From the Wired article, which I can’t seem to post here:
“This is an invitation for a lot of users we’ve heard from over the years who haven’t made the plunge because they want this kind of customization,” says Joe Hollier, cofounder of Light Phone. “In light of Android locking down its platform even further for developers, this is a great opportunity to kind of do the opposite.”
Hollier is referring to a recent announcement from Google that it will require developers who publish their apps outside of the Play Store to submit verification, citing security reasons. It will require them to provide their real names while paying a fee to Google, changing the open nature of side loading apps to Android phones, which is when you install an app from an unofficial source.