Screw WhatsApp. That's what you should be getting away from anyway. And install CopperheadOS on your phone. It doesn't use any Google services. It even has a list of its defaul connections made by the OS: https://copperhead.co/android/docs/usage_guide#default-conne...

Unfortunately, support for Nexus devices will soon be gone and the Pixel 2 devices with pre-installed CopperheadOS are quite pricey for private use.

You can always just compile it yourself for your own Pixel 2 device. Or use LineageOS which runs on a far wider range of devices and doesn't charge $500 for binaries.

I know WhatsApp isn't perfect, but I wish most people where I lived used it. Well I wish they used anything really. I'm one of my few friends on Android, and it is really annoying being excluded from group chats because of it.

Sony has some open source phones, aren't there an alternative to Pixel 2s for you?

>Screw WhatsApp

Not really possible.

There were third phone OSes (and fourth, fifth...). Nobody wanted them.

Because none of these OSes offer any of the apps people use and want, Same as with Linux and Windows, the vast majority choose the latter because that's where the industry leading applications (Office, Photoshop etc) Drivers support and best games are, Period.

People buy Windows, because it's hard to buy computers at the store that have Linux on them unless you know where to look (or buy locked-down Chrome OS). People don't need MS Office (Libre Office) or Photoshop (GIMP). Games run fine on Linux (see GOG and Steam), and the number would increase if more manufacturers sold laptops with Linux. Most people don't choose their OS -- they are fed.

People buy Windows because they want wifi to work

I've never had a problem with wifi on this laptop, and I use many different wireless hotspots. When it does happen, it isn't a problem that originates with Linux.

nice, there's 1 configuration that works... I've had 5 that don't.

I always research the hardware for Linux compatibility before I buy computers. Thinkpads tend to work well.

Windows Mobile, BlackBerry OS, PalmOS, Maemo, Nokia S-Series all had the top 100 popular apps at the time. MS for instance spent $$$ ensuring that was the case.

Edit: forgot the Kindle Phone..

If you're concerned about phone privacy I'd be concerned about using WhatsApp too, considering its owned by Facebook.

Thats what happens when you run proprietary apps, It becomes impossible for the community to port them to new OSs. Consider moving to Matrix which will work on anything that someone has built a client for it on.

Then the Open apps should have been better. People run proprietary apps because they're easy to use, and they work. Most people aren't going to run open apps just because they're open, so the open apps, in order to gain adoption, have to compete with the proprietary apps by actually working better.

Libre software is easy to use and it works too.

Proprietary apps have stronger lock-in and better marketing.

> the open apps, in order to gain adoption, have to compete with the proprietary apps by actually working better.

Yes. I'm hoping enough people will think Matrix's protocol bridges constitute “working better”.

Riot seems pretty adequate already, although maybe it doesn't have enough emoji, animated stickers and poking for some people's liking. (Also, get off my lawn, bloody kids.)

You certainly can get away from Google on Android. Install a version without Google Play Services. There's lots of software available on F-Droid or the Amazon appstore.

WhatsApp provides an APK download so you don't need the play store to get it: https://www.whatsapp.com/android/

Windows Phone could have been that platform. Yes, it was also backed by a large company, but:

- There were multiple manufacturers.

- Despite of MS' bad reputation, the platform was surprisingly open and flexible. Not as much as Android, but certainly more than iOS.

- UI-wise, it was on par with the two big players. I would argue it was even better, at least more innovative.

Unfortunately, it failed due to devs ignoring it (especially large players), and probably MS' notorious schizophrenic behavior resulting in constant zig-zag courses.

Definitely - I tried an HTC Mozart for a while and was astonished at how pleasant it was to use, particularly given that I hate using Windows on the desktop.

There was no decent map for car navigation, but that could have been reasonably easy to fix.

HERE was the default one on Nokia phones, and it was great. For car navigation, it was better than current Google Maps and HERE WeGo implementations on Android, and on par with Apple Maps since iOS 10 (but like Apple Maps, awful search and POI database)

I've heard it is good, though I don't think it was available at the time I was using the Mozart. What I did have was "Orange maps":

https://mspoweruser.com/orange-maps-for-windows-phone-7-come...

This was OK when it worked, but it had a habit of freezing the phone and requiring a reboot. Also, it would refuse to start if there was no mobile signal, so I would frequently have to drive a few miles from my destination (I always seemed to end up somewhere with no signal) before I could start navigating home.

>Despite of MS' bad reputation, the platform was surprisingly open and flexible.

How do you remove Microsoft from a Windows phone and not have to use any of their services or be tracked by them?

>Unfortunately, it failed due to devs ignoring it

I don't think the devs, they had remaining, could keep up with all of the osbourning they were doing.

I agree. There is really just one smartphone OS out there now with Android gone. I don’t want to touch anything that has been near google.

If there were a third OS, how would you get away from the company that made it?

http://merproject.org/ https://sailfishos.org/