I don’t know about others but I like my phones to actually last.
My previous phone was a Sony Xperia z1. It went with me for more than 7 years working great until I accidentally dropped it and the screen cracked. Changed the screen but it wasn’t the same thing and the battery suffered too so decided to get another one, a Xperia 1ii. This november it’s going to be 5 years since I got it and it’s still going absolutely great.
But on both times they went great not only because Sony happens to make great hardware but because LineageOS - I’ve used it on other phones since it was CyanogenMod. As not everything in the world is perfect Sony gives no flying fucks about updates so in two years your phone is not going to get more official updates - enter LineageOS, GrapheneOS or what you like. I’m grateful those things exist, have donated to them and it will be very sad if one of those Google stupid movements make them vanish.
FYI, Google’s recent decisions only affects pixels. Android is still open source (for now at least).
Even if they close source it for the future, any code already released is already public forever. Customs roms can just continue on from the latest open source code and works their way into what’s effectively a linux phone OS.
As someone who used to change ROMs and kernels almost weekly back in the day (when I had more time lmao), honestly, not really.
Stock android already provides so much these days that used to take a custom ROM to obtain. And what isn’t, can be provided via a LSposed module or Magisk Module, which is MUCH easier to handle than a full tilt custom ROM
There’s, one, exception though. If you want a custom ROM for a specific purpose then there might still be some utility there. Like GrapheneOS for privacy focus
Those aren’t modules in of themselves, more like plugin frameworks for hooking into the Android kernel/deep system functions that others can write plugins for.
LSposed can do more “cool stuff” but it’s also a much bigger pain to keep it hidden from root detectors. I occasionally use an app called Card Emulator Pro that allows me to duplicate and then emulate any NFC card I tap to it that needs an LSposed module to work
Magisk Modules, can do less but is much easier to keep root hidden, most of my MM are for hiding root (like playcurl) but I particularly like isodrive for being able to use my phone to store and use bootable ISO images
But they had “kernel tweaks for buttery smooth performance!!! *”
* oh yeah bluetooth, wifi, fingerprint sensor doesn’t work, camera takes green tint pictures, phone app crashes, and I’ve had some hard lockups, but it’s been my daily driver for two hours now and it’s awesome!!1!
It makes sense if your phone is well supported in the custom ROM comunnity and doesn’t receive feature or security updates from the manufacturer anymore. I am already 3 Android versions past the last supported Android version by the manufacturer thanks to community maintained ROMs. (Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC).
I have no alternative but used phone + lineageOS; the stuff you’re mentioning (new phone with whatever crap they installed on there) isn’t even on my radar as an option.
as to longevity, it’s a stop-gap to hold us over until postmarketOS or any of its brethren are ready. banking on the benevolence of evilcorp to give us this thing for free for ever isn’t a viable strategy.
The custom rom scene isn’t what it used to be, but these two in particular are absolutely carrying the community on their backs.
After using GrapheneOS for about 6-8 months now, I can never go back to stock. If it dies, I’m just gonna get a linux phone for something at this point
I think AOSP will stay open source for quite a while, so the forks can continue. What Google removed was access to the drivers for Pixels, which makes development for new phones or driver updates much harder.
So I think the custom ROMs will take more time for updates or some might even ask for money to use their ROMs (which is fair in my opinion).
If the ROM ecosystem happen to die down, then my next step would be to get a open souce / hardware centered phone and install a mobile Linux distro.
Not useless. Maybe “useless” if you intend to use it as an Android device, but if you just want a Libre mobile OS built based on AOSP not having Google Play is a feature.
Just build an OS branching from the latest AOSP source code and voila, it’s practically a “linux phone”, no need to build another linux mobile OS from scratch.
I mean, even without FOSS zealotry there are plenty of Android derivatives without Google services in them on weird Chinese emulation handhelds and SBCs and the like. Never mind fricking Huawei, at least until last year, and depending on how much you think their newer one counts as not-Android.
I really enjoy graphene and the separate user profiles with no google integration.
