A few days ago we brought you word that Google was looking to crack down on “sideloaded” Android applications. That is, software packages installed from outside of the mobile operating …
Custom Android ROMs based on AOSP, which is the open source parts of Android. I used to use LineageOS back in the day.
Before buying a phone, make sure that it has an unlockable bootloader and a custom ROM of a recent Android version. Note that some phones have multiple versions for different regions and some might not be unlockable, while others are. For example many Samsung international phones are unlockable, but none of the USA models are.
Note that many commercial apps like Netflix, Pokémon Go, bank apps, etc. will refuse to run if your bootloader is unlocked. It also permanently trips Samsung’s Knox.
That’s unfortunately a dealbreaker for me. I have a free phone from some company I’ve never heard of and I don’t plan on buying a new one. Hopefully we will see more progress on mobile operating systems in the coming years.
Unfortunately, things are heading in the opposite direction. The number of phones you can install other os’s on is dwindling by the day. Even the phones designed solely for this purpose are failing to capture enough market to remain sustainable.
The OS’s are getting there by leaps and bounds, but you being able to install it on anything is the hard part.
I came here specifically to ask about alternatives to Android now that google is becoming too abusive in the relationship.
Custom Android ROMs based on AOSP, which is the open source parts of Android. I used to use LineageOS back in the day.
Before buying a phone, make sure that it has an unlockable bootloader and a custom ROM of a recent Android version. Note that some phones have multiple versions for different regions and some might not be unlockable, while others are. For example many Samsung international phones are unlockable, but none of the USA models are.
Note that many commercial apps like Netflix, Pokémon Go, bank apps, etc. will refuse to run if your bootloader is unlocked. It also permanently trips Samsung’s Knox.
Unfortunately, this seems to be something that might be changing in the future. Google isn’t going to be open source with android development anymore.
Not android or apple. I’ll go to a prepaid flip phone before I give apple a cent. They’re essentially the paragon of greed.
GrapheneOS works well. But only on pixel devices.
Ironic that you need a Google smartphone, isn’t it?
That’s unfortunately a dealbreaker for me. I have a free phone from some company I’ve never heard of and I don’t plan on buying a new one. Hopefully we will see more progress on mobile operating systems in the coming years.
Unfortunately, things are heading in the opposite direction. The number of phones you can install other os’s on is dwindling by the day. Even the phones designed solely for this purpose are failing to capture enough market to remain sustainable.
The OS’s are getting there by leaps and bounds, but you being able to install it on anything is the hard part.