use, GrapheneOS more like stock Android.
I've had eOS running on a Pixel 4a for a while now. eOS is a newish alternative Android-based operating system.
What has this got to do with smartsizing? Well, Googled Android makes a mobile phone near constant 'phone home' chatter with Google's servers. Even if te phone is switched off, the net time it's switched on the phone gives a teachers pet report as to what you've been up to while she was out of the room as it were. This detrimentally affects battery charge and ultimately battery life as the phone will need to be charged more frequently. Also, regular Android as seen is stuffed with 'bloatware', some of which cannot be excised. These uses up resources on the host phone, apart from also being annoying.
Android starts out as AOSP - an open-sourced Google-free operating sytem -and then later in the process has Google stuff such as Google Play services added to it. Phone manufacturers such as Samsung then put a layer of their stuff between you and the bare-bones Android. Android phones sold by Pixel don't have this extra layer; they run 'stock Android' so they don't have as much 'bloatware' but either way the phone is stuffed with privacy-invading Google services.
The upshot is that eOS have managed this very well. A big plus is the aptly-named program Easy Installer that does all the heavy-lifting. There is a little to be done on the phone first such as enabling Developer mode, but the installation went without a hitch. Once installed eOS is ready to go out of the box with all commonly-needed programs (eg web browser, email, camera, gallery) installed. The have managed to find a way to give access to Google Playstore apps with the privacy-invading stuff that goes with that. Further privacy controls are easy to use, just a swipe left from the homepage.
I bought a Pixel 6 on offer at Christmas but only got round to unboxing it the other day. This was because I discovered that eOS had not been configured for the 6 yet. I'd wait until it was available using the program. I checked recently only to find it was stil not on the official list but hey, maybe they just hadn't updated the list. maybe the installer would work anyway. The Pixel 6a, 6 Power and Pixel 7 had by now come out so surely... But nope.
Started the phone without a SIM, or WiFi connection, to go through the process of GrapheneOS installation but discovered OEM unlocking greyed out. So it would have to go back to the shop. Could I get a refund after 3 months and after opening and turning on the phone? I confused OEM unlocking with the phone being SIM-locked to a particular carrier so The phone
Links:
Bloatware? https://www.computerworld.com/article/2966113/bloatware-what-it-is-and-how-to-get-rid-of-it.html