Hi Rei!
You must have more information below as well.
Thanks to all for the quick feedback!
I wish I could find Google Pixel and One Plus brands where I live, but I can’t. I can find one or another in local online stores, but usually used, and rarely.
@shreedhar’s suggestion is close to what I was thinking about (thanks @Claes for mentioning him).
Actually, I was considering Motorola One Fusion, where one of the strongest points to me is the fact that it is the closest to stock Android I can get in this country.
Now, I was thinking about Fusion, not Fusion Plus. By the specs comparison below (Fusion Plus at right) will it make a big difference? (I know you probably aren’t a smartphone expert, but maybe you can see something …)
EDIT: I confess I’m not attracted to a selfie pop-up camera, besides the economics, of course.
EDIT 2: @shreedhar Those prices must be from last year. Now a Fusion is aroung BRL 1,500.00 and a Fusion Plus 1,800.00
@gadolf, Level 3 is the best. Better than Full! If your camera has Level 3 access, then you are all set!
About the prices, I just did a Google search and gave you the first available page! Snapdragon 710 of Fusion is not all that much different than SD730 of Fusion Plus in practical terms. However, the display is better, the max aperture is slightly wider on Fusion Plus. Also, even though 4GB RAM is more than enough, for some photo processing, having 6GB RAM is better. It is also more future proof (I don’t change my phone till it actually dies!)I have not used the selfie camera of my phone in the last four five years even once! Well, I for fun took some photos to see if it is working or not but that doesn’t count. So whether it is a pop up or not does not matter to me. But your usage may be different.
I am glad that you found my suggestions useful.
Ah, great! This is my current one, Moto G7 Play, low range, but one that fits more than enough my low profile needs.
Neither did I 
Actually, I opened this thread to help my wife, whose requirements are a smartphone with a good camera. She’s a compulsive shooter, selfies included…
Until I can get my hands on a real foss smartphone, I think I’ll look for those closer to stock Android, less bloatware and minimalistic skin. I know there’s some up there in the North, who knows when will they arrive here.
Claes, I can edit raw images from the one which specs I posted above and happens to be my current smartphone (and, as @shreedhar, will be with me until it dies).
The thing is that I still have a prejudice against photographing with smartphones. I’m old school.
Well, they get increasingly better. For instance, there is another fellow from India who is very skilled using his smartphone for macro shots.
I know, I know, but…
As for that link, I remember having read it, very nice.
If you’re happy to go Chinese, you could consider Xiaomi phones. Some of these have Android One which is a pure/stock Android I believe. Xiaomi are said to be good value for money. I have a Mi A2 which I’ve been very happy with. (I’m not well up on phones though)
https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_a2_(mi_6x)-9140.php
SOOP JPEG -
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Thanks, @RawConvert, that is the other brand I’m considering (though greatly pending to Motorola).
But, then I read this
and this
… and I get sad: we’re on their hands. It seems that the trend is to have you buy another device after, say, two years, because after that you’ll stop receiving updates. Period.
When I choose my next smartphone, I’ll have to choose one that can be jailbroken and is compatible with some free rom.
At least with computers you have a much broader choice if you don’t want to be a hostage from big tech.
also consider
- how long will you get android updates for your phone?
- how regularly do you get them?
and of course … opencamera is great
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And App like this needs network access and preventing the phone from sleeping???
Seems silly.
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That’s what I tried to raise with my last post, this whole smartphone ecosystem is fundamentally flawed, and our hands are completely tied, no freedom at all.
Did you try to remove those permissions? Does it still work?
It didn’t ask me for those permissions… or any at all.
I do not install apps with questionable permissions.
and i think network access does not really need to be requested it is on by default.
Here is an interesting video about Android updates. After watching it, I am much more relaxed about whatever version I have!
Thanks, @shreedhar.
However,
Operating System level security patches aren’t quite as automatic yet. They do still require input from manufacturers…
(@ 2:27)
That’s my main concern, not feature updates, which I agree, from the video, that we can consider irrelevant, given the current Android architecture.
For how long will Google itself and then the manufacturer release security patches for my three, four years old OS in my three, four years old device?
Still not comfortable…
EDIT: When I think, in comparison, that I’m writing this in this old 2013 laptop and I’m totally up-to-date in regards to OS… I get angry 
Most Android One devices give you 2 years of monthly sec updates. if you are lucky you got 1-2 more years with updates every 3 months and then you are out of service unless someone does a 3rd party rom for it.
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Checkout https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.caddish_hedgehog.hedgecam2&hl=en_CA likely based on open camera but so many options …full dslr control set…of course in theory…
I often don’t bother to edit the raws from the pixel…I take them just in case but they are so good that it is not worth the effort to try and improve on them esp just for regular shots and keep sakes
not my experience at all… at least the pixel2 produces ugly jpgs, it’s very easy to get much nicer results when starting from the dngs.
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