Does anyone have any recommendations for a phone that will work with the F-Droid store that is also GSM for international travel, also what company to buy a GSM SIM card from? Thanks!
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I think your question is slightly wrong.
What you probably want is a phone that lets you flash a custom ROM which again easily allows you to run F-Droid.
I think in that case a good start would be to go to the LineageOS website and check out their device compatibility page.
If you want to run F-Droid along with GoogleApps you’d probably be happy with that.
If you want to go all “google-less” I can recommend DivestOS which is based on LineageOS but has a much MUCH better user experience than “just” plain LineageOS without google apps.
When it comes to international travel you’d might value a phone with two SIM slots.
Fairphone comes to mind…
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F-Droid is just a generic app and will run on any Android.
As far as a GSM phone for travel, I can’t say. But…
Do not buy a carrier specific phone. In the U.S. for instance, don’t buy a phone from T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, etc. Network/frequency bands may be limited. Probably same for regional devices that may cover only/mostly Europe or East Asia, etc. Look for a global or international version of a device. They usually have wider frequency support.
Gsmarena and phonearena may help in checking coverage for a particular device.
Buy directly if possible (Motorola from Motorola, OnePlus from OnePlus, etc). If you buy from a third party make sure you’re getting what you want. A carrier unlocked device.
I don’t travel so can’t offer any assistance on SIM providers.
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I recommend a phone with easily removable battery and wired headphone jack, and LineageOS fork. If you find one, plz let us know.
SIM
Google store offers a couple “free” months of Fi with Pixel 6 or 6 pro. Only if you wish to share all your Infos, don’t care about above, and cost is no concern.
I recommend Samsung A5 (2017). This phone works with all bands and there’s an official LineageOS for it. I could buy it used but in good condition for about 60€.
Spielmops
Samsung XCover 3 VE or 4. Because both have removable battery, they are waterproof and have decent specs otherwise. Please note though those are not new phones, so they might be not suitable for your needs. And of course buy phone carrier-free (i.e. without any custom locks).
For the record, I own 3 VE and it is even too modern for me 
I prefer simplicity and smaller phones like Galaxy Ace 2.
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If only they used Qualcomm, they might have LineageOS support. And, well some masses will be forced to have 5g soon, I heard.
Teracube 2e fits the bill as far as the hardware features are concerned (removable battery, headphone jack, dual SIM, separate microSD, wide carrier support).
MediaTek processor though.
Not always in stock.
Fairphone is the way to go : not only their products fill all your needs, but more importantly, they’re the only smartphone manufacturer that aims to use as much recycled and fair-sources materials, and to make them self-repairable as possible.
Their Fairphone 2 has had 7 years of support now !
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Yes, the Fairphone is great, except, Europe only. For the U.S. and other parts a similar alternative is needed. Teracube comes close.
A lot of older devices fit the bill but I’m not sure of any modern ones.
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