I wouldn't. iOS spies even more by default (no way to disable AGPS vs. opt in on Android) and doesn't allow using privacy-enabling apps by default (system-wide ad/tracker blocker, real Firefox, Signal, local maps, etc.) unless you hack your phone. Worse, it doesn't let you develop for your own phone without rebuilding weekly or paying a yearly fee for the privilege.
I use a system-wide ad/tracker blocker (1Blocker X) and Signal. I have a local maps app (maps.me) that I only use when hiking, so I don't know how good it is for general use.
That leaves:
(1)AGPS (which I'm not informed on, I've never thought of turning it off)
(2)real Firefox (aka alternative rendering engine that you can set as the system default)
(Develop for your own phone without rebuilding or paying isn't a security thing, just a convenience thing)
vs. Google mining your data at every opportunity and Google/carriers dropping support for phones as soon as they can get away with it.
> I use a system-wide ad/tracker blocker (1Blocker X)
It only blocks ads in webviews, unlike ad blockers on Android, which block ads and trackers in native apps as well.
> and Signal.
I specifically said you can't set it as your default, which makes it significantly less convenient and therefore much less useful.
> vs. Google mining your data at every opportunity
This happens when you use Google apps on iOS as well. There is no difference.
> Google/carriers dropping support for phones as soon as they can get away with it.
Buy a phone that gets support. When you buy a car, you don't judge all cars by the worst manufacturers. When you buy an Android phone, doing the same is equally nonsensical.
> I'll take iOS.
Whatever floats your boat. At least now you have enough information to make an informed decision.
That's fine. You don't have to use Google apps on Android. Better, you get to choose which apps to use as default on Android, unlike on iOS as I showed earlier. Whether you use Google apps or not, iOS collects more data from you than Android, as I also showed earlier.
I understand that Safari is the system default such that if I click on a link in some app that says "open this in a browser" it will always go to Safari and even if I copy the link and paste it in a preferred browser it is going to use webkit instead of that browsers real renderer...
What are you talking about with other apps? What would it mean to have Signal the default app? When I want to use Signal I open signal, there's no convenience factor. Signal shows up as an option on the share sheet and I could even delete messages.app from the share sheet if I didn't want to use it.
I guess I can theoretically grasp links that open in maps and wanting to be able to change that default. (though I don't care to, since I don't have to send my data to Google) Are there links somewhere that open in "the default messenger app"?
What are the other default apps that I'm not able to change on iOS?
Also what is this about AGPS data going to Apple? I've just seen an assertion by you, nothing else.
Summary:
1)I'll fully give you the WebKit, you care about that, I don't, but I agree it's a thing.
2) You care about Maps, I don't, and I'm not sure it is that much of an issue. I interact with maps 90+% of the time after opening the app so if I want to stop using Apple's Maps it is a minor inconvenience.
3) I don't understand your point on Signal
4)I think there are other "default apps" you are talking about that I don't know about.
5)What are you talking about with Apple collecting AGPS data?
added:
6)Isn't AOSP not really useable as a phone interface... that is the impression I've gotten. How else am I supposed to not "use Google apps on Android"?
> The default on iOS is to not send any telemetry data to Apple.
This is actually the default on Android. I showed a specific case of data acquisition that iOS does that you can't opt out of. On Android, that data acquisition is opt-in.
I'm not aware of any use of differential privacy on the Android platform.
And who cares about AGPS. Your cellular provider who is the only one who has access to AGPS data can already track your location based on cell tower information.
IOS uses positioning based on cell towers and Wi-Fi access points, so if your phone has its location services active Apple can tell that a device with a specific ID is near a certain location. This ID is rotated periodically and not linked to your device or to you but you can’t turn this off.
AGPS means the phone downloads the GPS almanac, the dynamic dataset you need for using GPS, from the internet as opposed to watching the satellites for about 30 minutes to download it. That would be stupid and would not have any positive impact on your privacy.
> Your cellular provider who is the only one who has access to AGPS data
And Apple on iOS.
> I'm not aware of any use of differential privacy on the Android platform.
Android itself doesn't need it. It collects less data than iOS. If you're talking about apps on Android that use differential privacy, there are plenty, and their implementation of differential privacy is better than Apple's. https://www.macobserver.com/analysis/google-apple-differenti...
We were comparing iOS to Android. What the cell phone companies collect affects both equally. AGPS collection makes iOS more invasive than Android, and you can't even opt out.
