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You can keep using mobiles even after stop receiving updates. They don’t get remotely disabled or anything.

by bzb6 6y ago

jmnicolas 6y ago
For most people their phone is their most important tech device where a lot of critical data transit (banking, social etc) so using an unsecured phone isn't a good idea.
neallindsay 6y ago
Well, sometimes they get remotely disabled by ransomware.
loudmax 6y ago
You can keep using your old phone, but no updates means no security updates. This means your browser and other apps are susceptible to compromise. As time goes on the exploits are automated, this becomes less the provenance of determined organizations, and more accessible to script kiddies or casual hackers. If the drivers are open source you can at least run something like LineageOS or another Android derived open source ROM and still run an updated OS on your old hardware.
0x_rs 6y ago
It's a gamble, I surely wouldn't use a KitKat phone for internet browsing, it is probably no different from using an ancient version of IE from 20 years ago, it is just a matter of time before something bad happens. The biggest problem is, most OEMs nowadays lock bootloaders and make it a lot tougher to use custom ROMs for longer support, non malicious pre-installed applications, and removing Google services - almost non-existent FOSS support from Qualcomm devices doesn't help either. I only buy for myself and suggest to others devices that are more likely to get community driven support, that for example bars some manufacturers with ridiculous lock-ins.
tiernano 6y ago
Same could be said for Windows XP and Windows 7, but its not recommended...
- ogre_codes 6y ago
  Windows 95 FTW!
ZuLuuuuuu 6y ago
In addition to security, sometimes new versions of Android have a feature that I would like to use. And knowing that the hardware I am using is perfectly capable of supporting it but just because the greedy Android ecosystem wants to sell me new devices bothers me. And not only new features but there can also be bugs. For example I have an Android tablet which stopped getting updates after just 1 year. It has bugs which did not get solved during this period so they will never get solved. Also I like using dark mode that is introduced with Android 10, which will never come to my tablet. So I need to buy a new tablet if I want dark mode or less buggy experience.

You can keep using mobiles even after stop receiving updates. They don’t get remotely disabled or anything.

by bzb6 6y ago

You can keep using mobiles even after stop receiving updates. They don’t get remotely disabled or anything.

For most people their phone is their most important tech device where a lot of critical data transit (banking, social etc) so using an unsecured phone isn't a good idea.

neallindsay 6y ago

Well, sometimes they get remotely disabled by ransomware.

loudmax 6y ago

You can keep using your old phone, but no updates means no security updates. This means your browser and other apps are susceptible to compromise. As time goes on the exploits are automated, this becomes less the provenance of determined organizations, and more accessible to script kiddies or casual hackers. If the drivers are open source you can at least run something like LineageOS or another Android derived open source ROM and still run an updated OS on your old hardware.

0x_rs 6y ago

It's a gamble, I surely wouldn't use a KitKat phone for internet browsing, it is probably no different from using an ancient version of IE from 20 years ago, it is just a matter of time before something bad happens. The biggest problem is, most OEMs nowadays lock bootloaders and make it a lot tougher to use custom ROMs for longer support, non malicious pre-installed applications, and removing Google services - almost non-existent FOSS support from Qualcomm devices doesn't help either. I only buy for myself and suggest to others devices that are more likely to get community driven support, that for example bars some manufacturers with ridiculous lock-ins.

tiernano 6y ago

Same could be said for Windows XP and Windows 7, but its not recommended...

ogre_codes 6y ago
Windows 95 FTW!

ZuLuuuuuu 6y ago

In addition to security, sometimes new versions of Android have a feature that I would like to use. And knowing that the hardware I am using is perfectly capable of supporting it but just because the greedy Android ecosystem wants to sell me new devices bothers me. And not only new features but there can also be bugs. For example I have an Android tablet which stopped getting updates after just 1 year. It has bugs which did not get solved during this period so they will never get solved. Also I like using dark mode that is introduced with Android 10, which will never come to my tablet. So I need to buy a new tablet if I want dark mode or less buggy experience.