Parler users can now order a 'Freedom Phone' to access the app on a smartphone. Over the past few months, Parler has faced multiple hurdles in providing users with access to the social networking platform. The new phone with its uncensored app store may prove to be one way around the problem, although it might also come with its own app support and update problems.
Following the Jan 6. U.S. Capital riots, Parler found itself offline. After Amazon Web Services removed web hosting support for the Parler website, Apple and Google removed app store support for the Parler iOS and Android apps. Since then, the service has found a replacement hosting provider, but the apps have remained officially unavailable. While there is a workaround for the Android app, the iPhone app is likely to remain inaccessible through the iOS App Store.
In a bid to fix the issue, a Freedom Phone has now become available to order online. The website confirms the purpose of the phone as a free speech and privacy-focused device that "won't put your voice on silent." The Freedom Phone costs $449.99 to buy and not only comes pre-loaded with Parler, but also a “FreedomOS App Store'' where other apps will be available to download. According to the apps webpage, in addition to Parler, Freedom Phone users will have access to Rumble, DuckDuck Go, Newsmax, and One America News Network, among other "popular banned and unbanned apps."
The Freedom phone doesn't just stop at the app store, as the device also comes running on FreedomOS, “the first mass-marketable mobile phone operating system based on free speech,” according to the website. While the website points to the device as being removed from Android, that’s not quite the case. Whether or not it comes with the usual Google suite of apps, the operating system is almost certainly a version of Android. The only other confirmed features and specs at the moment are a six-inch display, "large" storage, dual-SIM and microSD card support, as well as a “great camera.”
Although this version of Android might not come with as many restrictions as other devices, those additional restrictions are also what typically allows an Android phone to carry not just the Google Play Store, but the rest of Google’s apps in general. Due to this, while buyers might end up with access to Parler, they could end losing out on many other apps that they would need access to on the same device. Not to mention, it remains unclear what security and update protections are in place and that’s something a buyer of any Android phone should be aware of before placing an order.
Source: Freedom Phone
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3rV3l5d
0 Comments