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Comment by segasaturn | Hacker News Reader

Paired with the Pixel 4a "update of death" it feels like Google is throwing in the towel on smartphones. I don't care about Pixel but I do worry about Android - as flawed as it is, it's still the only viable option for an "open" smartphone. I've been playing around with a Pinephone lately and it's lots of fun but obviously not ready for use as a daily driver.

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Which is a shame. I love Samsung's hardware, but the crapware they pile on top of Android is intolerable.

Thankfully, I MDM my personal devices and can neuter most of it from there.

I use Librem 5 as a daily driver. It's much snappier than Pinephone and it's software is supported by a company unlike Pinephone relying on volunteers. It's not as good as an iPhone but usable for me.

Comparing the Librem to the Pinephone is disingenuous. It's like comparing a Nissan Versa to an e-bike that requires assembly upon delivery.

These two are the only GNU/Linux smartphones. Of course they are often compared. There's nothing disingenuous here.

For years, the pinephone was considered an alpha device, it was targeted for only developers to use. Currently it's considered a beta device for early adopters.

So let me give you a more apt comparison. The Libre M is like a Nissan versa, ready to drive off the lot. The pinephone is like a ebike that you have to assemble, weld and program yourself.

I have both, and today you don't have to do anything complicated with Pinephone to use it. It comes with a preinstalled OS and is usable on day one. You can even change the OS by following simple instructions to prepare the microSD card (without knowing what you're doing) and then you just use the phone, too.

> Paired with the Pixel 4a "update of death" it feels like Google is throwing in the towel on smartphones

Yeah, but their hand may be forced:

https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/21/24326402/google-search-a...:

> The Department of Justice’s list of solutions for fixing Google’s illegal antitrust behavior and restoring competition in the search engine market started with ... breaking off Chrome, Android, or Google Play as the DOJ’s filing considers

Please. I can only get so erect.

The last 3 Pixel designs have been uninspired. The CPUs in them have also been disappointing.

It's almost as if Google doesn't really care anymore.

It's almost as if Google does Google things ... abandoning projects.

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