Google pixel + GrapheneOS

FairPhone?

Either way you’ll be locking yourself into either Google, who will extract more money from advertisers, or Apple who will extract more money from you.

Google Pixel phones (easily allows bootloader unlock and custom ROM if you need to but I can’t be bothered until EOS most of the time)

Nothing Phone (same as above but with different light skin, interesting design and not Google if that bothers you)

You don’t get any of this crap with the Pixel Android phones… I believe Motorola used to be good about not loading up junkware also, but that was years ago and I dunno if they’re still like that.

Get one designated for European market, we have two Samsungs at home at neither of us get autoinstalls or ads

So I don’t know about Samsung specifically but most commonly this whole “installing random apps by developers you’ve never heard of” is most commonly not from the manufacturer but caused by purchasing a carrier variant of the device. Traditionally Verizon did that a lot, but they’ve shaped up some in recent years.

Make sure to buy direct from the manufacturer or otherwise ensure you purchase the manufacturer unlocked variant to avoid this (there’s also an unrelated “carrier unlock” which is a carrier variant that has had the modem unlocked to allow you to use it on other carriers than the one it’s branded to, but your still stuck with the carrier’s variant of the software and hardware.)

Also worth noting carrier models will in some cases actually have differing hardware from the unlocked model too. Traditionally this was usually related to the modem for carriers using uncommon cellular network technologies but some large carriers will even cut down the memory or storage just to squeeze a buck or two off the price!

TLDR don’t buy direct from the carrier and make sure to buy manufacturer unlocked phone!

Ive had a couple Nokias now (Nokia is Finnish) and find them pretty robust and both have been Android One phones so there is basically nothing on them which isn’t just stock android. Plenty fast enough for me. Note: I only buy low end phones (~$300) so YMMV

My previous phone was the Motorola RAZR 5g. No bloat as far as I could tell. Definitely a refreshing experience after the shovel of crap Samsung provided!

If you want a nice user experience, Google pixel line is pretty good.

If you want privacy, etc. there are better options.

Naomi Brockwell has a video on this and more. Highly recommend.