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I don't think what people actually want is a "linux phone". IE, something that runs a semi-conventional linux userspace. I think what they want is a privacy pr

I don't think what people actually want is a "linux phone". IE, something that runs a semi-conventional linux userspace. I think what they want is a privacy protecting smart phone built on open source components. Also, Android is based on a driver and BSP model that is quickly going to be replaced with Fuchsia/Zircon

pmontra 4y ago
I want my mandated banking apps, voice calls, Telegram, WhatsApp, OSMAnd, Street View, SMSes, Firefox, an email client, one day of battery, WiFi, in a smallish form factor (let's say a bezel less original iPhone SE) and light (that phone again.) I don't think I'll ever get that in a not Android, not iOS phone.
- rglullis 4y ago
  If by "not Android" you mean "without Google", then I'm happy to report that I've been using /e/OS for over an year without any major issue, which I believe was possible to install in some of the Sony "mini" models.
- danuker 4y ago
  I don't like bezel-less. I have to carefully grasp my phone not to drop it.
  - goldphotograph1 4y ago
    Yeah, with bezel-less there's also the issue of accidental touches
- kuschku 4y ago
  > mandated banking apps > I don't think I'll ever get that in a not Android, not iOS phone. Of course not, those apps nowadays do on-device checks in the TrustZone environment to verify with Google’s servers that you’re actually running a phone that’s approved by Google with a supported OS version in a supported configuration. Customization? Competition? Who cares! > Street View Considering just how much Google has tried to hurt Windows Phone by not supporting it with their own apps and services and even preventing others from making Windows Phone apps for their services, you’ll definitely never see Street View support on a non-Google non-Apple phone. Your issue isn’t one that can be solved by open source volunteers. Your issue is one of monopolies and control.
rvz 4y ago
> Also, Android is based on a driver and BSP model that is quickly going to be replaced with Fuchsia/Zircon That is the hard truth and the reality of it all and what is most likely going to happen.
- DoingIsLearning 4y ago
  I mean the whole motivation for Google to sink money into Fuchsia is not to diversify into the embedded space it is obvious they want full vertical control from the Zircon Kernel all the way up to user space. A lot harder to degoogle if your device is nothing but google...
  - rvz 4y ago
    > they want full vertical control from the Zircon Kernel all the way up to user space. Of course, I have been saying that for years. Contrary to the 'Fuchsia is only an experiment', 'Fuchsia is going to be shut down' coping crowd, in fact, Google has been much further than once thought with developing Fuchsia and it is going to start with replacing Linux with Zircon in ChromeOS next, probably in 3 to 4 years. Also explains why they already have the Chrome browser running in Fuchsia. So there is no doubt that they are intending to use Zircon in ChromeOS.
    - ladyanita22 4y ago
      Without any proof, all you're saying means nothing. Fuchsia is, at this moment, nearer extinction than mass adoption.
  - Beltalowda 4y ago
    I think that makes sense too, and don't think that kind of "control" is necessarily bad. I've often written "dependencies" myself even though existing solutions exist so I have (full) control over them, and can do exactly what I want with them. I was reading an interview with SQLite creator Richard Hipp the other day, and he said pretty much exactly the same. It gives a lot of freedom.
q-big 4y ago
> I think what they want is a privacy protecting smart phone built on open source components. I don't think so. If the smart phone was about protecting privacy, the amount of functionality that has to be disabled (or rather: not there) has to be insane.

pmontra 4y ago

I want my mandated banking apps, voice calls, Telegram, WhatsApp, OSMAnd, Street View, SMSes, Firefox, an email client, one day of battery, WiFi, in a smallish form factor (let's say a bezel less original iPhone SE) and light (that phone again.) I don't think I'll ever get that in a not Android, not iOS phone.

rglullis 4y ago
If by "not Android" you mean "without Google", then I'm happy to report that I've been using /e/OS for over an year without any major issue, which I believe was possible to install in some of the Sony "mini" models.
danuker 4y ago
I don't like bezel-less. I have to carefully grasp my phone not to drop it.
- goldphotograph1 4y ago
  Yeah, with bezel-less there's also the issue of accidental touches
kuschku 4y ago
> mandated banking apps > I don't think I'll ever get that in a not Android, not iOS phone. Of course not, those apps nowadays do on-device checks in the TrustZone environment to verify with Google’s servers that you’re actually running a phone that’s approved by Google with a supported OS version in a supported configuration. Customization? Competition? Who cares! > Street View Considering just how much Google has tried to hurt Windows Phone by not supporting it with their own apps and services and even preventing others from making Windows Phone apps for their services, you’ll definitely never see Street View support on a non-Google non-Apple phone. Your issue isn’t one that can be solved by open source volunteers. Your issue is one of monopolies and control.

rvz 4y ago

> Also, Android is based on a driver and BSP model that is quickly going to be replaced with Fuchsia/Zircon That is the hard truth and the reality of it all and what is most likely going to happen.

DoingIsLearning 4y ago
I mean the whole motivation for Google to sink money into Fuchsia is not to diversify into the embedded space it is obvious they want full vertical control from the Zircon Kernel all the way up to user space. A lot harder to degoogle if your device is nothing but google...
- rvz 4y ago
  > they want full vertical control from the Zircon Kernel all the way up to user space. Of course, I have been saying that for years. Contrary to the 'Fuchsia is only an experiment', 'Fuchsia is going to be shut down' coping crowd, in fact, Google has been much further than once thought with developing Fuchsia and it is going to start with replacing Linux with Zircon in ChromeOS next, probably in 3 to 4 years. Also explains why they already have the Chrome browser running in Fuchsia. So there is no doubt that they are intending to use Zircon in ChromeOS.
  - ladyanita22 4y ago
    Without any proof, all you're saying means nothing. Fuchsia is, at this moment, nearer extinction than mass adoption.
- Beltalowda 4y ago
  I think that makes sense too, and don't think that kind of "control" is necessarily bad. I've often written "dependencies" myself even though existing solutions exist so I have (full) control over them, and can do exactly what I want with them. I was reading an interview with SQLite creator Richard Hipp the other day, and he said pretty much exactly the same. It gives a lot of freedom.

q-big 4y ago

> I think what they want is a privacy protecting smart phone built on open source components. I don't think so. If the smart phone was about protecting privacy, the amount of functionality that has to be disabled (or rather: not there) has to be insane.