Google’s Android, the world’s most widely used mobile operating system, started life as open-source software. In its quest for ever-greater profits, the tech giant has been gradually eroding Android’s open-source capacity over the last decade.

Google’s Android, the world’s most widely used mobile operating system, started life as open-source software. In its quest for ever-greater profits, the tech giant has been gradually eroding Android’s open-source nature over the last decade.

Originally published on The Lever, but that one asks you to sign up.

  • mazzilius_marsti@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6·
    5 days ago

    hows your experience with graphene? Better than stock? I heard they have a sandboxed Google Play store now, so getting apps is even easier.

    • whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      7·
      5 days ago

      So far it’s been good for about a week. Highlights have been the easy install, secure by default but lets me override when I want (block app network access on install is awesome), and getting access to the other app repos than Google’s I haven’t seen since I installed dirty unicorns years ago. I setup multiple users so I can keep my primary like a root which was also simple to do.

      Only complaints I have are when I get messages on another user than primary I can see the messages in the app but not the message content in the notification, its just a generic alert message like new messages received. Nice to have but not going to make me switch back. And the keyboard doesn’t have swipe typing so I use gboard with network access turned off.

      Also I did install the Google app store to get a couple paid apps and calendar/contacts I need to move out of Google. It does sandbox by default which is really cool and i think should be required for phone manufacturers. I just disabled services/store/calendar access to the network after I let it download everything.

      Edit: also not a OS thing but I tried switching VPN to orbot/tor at the same time and it is still really unreliable for that use with the way so many sites try to sniff out your location

      • mazzilius_marsti@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        5 days ago

        do you have the ability to remove whichever apps you dont like?

        The user notitication makes sense, i guess its more secure. Btw, so everytime you switch user, you have to restart?

        • whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          1·
          5 days ago

          Yes, and it comes with very few by default as well

          No restart needed, pull down twice and the switcher is on the bottom right. Usually takes just a couple seconds to switch.

          • mazzilius_marsti@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            5 days ago

            thats nice to hear. I thought you need to restart to change profiles.

            You’re on the 9a right? How is the battery under Graphene? I used to have the OG Pixel (codename sailfish) and try different roms on there, but the battery is just terrible.

            • whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
              1·
              5 days ago

              I’m still feeling that part out since it’s only been about a week, a full charge can last me multiple days (5100mAh) and the battery in my pixel 5 (4080mAh) was pretty run down.

              Fully charged 25.5hr ago & pretty heavy use yesterday and I’m at 63%, the 5 would have been twice dead by now.