TLDR: He does not recommend CalyxOS and gave it a score of 3/10
This person does not understand open source or Android whatsoever. They talk a decent bit about “default installed apps”, without properly understanding what most of them even are. They complain about some apps “being out of date” when installing CalyxOS, calling it “concerning” that they’re not on the latest version out of the box, as if they couldn’t update the apps themselves. The whole “review” feels more like an iPhone user trying to switch to Android for the first time, being confused because it’s different, and complaining about it because they don’t understand it.
The main benefits of CalyxOS lie under the hood. It’s built to be more secure out of the box, and doesn’t connect everywhere without consent like most other Android ROMs. If you’re fine with the privacy and security of using something like LineageOS, CalyxOS doesn’t have much extra to offer.
Seeing the perspective of somebody who’s not particularly well versed in Android forks is interesting, though.
I found the part around 2:45 to be interesting, where the YouTuber says the thought of the OS getting compromised was scary. This is a sort of privacy paradox where Calyx looks worse than other, less honest, alternatives.
Could a rouge employee compromise Calyx? I guess, but Calyx has the best possible setup to avoid it. And Android itself is basically compromised by default, which should be far more concerning. The biggest reason people aren’t concerned is because Google understands PR, and they know how to spin things in the most positive light possible.
