May 16, 2026
App store panic hits the comments
Where to buy a non-Apple, non-Google smartphone
Fed up with iPhone and Android? Commenters are tempted, curious, and very skeptical
TLDR: The article says you can still buy phones that don’t rely on Apple or Google, just as Google faces backlash over tighter app controls. Commenters are intrigued by the alternatives, but the big argument is whether these outsider phones are truly usable every day or just geeky escape fantasies.
The big mood in the comments is basically: "Yes, we want out" — followed immediately by "...but can these phones actually replace my real one?" The article points readers toward life beyond Apple and Google, spotlighting brands like Murena, Punkt, Volla, and Jolla. That timing is spicy, because the Keep Android Open campaign is warning that in 123 days, Google will tighten control over what apps can be installed, turning a simmering grumble into full-blown "my phone isn’t really mine anymore" panic.
And the community? Oh, they brought the emotional whiplash. One commenter coolly shrugged and said they’re perfectly happy with Xiaomi or Oppo, which is the online equivalent of showing up to a rebellion and saying, "Honestly, I like the food court." Others were way more intrigued by escape routes like Ubuntu Touch, but with heavy "I want this... I just don’t trust it" energy. That fear of losing everyday basics — banking apps, daily tools, plain old convenience — is the main drama running through the thread.
Then came the nostalgia spiral. People started asking which outsider has the best shot at becoming the next real alternative, summoning the ghosts of Symbian, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and PalmOS like a smartphone séance. The funniest twist? A mini burst of disbelief that Jolla still exists, with one commenter sounding genuinely delighted that Sailfish is alive and can even run Android apps in a sandbox. In short: the crowd loves the idea of freedom, but they’re still side-eyeing whether freedom comes with decent apps and fewer headaches.
Key Points
- •The article highlights alternatives to Apple and Google smartphones, focusing on vendors offering de-Googled Android or Linux-based mobile operating systems.
- •It says the Keep Android Open campaign is warning about Google measures expected in September 2026 that would affect sideloading and require developer registration and verification.
- •The article reports that Google is also changing Android Open Source Project release practices in ways it says will make development harder for de-Googled Android variants.
- •Murena is presented as a major option through /e/OS devices, including models based on Fairphone hardware.
- •Other alternatives named in the article include Punkt, Volla, Jolla, and a brief mention of Furilabs.