cerebralhawks comments on Free Software Foundation announces a Librephone initiative to develop a fully free and open source smartphone

[+] cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com -6 points 1 year ago (5 children)

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.

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[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 3 points 1 year ago (1 child)

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.

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[–] cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 year ago

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.

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[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

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 promises you compatibility as long as you stay on the one brand and refresh everything every few years. They're a hardware vendor, simple-as, and their entire schtick is to keep you locked in that refresh cycle. Absolutely nothing wrong with that as long as your eyes are open and your wallet can cope.
Google shows you ads based on content of yours they're storing.
android powers 70% of the phones in the known universe. Currently it likes to bundle Google add-ons in a default fashion but in contrast does not lock you into using just them.

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