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Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

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Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#31

Post by barbazoo »

mikepurvis wrote: post #21
arsome wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, unless it's a remote, worm-grade exploit or you're a high value target, you can probably just stop caring about software updates. Your threat model might be different but I don't get out of bed for anything but RCE personally, let alone spend a penny.

I guess, but it sure is nice that on Apple hardware you generally don’t need to worry about doing this calculus because they deliver updates in a timely manner to even five year old devices. It bums me out that them doing this hasn’t been effective in shaming everyone else into following suit.

According to Wikipedia the Pixel 2 received security updates for less than 3 years. None of their devices got more than 3 years 3 months of updates. That should be illegal honestly, couldn't be more clear that they don't care about sustainability.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Pixel

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#32

Post by wyldfire »

_emacsomancer_ wrote: post #13
parker_mountain wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate to say it, but get an iPhone SE. 5 years of updates /from when the device was last sold in stores/. If you sideload any Android apps, you'll have to wait in a cold until the latest pixels are patched, and then get one of the a-models.

Pixel 6 and 7 are also guaranteed security updates for at least 5 years: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705

And yet Google used Exynos for those designs. Somehow Samsung must have told project zero that they didn't need to release a fix - a project run by their customer for this SoC. But promptly after disclosure a fix appears. I guess it's good that they'll come out for five years, but it's probably worth a little bit of doubt on our part whether Samsung will actually deliver on that promise.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#33

Post by jeffparsons »

_emacsomancer_ wrote: post #13
parker_mountain wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate to say it, but get an iPhone SE. 5 years of updates /from when the device was last sold in stores/. If you sideload any Android apps, you'll have to wait in a cold until the latest pixels are patched, and then get one of the a-models.

Pixel 6 and 7 are also guaranteed security updates for at least 5 years: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705

> Pixel 6 and later phones will get updates for at least 5 years from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US.

That's not really the same thing as "updates for at least 5 years". The date the device first went on sale in the US isn't particularly relevant. They'll still sell it to you long after that, and then end support not long after it's out of warranty. That's what happened to mine.

The lessons I'm learning here (if I'm running a first party OS) are:

- Check very carefully how long different vendors actually support their devices. Google is pretty rubbish on this front, it turns out.

- Always buy the latest model when buying a new phone, even if it doesn't have anything I need, or I'll just have to "upgrade" twice as frequently instead.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#34

Post by parker_mountain »

serf wrote: post #25
parker_mountain wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe, but they were looking for a phone that'll last a long time, and I hope my answer makes them reconsider. The Android OS-updates situation is seriously dire, and it seems very difficult for Google to fix.

>and I hope my answer makes them reconsider. but.. their old phone is still operating fine, it isn't even affected by the Samsung modem exploit, and best-of-all the pixel 2 is well supported by many third-party Android roms. Parent literally has one of the best supported older phones available for third party OS installation (which, incidentally, is what parent was asking about..) so, in the interest of e-waste/recyc…

fwiw, third-party android roms are only part of the story. And, in an article about the baseband being compromised, I would hope people would take that into consideration.

>so, in the interest of e-waste/recycling/keeping old things going I hope they reconsider the value of their already-owned hardware and how it may still continue to serve them.

In the interest of security, both theirs and the people they communicate with, I hope they consider upgrading their device to something that has a very long lifespan of active security updates.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#35

Post by wyldfire »

i80and wrote: post #30
wnevets wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

edit: Weren't the patches released today for this?

The March 5 security patch finally dropped for Pixel 6's today, yep

... but presumably this isn't true for some customers whose network operator is holding this update hostage. Like mine.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#37

Post by 97s »

Laremere wrote: post #15
97s wrote: post #14

I am not sure I understand this. I have a S22 Galaxy Ultra. I do not see anywhere in my settings to turn on or off wifi-calling. Did we already get an update disabling this? I have googled this for about 10-15 minutes now and none of the results match anything to do with my screen settings.

Pixel 7 Pro with Google Fi here: I couldn't find it in settings, but I found a setting in the Fi app to turn off.

Ah excellent. It was under the Fi App.

I am not sure I am even going to be able to get calls without wifi calling on. Kind of a nightmare.

Thanks for your help.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#38

Post by topher200 »

If you click through to the Project Zero blogspot it says the Mar 2023 security update fixes the issue for the Pixel devices.

My Pixel 7 didn't show an update was available (last checked 30 minutes ago) but when I manually checked it found it and downloaded it.

Re: Google urges Android phone users to switch off Wi-Fi calling

#39

Post by jeffparsons »

serf wrote: post #25
parker_mountain wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe, but they were looking for a phone that'll last a long time, and I hope my answer makes them reconsider. The Android OS-updates situation is seriously dire, and it seems very difficult for Google to fix.

>and I hope my answer makes them reconsider. but.. their old phone is still operating fine, it isn't even affected by the Samsung modem exploit, and best-of-all the pixel 2 is well supported by many third-party Android roms. Parent literally has one of the best supported older phones available for third party OS installation (which, incidentally, is what parent was asking about..) so, in the interest of e-waste/recyc…

Thanks. I'll probably be trying LineageOS. Wish me luck.
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