Many people argue you have to trade convenience in order to get privacy when it comes to cell phones in the technological world. But can we take a moment to appreciate just how much convenience you can obtain with a privacy-focused ROM I mean think about it, what makes a smartphone? The ability to make phone calls the ability to text message somehow, some way, as well as the ability to access the internet and properly GPS If your phone can do those things, it is absolutely a smart phone by all conceivable metrics.
Many people can play that a completely de-googled phone is simply too frustrating to work with. It’s still a far cry away from digital minimalism or monasticism.
People think you have to give up privacy because the early players (Apple and Google) didn’t make that a priority. People have gotten so used to apps that just harvest your data that it has become the norm instead of the exception. I do agree that you can have a great experience with a FOSS focused phone, as I only use a handful of proprietary apps that have no replacement.