username1234
username1234 if i buy a cellular device/pixel or so can i spoof/randomize my IMEI?
No. GOS doesn't give options to modify the IMEI. I know it is possible because 5 years ago I saw a Chinese made fake "samsung galaxy 6" phone that had the option to input your own IMEI. You could also change the IMEI at any time. Whether this can be done or not depends on whether the software (OS) allows you or not. I think most of the privacy OSes available right now don't give this option (I don't know of any, maybe some of them do, you have to check). But even if you found an OS that gave you the option to change the IMEI, it would probably not be any good in privacy features or security like GOS and some of the other OSes I mentioned are. If you could find ANY device/OS that can alter the IMEI it would be very interesting indeed. Remember though, even if you managed to change your IMEI often, in order to use the cell network internet you'd need a SIM card and the SIM has the IMSI ID and you would still be tracked with the IMSI (though to a lesser degree). Look up the word IMSI in youtube videos from Rob Braxman. Also remember having your IMEI tracked is mostly a problem if that IMEI is associated with your real identity. For example in Canada you can not buy any burner sims. Any sim you get is always associated with your real identity (KYC law). so once you put that sim in the phone, then the IMEI of the phone gets associated with your real identity and now you are permanently tracked. In this case then if you then keep changing the IMEI, all those IMEI's get associated with your IMSI ad you're still tracked through your IMSI.
username1234 i'll be using the device at my home too, looking to avoid precise location tracking or location tracking at all if possible.
Telling me that you "use it at home TOO" doesn't help me clarify whether you want to have cell network access or not and how important that is to you. So I'll now have to explain both cases.
If you want to avoid the whole cell tower tracking debacle and you think this is very important to your threat model then I think you should just wait for the Pixel Tablet and put GOS on it. You will not have any cell network internet, you will only have wifi access which limits your internet access when you are on the move, but you will be guaranteed to have no location tracking on that device. GOS also gives extremely strong security and privacy capabilities that puts it a head and shoulder above the other OSes. In fact now that I understand the security implications that GOS offers (Locked boot loader and verified boot in particular), I'd never switch back to any of the other privacy OSes.
Your other option right now is to buy a pixel phone and put it in airplane mode permanently and never insert any sim card in it. This essentially turn it into a tablet. A very small tablet. Getting the pixel tablet is the better option.
But if you need to have cell network access, one way to prevent network tracking is make sure the sim card is not associated with your identity (no KYC). Then even if the phone is tracked, its not clear who the individual is. However you could technically be de-anonymized if the gov really wanted to do it. For example by tapping your phone and listening to your conversations or reading your sms messages they can find your identity. If they also pay careful attention to your tracked location they will likely find your place of living and work and again be able to find you.
Sometimes being tracked like that is not a problem. As long as they can't findout what you are doing with your apps, being tracked may not be a problem.
There are too many scenarios and solutions to go through. You have be more specific about whether you MUST have cell network access or not. And you need to be specific about whether you have access to KYC free sims or not. And you need to say more specifically how you want to use it. Will you be making phone calls with your sim? Will you need sms from your sim? Will you only use those few apps you mentioned and nothing else? Will you need google play store for those apps to work? What are the apps?
The usage of external modem to hide the IMEI is also an option, but whether such tool is actually necessary for you really depends on what exactly you are trying to do. So I can't help you more than that without very specific details.