Android and iOS are the two choices you have when you buy a smartphone today. But what if there was a third one? Enter Apostrophy OS.
  • Apostrophy OS is a new smartphone operating system aiming to be a third choice between Android and iOS.
  • The OS is based on Android but heavily modified for user privacy, offering complete control over personal data.
  • Apostrophy OS features a unique home screen called the “Domus,” a customizable home screen called the “Piazza,” and a suite of apps and services focused on privacy.

Archive link: https://archive.ph/qWqlG

    • Bonehead
      11•10 months ago

      Specifically, Android 13. Not even the latest version.

  • VikEnglish
    45•10 months ago

    I don’t know if you can really replace android with android.

    How does this compare to Graphene and Calyx?

    E: I don’t see any public repos for the ROM, but I guess that could be a thing later? No mention in the article or their website on if they plan on open sourcing it, but I’m not at my desk right now to check thoroughly enough.

    • @[email protected]English
      20•10 months ago

      Doesn’t look like they want much to do with libre software or end users. They’re trying to make their money selling to OEMs. I agree with your first sentence 100%.

      • VikEnglish
        5•10 months ago

        That’s fair enough. Diversity from OEMs would be nice, sort of reminds me of the cyanogen co days…

    • @[email protected]OPEnglish
      13•10 months ago

      This doesn’t seem targeted towards actually privacy-conscious people. There’s too much abstraction and funneling you through their services. I think it’s targeted to people who think they want to be private but don’t know any better.

      • VikEnglish
        6•10 months ago

        To be fair to them, techbro audience is a solid bet

      • @[email protected]English
        3•10 months ago

        I think it’s targeted to people who think they want to be private but don’t know any better.

        Based on the stuff the floats up on privacy communities and subreddits, thats a fairly reasonable target market. Good market for snake oil.

    • SharkAttak
      4•10 months ago

      Not to mention, I feel like “complete control over personal data” should be very simple too, people are already used to press ok and be done with it.

  • southsamuraiEnglish
    29•10 months ago

    It’s a grayscale page with shortcuts for the Aphy Store (Apostrophy’s own app store), your calendar, contacts, Apostrophy’s VPN service, your files, email, and more. You can’t customize anything on this page, and everything you do here is run through Apostrophy’s servers for maximum security.

    Jfc. They’re also shoehorning their own VPN into it.

    This is a fucking joke. They’re replacing Google with themselves, and offering jack shit in the way of proof they aren’t doing the same shit

    Edit: Also, this

    It’s a fairly standard Android phone. It has a 6.67-inch IPS screen with a 2400 x 1080 resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. You get a MediaTek Dimensity 900 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, a 64MP main camera with an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. It’ll set you back $749.

    Yeah, right.

  • Yer MaEnglish
    23•10 months ago

    Does this author not know about AOSP and all the projects like cyanogen and graphene?

  • LadEnglish
    23•10 months ago

    LMAO it doesn’t matter how heavily modified it is, it’s still Android. Come back when there is a genuine 3rd choice like Windows phone was.

    • @[email protected]English
      2•10 months ago

      It’s an OS optimized for mobile usage, yes and it is heavily modified. What’s your concern then ? Is it the name Android that frightens you ?

      • runefehay
        10•10 months ago

        There are many Android based OS for phones. Graphene is a privacy focused Open Source OS which already fills the niche Apostrophy supposedly does. https://grapheneos.org/

        • @[email protected]English
          1•10 months ago

          I know that, I’m just trying to understand their hate towards Android in particular. It’s just an open source OS

          • runefehay
            3•10 months ago

            I think it comes from the article seeming to be oblivious to all the other alternative android OSes.

  • @[email protected]English
    14•10 months ago

    Yeah I don’t believe it. It’s not Android but…it runs Android apps?

    The biggest problem any new OS is going to face is starting from absolutely zero and convincing developers to put apps people actually want to use on there. That ship has sailed. It’s not impossible but if anyone was able to do it, it would be some giant tech company with tons of cash that’s also after your data, so you’d just be trading one privacy-invading company for a shittier one.

    GrapheneOS is as good as it gets.