These operating systems aren't compatible with most of the apps and services people want to use. It's going to become much worse. The compatibility layers several provide have extremely poor compatibility combined with disabling the Android security model and app sandbox. Apps running in those compatibility layers are much less contained with less isolation from the Linux kernel, not more.
Aside from that, many people care about privacy and security. Each of those operating systems is far less private and drastically less secure than the Android Open Source Project. None has a truly complete and working app sandbox or permission model. None uses modern exploit protections. None has serious hardware-based encryption features needed to protect against data extraction. They're not serious alternatives to an iPhone from a privacy and security perspective as an AOSP-based OS on decent hardware can be.
> but in case we don't manage to push back on this
It's a warning that's being added to Google Mobile Services operating systems. It doesn't negatively impact other operating systems based on the Android Open Source Project.
> various actual linux OSes for mobile
Linux doesn't mean GNU/Linux or systemd/Linux. It doesn't at all imply using glibc, systemd, GNU coreutils, Bash, GNOME, etc. Distributions using different userspace components including several of the ones you've listed are still Linux Android-based operating systems including AOSP and GrapheneOS are Linux distributions. Alpine doesn't use glibc and SailfishOS has a lot of their own mix of open and closed source software. Using a typical desktop Linux userspace stack isn't what makes it Linux and there's also not a lot of consistency in what's used on desktops regardless. A Linux distribution not using musl, glibc, GNU coreutils, etc. is still Linux.
> There are many more linux mobile OSes, but as far as I know these are the main ones. There might also be some inaccuracies on this post, I tested some of these a long time ago, and I never actually run the last 2.
AOSP-based mobile operating systems are Linux distributions.
Personally, I do not use Android apps on the Librem 5, but Waydroid is available in the PureOS repository. Waydroid is a container-based approach to boot a full Android system on regular GNU/Linux systems running Wayland based desktop environments (like PureOS).
PureOS also provides convergence via Phosh. Convergence means here that the same app can be used on a phone and on a big screen, the GUI adjusts to the available screen size.
Phosh aims to provide a daily-usable, robust and easy to use graphical user environment for mobile devices running mainline Linux. Phosh was originally initiated by developers from Purism for the Librem 5 phone but is nowadays used on many different devices covering smartphones, tablets and convertibles. It has even been seen on laptops.
UI/UX is costly, and most FOSS projects cannot get it right without massive investments from enterprises (e.g., Red Hat's UX designers heavily contributed to GNOME) or startups (e.g., Zed, Element, Bluesky).
Projects without that backing are mostly unusable, at least from a Gen Z perspective.
But I prefer this to the feeling that I'm being limited on what I can do on Android/Apple, and the worry of being in a duopoly that allows the companies to worsen their products without ever fearing competition(as far as they do it in small chunks).
Also the bank should not require apps (instead they can offer hardware key support or desktop apps) and in fact some - at least in Germany - offer a different authentication possibility. Also the app for the German ID is published on fdroid and does not rely on Google services.
It's not perfect, but far from useless. Some use it as a daily driver.
Depending on your country, it can be super doable. There are also lots of indie native apps.
Ride hail app? Transit fare app? Government ID app? Airline app? Maybe you don't need them yet, but the best way to model this future is to consider what you'd do if you didn't have a phone at all, and the amount of friction this will generate as the expectations are only entrenched and expanded.
I'm glad people are saying no. It's good to do it as long as we can. But the final outcome seems inevitable now and to me it feels very close.
But as a Plan B, why aren’t we emulating Android on these devices (or is it the Secure Enclave that’s the spicy bit that these apps need)?
This makes emulation basically impossible.
I do not have any bank apps on my phone (it is not even connected to the Internet) and I have no problem.
Many banks gate features like mobile check deposit behind the native app. The nearest ATM is 20 minutes away from my house, so unfortunately I consider this feature essential.
I blame it on the fact that the US doesn't have a free electronic bank transfer system like the rest of the developed world.
These might not be very common, but they're still not really rare in society either.
Perhaps the antiquity of the US banking system is finally coming in handy. I’ve still got my checkbook ready to go!
Many services won't work at all.
They likely wont specify 100k people or 10% of population or whatever email/petition but it at least records the requirement that other OSes exist and requires a process to support
HN commenters will not let it go
Most HN readers have multiple computers, including multiple phones
There is no requirement that one has to run a closed-source banking or government ID app on the same phone as open-source apps, e.g., apps from F-Droid
And it ignores countless people who do not and will never use banking or government ID apps
I tested a banking app for depositing a paper cheque and it was incredibly convenient. At the same time, the app tried to make a plain, unencrypted HTTP connection to www.google.com
I blocked these connection attempts and the app still worked, with plenty of phoney error warnings. I would not be comfortable leaving one of these apps installed on a phone that's charged, powered on and has a cinnection to the internet
Every user is different but it makes no sense to argue on HN of all places that these closed-source banking apps are essential for everyone. Many HN users are never going to use these apps, and rightfully so
But banking apps are a problem.
It's not even about the main online banking (you can use a web portal) or storing a EC digitally in you phone (convenient but really unneeded).
The problem is dump, misguided 2FA apps. E.g. credit card 2FA which already mostly required Android/iOS to work or even online banking login 2FA, transaction 2FA etc. with same requirement.
Currently for the later I can still use other methods but for a huge amount of Banks where I live you can't use a credit card (reliably) without Android or iOS as "carrier" for an 2FA app.
That's debian based with gnome and seems to be built by capable people. Also, it can run android apps.
Which device you need to be more secure depends on your needs and which device you put sensitive data on, but a mobile device is going to provide far better privacy and security than any desktop hardware or OS is currently capable of.
They have few devices of their own (new one coming out this October) and they officially support many Sony Xperia devices. There are also many community ports.
- https://ubuntu-touch.io - https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io
They have 33 supported devices, some are being shipped directly with the OS or have an official agreement with the phone maker, while others are community ports. Even if community ports, they all seem to have high hardware support, and is all very clearly documented.
- https://puri.sm/products/librem-5 / https://pureos.net
They focus just on the Librem 5, and not everything is fully working but as I said they prioritised privacy and FOSS. The phone is old but the OS is still in active development.
- https://postmarketos.org - https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Devices
They focus on supporting as many devices as possible, currently they don't have "main" devices they support, but they plan to. They too have a very clear documentation on features available for each device.
- https://mobian.org - https://wiki.debian.org/Mobian/Devices
They target devices made with the intent of running linux, but also have a few ports to android devices.
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You'll notice that there are a few devices that are more "linux-friendly" and that are supported by many of these OSes. Phones from Pinephone and Fairphone being the main ones.