Now that both Android & iOS development has plateaued, what are the key factors that make any of us want to replace our current mobile device?
1. Battery loses capacity & it's too hard to replace so we buy a new phone
2. Storage is stressed but if it can't be replaced, we buy a 'bigger' phone 3. Hardware is damaged & it's too expensive to fix (e.g., cracked screen)
4. Device doesn't do what we want it to do (e.g., bigger camera perhaps?)
5. OEM stops full updates of the entire device (so the user becomes scared) 6. ?
Now that both Android & iOS development has plateaued, what are the key factors that make any of us want to replace our current mobile device?
1. Battery loses capacity & it's too hard to replace so we buy a new phone
2. Storage is stressed but if it can't be replaced, we buy a 'bigger' phone 3. Hardware is damaged & it's too expensive to fix (e.g., cracked screen)
4. Device doesn't do what we want it to do (e.g., bigger camera perhaps?)
5. OEM stops full updates of the entire device (so the user becomes scared) 6. ?
Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> wrote:
Now that both Android & iOS development has plateaued, what are the key
factors that make any of us want to replace our current mobile device?
1. Battery loses capacity & it's too hard to replace so we buy a new phone >> 2. Storage is stressed but if it can't be replaced, we buy a 'bigger' phone >> 3. Hardware is damaged & it's too expensive to fix (e.g., cracked screen)
4. Device doesn't do what we want it to do (e.g., bigger camera perhaps?)
5. OEM stops full updates of the entire device (so the user becomes scared) >> 6. ?
For me it?s probably a combination of 1 and 3. Often times the cellular company also provides an incentive where it makes sense to upgrade to a new phone rather than repair it.
A couple other reasons you could add to your list are:
6. Device gets lost.
7. Most used apps stop working with older OS.
Both those reasons have happened either to me or family members.
Now that both Android & iOS development has plateaued, what are the key factors that make any of us want to replace our current mobile device?
1. Battery loses capacity & it's too hard to replace so we buy a new phone
2. Storage is stressed but if it can't be replaced, we buy a 'bigger' phone 3. Hardware is damaged & it's too expensive to fix (e.g., cracked screen)
4. Device doesn't do what we want it to do (e.g., bigger camera perhaps?)
5. OEM stops full updates of the entire device (so the user becomes scared) 6. ?
Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> writes:
Now that both Android & iOS development has plateaued, what are the key
factors that make any of us want to replace our current mobile device?
1. Battery loses capacity & it's too hard to replace so we buy a new phone >> 2. Storage is stressed but if it can't be replaced, we buy a 'bigger' phone >> 3. Hardware is damaged & it's too expensive to fix (e.g., cracked screen)
4. Device doesn't do what we want it to do (e.g., bigger camera perhaps?)
5. OEM stops full updates of the entire device (so the user becomes scared) >> 6. ?
Previous two times it was 1.
Last time it was 5 (android 10). This time it is likely to be 1.
I am not sure 'scared' is the right word, maybe cautious, risk averse.
On 2026-08-24 19:54, badgolferman wrote:
Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> wrote:
Now that both Android & iOS development has plateaued, what are the key
factors that make any of us want to replace our current mobile device?
1. Battery loses capacity & it's too hard to replace so we buy a new phone >>> 2. Storage is stressed but if it can't be replaced, we buy a 'bigger' phone >>> 3. Hardware is damaged & it's too expensive to fix (e.g., cracked screen) >>> 4. Device doesn't do what we want it to do (e.g., bigger camera perhaps?) >>> 5. OEM stops full updates of the entire device (so the user becomes scared) >>> 6. ?
For me it?s probably a combination of 1 and 3. Often times the cellular
company also provides an incentive where it makes sense to upgrade to a new >> phone rather than repair it.
A couple other reasons you could add to your list are:
6. Device gets lost.
7. Most used apps stop working with older OS.
Both those reasons have happened either to me or family members.
And to me.
I went for a swim with the phone in my pocket. Instant death. It is a variant of "6".
Apps demand a more recent OS, and they don't install or they refuse to
work. Remember that the huge majority of users use the Play Store and official methods.
A variant of '5' is that security updates stop coming, and banking app complains. It is not that the user becomes scared.
Device has a bug. This could be a variant of "4". For instance, one
phone stopped recognizing the SD card.
On 24/08/2026 16:14, Maria Sophia wrote:
Now that both Android & iOS development has plateaued, what are the key
factors that make any of us want to replace our current mobile device?
1. Battery loses capacity & it's too hard to replace so we buy a new phone >> 2. Storage is stressed but if it can't be replaced, we buy a 'bigger' phone >> 3. Hardware is damaged & it's too expensive to fix (e.g., cracked screen)
4. Device doesn't do what we want it to do (e.g., bigger camera perhaps?)
5. OEM stops full updates of the entire device (so the user becomes scared) >> 6. ?
6. Dump android and iOS for something where you have control and the
device doesn't spy on you. Probably the only viable device at present
is a Fairphone 6 with e/OS.
