How to check emails (safely & securely)? I trust Linux more than Android. Likewise, I trust Firefox (with certain settings and certain security-related addons) more than Chrome (or Chromium). I'm new to the smartphone world and couldn't wait for a non-dev Ubuntu Touch release, so I  bought an (Samsung) Android phone. Which I have yet to turn on. So the following question is theoretical for now:

How to check emails in Android (safely &amp; securely) ?

Via an app (which?), via a browser (which?), else ?



Further, I have more than one gmail account. In Linux, I use two separate browsers to check both accounts simultaneously (I'm aware of other solutions, but am happy with that one on my PC). How to do so in Android?
I respect your desire for pirvacy, but if you're so leery of Google-backed software that even the open-source Chromium is suspect, then I don't know that anything simple will meet your needs. I'll do my best to make suggestions for you.

1: Remove the Samsung ROM and replace it with something else. 


I'm not a privacy-demanding individual, and even I don't trust Samsung's software. In an ideal situation, you would be using a Nexus 4 so that you can install Ubuntu Touch as soon as it's available. Barring that, you can go find a lot of open-source Android projects like Cyanogenmod or AOKP that have baked-in privacy enhancements. Cyanogenmod (Just for example) is open-source, and doesn't include the closed-source Google Apps by default.
Note that Cyanogenmod recently announced that it's becoming a company, and will no longer be solely volunteer-developed. If you're not cool on that, there are lots of other alternatives. However, I'm pretty sure CM has the best built-in privacy features.


2: After you're on your new ROM, don't install a Google Apps package.


Google Apps, while extremely useful, are closed-source software. We don't know exactly what goes on inside them. If you don't trust Chrome, you probably don't trust Gapps. If you don't trust Chromium, you definitely don't trust Gapps.


3: Instead, use an open-source Android App repo like F-Droid.


F-Droid, a very well-filled repository of free and open-source software for Android, including Firefox, etc, is an excellent source for people leery of Google Play, Amazon App Store, and other closed-source or questionable sources of software.


4a: Use an open-source email client (Like the built-in email app).


The Android email app (not Gmail app) is open-source and generally considered quite safe. But you can't be blamed for being too cautious; there are a lot of email apps available from F-Driod.


4b: Alternatively, use an open-source Browser (Like Firefox, or the built-in browser).


The built-in browser is open-source, but is based on Chromium. You probably want to just install Firefox. However, you will probably not find the addons you use on the desktop available for Firefox here.


More Notes: Installing an ad-blocker from F-Droid will also help a bit. Ad providers try to do lots of tricky things to track users. Mess with security and privacy settings in Cyanogenmod or whatever ROM you choose.

Unfortunately, your Samsung phone may have a locked bootloader. If it doesn't, you should be okay - most of the flagship Samsung phones (S3, S4, Note2, Note3) - when their bootloader is unlocked - have good support from the major Android ROM projects. If, however, your bootloader is encrypted, then I might suggest returning the phone (if still possible) and getting a Nexus 4. Yes, I know this is a "Google" phone. However, it's one of the easiest to bend to your needs. It's also one of the very few that will have immediate and constant support for Ubuntu when it's available. If you don't trust Nexus, then just find something that's well-supported by the open-source community, and has an unlocked bootloader (Galaxy S4's are apparently getting locked by a new update, so be careful!).