Because the main apps used on other systems work on Linux, and also games.
Linux phones now is more Linux in early 2000, a few apps that kinda work, you don’t have banking apps, games, android auto like, streaming apps or any of most common apps used by users
The opensource apps like Newpipe, SmartTube, termux and many others are the “malware”, not the ones with binary blobs on PlayStore that fork VLC, Newpipe and many opensource apps illegally, supposedly “verified” but don’t follow opensource license like GPL, creating fake clones with ads and (real) malware.
Right, only install “verified” from Google Play, but that is where malware is, other 3rd party app stores like F-Droid, that really verify apps are at risk of getting killed by Google
“Linux phones will skyrocketed” by who? Nerds, the comum user doesn’t care if Android is proprietary or opensource, they don’t even know.
There’s already other mobile OS but have the same issue, no apps or developers interested on making apps for it.
FirefoxOS, Ubuntu touch, something else Linux based, it’s for some nerds play on a secondary phone.
Comum people don’t stop using Windows or macOS because it’s proprietary or a privacy nightmare. EU didn’t stop selling iPhones because it’s proprietary.
It’s the device vendors that decide which OS would ship, and people will use it
Yes, im very interested watching digital characters having sex
They do this for years, i’ve several games for free from GOG, what’s different?
Some of the games didn’t even installed, “it’s free cool, let me grabbed”
Is it?
Android uses Apache License 2.0, which means vendors can modify and distribute without publishing their modifications, like include proprietary blobs and other proprietary code.
It’s like using Google Chrome instead of Chromium.
Yes you can debloat the system, but many system apps can’t be disabled without breaking the system, and ROMs based on AOSP the code can be reviewed or modified and built it yourself.
Xiaomi and mostly stock ROMs these days come bundled with ads, and apps that collect user data, even with debloat or DNS blackhole isn’t 100% private or better than a custom ROM.
That’s why Graphene and CalyxOS exist.
So Newpipe, SmartTube, Nintendo emulators…
Clones of opensource apps bundled with ads that violates license is OK, but restricting everyone to build and test apps from source so it can test new features and report any issues is too risky for the user