E: apparently it needs to be said that I am not suggesting you switch to Linux on your phone today; just that development needs to accelerate. Please don’t be one of the 34 people that replied to tell me Linux is not ready.

Android has always been a fairly open platform, especially if you were deliberate about getting it that way, but we’ve seen in recent months an extremely rapid devolution of the Android ecosystem:

  1. The closing of development of an increasing number of components in AOSP.
  2. Samsung, Xiaomi and OnePlus have removed the option of bootloader unlocking on all of their devices. I suspect Google is not far behind.
  3. Google implementing Play Integrity API and encouraging developers to implement it, which prevents apps from the Google Play Store from being downloaded without a system-wide OS-level account login. Notably the EU’s own identity verification wallet requires this, in stark contrast to their own laws and policies, despite the protest of hundreds on Github.
  4. And finally, the mandatory implementation of developer verification across Android systems. Yes, if you’re running a 3rd-party OS like GOS you won’t be directly affected by this, but it will impact 99.9% of devices, and I foresee many open source developers just opting out of developing apps for Android entirely as a result. We’ve already seen SyncThing simply discontinue development for this reason, citing issues with Google Play Store. They’ve also repeatedly denied updates for NextCloud with no explanation, only restoring it after mass outcry. And we’ve already seen Google targeting any software intended to circumvent ads, labeling them in the system as “dangerous” and “untrusted”. This will most certainly carry into their new “verification” system.

Google once competed with Apple for customers. But in a world where Google walks away from the biggest antitrust trial since 1998 with yet another slap on the wrist, competition is dead, and Google is taking notes from Apple about what they can legally get away with.

Android as we know it is dead. And/or will be dead very soon. We need an open replacement.

E2: thank you to everyone stopping by from Hacker News, Reddit, etc. to check out the threadiverse. I hope you’ll stick around for a while. Check out https://phtn.app/ and the Voyager and Blorp apps for a nicer UI. Fuck Spez!

  • Marafon@sh.itjust.works
    9·
    23 days ago

    What options are you looking into as far as a Fi replacement? I’m also on Fi and want to ditch them, and the Pixel soon.

    • magguzu@midwest.social
      9·
      23 days ago

      I’m on Mint.

      T-Mobile acquired them, per the usual bullshit, but I get 15GB a month with unlimited talk and text for “$20” a month. The catch is that you pay yearly in bulk for that price. Had it a year and change. Been solid.

    • y0kai [he/him]@anarchist.nexusEnglish
      5·
      23 days ago

      I’m likely going to go to t-mobile as they’re cheap from what I understand and they make up a big part of the network that google leases, along with (i think) US Cellular, or something similar.

      That said, I’ve got about a year to decide, unless someone decides to hire me and then I can pay my phone off early.

      • Sarcasmo220@lemmy.ml
        7·
        23 days ago

        As someone dailying a Linux phone, I will say that there were no issues getting it to work on T-Mobile. The only thing I did was manually enter the APN details, but that was an OS thing.

        From what I have seen on forums Verizon won’t let you at all, and AT&T might take a bit of work to get them to whitelist the IMEI on their network.

        • duhlieluh@lemmy.zip
          5·
          23 days ago

          at&t collects any and all data they can and sells it directly to law enforcment and the government btw. im pretty sure they all sell your data, but at&t has illegal deals with the government

      • eldavi@lemmy.mlEnglish
        31·
        23 days ago

        go w an mvno; they’re usually cheaper and it rob the carriers of profit.

        and the carriers deserve it for blacklisting chinese smartphones from their networks in collusion with the us gov’t in order to prevent chinese tech from entering the us like they’re doing with EV’s and solar panels using tariffs.

      • Ulrich@feddit.orgOPEnglish
        21·
        23 days ago

        My family just switched from T-Mobile, as they’ve been jacking up prices lately, and without good reason, considering other carriers have better reception anyway.

          • Ulrich@feddit.orgOPEnglish
            32·
            23 days ago

            apparently it needs to be said that I am not suggesting you switch to Linux on your phone today; just that development needs to accelerate.

            I switched to Visible Wireless for now.

                • Xylight@lemdro.idEnglish
                  41·
                  22 days ago

                  Looked at this comment and figured out the issue. I’ll push a fix soon!

                  • Ulrich@feddit.orgOPEnglish
                    3·
                    22 days ago

                    Ha, I wasn’t trying to call you out. I really like it. It’s just there’s suddenly a lot of context missing. Thanks.

                • Flagstaff@programming.devEnglish
                  3·
                  22 days ago

                  Photon? Is that a Lemmy app? Try Summit! Anyway, thanks. I’m loving US Mobile so far, personally, but Visible would probably be my second choice.

                  • Broken@lemmy.ml
                    3·
                    22 days ago

                    Thanks for recommending Summit. I’ve been using Thunder and its OK, but initial looks at Summit and it seems much smoother an experience.