Fairphone releases open letter to the Community - Apologizes for 3 month support time and says the FP4 will skip Android 14 for Android 15
An open letter to the Fairphone community
I realize that I'm an asshole for telling them what to do but here's what they need to do: They should drop all development of their own Android and put significant resources to making their next phone work with GrapheneOS.
That would make their already very expensive phone even more expensive, if it were even possible at all.
That problem with that is the Graphene devs
Probably better to make something for the general population. If nothing else maybe work with Calyx OS or /e/os
No, the hardware of Fairphones lacks certain security features.
Agreed. Graphene is a fantastic product, but the devs are absolutely insufferable.
I'd heard about it as a secure, pro privacy ROM but never used it since it's not available on my current device. But after seeing their attitude on some forums, it honestly put me right off ever wanting to try Graphene OS.
I'm glad it's not just me
Even ignoring that I tried graphene but even as a tech person it was off putting. Calyx in contrast has a nice blend of usability and security imo.
I wanted to like graphene and it's far superior in security but just so much less usable IMO. I'd rather move to a Linux phone at that point.
What do you mean by "much less usable"? It's pretty much AOSP in terms of the UX, for better or worse.
Graphene doesn't support MicroG which is a deal breaker for me
Well apparently their "approach" is to run sandboxed Google play. Now whether that is better than microg with its more anonymous nature but higher permission level, idk.
But that locks you into Google play and using an account of some sort rather than just using Aurora. From what I remember anyhow, especially when trying to use seedvault since graphene has no backup solution of its own even years after saying seedvault isn't great.
That'd make them even more of a niche option than right now, since some apps (most notably banking) will just refuse to work.
By working with the real hardware vendor, they could apply for the certification, thus making the apps requiring the useless stamp from google work again.
Well, except for those apps that specifically tries to blacklist graphene. Looking at you, Revolut!
Banking apps generally speaking work, it's the NFC payments via google pay that don't and probably never will.
Most of them work fine. Typically don't have to even enable compatibility mode.
Although Google's new Play Integrity API is breaking more apps every day.
On the contrary; many people want GrapheneOS but don't want a Google phone.
What most people don't seem to understand is that every Android phone is a Google phone unless you go through the degooglification.
I would (and did) just use Apple phones if it weren't for GrapheneOS.
Define most people
Lemmy isn't exactly a great representation of the general populous
I said many
Many do, and many want something else. Personally the uncertainty around banking apps working is what keeps me away from GrapheneOS.
Well, mine work. I haven't found a single app that doesn't.
And, like I said, that's a niche.
I'd love to use GrapheneOS myself, but unfortunately too many apps I need won't work on it.
I haven't found any apps that don't work with the proper permissions enabled.
Do you use sandboxed google play? If not you must you mostly open source apps.
they could probably just extend it with the bits that google requires for corporate approval, and release that as a fork, while still contributing to the development of base graphene os.
I mean they don't need to use plain graphene, a partnership could make things easier for both parties by avoiding needless duplication of efforts.
Most banking apps work with a simple app setting change
I'm one of the lucky ones, where Lloyds' app will not work with GrapheneOS. At all.
Its kind of a pain in the ass, but ultimately its the only app, so its OK. The only other issue is the lack of NFC payment support for my bank card. But I have magsafe case and wallet, so carry my card with my phone.
I always been a bit skeptical of storing my credit card info on my phones, I still prefer keeping and using the actual card lol
And what simple setting is that? I have multiple apps that don't work because their app developers use Google as the security verification, which is very common with banking apps.
https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/8330-app-compatibility-with-grapheneos
Exploit protection compatibility mode worked for every app that didn't work out of the box for me
That's crazy. It didn't work for any of the banking apps I tried it with. Maybe I'll give it another try since it's been a while.
https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compatibility-with-grapheneos/
Here's more info on which apps are compatible, definitely worth double checking that all the ones you use are on the list
Thanks for all the info. I did some testing and a bunch of apps that didn't work before are now working. Not everything, but a lot more than before.
they are already actively working with e/OS and iodéOS. Don't know if e/OS already supports Android 15 like iodé does, but they could just focus on that next release...
