E: apparently it needs to be said that I am not suggesting you switch to Linux on your phone today; just that development needs to accelerate. Please don’t be one of the 34 people that replied to tell me Linux is not ready.

Android has always been a fairly open platform, especially if you were deliberate about getting it that way, but we’ve seen in recent months an extremely rapid devolution of the Android ecosystem:

  1. The closing of development of an increasing number of components in AOSP.
  2. Samsung, Xiaomi and OnePlus have removed the option of bootloader unlocking on all of their devices. I suspect Google is not far behind.
  3. Google implementing Play Integrity API and encouraging developers to implement it. Notably the EU’s own identity verification wallet requires this, in stark contrast to their own laws and policies, despite the protest of hundreds on Github.
  4. And finally, the mandatory implementation of developer verification across Android systems. Yes, if you’re running a 3rd-party OS like GOS you won’t be directly affected by this, but it will impact 99.9% of devices, and I foresee many open source developers just opting out of developing apps for Android entirely as a result. We’ve already seen SyncThing simply discontinue development for this reason, citing issues with Google Play Store. They’ve also repeatedly denied updates for NextCloud with no explanation, only restoring it after mass outcry. And we’ve already seen Google targeting any software intended to circumvent ads, labeling them in the system as “dangerous” and “untrusted”. This will most certainly carry into their new “verification” system.

Google once competed with Apple for customers. But in a world where Google walks away from the biggest antitrust trial since 1998 with yet another slap on the wrist, competition is dead, and Google is taking notes from Apple about what they can legally get away with.

Android as we know it is dead. And/or will be dead very soon. We need an open replacement.

  • Ulrich@feddit.orgOPEnglish
    91·
    2 days ago

    True but I also never even considered it before because honestly open source Android works really great on most devices already. Now that that’s all basically disappearing, hopefully more people will be more dedicated to creating an alternative.

    • TheCoralReefsAreDying69@lemmy.world
      4·
      1 day ago

      Can you help me understand why Linux phones are the answer rather than a community maintained android fork?

      Android is already fully featured and has a solid ecosystem so it’s usable now, not in 5-10 years with less of a need for adjustment for the people who want to switch.

      Basically, why take several steps backwards and start from scratch?

      • Ulrich@feddit.orgOPEnglish
        12·
        1 day ago

        Because a community maintained fork wont solve the problems in the OP?

        • TheCoralReefsAreDying69@lemmy.world
          21·
          18 hours ago

          I strongly disagree with this comment. I’ll answer your numbered points from the original post one by one with my perspective:

          1. Development would happen completely in the open, since its community driven
          2. A community android fork wouldn’t directly solve the issue of manufacturer locked bootloaders, but neither would Linux mobile
          3. I originally messed up on this bullet point, but this is the correction - the play integrity API would be unusable on both community driven Android and Linux mobile
          4. Developer verification will not apply to devices running an OS that isn’t Google certified, which a community maintained android fork would not be

          Do you disagree with any of these? Would love to hear your thoughts

          • Ulrich@feddit.orgOPEnglish
            3·
            18 hours ago

            Wow. Ok.

            Development would happen completely in the open, since its community driven

            All “community driven forks” are based on Google’s AOSP. None of them have the resources to develop this stuff from the ground up.

            A community android fork wouldn’t directly solve the issue of manufacturer locked bootloaders, but neither would Linux mobile

            No but someone would sell Linux devices if they were commercially viable, and no one would buy a Linux device with a locked bootloader.

            the play integrity API would be unusable on both community driven Android and Linux mobile

            You wouldn’t need it on Linux mobile because…it’s not Android.

            Developer verification will not apply to devices running an OS that isn’t Google certified

            I already addressed this in OP.

            • fuck_u_spez_in_particular@lemmy.world
              11·
              13 hours ago

              You wouldn’t need it on Linux mobile because…it’s not Android

              But then you need apps that work on Linux (optimised for mobile/touch). You can also easily create Apps for Android without play integrity API necessity.

              Realistically an Android fork makes more sense.

              Though in my ideal dream world a Rust based mobile wayland compositor (etc.) will be the future of open mobile OS. I hope there’s enough (financial) interest to at some point reach that future.

              • Ulrich@feddit.orgOPEnglish
                1·
                13 hours ago

                But then you need apps that work on Linux

                Correct again! Running Linux apps on Linux, what a concept!

                Realistically an Android fork makes more sense.

                It doesn’t, for all the reasons I listed in OP.

                • fuck_u_spez_in_particular@lemmy.world
                  1·
                  12 hours ago

                  Don’t get me wrong, I’m the first promoting an Android free mobile Linux, free of big company influences.

                  Though, what I meant is that there’s very few mobile optimised apps on Linux, and I doubt that changes soon. The Android SDK is very matured (like Compose for UI). It’s fairly easy to create a good native app experience in Android. Less so for non-Android Linux. (I’ve developed apps for either) Think about that alone, which further complicates adoption, which TBH is just necessary to get to an ecosystem that us usable for daily usage.

                  I hope that changes sooner than later, but the current alternatives are just not there yet.

                  • Ulrich@feddit.orgOPEnglish
                    1·
                    12 hours ago

                    apparently it needs to be said that I am not suggesting you switch to Linux on your phone today; just that development needs to accelerate.