If there may be one factor Android customers do higher than anybody else, it is making a fuss over issues that are not actually mysterious or deceptive. Because of web model rivalry and one-sided loyalty to an organization that does not even know you exist, each little factor can shortly develop into a scandal.
The newest instance of that is that the Pixel 9 (and each Pixel cellphone earlier than it) does not assist Android 15’s stingray protections. No, not the swimming, fishy form of stingray; the small gadget designed to seize your SMS messages and cellphone calls.
The center of the problem is that these settings did seem in beta builds of Android 15 on the Pixel, despite the fact that they did nothing as a result of the cellphone’s {hardware} or configuration does not assist it. When Android 15 correct got here round, they have been gone. As they need to have been as a result of they aren’t supported.
That is it. Nothing extra. Many telephones do not assist these options, however as a result of the Pixel comes from Google, who labored on methods to struggle this, some of us suppose there may be some form of conspiracy afoot or one thing. I do not work for Google, however I can guarantee you there is not. When and if the function might be supported, the settings will seem.
That is value noting as a result of in case you are within the protections supplied right here, it’s best to know which telephones truly assist them. When you’re like everybody else who wasn’t going to make use of them anyway, be happy to say “huh” and transfer on to the following factor with none guilt over not collaborating within the outrage. Because of this beta builds exist — to catch errors like exposing an invalid setting earlier than a product involves market. If not having this function influences your shopping for choices, do not buy a Pixel cellphone, and also you’re good.
There’s something to consider right here, although: what does cellphone safety imply, and might complaining actually make a distinction?
For some folks, being an energetic goal of cellphone hacking is a sound concern. The wealthy, the well-known, the leaders of the world, these of us have to fret about somebody stepping into their telephones and digging for info they don’t need to share. Good folks with these wants have knowledgeable handle their communication gadgets and use hardened and/or strictly locked down gadgets which might be so much safer than the cellphone you got off Amazon. Others must rely that their cellphone has the newest patches in opposition to distant exploits and options like stingray safety.
Almost definitely, you do not fall into any of those teams and are like me: simply a mean one who nonetheless does not need anybody to see something I do not need to share. Safety continues to be vital, however not in the identical means and never for a similar causes. We want safety from ourselves.
For us, an important a part of a security-focused patch or replace is the issues that maintain some random little bit of code from doing issues it should not be allowed to do as a result of we clicked OK on the incorrect factor. Possibly we adopted a hyperlink we should not have, and one thing bought downloaded. Possibly we put in an app that tries to do issues it should not. Possibly somebody put in one thing after we weren’t trying. This occurs way more usually than when international spies actively goal our gadgets or SMS messages, however it will probably have the identical end result.
When the corporate that made your cellphone holds these safety updates from you, and also you get upset, that is much more productive than crying foul when a cellphone does not assist a factor it was by no means marketed as supporting. Neither might make a distinction as a result of the businesses concerned not often care about something however income, however our continued complaining may; even Motorola now sells telephones that get software program assist for six years or extra.
Possibly being outraged is the best name. That is so that you can determine, and I am going to determine the place to focus my displeasure. Complaining a few factor lengthy sufficient could make a distinction.
Simply complain about the best factor — Pixel telephones (and all telephones) ought to assist some safety challenge Google discovered vital sufficient to make a part of Android itself. A setting that was in beta software program however lacking from the discharge construct is a unique story.
