Ask HN: Privacy&security-respecting alternatives to iPhone, with VoLTE in mind? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Privacy&security-respecting alternatives to iPhone, with VoLTE in mind?

17 pointsneilv7 comments

Constitutional questions of Apple's move aside... I don't know whether we're going to see Swatting-like attacks using this mechanism, nor an activist/troll mass attack with it, and I don't want to find out firsthand.

Looking into US privacy-respecting alternatives to iPhone this weekend, both T-Mobile and Apple are imminently forcing VoLTE. I've not yet found reputable Android AOSP-derived ROMs or other open source firmware supporting that. (Also, carriers reportedly will allow/deny devices by IMEI model.) Looks like regulatory authorities are OK with all this.

Stock Android installs on devices carriers will permit are more respectful than iPhone in some regards, but are still very heavy on commercial privacy invasion and security vulnerabilities. They'll also probably get abandoned for security updates, etc., and alternative ROMs no longer mitigating that.

Librem 5 looks good in principle, but the only Librem 5 on eBay just now was a preproduction one for $700+, and dunno how long Purism will be wrangling carriers.

The few featurephones seem to be crap and/or include integrations with the most infamous social media services, which is a really bad sign.

None of the various Linux phone efforts seem ready even today, and carriers are a moving target.

I just spent the weekend trying to move from my iPhone. (And, when I tried a SIM in a stock Android phone, the carrier suspended my service, taking many hours of misery to get it restored in the iPhone it had been in.)

How do we keep even a minimal phone number (voice & SMS), without all these privacy&security regressions? (Practically, and solid, and through at least the 2021-2022 VoLTE switchover, and hopefully years after. A phone number is still required by some gov't and critical services. Wireless data would be nice, but we currently could survive with WiFi, etc.)

Pretty oppressive carriers over there in the Land of the Free. Is there a way to port over your number to a better carrier?

Agreed. Which carrier suspended your service, Neil?

Maybe you triggered a stolen-phone alert in their system... if there is such a thing.

Hello Mobile suspends your service if it detects use in another device (indefinitely).

Verizon and their resellers may also register devices by ESN/IMEI, depending on if you were migrating to/from a LTE only device. Verizon also whitelists IMEIs and moving from an 'approved VZ device' to a 'global/international device' may result in no service or suspension/contact support

Pageplus is IMEI-tied and does not allow moving your SIM.

Metro (T-Mobile MVNO) blocks service for changing SIMs, at least in the past year or two. They charge a $15 fee to update your IMEI so you can move your SIM to another phone.

Cricket whitelists devices and does not allow arbitrary swaps.

Interesting, thanks!

I moved a number a while back, and my bank notified me -- the bank account was configured for SMS alerts to that number. I didn't know companies could be alerted when changing carriers. How does that work?

banks can buy port and number db data directly from carriers and refuse to authorise sms mfa (not calling it 2fa because phone/sms mfa is dogshit) from recently ported or modified numbers

It was a major carrier, prepaid, with BYOD. (I don't want to say which, in case that might wrongly get the helpful CSR in trouble, in the way that sometimes happens with huge companies blaming downward for problems higher up.)

The CSR said that suspending the line happens any time the SIM is moved to a device without first calling them with the IMEI of the device. (Calling is a major production, maybe 1+ hour on-hold with a loud repeating talking ad that wouldn't stop, and even minimum volume on that iPhone was too loud. Web sites got nothing on customer support dark patterns.)

I asked if there was a way to get my line exempted from this, so that I could move the SIM frequently between phones without calling them. I mentioned this was an original purpose of SIM cards.

He said no. But he did say they used to have a Web form where the customer could enter the new IMEI, but they removed that, as part of some kind of move. I didn't ask further.

GrapheneOS.org DivestOS

CalyxOS as a special mention.

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