5 ms·
It's ok to buy their cheap hardware, but I strongly recommend replacing the software right away with e.g. https://download.lineageos.org/ https://download.linea
by m3nu 8y ago
It's ok to buy their cheap hardware, but I strongly recommend replacing the software right away with e.g. https://download.lineageos.org/ https://download.lineageos.org/
- bcaa7f3a8bbc 8y agoYes. Until Huawei started to lockdown the bootloader in recent phones!
- trumped 8y agoIt really stinks that there are barely any new phones available for purchase with unlocked boot loaders... you have to rely on hacks to replace the software that rapes your privacy.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- reitanqild 8y agoI have a Nokia. I think keys to unlock most new models are available from Nokia (was in my news a week or two ago.) BTW: my phone was super cheap, like less than USD300, no strings attached. It is great for most of what I use: mail, hn, local news, signal, slack, telegram. It's also part of the android one program so I expect it to receive updates faster than my old phones. The camera (or the camera software) has some real problems though: it's not as good as my older samsung S7 and it sometimes freezes. Maybe the slightly more expensive models have better cameras, mine was about the cheapest reasonable phone I could get.
- Fnoord 8y agoCertain Nokia Xperia can run SailfishOS.
- reitanqild 8y agoI'm fairly certain Xperia is a Sony brand.
- Fnoord 8y agoYeah, but given we are complaining about data collection you can buy yourself out with Sailfish OS for 50 EUR or install microG (such as with LineageOS). I've done the latter on a FP2, but Sailfish OS would be a suitable alternative.
- m3nu 8y agoTrue. I don't see much for Huawei on Lineage, but Xiaomi has builds for most models. Unlocking takes a while, but can be done. My phone actually came unlocked because the seller changed the ROM language, I assume. If the bootloader is locked or there aren't any good open source builds, just don't buy it.
- baq 8y agoIs it possible to replace the baseband to something that's even a little bit more trustworthy?
- m3nu 8y agoNot yet. But it's an issue. There was a post on HN recently on how the new iPhone baseband runs x86 code?
- robin_reala 8y agoAndroid phones give DMA to the baseband. iPhones link up the baseband via USB so that at least is some form of protection.
- prolikewh0a 8y agoIs there as much of a risk when buying a Chinese made Android One phone? Serious question if anyone knows.
- walterbell 8y agoHuawei has their own baseband silicon. Other Chinese-made phones (Nokia, Blackberry, Xiaomi) use Qualcomm silicon.
- lightdot 8y agoNokias are about as Chinese made as Apple phones are. Both are made by Foxconn. HMD is a Finnish company with headquarters at the Nokia Campus in Karaportti, Espoo, Finland, opposite Nokia Corporation's headquarters.
- Bombthecat 8y agoHow? They locked now all bootloader and you cant unlock them..
- vardump 8y agoApplication processor firmware is one thing. But what about baseband firmware? It's quite a bit scarier. It can usually freely read and write into application processor memory and it controls all radios. Baseband is where you'd hide your spying software. It does not change when you install a different Android version.