TL;DR

• Google has made it harder to build custom Android ROMs for Pixel phones by omitting their device trees and driver binaries from the latest AOSP release.

• The company says this is because it’s shifting its AOSP reference target from Pixel hardware to a virtual device called “Cuttlefish” to be more neutral.

• While Google insists AOSP isn’t going away, developers must now reverse-engineer changes, making the process for supporting Pixel devices more difficult.

Now more than ever we need more work on PostmarketOS, Mobian, Gnome Mobile etc...

Bummer that it's still so hard to find a somewhat modern, affordable phone that is Linux compatible

Yeah, I'd totally buy a phone running one of those provided it does all the phone things properly: SMS/MMS, reliable calls, all day battery, etc. I don't need fancy apps, I just need a working phone.

If I can get that, I could probably donate some time porting apps.

or a brand whose phones support their requirements other than google.

Wasn't Graphene's "selling point" for long being that nothing but Pixels can match their reqs? I don't see why any current band would want to make it easier for them, and I also don't see new brand significantly entering the market.

Graphene boiled themselves in their own frogpan.

TL;DR

• Google has made it harder to build custom Android ROMs for Pixel phones by omitting their device trees and driver binaries from the latest AOSP release.

• The company says this is because it’s shifting its AOSP reference target from Pixel hardware to a virtual device called “Cuttlefish” to be more neutral.

• While Google insists AOSP isn’t going away, developers must now reverse-engineer changes, making the process for supporting Pixel devices more difficult.

I want a phone with only cellular data, no calling, no sms, just an open source browser capable of webasm and webrtc

Why eSim? Does your carrier not support physical sim?

I am running GOS on a Pixel 7, which means I've had this device for ~2.5 years at this point, and back when I transitioned to this setup I was aware they were talking about being beholden to Pixels due to the hardware security module not being available on other devices.

It has been a known issue. I understand it is a very difficult and costly undertaking to develop new hardware and new entrants would be competing against the big guys for fab space, manufacturing and assembly etc.

We need some kind of nonprofit or independently financed group to advance this cause. Could it be FUTO, Framework, or some other company/organization like this?

There would be market incentive to solve these problems - There has got to be a lot of demand for a neutral hardware platform that meets the hardware security module and other requirements for bootloader security, custom ROMs, etc.

You must be ignoring the Motorola bloat that makes it's performance beyond subpar somehow

Yeah, just that this has shit to do with the stated reasons. Google hasn't been an open source ally for quite some time now

I really want to give furios phone a shot. It's apparently close to supporting my carrier.

That and a sailfish phone. The community one though didn't support my carrier (think it's mainly EU specced only.)

What I find missing most of the time though is any esim support. Makes me wonder if the hardware one that you can program an esim on works.

TL;DR

• Google has made it harder to build custom Android ROMs for Pixel phones by omitting their device trees and driver binaries from the latest AOSP release.

• The company says this is because it’s shifting its AOSP reference target from Pixel hardware to a virtual device called “Cuttlefish” to be more neutral.

• While Google insists AOSP isn’t going away, developers must now reverse-engineer changes, making the process for supporting Pixel devices more difficult.

one less reason to buy a Pixel, well done Google!

Would fairphone be a good choice?

I want a phone with only cellular data, no calling, no sms, just an open source browser capable of webasm and webrtc

Sounds like a tablet, and that very well could be easier for someone to build than a phone.

That was bound to happen at some point. Buying a Google device to then "degoogle" it never sit quite right with me.

More like A-no-SP

Yes, but that shouldn't explicitly opt in, and they shouldn't marry that product to Gmail and Google Drive if they are going to push it to enable by default.

Again, it's really insidious. They push it so aggressively I had to disable it on my personal device twice, and I can't just not use Google Photos app because it's tied to the camera itself on pixel phones.