This really stinks. I guess I'm surprised it took them this long though.
I wonder how they Identity the phone, and how we can spoof it.
03-18-2021, 05:05 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-18-2021, 05:07 PM by KC9UDX.)
Shouldn't or can't?
I mean could you buy a whitelisted phone, put it's IMEI on the PinePhone, and then the whitelisted phone in a box for safekeeping?
Is that really how they're identifying make/model? I have a box of phones that don't have an IMEI, and think they still work. (But probably those are not on the whitelist for that reason.)
I have no idea if it's feasible to change the IMEI, or how the phone would otherwise be identified. So far my Pinephone is still working on AT&T. (The SIM was activated on my LG flip phone.)
In the past whenever the cellular technology changed I was offered a free replacement simple-type phone. AT&T will probably do that again as we get closer to the 3G shutdown date. Problem is that all of the 4G simple phones I've seen are running a stripped down version of Android and I don't want to go there.
03-18-2021, 08:04 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-18-2021, 08:14 PM by C0ffeeFreak.)
It's mainly identified by the by the IMEI on activation. Sometimes the phones get here before the carriers get the updated IMEI lists and models so it shows up as unknown Android device. There is something on an SOC in the Pinephone when this happens that identifies the phone as the Huawei Y9 Prime to the carrier if they are watching. Either the phone or components must be supplied by Huawei. That only lasts until the carrier and Google start to see your browser data packets. The user agent string will identify it as a Arch64 Linux computer. You can spoof that but you have to keep up on it. Spoofing can break after updates to the browser. I would just activate it in another device and then put the sim in a the Pinephone. Use a carrier that doesn't restrict what phone you want to use. Also, port your number to Google Voice. That way you won't risk loosing it if your carrier drops you and you can use it on any phone or even multiple phones, not to mention as a home phone via VIOP box all at the same time. You also never have to worry about porting problems if you have to change carriers.
Google Voice? I can't speak for anyone else, but the whole reason I bought a Pinephone was to stay away from Google (Android)! Aside from the occasional youtube video I don't use any Google products, and do not have a Google account. (Ditto for Microsoft and Apple.)
It sounds like if you activate using another phone and just don't use mobile data you should be OK. (I've never had mobile data so I have no problem avoiding that feature and just using wifi for updates. All I'm really interested in is making and receiving phone calls.)
While I see where you are coming from Google Voice is actually one of the few Google products that really can protect your privacy, even from Google. I work on the back end of Voice and Fi which has it's own back end now but used Voice until a few months ago. If you used a background investigation using your AT&T number because of it's history and links to you you can find out everything there is about you. Your address, your neighbors and your family. It's like a social security number. If you search a Google Voice number you won't find out much. Google blocks it somehow. While you have to have a Gmail you don't have to use it.
Don't take that too personally KC9UDX. Google Voice is only supposed to be available in the US and scammers and people outside the US were using the free FreedomPop plan to get Google Voice numbers so Google blocked it. GV isn't going anywhere. I have had a GV number for 12 years.
