Oddbean

@b17a3b4f I think the issue is that even if you build an ecosystem as good or even better than the established ones from Apple and Google, it just won't make people adopt it unless one of the two established ecosystems make a mistake big enough

@6dd3ac2b I'm not even interested in widespread adoption by the normie classes. As far as I'm concerned, the pedestrian normie can continue to be exploited and suffer. I just want something I can reliably use regardless of hardware. Maybe Linux on the phone? I know there are multiple attempts at it---Ubuntu had (has?) a project, both KDE and Gnome are working on mobile interfaces. Unfortunately, these will still run into the same problems: hardware manufacturers locking the hardware down to prevent any sort of alternative OS installation. Changing that will most likely require government regulation to force companies to stop being scumbags.

@b17a3b4f @6dd3ac2b Do you still have your Poco X3 Pro, or am I confusing you for somebody else? :marseyhmm: I have mine and in addition to different flavours of Android it can also run Sailfish and Ubuntu Touch with Halium/Hybris compatibility layer — they both still require some Android firmware to be installed as they use some low-level Android services co communicate with certain hardware, but otherwise both work natively. Battery life is significantly shorter — by that I mean it's nothing compared to that: https://breloma.m0xee.net/notice/AaMNrF7DumoWqX6Z8a But both can easily last through a day even being actively used. There's even a Debian variant based on Hybris — Droidian, it also mostly works. There are a few rough edges here and there, but you can make voice calls and use mobile data without any issues, and you can use "mainstream" Phosh UI with it. In Sailfish and Ubuntu touch even cameras work and you can even shoot videos — it's nothing exceptional as they don't have advanced post-processing that Android camera apps have, but there is nothing bad about them either, for most cases they'd be sufficient. And if any need for Android apps arises — it can easily be done with F-Droid. I didn't test those nasty banking apps, but everything I've thrown at it worked perfectly — Firefox Mobile and Element, complete with video calls. Having something like postmarket OS would be even better, but mainline kernels don't work on it, for that you can get old Poco F1 — it's hardware shows its age already, but it's actually usable with PMOS: https://drewdevault.com/2022/08/25/pmOS-on-xiaomi-poco-f1.html

@b17a3b4f Unfortunately no, @6dd3ac2b has laid it out quite accurately. The whole procedure is so humiliating that I don't think I'll ever be up to it again. Luckily you have to go through it only once. I have tied the phone number and e-mail address which I do not usually to Xiaomi account and I kept the phone off while waiting for unlock — but yeah, that's exactly what you have to do. After that you can do as you please with your device.

@6dd3ac2b I really like Fairphone. I'm thinking about getting a new Google Pixel device so I can play with alternative phone OSs while still having a working device for everyday use. But I hate the idea of giving Google money. Probably the only good thing I can say about them are that they release unlocked devices. @m0xEE

Get one then flash CalyxOS or GrapheneOS to it. You'll have around 4-3 years left or longer before you'll need to replace it again. https://media.crlf.ninja/25dd86a10467abfd0da015f67a6da5480cd3e76507e431dddf2e270e487f65a7.gif

@Eòlach I'll probably just get Lineage on it. Way more trust in them since I've dealt with and slightly contributed to the project over the years Those two seem to clash and be riddled with dramas of some sort so I'd just do Lineage (which only connects to Google's NTP, not an issue for me.) and set up the thing myself

There doesn't seem to be much drama as far as CalyxOS goes. Just with the developer of Graphene who has since stepped away and is taking more of an advisory role on the project for the time being. At any rate, both come highly recommended so I'd encourage you to check them both out. I can't really speak to the privacy/reliability of Lineage in comparison to CalyxOS and GrapheneOS which have specifically been made/hardened for privacy.