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Keep Android Open

f-droid.org

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Re: Keep Android Open

#21

Post by sigmoid10 »

notorandit wrote: post #9

We ("you") have no power to keep android open. Unfortunately it is in the hands of a company that is building it for profit, in a way or the other. It's been our choice to drink this glass of wishful thinking while giving that company a solid dominant position in the market. We ("you") can only make choices that will overturn that trend. Fully opensource hardware with fully opensource software? Maybe, but also this i…

It's also heavily influenced by businesses. Most employers will happily hand you an Apple or Android phone for work, but I don't think there is a single company out there that would dare to hand normal people an Ubuntu Touch based phone.

Re: Keep Android Open

#22

Post by phoronixrly »

notorandit wrote: post #9

We ("you") have no power to keep android open. Unfortunately it is in the hands of a company that is building it for profit, in a way or the other. It's been our choice to drink this glass of wishful thinking while giving that company a solid dominant position in the market. We ("you") can only make choices that will overturn that trend. Fully opensource hardware with fully opensource software? Maybe, but also this i…

We (people who live in a country/confederacy with working antitrust laws) have power to keep large companies from anticompetitive practices such as this one.

Re: Keep Android Open

#23

Post by thewebguyd »

tadfisher wrote: post #7

Just to put out what Google actually said in their blog post [0]: > We appreciate the community's engagement and have heard the early feedback – specifically from students and hobbyists who need an accessible path to learn, and from power users who are more comfortable with security risks. We are making changes to address the needs of both groups. > We heard from developers who were concerned about the barrier to ent…

> shape a dedicated account type for students and hobbyists.

Even that is a step too far in the wrong direction. Doesn't matter if it's free, or whatever, simply requiring an account at all to create and run software on your own device (or make it available to others) is wrong.

There exists no freedom when you are required to verify your identity, or even just provide any personal information whatsoever, to a company to run software on your device that you own.

Re: Keep Android Open

#24

Post by pmontra »

jrm4 wrote: post #20
0x1ch wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I can't use banking or my NFC wallets on my phone, it has become 90% useless. The other 10% of usefulness is texting and calls, which every other phone can do. Unfortunately, this mostly means using the closed android ecosystem.

To you. Laptops exist.

This is a common answer but it does not apply to at least most of Europe. Because of regulations most banks require to install their app either on iOS or Android to act as a 2FA device. One of my banks gave me a hardware device 20 years ago. When its battery dies I'll have to use their app and my fingerprint.

Re: Keep Android Open

#25

Post by nimbius »

This isnt going to be a popular post because the HN crowd is very much a "China bad" crowd but I hypothesize China will likely step in and offer a fork that's compatible with open ecosystems not under the direct control of the us state department. This might be in the form of commits and investment in fdroid and pinephone, or a tiktok like alternative to the wests walled garden.

Edit: this will likely exist "uncensored" in other markets but conform to the PRCs standards and practices domestically, similarly to how tiktok operated prior to selling a version specifically taylored to US censorship and propaganda.

Re: Keep Android Open

#27

Post by 0x1ch »

hparadiz wrote: post #12
0x1ch wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I can't use banking or my NFC wallets on my phone, it has become 90% useless. The other 10% of usefulness is texting and calls, which every other phone can do. Unfortunately, this mostly means using the closed android ecosystem.

No idea why you are even bringing this up. It works just fine right now.

It verifiably does not on open source and free android roms like Graphene. Unsure where you're getting your info.

Re: Keep Android Open

#28

Post by malfist »

0x1ch wrote: post #6
hparadiz wrote: post #3

I would caution the decision makers on this. The line between a secure device and a useless toy is perforated and hard to see.

If I can't use banking or my NFC wallets on my phone, it has become 90% useless. The other 10% of usefulness is texting and calls, which every other phone can do. Unfortunately, this mostly means using the closed android ecosystem.

90% of your usage on your phone is banking apps or NFC payments? That seems hard to believe.

Re: Keep Android Open

#29

Post by 0x1ch »

jrm4 wrote: post #20
0x1ch wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I can't use banking or my NFC wallets on my phone, it has become 90% useless. The other 10% of usefulness is texting and calls, which every other phone can do. Unfortunately, this mostly means using the closed android ecosystem.

To you. Laptops exist.

Have you talked or met anyone born after the 90s? Everyone banks on their phone, it's the norm not the exception.

Edit: Someone also made a good point, one of my CC's I can barely even manage without the app since the website barely works.

Re: Keep Android Open

#30

Post by drnick1 »

0x1ch wrote: post #6
hparadiz wrote: post #3

I would caution the decision makers on this. The line between a secure device and a useless toy is perforated and hard to see.

If I can't use banking or my NFC wallets on my phone, it has become 90% useless. The other 10% of usefulness is texting and calls, which every other phone can do. Unfortunately, this mostly means using the closed android ecosystem.

I run Graphene on my Pixel and banking apps just work. There is no Google Pay, obviously, since Google dependencies have been stripped out from the system. I just carry a credit card.
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