Because Google cares about us

3 months ago by FoxtrotDeltaTango to c/programmer_humor

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49112030

avg 62 points 3 months ago

Honestly, the ability to install whatever the fuck I wanted was the last thing tying me to android phones.

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Shameless 10 points 3 months ago

As someone with a phone which is not supported by non-android projects. What is the alternative here?

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Goldholz 13 points 3 months ago

Fairphone

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Shameless 8 points 3 months ago

So there is no option without just buying a new handset? Obviously I'll just have to use the adb way to get my apps until I can buy a different handset I guess

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leavemealone 4 points 3 months ago

How is e/os these days? Last time I checked it wasn't that good.

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Goldholz 9 points 3 months ago

From what friends tell me. Its really good

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rbn 3 points 3 months ago

My Pixel 6A died from water damage two weeks ago. Bought a Fairphone 6, flashed /e/ and relocked the bootloader. For a slightly tech savvy person really easy to do. So far, everything works fine including 3/3 banking apps. I didn't install any Google made apps and except for the gboard keyboard and Android Auto I don't miss anything. Both could be easily installed, but I'll try to stay away on purpose. I'm really happy and can recommend! :)

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Psythik 1 point 3 months ago

What is the alternative here for Americans?

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sbeak 5 points 3 months ago

aside from various used models (OnePlus 6, Pixel 3a, various old Xiaomi devices, etc.), the Fairphones are your best bet when it comes to Linux phones (as you specify non-Android based projects). The Jolla phone might also be something worth looking at!

iodeOS, e/OS, GrapheneOS, and CalyxOS (they've come back, hooray!) are all great options if you want a degoogled Android ROM (but is still based on AOSP, so not fully independent) and are well supported on the Fairphones and Pixels, as well as a few other devices. These degoogled ROMs are the best option we have now, mobile Linux needs more time in the oven, and will give you more control over your device compared to stock Android! (don't let perfect be the enemy of good and all that)

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gandalf_der_12te 2 points 3 months ago

we need hardware that allows to unlock and relock the bootloader after installing alternative operating systems. then you can use grapheneOS and others on your devices. i think motorola is already making steps towards this. i remember reading articles about it.

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dan 10 points 3 months ago

You'll still be able to sideload things on Android, including from unverified developers. There's a once-off setup that makes you wait 24 hours though. https://www.theverge.com/...

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CrypticCoffee 43 points 3 months ago

Let's not use "sideload", as you're just installing apps.

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dan 9 points 3 months ago

True - I just stuck with Google's naming for consistency.

I absolutely agree that you should be able to install anything on a device you've paid for. Unfortunately, the world's been moving away from that for years, and I'm not sure what we can do to avoid it.

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Melvin_Ferd 0 points 3 months ago

I think if you remove yourself from any tech forums they'll get the message.

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MaggiWuerze 12 points 3 months ago

For now, yes

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gandalf_der_12te 2 points 3 months ago

doesn't that require a google account or am i remembering that wrong?

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schnurrito 2 points 3 months ago

Doesn't Android require a Google account anyway?

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gandalf_der_12te 1 point 3 months ago

nope not mine at least (i think). stock android

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Psythik 1 point 3 months ago

It does if you want to use any Google apps or services. But Android itself can work without.

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altphoto 31 points 3 months ago

Google is a piece of shit and alphabet is the asshole. YouTube is the fart.

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Codpiece 22 points 3 months ago

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onlinepersona 17 points 3 months ago

I hope some regulators pounce onto this.

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Chaunticleer 13 points 3 months ago

This god forsaken country will probably never regulate a corporation again

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smeg 8 points 3 months ago

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Chaunticleer 1 point 3 months ago

Have they? That's news to me, last I knew of any EU interaction with Google at all was Ireland acting as a tax haven for them and many American tech companies

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wewbull 5 points 3 months ago

https://www.reuters.com/...

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Carighan 3 points 3 months ago

Doubt it, or Apple would have been in trouble decades ago. They're just copying what makes apple tons of cash after all.

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onlinepersona 2 points 3 months ago

The EU or South Korea might. Maybe...

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ButteredBread 1 point 3 months ago

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Ghoelian 13 points 3 months ago

Jolla's launch day event is today, they should be shipping the first phones sometime today as well. Can't wait to finally get rid of this google spyware!

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Cyber 9 points 3 months ago

I think this has all the info:

https://keepandroidopen.org/

And their open letter: https://keepandroidopen.org/open-letter/

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flying_sheep -3 points 3 months ago

The “9 steps and 24 hours waiting” thing is kinda misleading: that's once. Only the last two steps (the ones matching today's steps) have to be repeated.

Of course that's still an issue (e.g. you'll only be able to do this for a relative if you see them two days in a row) but it's much less bad than the implied “9 steps and 24 hours waiting every time”

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Cyber 7 points 3 months ago

Considering it - appears - to also need Google Play services then I don't know how that will affect degoogled phones.

I've disabled all the Google services on my phone, and I'm able to restart them if necessary, but I don't have a google account (which has to be tied to a physical phone number?), so it's all waaay to sketchy for me.

And the API that connects to? Is that auditing anything else of mine? Capturing yet more data?

Not happy, me.

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flying_sheep 2 points 3 months ago

Great point. I guess if there's no flow for degoogled phones, things really are outrageous.

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BucketBong 4 points 3 months ago

We can still do the abd install tho ay?

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Hueristic_Autistic 4 points 3 months ago

This shit's nuts, wasn't there a time when google phones were a direct iphone competitor and iphone was only good with Cydia? The next phone I get will have to be a good GrapheneOS phone or I'm gonna have to figure out how to make an OS. Either way FUhck Google and all they're worth. I've been using the startpage.com on Vivaldi browser and it's like using old google.

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gandalf_der_12te 3 points 3 months ago

they're trying to make general-purpose computers into special-purpose computers. (the special purpose is to comply with google)

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odin 2 points 3 months ago

Malayali?

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Melvin_Ferd 2 points 3 months ago

By the way. You cannot ever add an app to the only store you're allowed to use that does not accept ads that we will force on all customers.