Free Software Foundation announces a Librephone initiative to develop a fully free and open source smartphone
Free Software Foundation announces a Librephone initiative to develop fully free and open source smartphone software - Liliputing
They should team up with other projects like Ubuntu Touch, SailfishOS, GrapheneOS, PostMarketOS, etc, at least for the base OS and device drivers. This would mean a lot more hardware available, and some pressure on manufacturers to be compatible. One project I'm really interested on is the Liberux Nexx.
I know this is a bit too hopeful, but if we don't get at least some of the general public on our side and put pressure on manufacturers then it really won't happen.
I don't see this happen, sadly. I mean yes, few enthusiasts will jump aboard, but that will be it. I'd go with AOSP modified in a way that can run google services and their apps in isolated mode, which at least GrapheneOS is doing (if I'm not mistaken).
GrapheneOS really needs something like that, since Google stopped shipping drivers and locks down Pixels now. Maybe some collaboration could help here
Clock is ticking...
its good they did this after the Android AOSP and "sideloading" change
Can it be used in the US though? That's always been the sticking point — the carriers have too much power.
I use an iPhone because I don't like the idea behind Android. All your data to Google to sell to the highest bidder, in exchange for a generations-old phone at the same price as an iPhone.
The dream, for me anyway, for a phone is basically a blank slate I can run whatever I want on it without anyone telling me what I can and can't run on it. A device I truly own. No, Apple does not provide that. Android has more flexibility when it comes to sideloading, but Google is closing that down as ad blockers threaten their business model. Maybe as they reclaim that missing ad revenue, they will make the next Pixel as powerful as the latest iPhone, and/or drop the price to match what you're paying in personal information they sell off the back end... but I don't think they will.
So all your data go to Apple instead. And many apps collect data and send to Google (eg. Any Google app, like maps or waze).
There's very little reason any more that a phone can't be used in the US, it just needs to support US frequencies. Cell providers like US Mobile don't care what phone you bring, so long as it's compatible with US frequencies.
Plus I'm sure someone building an OSS device isn't going to ignore an entire market of frequencies.
Yeah, so Apple, like Mozilla, collects telemetry data. And some people are against that as well. And on an Android phone with custom firmware, you can disable the telemetry as well as the marketing stuff. And you can turn it off in Firefox. But in iOS you cannot.
Everyone has a threat model they base their needs around. Telemetry doesn't bother me. I'll turn it off if I can, but I won't disqualify a device where I can't. I do believe you should be able to, though.
I use an iPhone because I don't like the idea behind Android.
"Oi, Pot," shouted the kettle.
All your data to Google to sell to the highest bidder,
That's not "the idea behind Android".
Android does none of this by default; Google services like Gmail are ad-supported, but they're up-front about using your content to serve you targeted ads.
Both Google and apple still COLLECT your data. Apple tells you it doesn't do anything with it. It's fun to trust Apple in this, so carry on.
I'm not saying you're doing more than repeating Apple's fud, though. You're a huge help to them.
in exchange for a generations-old phone at the same price as an iPhone.
This is comically incorrect as Apple's never been on the bleeding edge of phone tech past 2010. But they will tell you they are, and that's all some people need.
Apple’s never been on the bleeding edge of phone tech past 2010
Here's the M4 against the Snapdragon X Elite and an Intel processor for good measure: https://www.xda-developers.com/tested-apple-m4-vs-intel-lunar-lake-snapdragon-x-elite/
Edit: I was under the impression the M4 was in phones, it's not.
The trouble with these FOSS phones is support from banking, payments, and government apps, which are also the main things that can't be run from a laptop. They usually also require NFC support, and that implies having the right kind of security certificates that these organisations recognise as well.
Yep, there are also development tools missing (at least at the level Android and iOS have them) and the motivation for developers to support yet another platform with no users (at least initially). A good example is Microsoft which thrown awful lot of money and resources at Windows Phone only to give up eventually. OTOH it'd be interesting if i.e. EU decided to support a new phone/OS, that'd certainly help with those delicate apps at least.
I just want to point out that they started or bought themselves into a Windows phone idea no less than three times before giving up, ruining Nokia in the process.
Oh. And some of the Nokia handsets were gorgeous.
The Chinese government has thrown its weight behind Huawei's HarmonyOS. I wonder what the EU will do?
They trick is to do what MS did in the early years, provide an API layer for compatibility.
No reason they couldn't throw on an Android API layer specifically for targeting things like banking apps, etc,(maybe not games).
Phones have significant power these days.
You can do your banking on any web browser, including mobile web. You do not need a god damn app for everything. NFC antennas are supported on credit/debit cards that have no screens or CPUs, certs are handled by the non-client device, so it sure as fuck will work on any hypothetical FOSS phone. This is a dumb as fuck take.
I'm glad you have all this figured out!
To that end, I use apps like Hermit and Native Alpha, which make an app-like experience for any website.