Thinking about it, this should be at the top of the list. :-)
On 2026-08-24 18:49:01 +0000, Carlos E.R. said:
On 2026-08-24 19:54, badgolferman wrote:
Device has a bug. This could be a variant of "4". For instance, one
phone stopped recognizing the SD card.
Could be the phone with a dirty / worn socket.
Could be the SD card itself being dirty / worn ... SD cards, like USB sticks, do not last forever.
Now that both Android & iOS development has plateaued, what are the key factors that make any of us want to replace our current mobile device?
1. Battery loses capacity & it's too hard to replace so we buy a new phone
2. Storage is stressed but if it can't be replaced, we buy a 'bigger' phone 3. Hardware is damaged & it's too expensive to fix (e.g., cracked screen)
4. Device doesn't do what we want it to do (e.g., bigger camera perhaps?)
5. OEM stops full updates of the entire device (so the user becomes scared) 6. ?
On 2026-08-25 00:49, Your Name wrote:
On 2026-08-24 18:49:01 +0000, Carlos E.R. said:
On 2026-08-24 19:54, badgolferman wrote:
Device has a bug. This could be a variant of "4". For instance, one
phone stopped recognizing the SD card.
Could be the phone with a dirty / worn socket.
Could be the SD card itself being dirty / worn ... SD cards, like USB
sticks, do not last forever.
Nope, was not the case. Phone was almost new, that is, a year old. No
dirt anywhere. One day the SD was not seen after a reboot.
Now that both Android & iOS development has plateaued, what are the key >factors that make any of us want to replace our current mobile device?
2. Storage is stressed but if it can't be replaced, we buy a 'bigger' phone >3. Hardware is damaged & it's too expensive to fix (e.g., cracked screen)
On 2026-08-24 16:59:57 +0000, Jeff Layman said:
On 24/08/2026 16:14, Maria Sophia wrote:
Now that both Android & iOS development has plateaued, what are the key
factors that make any of us want to replace our current mobile device?
1. Battery loses capacity & it's too hard to replace so we buy a new phone >>> 2. Storage is stressed but if it can't be replaced, we buy a 'bigger' phone >>> 3. Hardware is damaged & it's too expensive to fix (e.g., cracked screen) >>> 4. Device doesn't do what we want it to do (e.g., bigger camera perhaps?) >>> 5. OEM stops full updates of the entire device (so the user becomes scared) >>> 6. ?
6. Dump android and iOS for something where you have control and the
device doesn't spy on you. Probably the only viable device at present
is a Fairphone 6 with e/OS.
Thinking about it, this should be at the top of the list. :-)
"e/OS" is simply yet another version of Android. Since Google makes
Android, the supposed "de-Googled" e/OS is simply impossible idiotic
nonense conning the gullible tin foil hat brigade - by deffinition,
Google will always be part of any Android version.
Your Name wrote:
6. Dump android and iOS for something where you have control and the
device doesn't spy on you. Probably the only viable device at present
is a Fairphone 6 with e/OS.
Thinking about it, this should be at the top of the list. :-)
"e/OS" is simply yet another version of Android. Since Google makes
Android, the supposed "de-Googled" e/OS is simply impossible idiotic
nonense conning the gullible tin foil hat brigade - by deffinition,
Google will always be part of any Android version.
While that's OT, it's simply not true, so the record needs correction.
*Android is an open-source operating system project (AOSP)*
While Google develops and maintains AOSP, Google does not own every Android-derived operating system, nor does an Android-derived OS
necessarily contain Google's proprietary services.
In particular, /e/OS is deliberately built from AOSP and removes Google's proprietary components. The /e/OS project describes itself as a "fully deGoogled mobile operating system," replacing Google's services with its own/open alternatives.
The important distinction is:
AOSP = Google's open-source Android codebase.
Google Mobile Services (GMS) = Google's proprietary package of
services/apps, including things such as Google Play Services and the Play Store.
/e/OS = Android/AOSP-derived, but designed to operate without GMS and Google's normal tracking/service infrastructure.
So saying "Google makes Android, therefore Google must always be part of
any Android version" is roughly analogous to saying that because Linux was originally created by Linus Torvalds, every Linux distribution must contain something owned or controlled by Linus Torvalds.
The ancestry doesn't imply that.
There is, however, a legitimate criticism buried underneath that perhaps /e/OS isn't an entirely independent operating-system architecture.
For sure, it remains Android-derived and applications written for Android
are generally what make it useful. But that's very different from:
"Google will always be part of any Android version."
That statement is simply false.
On 25/08/2026 02:31, Maria Sophia wrote:[...]
For sure, it remains Android-derived and applications written for Android
are generally what make it useful. But that's very different from:
"Google will always be part of any Android version."
That statement is simply false.
I'm afraid you would never be able to prove that it wasn't false
without spending a vast amount of time and effort examining /every/
bit of code in Android, both FOSS and proprietary.