If a google app, or something from play store is needed they’ve developed a compatability layer and sandbox for play services and store.
It’s a lot of security toggles and permissions.
But not having Google sucking your data at every level of the OS is great.
Wirh the isolated profiles, you can still have a fully googled system which you can fully lockdown at anytime, while having a pure aosp high security profile.
It’s fdroid and Izzy/codeberg and ironfox and termux and a few other repos on main.
I don’t do snap/insta/meta/etc and have no need for apps that drain my soul, anyway.
I was going to go into a rant about Ubuntu and Snap but then realised you were talking about Snapchat, show how much I use any of those big tech “products”
I remember my first custom ROM on a HTC and it was amazing ! Soooo fast, new features etc.
Samsung s3 was pretty good & really fast,
s8 was ok but it did make the camera crap.
S10 really quite bad camera plus thanks to google play stuff I can’t run most of my tasker stuff.
I still use 3.5mm headphones, aux cables etc so that will be the deciding factor in my next phone. If I can run a custom ROM thats a bonus in my eyes (tho if the camera is bad I’ll go stock)
I already gave up. Don’t get me wrong GrapheneOS is great but it’s getting harder and harder to keep working around security measures employed by my banking and government apps. Plus when my Pixel’s screen broke and the price to fix it was the price of a new one I just said fuck it and went back to Samsung.
Might I suggest having a government/banking apps phone and a separate personal phone? Is this feasible for you? I don’t really have government apps, my separate flip phone is just for calling and 2fa sms messages
If you don’t think about privacy, they are not worth it anymore imo. Used to run custom roms on everything, but galaxy OS (or w/e it’s called) and pixel OS do everything you might want and more. Custom roms don’t add anything anymore.
On a Chinese device though, I will always install a custom rom if I can. Unfortunately it’s getting really hard or even impossible to unlock bootloader on most devices from China :(. They have amazing hardware, but shit software.
I went the pixel and graphene route and I’m pretty happy with it. if Google locking out drivers means there won’t be graphene for the next line of pixels, I’ll probably just see what phones calyx or lineage support and roll with something from there.
I’ve been fortunate to not have any issues with banking services. the only big thing I lack is maps. there’s not a one to one replacement for Google maps, so I just use a dedicated GPS in my vehicle. (before folks start typing at me, yes I’m aware of organic maps and etc but they absolutely lack a lot of data, especially in my semi-rural area)
kagi’s map feature seems to have a bit more detail than the usual osm wrappers but it is a paid service and i still haven’t figured out how to get directions to work (that last part is on me, though).
Custom ROMs were always a pretty niche thing, and they’ve become much less worth it since:
Stock Android doesn’t suck as much as it used to
Banking Apps aren’t guaranteed to work
VoLTE doesn’t work (this might depend on phone model)
Most manufacturers now offer software support for a reasonable length of time
So unless there’s an old feature you want to keep (LG Quad DAC diehards represent), or you’re super privacy-conscious, most people aren’t going to bother.
What do you consider stock Android? If Linus’ video on the topic is anything to go by, stock Android is basically unusable. I’m guessing you mean that manufacturer custom versions have gotten better and more consistent over time?
I honestly haven’t even felt the need to root my phone, let alone install a custom rom, for the past 10 or so years. Uninstall all the crap with ADB, toggle on Sensors Off from the hot bar, and don’t worry about it.
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I don’t know about others but I like my phones to actually last.
My previous phone was a Sony Xperia z1. It went with me for more than 7 years working great until I accidentally dropped it and the screen cracked. Changed the screen but it wasn’t the same thing and the battery suffered too so decided to get another one, a Xperia 1ii. This november it’s going to be 5 years since I got it and it’s still going absolutely great.
But on both times they went great not only because Sony happens to make great hardware but because LineageOS - I’ve used it on other phones since it was CyanogenMod. As not everything in the world is perfect Sony gives no flying fucks about updates so in two years your phone is not going to get more official updates - enter LineageOS, GrapheneOS or what you like. I’m grateful those things exist, have donated to them and it will be very sad if one of those Google stupid movements make them vanish.
