Google: “Based on this feedback and our ongoing conversations with the community, we are building a new advanced flow that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn’t verified. We are designing this flow specifically to resist coercion, ensuring that users aren’t tricked into bypassing these safety checks while under pressure from a scammer. It will also include clear warnings to ensure users fully understand the risks involved, but ultimately, it puts the choice in their hands.”
Thank god. I would’ve ditched Android for good if this went through, and while it sounds like it would be annoying for casual users to enable unverified apps, at least we can still install them.
Yes, but in 12 months a Linux phone won’t even be close to where even 4 versions ago Android is. As long as Graphene (or Lineage, or Fairphone, plenty of models) keeps the security updates covered, there are good options out there.
So the question becomes when, not if, a Linux phone reaches parity with AOSP-based phones.
Android basically is a Linux phone, it’s a distro(ish).
It has a Linux kernel and a Linux-based OS wrapped around it. And just like you can compile FreeCAD for Debian or Arch, you can compile Fossify for Google Android, GrapheneOS, or LineageOS.
“Linux” phones in the sense you mean won’t be a “Debian” or “Arch”, they’ll be something else, just like Android.
Can I compile FreeCAD for Android? Can I run Linux apps that are compiled for ARM on Android? As far as I know, no. So it’s even less Linux than MacOS is BSD, and how is that helping for software freedom, or placing the control of the phone you bought in your hands?