Comment by reorder9695
8 months ago
I think there is a big difference due to the requirement of phones to live a normal life. I can't access my banks without the IOS or Android app, which require me to have a phone running one of those two fairly locked down OS's, and on Android custom ROMs frequently not working due to play integrity checks. I need a phone to go to concerts using ticketmaster, I need a phone with a mobile number to receive SMS 2fa codes, I need a phone for TOTP.
I can work around most things but not the banks, therefore a phone is required to live in a modern society, therefore I am required to use either Android or IOS. I am not required to have a PS5 or Xbox. This is the main reason I am so opposed to locking down phone OS's, I only have a choice of IOS or stock Android, and I have to choose one.
The way you have set up your argument suggests you would not use smartphones if they weren't "necessary" to live a normal life. But in that case, your smartphone can simply be one of the many black boxes you use daily, such as, for example, your public transportation or credit cards, which have a literal computer inside of them you never think about. You just create various accounts, install the apps you need, and use the phone as a tool when you are required to. Once its job is done, you tuck it away and you go on about your day.
I was coming from the perspective more of I can't use alternative operating systems on it due to these issues. For example, my laptop came with Windows, I got fed up with one drive and the tracking etc so I put linux on it, which was fine. I cannot do the same with my phone due to especially the banks, I know at least some of mine are unusable if I unlock my bootloader, so something like Lineage is off the table. This is what I mean by I have no choice in it, I have to use IOS or Android.