FYI, Google’s recent decisions only affects pixels. Android is still open source (for now at least).
Even if they close source it for the future, any code already released is already public forever. Customs roms can just continue on from the latest open source code and works their way into what’s effectively a linux phone OS.
In the end, everything becomes
crabLinuxAlso: Happy lemon cake day!
Isn’t android basically just heavily modified and corpified linux for phones?
At this point that feels like the argument that macs are just Linux/bsd there’s an argument to be made ona. Technical level.
But I’m unless you want to be disingenuous then practically no not really.
As someone who used to change ROMs and kernels almost weekly back in the day (when I had more time lmao), honestly, not really.
Stock android already provides so much these days that used to take a custom ROM to obtain. And what isn’t, can be provided via a LSposed module or Magisk Module, which is MUCH easier to handle than a full tilt custom ROM
There’s, one, exception though. If you want a custom ROM for a specific purpose then there might still be some utility there. Like GrapheneOS for privacy focus
Never heard of such modules. What are they?
Those aren’t modules in of themselves, more like plugin frameworks for hooking into the Android kernel/deep system functions that others can write plugins for.
LSposed can do more “cool stuff” but it’s also a much bigger pain to keep it hidden from root detectors. I occasionally use an app called Card Emulator Pro that allows me to duplicate and then emulate any NFC card I tap to it that needs an LSposed module to work
Magisk Modules, can do less but is much easier to keep root hidden, most of my MM are for hiding root (like playcurl) but I particularly like isodrive for being able to use my phone to store and use bootable ISO images
Oh yeah, I used to absolutely wreck my battery life with custom ROMs that weren’t optimized well.
But they had “kernel tweaks for buttery smooth performance!!! *”
* oh yeah bluetooth, wifi, fingerprint sensor doesn’t work, camera takes green tint pictures, phone app crashes, and I’ve had some hard lockups, but it’s been my daily driver for two hours now and it’s awesome!!1!
This is pretty accurate lmao
We’ve all been there, back in the day haha
It makes sense if your phone is well supported in the custom ROM comunnity and doesn’t receive feature or security updates from the manufacturer anymore. I am already 3 Android versions past the last supported Android version by the manufacturer thanks to community maintained ROMs. (Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC).
I have no alternative but used phone + lineageOS; the stuff you’re mentioning (new phone with whatever crap they installed on there) isn’t even on my radar as an option.
as to longevity, it’s a stop-gap to hold us over until postmarketOS or any of its brethren are ready. banking on the benevolence of evilcorp to give us this thing for free for ever isn’t a viable strategy.
I want VOLTE on postmarketos sooooo badly. Grab a 6T and just run it into the ground
If you count Grapheneos, absolutely. I still regularly flash Lineageos to older devices too.
The custom rom scene isn’t what it used to be, but these two in particular are absolutely carrying the community on their backs.
After using GrapheneOS for about 6-8 months now, I can never go back to stock. If it dies, I’m just gonna get a linux phone for something at this point
I think AOSP will stay open source for quite a while, so the forks can continue. What Google removed was access to the drivers for Pixels, which makes development for new phones or driver updates much harder.
So I think the custom ROMs will take more time for updates or some might even ask for money to use their ROMs (which is fair in my opinion).
If the ROM ecosystem happen to die down, then my next step would be to get a open souce / hardware centered phone and install a mobile Linux distro.
I went the Pixel / GrapheneOS route earlier this year.
With google fuckibg around with drivers, I may go the open hardware route for my next phone.
I think the ideas that android is an open os died a long time ago. If the android flavour doesn’t have the Google Play binaries it is next to useless
Not useless. Maybe “useless” if you intend to use it as an Android device, but if you just want a Libre mobile OS built based on AOSP not having Google Play is a feature.
Just build an OS branching from the latest AOSP source code and voila, it’s practically a “linux phone”, no need to build another linux mobile OS from scratch.
