Android is open—except for all the good parts.

[GreyGeek]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/...899dd-61881946

Google’s iron grip on Android: Controlling open source by any means necessary.

[MoonRise]

Good read actually. Thanks!

[bendy]

Personally, I run a google-free Android phone, and wouldn't have it any other way.

I use OmniRom with the F-Droid app store. I have Firefox, VLC, K9Mail, aCal, OSMAnd installed and that all I want from a phone (I don't do social media).

I can tell you without google play services and all the crapware that the phone manufacturers install by default, the phone is much more responsive and the battery life is much better.

And there are various ways to sideload proprietary apps if you really need to.

[Feathers McGraw]

I've tried to "free my phone" a couple of times and dump all proprietary apps, but the sticking point is almost always some kind of IM app. WhatsApp (which I dumped when they were bought by Facebook) and Google's Hangouts both use proprietary protocols, and unfortunately not many of my friends care enough to use a "plain" XMPP service.

So I tend to go in waves, cut everything, then add just a couple of proprietary apps that I "need", then before long some things like Tapatalk creep in... and then I purge again.

Keeps me busy, I suppose... I think it's important to have a general appreciation of which bits are proprietary.

@Bendy, I'm not surprised the battery life is better without all the Google services running!

[NickStone]

If you want an open source Android try http://www.cyanogenmod.org/