Google just gave Android power users a sideloading win

https://www.androidauthority.com/android-sideload-carry-over-3652845/

Google just gave Android power users a huge sideloading win

Once you opt out of restrictions on installing apps from unverified developers, Google confirms you can carry that choice over to your next phone.

Android Authority

What's the phone OS landscape now? What can someone who values their agency and wants FOSS choose?

* iOS - walled garden, so no

* Android:

* * with a Google account and Play Services - a bit less of a walled garden, but still no

* * Android without Google:

* * * GrapheneOS - root or adb not supported, so no

* * * LineageOS - (edit: root or adb not supported, so no - just learned) seems like a viable option although it seems like it depends on Google's development of Android and keeping it FOSS. How's the situation with security updates? Which phones would you recommend? I don't count Samsung or whatever crap as they're generally quite user-hostile.

* Linux - IIRC only PMOS supported FDE. Is that still the case? Are there are good Linux phones? I tried PinePhone a few years ago, but it was crappy. The OS also lacked basic features like new windows showing up inside the screen.

* anything else?

fairphone support for pmOS is improving. What DE were you using? It was probably just slow on the pinephone.

librem 5 is also an option. It is sorta expensive and weak but is the most capable.

https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices

right now im on calyxos but development has been paused for like a year

Devices - postmarketOS Wiki

It was a long time ago, so I don't remember. Phosh or Plasma. I tried to like Sxmo, but it was really unintuitive, unlike tiling WMs on Linux.

Fairphones seems OK, although for €549 I'll probably stick to a dumb phone and invest in a better laptop for now. I'm not saying it's too expensive for what it is, though - it's still a tiny computer with all kinds of periphery.

I just wish there was a version with a shitty camera for €50 less or with no Bluetooth for €10 less - you get the idea.

Interestingly, when I went to

https://www.fairphone.com/shop-home

the prices for the headphones were lower for a few seconds and got higher afterwards.

€186.75 -> €249

€74.25 -> €99

while the phone price remained the same. Both are increases of 33.(3)%. Probably a script that determined my location and added a VAT.

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