Of course they are. They always did. The entire ecosystem is so closely tied to google services that it's almost impossible to use the phone without them (if you want to use banking and security apps). For now the only alternative is iOS and I'm starting to doubt if mobile Linux will ever become usable.
this post was submitted on 12 Jun 2025
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iOS isn't any better. I'm looking to OnePlus and maybe LineageOS. Hopefully GrapheneOS isn't dead.
From the article, Google can technically let AOSP still exist while destroying it in practice:
what could happen is that Google takes Android closed source from here on out, spinning off whatever remains of AOSP up until that point into a separate company or project... This technically means “AOSP is not going away”,
From the author, a sentiment I fully agree with:
If in 2025 you still take statements from big tech based on best intentions, you're a fool.
Full AOSP compatibility for Pixel devices is a huge reason to buy a Pixel instead of a 3rd party OEM. They're shooting themselves in the foot.
Yep. Thanks to this, I'm moving to IOS with a x64 handheld. I won't need a smartphone beyond calls and tethering so, why bother. Google can enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Which? Rn, a Steam Deck, but soon, something smaller and more palmable, still fishing for something good. I'd even take something pi-based.
Hard truth: With America going to shit, the EU needs a smartphone brand like...yesterday. Germans, get cooking!
the EU needs a smartphone brand like…yesterday
Germans, get cooking!
That is probably a fraction of one percent of the pixel purchases.
Maybe but those 1% of buyers are multiplicators incentivizing others to buy the same phone.
Yes, they incentivize another 0.001%. How is google going to survive this?
Yes, they incentivize another 0.001%. How is google going to survive this?
Tech geeks acting as multiplication factors are the people who brought Apple from obscurity to mainstream.
That was 40 years ago. Any more recent examples?
I don't agree with the other person but the closest example that I could find would be OnePlus. They had no physical shops, used word of mouth (influencers), had good marketing (flagship killer), and were relatively cheap. They quickly rose the ranks and became a mainstream brand.
Maybe Google is comfortable enough offering the Pixel as a typical consumer device now, instead of a developer one. They used to be able to differentiate themselves from their competitors, but there aren't many competitors left.
This is the reason why I'm not a fan of permissive licenses.
This is the reason why I’m not a fan of permissive licenses.
If Google is the sole copyright holder, a copyleft license would change nothing because they still have the option to change the license going forward.
That is actually a fair point, but I assume out of the millions of lines of code, not all of them come from Google, right?
That would requiere convincing the copyright holders of those lines, or at least rewrite them. The latter I don't see it impossible, but it would take time.
Still, I will always rather a strong copyleft license...
They'll just do an Apple and publish the source to the bits they have to while keeping the bits they don't closed source making the os as a whole closed source.
So, basically what they're already starting to do?
I don't understand.
also I thought Apple builds upon BSD style licensed stuff, while Android is on Linux which is gpl?
Doesn't matter for a distribution, Apple historically also shipped some gpl tools like bash and Samba, they just provide the source for what they have to.
They planned so from the start.
Soooo, that means that android is fucked but custom roms should be able to continue from android 15, not?
The more time goes by, the worse the divergence will be. (I think this is basically the idea, but correct me if I'm wrong:) Right now, we might have GrapheneOS 15 vs Android 16. But eventually, there will be an Android 17 and an Android 18. GrapheneOS developers will either have to trudge along with an older OS, or hire more developers to recreate the missing pieces of the code - pieces Google has already created but will never release . The missing pieces will get bigger and more significant. Android 15 will age out of security updates.
This is pretty bad.
How will Samsung/OnePlus use Android 17 and 18?