After the news cycle recently exploded with the announcement that Google would require every single Android app to be from a registered and verified developer, while killing third-party app stores …
  • brax@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    8·
    14 hours ago

    What point will there be in using Android anymore? This was the only redeeming feature they had left

    They killed the heart monitor
    They killed IR blasters
    They killed the headphone jack
    They killed removable batteries
    They killed SD card support

    And now they’re about to kill freedom and ownership of the device you bought.

    Are the phones gonna be totally free? What’s the point of using Android moving forward? Will this be the new start of classic flip phones?

    • weirdo_from_space@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      2·
      11 hours ago

      If you can’t access an open Android phone, at this point there is no reason to consider anything other than an iPhone. It’s very expensive, yes, but it will be supported for years to come.

      Switching to a feature phone depends on whether you can leave some smartphone usecases behind in favor of a feature phone’s benefits. I use my phone to read books and study my lessons with a stylus. I can let gaming go, it would suck but I can buy a portable console in the worst case scenerio. But those two are important. Banking is another one, even if I showed to the bank in person they direct you to use the app anyway. Which is cool, you get stuff done quickly but it sucks for cases like this.

  • eleitl@lemmy.zipEnglish
    2·
    12 hours ago

    I only buy hardware I can install open source firmware on. If there is no such thing then there will be zero sales from me.

  • pivot_root@lemmy.worldEnglish
    22·
    1 day ago

    I bet the next step will be to block a device from wireless debugging itself, so they can kill Shizuku.

    • Lka1988@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      2·
      2 hours ago

      Make use of that second link.

      Done. I’m not a dev, but I use apps from github/gitlab/etc. Requiring developer verification is absolutely retarded. And only allowing ADB to install without verification is not the olive branch they’re treating it as. It’s a slap in the face to anyone who actually knows what they’re doing.

      • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.caEnglish
        2·
        2 hours ago

        Yeah, it’s bad. At the very least there should be a dev option on the phone itself to enable the existing functionality. Ask the user to accept an agreement if you want but it should be possible to all do on-device, without access to the internet.

        • Lka1988@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          1·
          43 minutes ago

          Bingo.

          After I made that comment, I thought about it some more and realized an existing metaphor already fits:

          • Say you see a BMW 316d but with M3 badges. Those who don’t know cars, don’t care. Those who do know cars, know that the owner is full of shit.

          Relating this to Android:

          • People who don’t use 3rd party app stores, or other apps, don’t care about the developer verification. People who do use those things, already know that Google’s excuses are horseshit.

          This verification bullshit will not only affect the developers who will be forced to register with google, but also the very people who made Android what it is today. Custom ROMs brought many features to Android that are now considered core elements:

          • Night mode
          • Bubble conversations
          • Widgets
          • Always-on display
          • Caffeinate
          • Quick settings
          • Split screen/multitasking

          …and that’s not even scratching the surface. There is so, so much more.

    • SL3wvmnas@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      3·
      14 hours ago

      Make use of that second link.

      I get that participation is important, but why does it feel like google is outsourcing good, sane management decisions?