> Remove the search engine setting. Hard-code the search engine to Google How is that not monopoly behavior? Why don't they just put an iMessage alternative in Android at that point?
isn't that just RCS?
I give up on free software phones (2019)
11–20 of 211 posts
Re: I give up on free software phones (2019)
#12Re: I give up on free software phones (2019)
#13> Remove the search engine setting. Hard-code the search engine to Google How is that not monopoly behavior? Why don't they just put an iMessage alternative in Android at that point?
isn't that just RCS?
No. I've read that Google is not allowed put iMessage-like features into the stock messaging app because it would run afoul of antitrust. Ironically, Apple can do this because they own everything.
Re: I give up on free software phones (2019)
#14Please add a [2019] to the title.
[meta-commentary] HN should require a date field on all submissions and then should only show the date if the article is older than a specified time (like 1yr) (or always show the date but not in the title)
Re: I give up on free software phones (2019)
#15Giving up on free software phones is the first step. Now give up on software phones and just use a tiny non-computer cell phone that does text and voice. The removable battery will last a week and you won't even notice it in your pocket. The firmware will last the entire life of the phone, never needing to be updated. Replace the car GPS navigation functionality with a dedicated car GPS and you have most of the same…
And miss out on, or pay for, GPS updates and lose out on real-time traffic reports.
Re: I give up on free software phones (2019)
#16GrapheneOS seems to be the winner these days.
Does anyone run CalyxOS, which is put together by the Calyx Institute?
Re: I give up on free software phones (2019)
#17I use lineage on oneplus phones and have no problems. I can't do internet banking and a bunch of other non-free things, but really, who needs that? I have a web browser. The only thing that doesn't work is google meet and google docs and google drive because they intentionally break the mobile experience in the web. But there is a simple solution. Simply don't use google services. If/when my employer demands that of me (occasionally I hear murmurings) I just tell him I'm online 9-5 on my laptop and if he needs me he can call. I'm happy with my lineage.
Re: I give up on free software phones (2019)
#18On a similar note I've been wanting to buy and use a fully "free" phone - one where I have complete control over most if not all things. But it appears to me that unless you use a regular "phone", there is no way you can DIY your way into building a "modern" phone bit by bit like how a desktop could be made.*
Calling/4g/5g require specific hardware that seems difficult to integrate at a hobbyist level (unlike say installing Linux which is possible in an afternoon even for some not familiar with it.) And even though you could get android to run on a raspberry pi, it appears impossible to use something like google pay (which likely requires safetynet) on it.
I'm not sure if the reason is the "blobs" that ARM uses instead of drivers but it is disappointing that I can't take something like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 dev kit, dualboot linux and android and use it like a phone-laptop hybrid. /Disappointed rant over
(Here's the kit - https://developer.qualcomm.com/hardware/snapdragon-8-gen-2-h...)
* - technically even laptops like with an SBC or the framework board. I can make the hardware but the software challenges seem huge. If anyone familiar with ARM development has any info/suggestions, I'd love to know more.
Re: I give up on free software phones (2019)
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
isn't that just RCS?
No. I've read that Google is not allowed put iMessage-like features into the stock messaging app because it would run afoul of antitrust. Ironically, Apple can do this because they own everything.
It sounds like Google's way around this is what they've been doing for years at this point: slowly replacing AOSP builtins like the stock messaging app with separate, proprietary Google apps.
Re: I give up on free software phones (2019)
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
isn't that just RCS?
No. I've read that Google is not allowed put iMessage-like features into the stock messaging app because it would run afoul of antitrust. Ironically, Apple can do this because they own everything.
I'm not sure what the stock messaging app is anymore, but "Messages by Google" accomplishes what we're talking about [1]
1. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and...