Graphene now has a compatibility layer, see their site for more details. It’s easy to install, I believe they will be adding more to it. You can already get play services, etc. running as sandboxed apps in graphene.
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Privacy focused alt. to Apple?
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Yeah I have been following that development news. I really want to try it. Awesome work that dev team is doing. Waiting for the Pixel 6 and iPhone 13 events before I decide what I’m doing this year but I’m thinking I’ll end up with a Pixel 5a.
One potential privacy concern I have with iOS and iPadOS is the lack of transparency and control over what’s happening in the background of your device. Now we have iPads with 16GB of RAM running the same Apple silicon found in iMacs, MacBooks, and Mac Minis, and still we have no Activity Monitor equivalent. Why? I want to be able to see what’s happening in the background and know that when I swipe up to close an app it’s actually closed and didn’t leave unnecessary processes running that could be tracking me.
Yesterday I decided to dip my toes back into the Android waters and ordered a $199 Teracube phone. I will be installing the privacy-focused iodéOS on it.
Other than trying a Samsung Galaxy once for a couple days, iPhones are the only smartphones I’ve owned. And while I have no current plans to move away from macOS, I’m open to changing things up and decreasing my dependence on Apple’s ecosystem.
Obviously my iPhone is going to better than a basic $200 phone in most ways, with far superior video and photo capabilities. But my smartphone usage is pretty basic (calls, messages, email, maps, music, and paying some bills 95% of the time), I don’t game or do social media on it, and as a photographer with some very nice gear, I rarely use my iPhone camera, and it’s been this way for years.
I‘m certainly not in any rush to get rid of my iPhone and Apple Watch, but I like Teracube’s sustainability approach, iodéOS looks interesting, and the price is right for a test drive.
Yesterday I decided to dip my toes back into the Android waters and ordered a $199 Teracube phone. I will be installing the privacy-focused iodéOS on it.
Other than trying a Samsung Galaxy once for a couple days, iPhones are the only smartphones I’ve owned. And while I have no current plans to move away from macOS, I’m open to changing things up and decreasing my dependence on Apple’s ecosystem.
Obviously my iPhone is going to better than a basic $200 phone in most ways, with far superior video and photo capabilities. But my smartphone usage is pretty basic (calls, messages, email, maps, music, and paying some bills 95% of the time), I don’t game or do social media on it, and as a photographer with some very nice gear, I rarely use my iPhone camera, and it’s been this way for years.
I‘m certainly not in any rush to get rid of my iPhone and Apple Watch, but I like Teracube’s sustainability approach, iodéOS looks interesting, and the price is right for a test drive.
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I have been testing /e/OS on a older Samsung Galaxy S8 I had laying around for about a month now.
It's a Android without Googles tentacles, but if desired with optional Google Play store Apps and F-Droid Apps and more. Details at What’s in /e/OS?
The only reason why I haven't switched to it fully yet is the limited range of modern devices it's currently available for.
Even downloaded 3 Google Play Apps that work just fine and I still have an OS that doesn't phone Google and many others all the time.
In a future update you'll even be able to uninstall their default apps if you don't want to have them on your phone according to their roadmap.
IMO it's not quite ready yet for the casual users - but people who have basic tech knowledge and certainly most MR forum members could use it.
Devices (with eOS preinstalled)
Devices (with eOS Easy Installer support)
Devices (manual installation and some knowledge to unlock bootloader/device and OS flashing required)
App Checker / Availability
It's a Android without Googles tentacles, but if desired with optional Google Play store Apps and F-Droid Apps and more. Details at What’s in /e/OS?
The only reason why I haven't switched to it fully yet is the limited range of modern devices it's currently available for.
Even downloaded 3 Google Play Apps that work just fine and I still have an OS that doesn't phone Google and many others all the time.
In a future update you'll even be able to uninstall their default apps if you don't want to have them on your phone according to their roadmap.
IMO it's not quite ready yet for the casual users - but people who have basic tech knowledge and certainly most MR forum members could use it.
Devices (with eOS preinstalled)
Devices (with eOS Easy Installer support)
Devices (manual installation and some knowledge to unlock bootloader/device and OS flashing required)
App Checker / Availability
Custom ROM has only limited usefulness, as many institutions like banking apps would not support custom ROM.
I might give this a try if installing is less convoluted than installing iodéOS seemed to be. I still have the Teracube phone I posted about above, but I never really used it. The eOS instructions make it sound like a simpler process.
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my banking apps work just fine on eOS.
Check the App availability to see if it's directly available on eOS or you can have all your (purchased) or available Google play store apps if you want.
AFAIK the only thing that doesn't work are the Google play store in app purchases/restores.
Banking apps should work fine so long as it doesn't depend on Play Services or verification of SafetyNet status.
The Amex Serve, Green Dot apps both work fine on my de-Googled tablets.
Pokemon Go, however, is an example of something you'd lose if you went Google-free. But that's only worth worrying about if you're one of those zombies walking into traffic playing the darned thing.
The Amex Serve, Green Dot apps both work fine on my de-Googled tablets.
Pokemon Go, however, is an example of something you'd lose if you went Google-free. But that's only worth worrying about if you're one of those zombies walking into traffic playing the darned thing.
I've recently switched from my iPhone (primary) and Samsung with /e/OS (testing) to a Pixel with GrapheneOS.
GrapheneOS vs /e/OS
Will still be keeping tabs on /e/OS development from time to time to see if it prevails and matures well.
As for GrapheneOS and the Pixel
I enjoy the
Side note:
the few primarily banking/payment Apps which require (restricted) Google Play / Framework services to properly work are in in a separate profile that I can switch to in seconds.
GrapheneOS vs /e/OS
- overall much more mature OS
- better supported
- frequent and fast security updates
- supports modern hardware (even if Pixels only)
- 5 years of security (and probably similiar long OS) updates
Will still be keeping tabs on /e/OS development from time to time to see if it prevails and matures well.
As for GrapheneOS and the Pixel
I enjoy the
- many customization options (especially launchers, icons, themes)
- better compatibility and exchange with my Computers without extra Apps required
- USB-C compatibility
- awesome camera for half the price of that of a similar Apple device
- GrapheneOS minimalist approach to stock Apps
- that you can restrict access on an App by App basis from network to sensors to camera to microphone to files, photos and more
- Even Apps with Google Play purchases are easy to install/restore, then simply deny access to network and Co.
Side note:
the few primarily banking/payment Apps which require (restricted) Google Play / Framework services to properly work are in in a separate profile that I can switch to in seconds.