It absolutely functions without the companion part (at least on non-Verizon networks) and can be bought unlocked online. I haven't tried smattiso's debloating o

It absolutely functions without the companion part (at least on non-Verizon networks) and can be bought unlocked online. I haven't tried smattiso's debloating options, but there is a "fold" in the launch screen, where I put all the useless apps so I don't have to see them often (except when I go past the fold to look for rarely used programs like the Play Store or Settings). Overall, it's about as close as I've gotten to Windows Phone on an Android device, with the bonus of Android ecosystem for some essentials like Lyft, plus the tiny size.