I mean, even without FOSS zealotry there are plenty of Android derivatives without Google services in them on weird Chinese emulation handhelds and SBCs and the like. Never mind fricking Huawei, at least until last year, and depending on how much you think their newer one counts as not-Android.
I really enjoy graphene and the separate user profiles with no google integration.
If a google app, or something from play store is needed they’ve developed a compatability layer and sandbox for play services and store.
It’s a lot of security toggles and permissions.
But not having Google sucking your data at every level of the OS is great.
Wirh the isolated profiles, you can still have a fully googled system which you can fully lockdown at anytime, while having a pure aosp high security profile.
It’s fdroid and Izzy/codeberg and ironfox and termux and a few other repos on main.
I don’t do snap/insta/meta/etc and have no need for apps that drain my soul, anyway.
Anyway, yeah, google fucking sucks.
I was going to go into a rant about Ubuntu and Snap but then realised you were talking about Snapchat, show how much I use any of those big tech “products”
Rant away!
I, too, dislike that snap as well.
Canonical are doing some not cool things these days.
Good thing mint has lmde as their backup plan.
I remember my first custom ROM on a HTC and it was amazing ! Soooo fast, new features etc. Samsung s3 was pretty good & really fast, s8 was ok but it did make the camera crap. S10 really quite bad camera plus thanks to google play stuff I can’t run most of my tasker stuff.
I still use 3.5mm headphones, aux cables etc so that will be the deciding factor in my next phone. If I can run a custom ROM thats a bonus in my eyes (tho if the camera is bad I’ll go stock)
I already gave up. Don’t get me wrong GrapheneOS is great but it’s getting harder and harder to keep working around security measures employed by my banking and government apps. Plus when my Pixel’s screen broke and the price to fix it was the price of a new one I just said fuck it and went back to Samsung.
Might I suggest having a government/banking apps phone and a separate personal phone? Is this feasible for you? I don’t really have government apps, my separate flip phone is just for calling and 2fa sms messages
If you don’t think about privacy, they are not worth it anymore imo. Used to run custom roms on everything, but galaxy OS (or w/e it’s called) and pixel OS do everything you might want and more. Custom roms don’t add anything anymore.
On a Chinese device though, I will always install a custom rom if I can. Unfortunately it’s getting really hard or even impossible to unlock bootloader on most devices from China :(. They have amazing hardware, but shit software.
I went the pixel and graphene route and I’m pretty happy with it. if Google locking out drivers means there won’t be graphene for the next line of pixels, I’ll probably just see what phones calyx or lineage support and roll with something from there.
I’ve been fortunate to not have any issues with banking services. the only big thing I lack is maps. there’s not a one to one replacement for Google maps, so I just use a dedicated GPS in my vehicle. (before folks start typing at me, yes I’m aware of organic maps and etc but they absolutely lack a lot of data, especially in my semi-rural area)
Agree 100%.
And re maps they are hardly in my country let alone my region. I’d be the only one “helping” the mapping so I’d be doing my own maps.
Really n wish there was an alternative (yes some address searches > open maps exist but its not seamless)
kagi’s map feature seems to have a bit more detail than the usual osm wrappers but it is a paid service and i still haven’t figured out how to get directions to work (that last part is on me, though).
To be completely honest, if Google kills ROMs, I would probably just get an iPhone…
For me, its still a no. If they kill sideloading, however, I’d probably go iPhone.
No way apple suck
If they kill grapheneos I’m switching to a raspberry pi zero 2W with a touchscreen.
Custom ROMs were always a pretty niche thing, and they’ve become much less worth it since:
So unless there’s an old feature you want to keep (LG Quad DAC diehards represent), or you’re super privacy-conscious, most people aren’t going to bother.
What do you consider stock Android? If Linus’ video on the topic is anything to go by, stock Android is basically unusable. I’m guessing you mean that manufacturer custom versions have gotten better and more consistent over time?
I honestly haven’t even felt the need to root my phone, let alone install a custom rom, for the past 10 or so years. Uninstall all the crap with ADB, toggle on Sensors Off from the hot bar, and don’t worry about it.