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There is no winning. Get an iPhone, or a dumbphone.
by playforclaude 1y ago
There is no winning. Get an iPhone, or a dumbphone.
- wkat4242 1y agoAn iPhone is even less open
- playforclaude 1y agoNone of these options are "open". You just have to decide what you really want from a communications device.
- jasonvorhe 1y agoA Pixel with GrapheneOS is pretty much as open as it gets. Any iPhone or Samsung is a downgrade from that.
- playforclaude 1y agoHow do you see that playing out in the medium to long term? Google have made it very clear that they're done with the "open" side to Pixel, and they have comparatively unlimited resource to throw at the issue.
- tiagod 1y agoGrapheneOS team have published that they're working with a smartphone manufacturer that is working on releasing a phone that matches their security requirements.
- wkat4242 1y agoBut even then, Google will keep hampering AOSP efforts too in the long run. They're also introducing a new requirement that sideloaded apps must be validated by them.
- akimbostrawman 1y agoWhich is irrelevant because GOS does not by default implement Google playstore and play services that have that limitation. If Google implements the same play services sideloading limitation in AOSP which is unlikely, it can be removed like anything else because it's open source.
- playforclaude 1y agoYou missed the primary issue OP mentioned, which is that ASOP is becoming a smaller and smaller part of the entire OS, and there's an ever-increasing amount of work needed to make it work on a real phone.
- wkat4242 1y agoYes and also more and more apps are blocking custom ROMs. Even the McDonald's app is doing it now (I know, you're not missing much there but still...). It refuses to launch if it was installed by any method other than the official play store.
- subscribed 1y agoStill, GOS team have confirmed they are able to unlock bootloader, flash custom keys and relock it on the new Pixel 10, so?medium term seems to be safe. They previously ported Android 16 within 2 weeks on all the supported devices despite obstacles. It's not so bad.
- playforclaude 1y agoThat just means that the Pixel 10 meets their security requirements. Porting this time around will require a significant amount more work (if it's even possible), due to various changes in the way Google publishes updates to ASOP.
- wkat4242 1y agoIt's not so bad but depending on the 'hand that feeds' in the long term is unsustainable, especially if that hand can't be trusted.
- wkat4242 1y agoYes this is why the current duopoly is so toxic.
- estimator7292 1y agoThey said less open. You can rank how smelly two turds are compared to each other, but if you must live with one, which are you going to choose?
- playforclaude 1y agoHonestly, I rate "open" less and less as time goes on. It's a fine principle, but there are other valuable principles (like minimal advertising and tracking, and quality of finish and performance). I think that the ethics and ill-effects of Meta, Google and the like are significantly worse than locked software ecosystems. Once you've decided that, then you don't want a smartphone at all. If I had to get a smartphone, I would get an Apple. Given how many people go to all this hassle for "openness" in their mobile software ecosystem and then install Whatsapp/Gmail/Instagram etc - what is the point?
- jamesnorden 1y agoI've noticed in this type of thread that the typical HNer can't fathom that people like using Android as an OS and they're not using it solely because you can sideload apps or install custom ROMs. Maybe there's a name for that.
- playforclaude 1y agoThe article in question almost entirely focuses on those topics, so such comments are entirely relevant. There's nothing special about liking Android as an OS. I'm sure it applies to practically everyone who has an Android phone :-).