"safe" android phone?

[Christopher Browne]

On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 4:41 PM, Andrej Marjan <andrej-igvx78u1SeH3fQ9qLvQP4Q at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> Hello, recent events have led me to want to get a smartphone with an
> Internet connection. Initial research of the Android space seems to
> indicate an unholy mess of manufacturer and carrier customization,
> bastardization, and refusal to provide software updates. Leaving the
> consumer either marooned, or warranty-less after rooting their phone.
> I consider both alternatives undesirable.
>
> It seems the only "safe" and reasonably high quality Android phones
> are the Nexuses, but those don't appear to be available through any of
> the major carriers. I'm beginning to see the massive appeal of the
> iPhone - if you don't mind Apple's heavy hand and the itunes mess, you
> get a pretty powerful pocket computer that Just Works.
>
> What am I missing? I know there are numerous Android users on this
> list; how are you all navigating this situation?
>
> Thanks in advance for any advice or insight.

I have been evaluating the acceptability of phones based on the
availability of 3rd party customized builds.  The notable project for
this is CyanogenMod, which provides enhanced late-breaking versions of
the Android platform for a pretty sizable set of phones.

Pick from the following list and the carriers' hands get rather "less heavy"...
  <http://www.cyanogenmod.com/devices>
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