goodbye iOS. hello Android. :)

[Biomech]

Android is as stupid as iOS in terms of privacy.... You should go with CyanogenMod.

Cyanogenmod IS Android, just with various alterations and additions.

Not exactly.

yes. exactly. in the same sense as linux distros. I use and love Cyanogenmod, and it is more secure than what came stock because it is rooted by default. It is still android.

[Spendulus]

Android is as stupid as iOS in terms of privacy.... You should go with CyanogenMod.

Cyanogenmod IS Android, just with various alterations and additions.

Not exactly.

yes. exactly. in the same sense as linux distros. I use and love Cyanogenmod, and it is more secure than what came stock because it is rooted by default. It is still android.

Here is what seems to be my group of Google and system apps on rooted S3.  Likely this list is incomplete.  I have app to delete system apps, so I can make any of these go away.  Likely one does not know the effect of deleting a system app, and neither does one know the extent or content of it's reporting upstream.

Google Play, Google Play services, Google+, Maps, Google Settings,
Google Speech, Google Text to Speech

S Memo, S Suggest, S Voice, Samsung Apps, ChatOn

These are google apps that I loaded myself

Gmail, GEarth, Google Translate

Here is the group of outstanding apps that I've personally loaded to this phone and use a lot.

K9mail, WikiPock, Kiwix, Imdb, Total Recall, Trello, Simplenote, Dropbox, Evernote

My question is simply, given a mix of usage as this, how would Cyanogenmod be different/better/cleaner/simpler?

Secondly, the issue being the upstream reporting that an OS, app or system app does, how would one even know the content or extent of that data set?  It would seem possible that regardless of one's attempt to steam issues with the OS and system apps, one singular malevolent app could, unknown to any user, harvest all.

Therefore the highest value in an alternative OS would be that it be capable of viewing and reporting to us these upstream datasets.  I do not have the impression that Cyanogenmod does anything like this, and in the absence of that, would classify it as "modified android" instead of "android with enhanced privacy/security".

[Biomech]

Android is as stupid as iOS in terms of privacy.... You should go with CyanogenMod.

Cyanogenmod IS Android, just with various alterations and additions.

Not exactly.

yes. exactly. in the same sense as linux distros. I use and love Cyanogenmod, and it is more secure than what came stock because it is rooted by default. It is still android.

Here is what seems to be my group of Google and system apps on rooted S3.  Likely this list is incomplete.  I have app to delete system apps, so I can make any of these go away.  Likely one does not know the effect of deleting a system app, and neither does one know the extent or content of it's reporting upstream.

Google Play, Google Play services, Google+, Maps, Google Settings,
Google Speech, Google Text to Speech

S Memo, S Suggest, S Voice, Samsung Apps, ChatOn

These are google apps that I loaded myself

Gmail, GEarth, Google Translate

Here is the group of outstanding apps that I've personally loaded to this phone and use a lot.

K9mail, WikiPock, Kiwix, Imdb, Total Recall, Trello, Simplenote, Dropbox, Evernote

My question is simply, given a mix of usage as this, how would Cyanogenmod be different/better/cleaner/simpler?

Secondly, the issue being the upstream reporting that an OS, app or system app does, how would one even know the content or extent of that data set?  It would seem possible that regardless of one's attempt to steam issues with the OS and system apps, one singular malevolent app could, unknown to any user, harvest all.

Therefore the highest value in an alternative OS would be that it be capable of viewing and reporting to us these upstream datasets.  I do not have the impression that Cyanogenmod does anything like this, and in the absence of that, would classify it as "modified android" instead of "android with enhanced privacy/security".

I was typing under the influence of a 4 week old kid

As it stands, Cyanogen doesn't enhance security, IMO, any more than simply rooting the device and stamping out anything that offends you. It's true of all rooted/modified android systems. I like it better than base android because of it's sound abilities, to be honest. It pulls the safeties on audio reproduction (which also gives you the ability to let the smoke out, but they warn you of that and I'm not an idiot).

My reply was intended to convey to the first guy that Cyanogen IS android, not that it was superiour. In re-reading it, it doesn't look like that. We're on the same page, I think. I just worded it poorly.

[Spendulus]

Android is as stupid as iOS in terms of privacy.... You should go with CyanogenMod.

Cyanogenmod IS Android, just with various alterations and additions.

Not exactly.

yes. exactly. in the same sense as linux distros. I use and love Cyanogenmod, and it is more secure than what came stock because it is rooted by default. It is still android.

Here is what seems to be my group of Google and system apps on rooted S3.  Likely this list is incomplete.  I have app to delete system apps, so I can make any of these go away.  Likely one does not know the effect of deleting a system app, and neither does one know the extent or content of it's reporting upstream.

Google Play, Google Play services, Google+, Maps, Google Settings,
Google Speech, Google Text to Speech

S Memo, S Suggest, S Voice, Samsung Apps, ChatOn

These are google apps that I loaded myself

Gmail, GEarth, Google Translate

Here is the group of outstanding apps that I've personally loaded to this phone and use a lot.

K9mail, WikiPock, Kiwix, Imdb, Total Recall, Trello, Simplenote, Dropbox, Evernote

My question is simply, given a mix of usage as this, how would Cyanogenmod be different/better/cleaner/simpler?

Secondly, the issue being the upstream reporting that an OS, app or system app does, how would one even know the content or extent of that data set?  It would seem possible that regardless of one's attempt to steam issues with the OS and system apps, one singular malevolent app could, unknown to any user, harvest all.

Therefore the highest value in an alternative OS would be that it be capable of viewing and reporting to us these upstream datasets.  I do not have the impression that Cyanogenmod does anything like this, and in the absence of that, would classify it as "modified android" instead of "android with enhanced privacy/security".

