I might have misunderstood this but is Android really trying to push this as tracking as a privacy upgrade, simply because it let's us choose which of our interests we want advertisers to have access to?
this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2024
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¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I wish but switching to Apple would be just as bad and I would want to die being forced to use their fisher price software for the tech illiterate.
Soon though, in the next 5 years I think Linux phones (I know Android is Linux, you know what I mean) will be in a good state. So hopefully I can switch soonish
Google and SOC vendors are trying their best to stop developing of Linux phones. That's why available Linux phones use 10 year old chipsets.
Lets be frank, the main reason is that only like 1% of the market has an articulated preference towards free software and privacy. No money to be made equals no product in our cruel world. And of course FOSS, even if it is free to a user (as in you do not have to pay to use it. You do need to spend your time and resources to learn it though, and that is not free already), is by no means free to develop. The time spent on it by devs has to be compensated somehow, enthusiasm is unfortunately not the only fuel our bodies need. And then, for phones, the hardware required is not free as well. And then we need a manufacturer, who would be much more interested in making a billion Android phones than a million of a niche product.
Does Google actively try to stop development of the alternatives? Unlikely, because they don't have to. They do not make it easier of course, why would they. And they do buy out everything they can, because they can use it to improve their products.
I do not see a good way out of this loop for now. Do you?
https://postmarketos.org/faq/#why-postmarketos-over-ungoogled-android-or-halium Hardware vendors just use proprietary drivers so it's almost impossible to port linux to their devices. It is so crazy that you can't even update linux kernel in Android without vendor's help.
I am waiting for the same thing. The amount of shit you have to disable, block, or unistall on android is getting ridiculous. It's getting really old.
Most of the new "features" that either apple or google add anymore are absolute trash. I am constantly having to go through the settings and disable shit.
The stock android is so full of non-romovable crap that a launcher is required anymore.
It's the same for windows, win11 is only usable with a launcher like startallback.
Dont wait, just get a Pixel 6a-8 and install GrapheneOS.
(8 is expensive but will last 7+ years with extended GrapheneOS updates)
What do you use in place of GApps? F-droid?
Also, what's the flashing process like these days? Does it still wipe everything or is there a way to save all the personal stuff?
Just check grapheneos.org
They have only a minimal appstore preinstalled, which they use for their own apps. It is the best there is with full background updates etc. Every store could do this if they used modern libraries.
You have Vanadium preinstalled, from which you can install "F-Droid Basic" (the modern client), or Aurorastore, or accrescent, obtainium etc.
Their own solution is sandboxed google play, installed as regular user apps with way more restricted permissions and an opt-in method (only dedicated calls are allowed) in contrast to the extremely privileged microG or even "GAPPS" which can do everything (and in the place of microG having selected things removed, badness enumeration while still using proprietary Google code).
GrapheneOS is basically Android done right, play services etc. work, you can install all Google apps from the playstore, not as system apps, if you wanted to. (wallet and others are exceptions as they require a Google certified OS).
There's Always graphene or calyx...
Calyx is way worse than Graphene. Only use it if your device is not supported by GrapheneOS > DivestOS.
And afaik Calyx doesnt even support many phones lol. On GrapheneOS this is actually due to missing security, which Calyx doesnt even use.
agreed
I dont think they're saying to use Apple. I read that as "Use Android without Google" ... Which is actually easier than using Android with Google if you install the OS yourself.