this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2025
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[–] Taldan@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

No sideloading and no unlocked bootloader means you can’t sideload malware or install malware-preloaded ROMs

It's a simple configuration change to disable it and can be done with any corporate MDM system, making this a moot point. Not to mention too many people don't understand security, so Android is taking away sideloading anyway, FoR sEcUriTY

No root also means you can’t just install malware that uses root access

The vast majority of Android phones do not come with root access. For both, you generally have to elevate access yourself

Long OS support means fewer people run around with iPhones that are 5 OS versions behind

If you're running an out-of-date OS, clearly security is not a priority

There’s no tiny boutique iPhone manufacturers who sell phones that come pre-loaded with malware

Supply chain attacks absolutely can happen to iPhones as well. There are plenty of re-sellers


You missed the actual security benefit over iOS that Android cannot compete with: Apple controls the entire software chain from security patch to OTA update. This allows them to patch and release a fix for critical vulnerabilities far faster than any Android device possibly could. Apple does not need to get the approval of an OEM (such as Samsung), and, due to special deals, they do not need to get the approval of a carrier (like Verizon). Android devices typically need to get approvals from both before releasing updates (although Google flagship phones can bypass one, and can fast track the other)

The downside there is there are no checks on Apple. They could release a horribly vulnerable patch with no additional checks in-between

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

You don't seem to get my point and seem to think that I'm some apple fanboy that you need to convince or win against.

I use android, I've never used iOS. I enjoy the freedom of sideloading. Still it is a fact that the overwhelming majority of malware infections on Android happen due to side loading. The percentage of devices running corporate MDM is tiny, making this a moot point.

The vast majority of Android phones do not come with root access. For both, you generally have to elevate access yourself

And yet quite a few devices in the wild run rooted or custom ROMs.

If you're running an out-of-date OS, clearly security is not a priority

You seem to forget what this thread is about. It's not about personal security and whether one can run a safe android device, but about an app developer not providing an Android version, because the platform as a whole (meaning the average user) is less secure.

Personal preferences like paying for a new, non-outdated phone don't really matter for that big picture view.

Supply chain attacks absolutely can happen to iPhones as well. There are plenty of re-sellers

That's a strange argument. Getting malware that survives a factory reset onto an iPhone without apple's approval is close to impossible. Making an Android phone from scratch that contains malware right in the system image has been done over and over again. You are argueing a hypothetical versus something that happens every day.