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GrapheneOS is the only Android OS providing full security patches

grapheneos.social

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Re: GrapheneOS is the only Android OS providing full security patches

#81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why are there not yet a plethora of phones on the market that allow anyone to install their OS of choice? There are technical reasons, but as ever the real underlying causes are incentives. Companies realized that the OS is a profit center, something they can use to influence user behavior to their benefit. Before the goal was to be a hardware company and offer the best hardware possible for cost. Now the goal is t…

> So why would a company, in this new environment, invest resources in making their hardware compatible with competing software environments? Because that's what customers want to buy. People are paying premium iPhone prices for hardware with mediocre specs and then the hardware sells out when someone like Purism or Fairphone actually makes an open one. How many sales would you get if you did the same thing on a phon…

> Hardware attestation needs to be an antitrust violation

Yes!! Absolutely agree. This needs to be made illegal.

Re: GrapheneOS is the only Android OS providing full security patches

#82

https://tbot.substack.com/p/grapheneos-new-oem-partnership > GrapheneOS has officially confirmed a major new hardware partnership—one that marks the end of its long-standing Pixel exclusivity. According to the team, work with a major Android OEM began in June and is now moving toward the development of a next-generation smartphone built to meet GrapheneOS’ strict privacy and security standards.

I literally just bought a pixel this week. Just my luck.

Re: GrapheneOS is the only Android OS providing full security patches

#83
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cory Doctorow answers this in his book “The Internet Con”. IBM fought with DoJ for years. Today, it’s a felony to mess with anything locked down (anti circumvention)

I don't think it's a felony to root/jailbreak one's own phone.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/06/felony-contempt-busine...

It's not your phone, it's theirs. They're just letting you use it, and only if you're a good boy who follows all their policies and terms and conditions. Subvert this in any way and it's a felony.

Re: GrapheneOS is the only Android OS providing full security patches

#84
post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're stateside and want a shipping Linux phone today, [FuriLabs]( http://furilabs.com ) is another option. Graphene is in a class of its own compared to both of these though and there's frankly no reason to bother unless you're trying to improve those ecosystems.

> Stateside - being in, going to, coming from, or characteristic of the 48 conterminous states of the U.S. In case others, like me, weren't aware.

I admit to being shocked that such a common phrase isn’t widely understood, but this site has plenty of international traffic so I can only say thanks for the context comment. :)

Re: GrapheneOS is the only Android OS providing full security patches

#85
post #58

You can tell it's truly secure and private because the Cellebrite leak says they can't break it (one of very few!) and some governments assume you're a drug dealer if you use it. My next phone will run GrapheneOS.

Does the Celebrite leak say out can break recent iOS?

Re: GrapheneOS is the only Android OS providing full security patches

#86
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's a felony to root/jailbreak one's own phone.

It is. 17 U.S. Code § 1201 - Circumvention of copyright protection systems

Well actually, it isn’t for individuals and certain groups, technically.

Rooting/jailbreaking have had exemptions for many years now, on a three year basis which has seemingly been continually renewed, by the Librarian of Congress.

Exemption to Prohibition on Circumvention of Copyright Protection Systems for Access Control Technologies (2024)

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/10/28/2024-24...

https://www.eff.org/issues/dmca-rulemaking

Re: GrapheneOS is the only Android OS providing full security patches

#87

https://tbot.substack.com/p/grapheneos-new-oem-partnership > GrapheneOS has officially confirmed a major new hardware partnership—one that marks the end of its long-standing Pixel exclusivity. According to the team, work with a major Android OEM began in June and is now moving toward the development of a next-generation smartphone built to meet GrapheneOS’ strict privacy and security standards.

I guess my 8a is gonna have to do for a bit longer. This one is very exciting.

Re: GrapheneOS is the only Android OS providing full security patches

#89
post #24

Why was it that in the early PC days, IBM was unable to keep a lid on 'IBM compatible', allowing for the PC interoperability explosion, yet today, almost every phone has closed drivers, closed and locked bootloaders, and almost complete corporate control over our devices? Why are there not yet a plethora of phones on the market that allow anyone to install their OS of choice?

The company making a device that is licensed by the FCC has to do everything that they can to mitigate the risk of an unlicensed broadcast on their devices. https://www.fcc.gov/oet/ea/rfdevice > INTENTIONAL RADIATORS (Part 15, Subparts C through F and H) > An intentional radiator (defined in Section 15.3 (o)) is a device that intentionally generates and emits radio frequency energy by radiation or induction that may…

> The company making a device that is licensed by the FCC has to do everything that they can to mitigate the risk of an unlicensed broadcast on their devices.

Where do you see this in the rules? The only thing I see that even comes close is the following sentence:

"Manufacturers and importers should use good engineering judgment before they market and sell these products, to minimize possible interference"

Maybe it's because I don't routinely deal with the FCC but to me, that language doesn't imply anything close to your ironclad rule you posted.

I'll also point out there are plenty of other devices that get sold that seemingly break your rule. SDRs, walkie talkies with the power to transmit for miles, basically every computer motherboard made since the year 2010, the Flipper, etc. At most, they simply have some fine print in the manual saying "you should probably have an FCC license to use this".

Re: GrapheneOS is the only Android OS providing full security patches

#90
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not knowledgeable enough -- what would it take to escape the Apple/Google duopoly? I'm imagining a future where you buy a smartphone and when you do the first configuration, it asks you which services provider you want to use. Google and Apple are probably at the top of the list, but at the bottom there is "custom..." where you can specify the IP or host.domain of your own self-hosted setup. Then, when you downlo…

Any one of us here could learn the skills to design a smartphone. It won't necessarily be good, but I remember that years ago, someone made one with a touchscreen hat and GSM hat atop a Raspberry Pi, rubber-banded to a power bank. I'm sure any one of us HN users could do this. And it worked. Quality only goes up from there. The problem is it won't run any apps, so you'll need to carry this open-source secure phone in…

Or use everything via the web browser; but yes, I think apps are the main reason we can't just have a generic Linux phone OS on an open hardware platform
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