On 2026-08-24 23:59:19 +0000, Carlos E.R. said:
On 2026-08-25 00:49, Your Name wrote:
On 2026-08-24 18:49:01 +0000, Carlos E.R. said:
On 2026-08-24 19:54, badgolferman wrote:
Device has a bug. This could be a variant of "4". For instance, one
phone stopped recognizing the SD card.
Could be the phone with a dirty / worn socket.
Could be the SD card itself being dirty / worn ... SD cards, like USB
sticks, do not last forever.
Nope, was not the case. Phone was almost new, that is, a year old. No
dirt anywhere. One day the SD was not seen after a reboot.
Sounds like the SD card most likely went kaput. They don't last forever
and some makes are worse than others. Same with USB sticks - I've got
one that simply stopped working in anything, while another even older
one still works fine.
Your Name wrote:
6. Dump android and iOS for something where you have control and the
device doesn't spy on you. Probably the only viable device at present
is a Fairphone 6 with e/OS.
Thinking about it, this should be at the top of the list. :-)
"e/OS" is simply yet another version of Android. Since Google makes
Android, the supposed "de-Googled" e/OS is simply impossible idiotic
nonense conning the gullible tin foil hat brigade - by deffinition,
Google will always be part of any Android version.
While that's OT, it's simply not true, so the record needs correction.
*Android is an open-source operating system project (AOSP)*
While Google develops and maintains AOSP, Google does not own every Android-derived operating system, nor does an Android-derived OS
necessarily contain Google's proprietary services.
In particular, /e/OS is deliberately built from AOSP and removes Google's proprietary components. The /e/OS project describes itself as a "fully deGoogled mobile operating system," replacing Google's services with its own/open alternatives.
The important distinction is:
AOSP = Google's open-source Android codebase.
Google Mobile Services (GMS) = Google's proprietary package of
services/apps, including things such as Google Play Services and the Play Store.
/e/OS = Android/AOSP-derived, but designed to operate without GMS and Google's normal tracking/service infrastructure.
So saying "Google makes Android, therefore Google must always be part of
any Android version" is roughly analogous to saying that because Linux was originally created by Linus Torvalds, every Linux distribution must contain something owned or controlled by Linus Torvalds.
The ancestry doesn't imply that.
There is, however, a legitimate criticism buried underneath that perhaps /e/OS isn't an entirely independent operating-system architecture.
For sure, it remains Android-derived and applications written for Android
are generally what make it useful. But that's very different from:
"Google will always be part of any Android version."
That statement is simply false.
Now that both Android & iOS development has plateaued, what are the key factors that make any of us want to replace our current mobile device?
1. Battery loses capacity & it's too hard to replace so we buy a new phone
2. Storage is stressed but if it can't be replaced, we buy a 'bigger' phone 3. Hardware is damaged & it's too expensive to fix (e.g., cracked screen)
4. Device doesn't do what we want it to do (e.g., bigger camera perhaps?)
5. OEM stops full updates of the entire device (so the user becomes scared) 6. ?
(Fup-To comp.mobile.android, given I don't see this being relevant to iPhones)
On 2026-08-25, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 25/08/2026 02:31, Maria Sophia wrote:[...]
For sure, it remains Android-derived and applications written for Android >>> are generally what make it useful. But that's very different from:
"Google will always be part of any Android version."
That statement is simply false.
I'm afraid you would never be able to prove that it wasn't false
without spending a vast amount of time and effort examining /every/
bit of code in Android, both FOSS and proprietary.
I don't think so, you just need to make the case that it's possible to
do so. And, as far as "Google" means Google's service and Google's proprietary code, and not FLOSS code copyrighted or paid for by Google,
it should be possible to do so.
This, logically, is sufficient to prove that.
<https://enwp.org/Modus_tollens> for what's at least very similar,
although I think this is more by way of <https://enwp.org/Reductio_ad_absurdum>.
Carlos E.R. wrote:
Are there phones directly sold with e/OS?
Is it possibly to *easily* change a phone to e/OS?
What does e/OS in order to install apps, what service does it use?
Hi Carlos,
I didn't bring up e/OS where all I did was explain that it could be de-googled, as even my unrooted phone is degoogled to a good degree.
However, your question is valid, so I looked it up to answer that.
Apparently Murena sells brand-new and refurbished carrier-unlocked smartphones that come with /e/OS pre-installed out of the box.
<https://murena.com/products/smartphones/>
On that listing, I see Pixels in addition to Fairphone & their own brand.
If you can unlock your bootloader, apparently you can flash it yourself
but apparently you have to have a Pixel, Motorola, Fairphone or Xiaomi.
<https://doc.e.foundation/os/installer>
For apps, apparently /e/OS uses a native app store called App Lounge.
<https://doc.e.foundation/os/apps/app-lounge>
What's interesting is App Lounge pulls apps anonymously directly from the Google Play Store repository much like Aurora Store does, which is nice.
We can use Bit Warden to figure out what trackers are in those apps.
/e/OS also comes with an open-source reimplementation of Google Play
Services called "microG" which tricks apps into working by acting as a privacy-friendly middleman, blocking Google from tracking personal data.
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