• cyborganism@piefed.ca
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    2 months ago

    I’d like to use a Linux phone, but it has to run Android apps though. They Gotta find a way, else it’s never gonna happen.

    • tal@lemmy.today
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      2 months ago

      It’d theoretically be possible to run a straight GNU/Linux tablet or laptop with a 5G cell modem for data, use SIP service and a GNU/Linux dialer, and then run Waydroid for any specific Android apps that one has to run.

      Idle power usage is gonna be a lot higher than on a phone, though.

      And a lot of Android apps are made with a touch interface and small screen in mind and are aware of things in a cell environment, like “only update X when on WiFi”. Not really common for GNU/Linux software to do that.

      • cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de
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        2 months ago

        like “only update X when on WiFi”.

        Most Linux software only updates when the user tells the package manager to update it.>

        • Colloidal@programming.dev
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          2 months ago

          I think you’re misunderstanding it. Most mobile apps have sensible defaults regarding data and battery usage, for instance, not updating (their feeds/server status/whatever networked service the app uses) if not in WiFi.

        • tal@lemmy.today
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          2 months ago

          I’m talking about stuff like pulling down new podcast episodes and such.

        • tal@lemmy.today
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          2 months ago

          I dunno, man.

          Android and all its apps have had a lot of work done on keeping stuff low-power.

          The GNU/Linux laptop I’m currently typing this on is drawing about 10W (granted, with the screen on, which is larger). The Android phone in my pocket is drawing (checks) a little under half a watt.

          Granted, I didn’t choose the laptop hardware to try to minimize power usage; you can certainly get laptops that will draw less. But there have been a lot of engineers banging on Android power usage for a long time.

          And stuff like auto-suspension of background apps using CPU time and stuff doesn’t have a GNU/Linux analog that I’m aware of.

          There’s a GNU/Linux phones community here on the Threadiverse at !linuxphones@lemmy.ca. Even the phones they talk about there — where the hardware is much less powerful than typical current Android hardware — don’t have amazing battery life as phones go.

          • potatoguy@potato-guy.space
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            2 months ago

            My tablet draws 4.5w at peak, at low loads it draws almost nothing (x86_64 tablet), maybe it’s the design of the laptop/tablet, but mine just consumes the same even with waydroid on, maybe setting efficiency in the BIOS help, but idk. On windows it just consumes a power plant every minute, linux is just efficient.