Your phone is about to stop being yours.

[praetor@mstdn.social]

@tully @lproven that part is true.

[dademurphy@toot.community]

@lproven A common misconception people have about their devices, the device, the physical hardware, is yours, the software is not.

Think of it like your house, you can own the house but you can’t own the land that it’s on. If you think you own it, don’t pay your property tax and see what happens.

[vw_guy@mastodon.social]

@Radio_Azureus @joshg @AAKL @aburka @lproven @GrapheneOS

If you're in the US swappa has supported Pixels in the price range you're looking for. The Pixel 8 pro I'm typing this from was 260 if you go back to a 7 you're golden

Just a moment...

(swappa.com)

[contrasocial@mastodon.social]

@Radio_Azureus @joshg @AAKL@infosec.exchange @aburka @lproven @GrapheneOS

Fairphone's e/OS works with some phones I believe

Smartphone Selector

(doc.e.foundation)

LineageOS can be used on some devices other than Pixel phones.

[covert_czar@mstdn.social]

@zetabeta @scottytrees @lproven GrapheneOS and lineageOS is still open source.. Isn't it better to improve those than to switch to ios?

[zetabeta@mastodon.social]

@covert_czar @scottytrees @lproven
basically yes.

my opinion:
ios was already lost cause by apple's control. google is creating something similar to apple.

for near term, maybe three years. android without google components is an alternate option.

but i think alphabet inc eventually completes android takeover.

[aoeuidhtns@app.wafrn.net]

@lproven@social.vivaldi.net @spycrab@kolektiva.social

the apks won't work unless you hand over your money and id to google

[grapheneos@grapheneos.social]

@Radio_Azureus @joshg @AAKL @aburka @lproven There are budget Pixels cheaper than that. Used devices are the way to go to save money. A used budget Pixel can be around $250.

It makes much more sense to buy a 2-3 year old used devicew with 7 years of proper updates from launch than a low-end device for the same price. Pixels have official battery replacement kits but the battery life will typically still be decent after 2-3 years.

Most other devices lack proper updates and security protections.

[disorderlyf@todon.eu]

@lproven Supposedly, there is an opt-out. It's just a convoluted af process that has a literal 24 hour cooldown

[grapheneos@grapheneos.social]

@contrasocial @Radio_Azureus @joshg @aburka @lproven /e/ isn't made by Fairphone and there are other operating systems available for their devices including their own.

/e/ has poor privacy and atrocious security due to lagging very far behind on many important updates along with not keeping the standard privacy and security model intact. /e/ is a fork of LineageOS with much worse privacy and security. It should never be used over LineageOS.

An alternate OS won't make end-of-life devices safe.

[grapheneos@grapheneos.social]

@contrasocial @Radio_Azureus @joshg @aburka @lproven Google isn't removing support for installing arbitrary apps but rather adding friction to it including an initial one-time 24 hour wait. Switching OS is much higher friction than the upcoming process for enabling using apps from unverified developers so it's not a solution.

Privacy and security are the real reasons to switch away from mainstream Android devices. /e/ won't provide good privacy or anything close to reasonable security though.

[grapheneos@grapheneos.social]

@contrasocial @Radio_Azureus @joshg @aburka @lproven Switching OS is much higher friction than the upcoming process for enabling using apps from unverified developers on operating systems licensing Google Mobile Services so it's not a solution.

People should move to GrapheneOS because of the actual benefits it provides rather than fear about something that's not really happening. We're fine with the extra interest it provides but aren't going to mislead people into using it because of that.

[lproven@social.vivaldi.net]

@aburka @AAKL @janvlug @zetabeta @ferricoxide @geomaster337 @MattMerk @johnhenrythe3rd @lopta @InkySchwartz @gbsills @lopta

There *are* some alternatives, and I've written about several.

New Jolla, Sailfish 5, offer break from iOS-Android monopoly

hands on: Powered by the original mobile Linux OS with crowdsourced specs

theregister (www.theregister.com)

Mobian brings Debian 13 'Trixie' to phones and tablets

: Another phone Linux? The Reg attempts to disentangle the options

theregister (www.theregister.com)

FuriPhone FLX1: A Debian-powered smartphone

: Fun with a FOSS-focused Phosh fondleslab

theregister (www.theregister.com)

/e/ OS 3.0: Slightly less clunky, slightly more private

: Probably the easiest way to a Google-free smartphone or tablet

theregister (www.theregister.com)

Punkt MC02: As private, and pricey, as a Swiss bank account

A de-Googled Android phone with extra security – and a subscription

theregister (www.theregister.com)

First 'Focal' based Ubuntu Touch – its mobile OS – is out

First version built on 20.04 hits smartphones and tablets of UBPorts fans

theregister (www.theregister.com)

[lproven@social.vivaldi.net]

@spycrab @aoeuidhtns Nope. This is the OS's built in app-source control measures.

[lproven@social.vivaldi.net]

@covert_czar @zetabeta @scottytrees

I did not mention iOS. I don't personally like it much and don't tend to recommend it except to extreme technophobes.

But you do realise that Google is attempting to close off and thus shut down the rebuilds, too?

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)

[contrasocial@mastodon.social]

@GrapheneOS @Radio_Azureus @joshg @aburka @lproven

Sure, but I'm not really interested in using Pixel device to begin with which is why Graphene isn't really an option. Expecting security and privacy on Google hardware seems like a bit of a fool's errand.

[lproven@social.vivaldi.net]

@fishidwardrobe Do read the whole web page, eh?

[ferricoxide@blahaj.zone]

@lproven@vivaldi.net

And it's not like you can easily find alternatives. Too many device-makers benefit from turning device "owners" into data-sources to sell to aggregators to want to equip their devices with more-open device-OSes.

[lproven@social.vivaldi.net]

@2ruth I'm increasingly thinking much the same.

[lproven@social.vivaldi.net]

@JoelBarr I don't know where in the world you are but where I am it is no problem at all.