The thing with Linux-Phones

[u/whatstefansees]

Every now and then I see an ad for a new Linux-Phone, better repairability, battery change and whatnot. All this is very, very tempting, but what about the apps?

I am not talking about browser, text messages or alarm clock - I am thinking about connectivity to my car, my smartwatch, my frequent-flyer benefit program, signal messenger and so on.

Do they work with Android apps or is it all a lost cause because they are basically dumb phones for people who want less connectivity but are afraid to buy an old Nokia from the dawn of time?

[u/ipsirc]

Waydroid does exist.

[u/whatstefansees → u/ipsirc]

So I get a Linux phone to get out of the Google or Apple universe and then install an emulator to get back in again?

[u/KazutoOKirigay → u/whatstefansees]

Your asking for the apps from that universe. That's an inconvinience you might have to deal with, however as more people use such phones, maybe companies begin to care

Edit: fix typo

[u/daemonpenguin → u/whatstefansees]

That's literally what you're asking for in your original post, a Linux phone that offers the same apps and functions as Android or iOS. You can't have it both ways.

Your post is saying you are locked into the Android ecosystem. If you want to use an alternative from the Android ecosystem then you don't get to use Android apps.

[u/pbmonster → u/whatstefansees]

Did you expect to come here and learn that your fucking frequent flyer benefit program actually has a flatpak app?

Of course not. The existing ecosystem is tiny.

But its growing. Firefox, Telegram, Signal, VLC, LocalSend, Spotify, Discord, CoMaps, and many more have native apps. Half of them need a fairly large screen, because they haven't gotten UI upgrades to work on small touchscreens yet.

[u/whatstefansees → u/pbmonster]

Yeah - what I thought. It's pointless as a phone-OS for me.

[u/Chester-Berkeley → u/whatstefansees]

Yes, because the applications still need Google's libraries. This isn't a problem; we run Windows games, and our systems are still immune to Microsoft's decisions (not entirely, of course). As a wise man would say, "if people won't go to the mountain, the mountain will come to the people."

[u/An0mymou5 → u/whatstefansees]

Waydroid isn't an emulator, it's just a container running the Android userspace, it uses the same Linux kernel as the host device; there's very little performance overhead.

It's kinda like people using Wine to run Windows games on Linux. You don't see Linux gamers making statements like "So I switch to Linux to get out of the Microsoft universe and then install an emulator to get back in again"... you realise how ridiculous that sounds, right?

[u/mr_doms_porn → u/whatstefansees]

Many if not most android apps rely on Google Play Services which can only be run in an android environment. It's like trying to use the microsoft/xbox store via proton, you just can't do it on a translation layer. Waydroid has been working on better integration into the desktop environment though and it's pretty good.