Advocating for Android as a free, open platform for everyone to build apps on.

People should be able to write software for Android, and distribute it outside Google’s Play store, without having to:

  • pay Google
  • give government ID to Google
  • agree to Google terms and conditions

People should be able to install the software they want on their phone, from sources other than Google’s Play store, without having to jump through Google-imposed hoops.

e.g. via F-Droid.

We’ve got until September this year to stop Google squeezing the open Android ecosystem.

https://keepandroidopen.org/

https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil/116087210269757672

  • Canuck@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    47·
    5 days ago

    I have a GNU/Linux phone I carry in my other pocket. Here are the biggest issues I can see:

    1. Driver support for components in the mainline kernel (lets you install any distro and things like camera, Bluetooth just work)
    2. Power management; turns out it is a hard technical problem to have your phone suspend to save energy, while being awake enough to know what and when to turn back on to receive chats/calls, playback music, etc
    3. Cameras have a lot of stuff beyond drivers happening behind the scenes these days in software that would need to be developed, especially given it is a big reason people choose their phones for
    4. Phone certification is tough, this has stopped even companies like Fairphone from shipping their devices worldwide, I imagine even harder for a device like the Purism Librem 5 where you can literally upgrade Wi-Fi, BT, and cellular generations like a gameboy cartridge
    5. App ecosystems take a while to build up, it is a chicken/egg scenario. I think things are in a useable state for all the default apps an iPhone has, but if you want Uber, Uber Eats, you either have to draw even more power essentially running Android via Waydroid, or use a typically more janky web app that may be missing some features
    • -RJ-@lemmy.worldEnglish
      20·
      6 days ago

      Aren’t there also issues with Banking Apps and their requirements around security and signing?

      • Canuck@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        3·
        6 days ago

        As some other people mentioned the Waydroid app or their website can work. If you do Waydroid, you can install Gapps, and other banking app isn’t happy with that, they typically offer decent mobile websites.

        GNOME Web and Mozilla Firefox via this PWA extension let you have a dedicated app icon for any web service you want into your app drawer. The Firefox one works best, and I believe does a better job isolating stuff from the main browser.

        What’s cool is you can run an entire Monero wallet (or other cryptocurrency) on device for full mobile financial experience, though don’t store more in it than you would a regular wallet.

    • I'm Hiding 🇦🇺@aussie.zoneEnglish
      4·
      5 days ago

      I carry a Linux phone in my normal pocket, not my other one.

      The camera doesn’t work, I don’t have any problem with apps but I am probably not a typical user in that regard, but my 5000mAh battery lasts me a day and ends on 30-40%, which is reasonable but not nearly as good as Android. My family members complain I sound like I’m underwater when I call them and the phone crashes every morning when I take it off the charger.

      Linux phones are a wonderful promise but require a lot of comprimises. I hope they improve soon