Your phone is about to stop being yours.
-
@zetabeta 3 years? pulled that number out of somewhere didn't ya? Tech ain't what it used to be and Android is not worth it anymore. Time to pray and hope a new entry comes around, but that's an even bigger hail mary. Enjoy the lockdowned ecosystem.
@scottytrees
yes, three years is guesswork. three years is some kind transition period for alternate system, that assumes un-googled android, not stock android.i have basically ditched android already and never used ios. i use linux laptops.
my point is, that after three years, even un-googled androids are impractical.
-
Your phone is about to stop being yours.
Keep Android Open
Your phone is about to stop being yours. In September 2026, Google will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with them.
(keepandroidopen.org)
125 days until lockdown
Starting September 2026, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.
Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.
Alternatives!
Multiple companies will sell you a brand new phone with a de-Googled Android or a non-Android OS.
De-Googled Android phones:
Murena… https://murena.com/
Fairphone… https://www.fairphone.com/
FXtec… https://store.fxtec.com/
Punkt… https://www.punkt.ch/products/mc03-premium-secure-smartphone
Volla… https://volla.online/en/index.php
Not to be confused with…
Jolla… https://jolla.com/
Furilabs… https://furilabs.com/
Purism… https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
The last 3 are pure Linux phones which do not run OSes derived from Android, but they can all run an Android VM or container and so allow you to install and use Android apps.
This is *not* an exhaustive list. They are just ones I know of or have tried.
If I missed anyone out, please, let me know.
-
Alternatives!
Multiple companies will sell you a brand new phone with a de-Googled Android or a non-Android OS.
De-Googled Android phones:
Murena… https://murena.com/
Fairphone… https://www.fairphone.com/
FXtec… https://store.fxtec.com/
Punkt… https://www.punkt.ch/products/mc03-premium-secure-smartphone
Volla… https://volla.online/en/index.php
Not to be confused with…
Jolla… https://jolla.com/
Furilabs… https://furilabs.com/
Purism… https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
The last 3 are pure Linux phones which do not run OSes derived from Android, but they can all run an Android VM or container and so allow you to install and use Android apps.
This is *not* an exhaustive list. They are just ones I know of or have tried.
If I missed anyone out, please, let me know.
I can't find any vendors selling phones with PostmarketOS installed. Time for someone to enter that niche?
postmarketOS // real Linux distribution for phones
Aiming for a 10 year life-cycle for smartphones
postmarketOS (postmarketos.org)
-
Alternatives!
Multiple companies will sell you a brand new phone with a de-Googled Android or a non-Android OS.
De-Googled Android phones:
Murena… https://murena.com/
Fairphone… https://www.fairphone.com/
FXtec… https://store.fxtec.com/
Punkt… https://www.punkt.ch/products/mc03-premium-secure-smartphone
Volla… https://volla.online/en/index.php
Not to be confused with…
Jolla… https://jolla.com/
Furilabs… https://furilabs.com/
Purism… https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
The last 3 are pure Linux phones which do not run OSes derived from Android, but they can all run an Android VM or container and so allow you to install and use Android apps.
This is *not* an exhaustive list. They are just ones I know of or have tried.
If I missed anyone out, please, let me know.
@lproven I've had my eye on FXtec for years now.
The physical keyboard is so sexy but I can't convince myself to pay the price (because what would I really use it for?)
-
I can't find any vendors selling phones with PostmarketOS installed. Time for someone to enter that niche?
postmarketOS // real Linux distribution for phones
Aiming for a 10 year life-cycle for smartphones
postmarketOS (postmarketos.org)
-
@lproven I've had my eye on FXtec for years now.
The physical keyboard is so sexy but I can't convince myself to pay the price (because what would I really use it for?)
-
As far as I can tell, they don't sell phones with PostmarketOS installed. They sell the Pro Explorer with SailfishOS installed, and they *don't* sell (
because it's out of stock) the Beta with Manjaro installed.I don't doubt people can install Postmarket themselves, I was just wondering if anyone sells phones with it *already* installed.
-
Alternatives!
Multiple companies will sell you a brand new phone with a de-Googled Android or a non-Android OS.
De-Googled Android phones:
Murena… https://murena.com/
Fairphone… https://www.fairphone.com/
FXtec… https://store.fxtec.com/
Punkt… https://www.punkt.ch/products/mc03-premium-secure-smartphone
Volla… https://volla.online/en/index.php
Not to be confused with…
Jolla… https://jolla.com/
Furilabs… https://furilabs.com/
Purism… https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
The last 3 are pure Linux phones which do not run OSes derived from Android, but they can all run an Android VM or container and so allow you to install and use Android apps.
