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Seems to me like there's about to be one hell of a market for phones that you can run alternative operating systems.
Except the economics for it are trash. Google uses Android as a loss leader to make money on Google's services.
Damn the economics. The only people who care about "cheaper phone" are those who don't care about other things
A shitton of people have lived economic realities that don't allow them to splurge on a phone at all, even if they'd really like digital freedom or privacy. See: half of the global smartphone market, where Android Go and KaiOS enabling cheap smartphones lead to millions of sales.
People who can and want to don't even make the jump because the reality of owning a non-iOS/Android phone is that it requires sacrifices. I went to a concert last night that required me to have the Ticketmaster app to even get in. Everyone at that concert had to have either an iOS or Android phone, myself included. I'm testing Ubuntu Touch on a second phone, but if I make it my daily driver, I'm going to have to keep a second phone around for stuff like that. Ecosystems are too locked down now, and unfortunately you will have to either miss out on some things, or adapt hard-core.
The devices and software have to be there. Right now there are only a handful of truly modern devices thar you can load Ubuntu Touch or another Linux distro on, and they're... not quite straightforward for non-techy people to get up and running. Which is, believe it or not, the vast majority of users.
2025 being the year of the alternative smartphone OS seems just about as likely as any other year being the year of the Linux desktop.
I am going to refute you over here.
I can't seem afford a Linux phone (or any mobile device really), simply because they tend to be made by labour in high-pay countries, while I am in a low pay country (which means I am not paid as much either).
And then I can't afford to try any possibly existing Linux ROMs on my phone, because I can't afford to brick it at all.
I think fairphone is doing ok. Kind of expensive
Unfortunately, I think the vast majority who care are already using one. However, with Google device tree and other shenanigans on Pixel devices, it probably makes substantial room within the niche market for the likes of Fairphone and Shiftphone to get into new regions.
On the other hand, mandates for major operating systems to report illegal activity that are in the pipeline could have a larger effect.
I dunno, I'm talking out my ass.
It's not impossible to make a custom ROM with that caveat, it's just more work. I would love to contribute, but I can't code for shit, so I toss devs some cash whenever I can.
I know, but this stuff is adding up where Pixels might stop being the golden child of the custom OS market.
That's fine. As long as a device has an unlockable bootloader, it'll be a candidate.
That's pretty much what I'm afraid of, full 1984
And massive propaganda campaigns are turning people's civic energy back on themselves, and their own communities. Ain't life grand?
If I didnt have to pay 2x - 3x the price for a fairphone in the US I would've already switched. Unfortunately, $1k for a device with USB 2.0 is really not worth it for me or anyone else I know.
But you don't need to buy a Fairphone to use /e/OS. You can install it for free on any supported phone, so it's worth checking the website to see if your phone is supported. Switching to /e/OS has breathed new life into my Moto g 7 without having to spend a penny on hardware.
I'm not sure why you mentioned /e/OS lol. I use iodeOS, I was using CalyxOS before that. I don't feel entirely comfortable using /e/OS given their recent controversy with using OpenAI for STT. I want a fairphone because I dont want to buy a Pixel just to be able to relock my bootloader + I like their philosophy of carbon neutral phones w long support
Going for a used FP4 should address both those concerns!
Thr cheapest one I can find is $600, for a phone that is 4 years old. I would prefer not to do that.
Agreed, though if it weren't for tariffs it wouldn't be too expensive to ship from the likes of Clove Technologies. If the extra cost were going to Calyx instead of Murena I might pull the trigger.
SO TRUE LOL! If you could get the FP5/6 with a Calyx Membership that would be bomb.
Maybe they could make some similar arrangement with Shiftphone.
Ah yes cause that's the only part of any platform that requires a full name and address and will absolutely make a dent when the walled garden servants now have to use their slave names people sure will Exodus in droves
The ability to create them will become increasingly challenging. Carriers will increasingly not approve them.
Hopefully chip manufacturers like Qualcomm that will continue to lose revenue from Apple see the need for more generic, open hardware.