02-05-2020, 05:47 PM
(11-07-2019, 09:13 PM)Solra Bizna Wrote: I have a friend who's very interested in open-friendly hardware and wants a PinePhone, but is stuck deeply in Google's service ecosystem. Ability to use Android and Google Play Store is a make or break feature for him. He said he'll preorder a PinePhone if (and only if) that is possible. What should I tell him?
Hello Solra,
what exactly would your friend like to see the PinePhone do that normal Android phones cannot? Use LineageOS? AOSP? A free implementation of the play store?
The first is maybe possible, the second does not really work anymore, and the play store needs to stay closed to let advertisers, surveillance, bank apps and media conglomerates trust it, so that kills the third. They need to know for sure the device is under their control, not yours, for several (sometimes good) reasons.
Even if Android would run on the PinePhone, these devices would not run the affected apps most likely, as the software has not been signed. I cannot even run my providers media app on my LineageOS phone, as it is not an approved build.
For using Android there are better, easier and cheaper ways to go, and while running Android it would not be very open-friendly.
I think it would be good to know more about your friends motivation before advising him to get a PinePhone or not, and especially not a Brave Heart edition.
If that friends needs open-friendly and Android, i would likely advise a PinePhone once it stabilizes, and a separate Android for the jailed apps.