So, are we going to get any European alternatives to android?

  • Maki@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    5 days ago

    By all rights there should be more such production in Europe. If not existing, than startups should be planned given the geopolitical mess.

    • skarn@discuss.tchncs.de
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      5 days ago

      Yes, but something like that will take a long time.

      There is all the manufacturing know how and the need to make the manufacturing process economically viable. That is certainly not something that can be done overnight, but also certainly something that can be done.

      But the materials are a way bigger mess. The literal materials you need in order to make that phone are not available here.

      You need to start with a reliable supply of rare earths, and good luck doing that in Europe (the extraction is, with current industry practices, really quite polluting).

      China developed the deposits they have in some regions and we were all too happy ti never have to do that crap again domestically. Then they put rare earths under export control, so that if you want rare earths in your products (and you do, you really do) you have to manufacture in China.

      So yes, we really need to have an alternative, but your next phone is definitely going to be made in China just like the one you have now. And probably the one after that too.

      • Mandrilleren@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Couldn’t someone fork Android and get a head start that way? As I understand It android is FOSS at its core.

        • skarn@discuss.tchncs.de
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          4 days ago

          I think you are either replying to the wrong comment, or completely misunderstanding the issue.

          The majority of Android is open source, though its development is still led by Google.

          That is how you have so many deGoogled versions like LineageOS, GrapheneOS, /e/OS, CalyxOS, etc. They all start from the OS version, called AOSP, and then add things from there.

          The Android you have on your phone contains a few proprietary bits by Google (the Play services) which are absolutely essential to using Android the way most people do. These can be replaced with open source versions that are mostly fine (mostly).

          If Google makes android closed source, we stop getting updates, but we keep all we have, and can move forward from there.

          Having a good mobile operating system without Google if need be is totally doable.

          But if you want to use a mobile operating system, you first need a mobile phone to run it.

          And while we can totally already have a mobile OS without the USA, right now we really can’t have a mobile phone without China. And neither can the US. And that’s going to take a long time to sort out.