I was typing under the influence of a 4 week old kid

As it stands, Cyanogen doesn't enhance security, IMO, any more than simply rooting the device and stamping out anything that offends you. It's true of all rooted/modified android systems. I like it better than base android because of it's sound abilities, to be honest. It pulls the safeties on audio reproduction (which also gives you the ability to let the smoke out, but they warn you of that and I'm not an idiot).

My reply was intended to convey to the first guy that Cyanogen IS android, not that it was superiour. In re-reading it, it doesn't look like that. We're on the same page, I think. I just worded it poorly.

Where I was headed was more toward a perspective that the relative merits of the two options re privacy might well be "Unknowable", in the absence of an in phone capability to monitor outgoing data sets related to each app or system function.

But I also think this kind of perspective could be addressed to the guys that did the Cyanogenmod, and they'd immediately "get it" and likely if practical work on these features.

That isn't going to happen with Google.

Secondly, if Google apps are integrated with the core Android, and we try to delete them with a rooted phone, we could well brick it.  That costs....

[2dogs]

If privacy is a major concern the black phone looks to hold some promise..
www.blackphone.ch

rooted android here;  can't wait to see this blackphone!

[FalconFly]

How 'bout a Linux phone :

Ubuntu Phone

IMHO no use with iOS, Android or Mobile Windows in terms of secure privacy - as they all have numerous backdoors deeply nested in their core OS.

[Nik1ab]

How 'bout a Linux phone :

Ubuntu Phone

IMHO no use with iOS, Android or Mobile Windows in terms of secure privacy - as they all have numerous backdoors deeply nested in their core OS.

I repeat: After these privacy issues on the desktop OS, you are still thinking about Ubuntu Phone?

[2dogs]

Blackphone - IT'S HERE:

http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=0438c5cf826f34873503770d3&id=67c66415c1&e=0854aa3c27

Who's getting one?

[Wilikon]

Well.. I tried to be smart phone free for a couple of years now... I spent a couple of hours on the web over the week end and to me, the best phone/price/openness is that Nexus 5.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ_bR68dU18

[FalconFly]

How 'bout that one :

Jolla Phone w/ Sailfish OS
https://sailfishos.org/

Still pretty beta but another interesting Linux based development.

[Kiki112]

I don't understand why is this in the Politics&Society section

[Wilikon]

http://youtu.be/vhwsIkWv5N0

[last2come222]

iOS only! I think it's really easy to use and I like their design! However I do not doubt that Android is quite good but iOS will always be better. 

[Kaligulax]

iOS is commercial... user can't anything adjust how he want... You depends on what they are offering and in the same time expensive charges...

Android is for advanced users who know what they want

[Nik1ab]

iOS only! I think it's really easy to use and I like their design! However I do not doubt that Android is quite good but iOS will always be better. 

Enjoy sending all your data to the NSA.

[Spendulus]

iOS only! I think it's really easy to use and I like their design! However I do not doubt that Android is quite good but iOS will always be better. 

This kind of statement is basically too wrong to even be wrong.

IOS is already way, way worse as you can see from the very existence of this thread. 

IOS refuses to support BTC apps.  Hence IOS can not be better, let alone "always be better".  If they decided tomorrow to allow BTC apps they could still never achieve status of "sometimes being better" because they could disallow such apps at any time.  They suffer from a top down control model malfunction.

[hilariousandco]

iOS only! I think it's really easy to use and I like their design! However I do not doubt that Android is quite good but iOS will always be better. 

This kind of statement is basically too wrong to even be wrong.

IOS is already way, way worse as you can see from the very existence of this thread. 

IOS refuses to support BTC apps.  Hence IOS can not be better, let alone "always be better".  If they decided tomorrow to allow BTC apps they could still never achieve status of "sometimes being better" because they could disallow such apps at any time.  They suffer from a top down control model malfunction.

Probably just an Apple fanboy with little to no experience of other devices.

More security flaws from Apple today: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26335701

[BCEmporium]

I don't quite care for NSA or other security agency. But for the offer and capacities, I've no doubt Android is now ages ahead of iOS. iOS still resembles a lot of a primitive smartphone, lacking many features and usability and barely better than old'n'dead Symbian.
Windows took the path of Apple and came up just with one good thing, the home screen (which you can easily have at Android too), for the rest is a sh*ty "all locked" phone.
But even if I like Android at the moment, I don't like Samsung, they modify too much the base and add their own junk to it to not mention too cheap materials for such expensive phones, such as S4 that has a hard time to read a QR or bar code. Overall I do prefer LG.
In the end, for the time being I believe Android will keep as the smartest choice, with or without mods, depending on your paranoia level.

[Wilikon]

iOS only! I think it's really easy to use and I like their design! However I do not doubt that Android is quite good but iOS will always be better. 

That was a nice trolling. Very funny 

[Wilikon]

I don't quite care for NSA or other security agency. But for the offer and capacities, I've no doubt Android is now ages ahead of iOS. iOS still resembles a lot of a primitive smartphone, lacking many features and usability and barely better than old'n'dead Symbian.
Windows took the path of Apple and came up just with one good thing, the home screen (which you can easily have at Android too), for the rest is a sh*ty "all locked" phone.
But even if I like Android at the moment, I don't like Samsung, they modify too much the base and add their own junk to it to not mention too cheap materials for such expensive phones, such as S4 that has a hard time to read a QR or bar code. Overall I do prefer LG.
In the end, for the time being I believe Android will keep as the smartest choice, with or without mods, depending on your paranoia level.

Do you like that Google Nexus 5?