This is *not* an exhaustive list. They are just ones I know of or have tried.
If I missed anyone out, please, let me know.
@lproven I would love to see this and identify which countries and providers actually support them.
-
@TeflonTrout @lproven That looks pretty good.
Does it run a (custom) ROM that won't be affected by Google's restrictions later this year?
-
@UrbanCityCowboy Oh no! I have their new model here for review, as well...
What gives you this impression?
-
@TeflonTrout @lproven That looks pretty good.
Does it run a (custom) ROM that won't be affected by Google's restrictions later this year?
-
Alternatives!
Multiple companies will sell you a brand new phone with a de-Googled Android or a non-Android OS.
De-Googled Android phones:
Murena… https://murena.com/
Fairphone… https://www.fairphone.com/
FXtec… https://store.fxtec.com/
Punkt… https://www.punkt.ch/products/mc03-premium-secure-smartphone
Volla… https://volla.online/en/index.php
Not to be confused with…
Jolla… https://jolla.com/
Furilabs… https://furilabs.com/
Purism… https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
The last 3 are pure Linux phones which do not run OSes derived from Android, but they can all run an Android VM or container and so allow you to install and use Android apps.
This is *not* an exhaustive list. They are just ones I know of or have tried.
If I missed anyone out, please, let me know.
Not forgetting one or more forthcoming Motorola ones.
-
@goodenough They got rid of that a decade ago...
Google is 20, Chrome is 10, and Microsoft would rather ignore the Nokia deal's 5th birthday
Party poppers in Mountain View, party poopers in Redmond
theregister (www.theregister.com)
-
@codemonkeymike @antonproitzelhaimer @gbsills @lproven There are Linux phones?
@InkySchwartz @codemonkeymike @gbsills @lproven
Yes, there -are: e. g. : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairphone
-
Alternatives!
Multiple companies will sell you a brand new phone with a de-Googled Android or a non-Android OS.
De-Googled Android phones:
Murena… https://murena.com/
Fairphone… https://www.fairphone.com/
FXtec… https://store.fxtec.com/
Punkt… https://www.punkt.ch/products/mc03-premium-secure-smartphone
Volla… https://volla.online/en/index.php
Not to be confused with…
Jolla… https://jolla.com/
Furilabs… https://furilabs.com/
Purism… https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
The last 3 are pure Linux phones which do not run OSes derived from Android, but they can all run an Android VM or container and so allow you to install and use Android apps.
This is *not* an exhaustive list. They are just ones I know of or have tried.
If I missed anyone out, please, let me know.
@lproven This is very helpful. Normally I update my phone on an extremely slow schedule, because I don't need the newest things (or their cost) and the world doesn't need excessive e-waste. I'm feeling very nervous and frustrated about trying to keep my Note20 Ultra in service as Google changes the rules of its use out from under me on a September deadline.
-
@lproven how about forking AOSP? Not sure if that is even viable or doable, just curious to see what the thoughts are about that.
@dezon Kind of what all the de-Googled Android vendors do right now...
And Google is trying to make it more difficult:
AOSP on a diet plan as Google halves Android code drops
: Two a year is for your own good, Mountain View insists
theregister (www.theregister.com)
-
@ottercynical @lopta @lproven Then, horrid as Google's ideas are, there are no alternatives.
We need to attack the root cause of this.
-
As far as I can tell, they don't sell phones with PostmarketOS installed. They sell the Pro Explorer with SailfishOS installed, and they *don't* sell (
because it's out of stock) the Beta with Manjaro installed.I don't doubt people can install Postmarket themselves, I was just wondering if anyone sells phones with it *already* installed.
@klu9 @jackdaniel @lproven are you talking new phones only or would second hand phones be acceptable? After all postmarketOS was originally designed just for old devices.
-
@klu9 @jackdaniel @lproven are you talking new phones only or would second hand phones be acceptable? After all postmarketOS was originally designed just for old devices.
2nd hand acceptable
-
2nd hand acceptable
@klu9 I guess that would be easy enough to do, though there aren't many phones that are "fully" supported yet. I'd do it but I'm in one of the most remote places on Earth when it comes to shipping things in and out, Australia... @jackdaniel @lproven
