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Google's shocking developer decree struggles to justify the urgent threat to F-Droid (www.neowin.net)
submitted 11 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] 82 points 11 months ago (15 children)

I will literally go without a smartphone if Google does this, this is insane I would have bought an iphone if I wanted a junk device I don't actually own.

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  • [–] 62 points 11 months ago (1 child)

    If this effects de-googled android, I will probably start investing in Linux phones.

    I would rather have a limited phone than has full freedom than one that makes everyone go through Google.

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  • [–] 42 points 11 months ago (11 children)

    The crazy part is this may make iOS the better alternative when considering the emergence of third-party app stores and Apple's loosening grip on their ecosystem.

    LineageOS is still a good option too, for anyone who would prefer to keep the phone they have

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  • [–] 8 points 11 months ago

    Not really. They are converging onto the exact same thing. 3rd party stores are allowed, but needs [Google/Apple]'s approval.

    If you are big and have teeth (like Epic Games), you will (probably) be allowed, if you are small like a single open source developer, the can shut you down city dubious "security"/"ToS" issue, and you probably don't have the money to sue.

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  • [–] 7 points 11 months ago (6 children)

    iOS would be the better alternative, if it wasn't for the hardware they run on. After all, Apple is infamous for their blatant planned obsolescence on their iPhones since the iPhone 6. Unfortunately, Google seems to be following Apple in this way as well since they launched an update that made the Pixel 6a's battery so much worse than before. Therefore, we must all have a dumb phone + Linux phone set up...or something

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  • [–] 10 points 11 months ago (1 child)

    I can agree on Apple not really having a properly supported hardware repair ecosystem, and actively working against third party repair.

    But the software? When Samsung and friends had 2-4 years of security updates, Apple had almost twice that. The iPhone XS still has support, 6 years after end-of-sale, 7 years from release. Normal people can’t be expected to flash their phones with LineageOS. The situation is slightly better nowadays, but Samsung still seems to be depreciating 3 year old devices: https://endoflife.date/samsung-mobile

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  • [–] 6 points 11 months ago

    To add, Apple has actually been making amends regarding repairability. It's small steps, but leagues ahead of what's offered for popular android manufacturers, while still maintaining their IP68 ratings on most devices.

    I can't speak to how they make their parts available to third parties (seems to be a grey area), but there has been a reasonable focus with the last couple generations of iPhones that ensures the device can be repaired from either side.

    Overall, the tide seems to have shifted. If you're going to be at the mercy of a corporate giant in order to keep up with modernity, then Apple is currently holding the dimly lit torch of consumer rights.

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  • [–] 6 points 11 months ago

    Apple is infamous for their blatant planned obsolescence on their iPhones since the iPhone 6

    They learned from it. The phone toggles itself when the battery health is at 80% max capacity, but this is toggleable. Also, the iPhone 11 still runs smooth.

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago (1 child)

    iOS would be the better alternative

    • Already can't "sideload". iOS will be just as restrictive as Android in 2026-2027.
    • Apps immediately gets killed in the background. Can't even transfer data to a USB Drive without needing to downloading a separate app, and need the app in the foreground.
    • iPhones cannot multitask
    • Developer account costs $99 **per year. On Google its only a $25 one time fee (for the near future, at least, I can't predict what they will do in like 2035)
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  • [–] 2 points 11 months ago

    Yeah, if Android effectively kills fdroid, then it essentially becomes like iOS. Whilst you can technically still sideload, apps must get certified by Google themselves and there's no way they'll allow 90% of fdroid unless its their Google Play versions.Tbf though, I didn't know the background thing, which just goes to show that neither of them are ideal. Especially since Apple locks down their devices really hard which turns things like transferring files without a cloud service into a challenge. Therefore, in the future, I might just use a dumb phone for basic phone calls and text messages (meanly just for things like job applications or services like pharmacies) and a Linux phone for everything else. That's assuming Linux phones have evolved just enough to be usable alongside a dumb phone for what it can't do, which is SMS.

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  • [–] 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

    Apple, with the longest software support on the market, and planned obsolescence don’t go in the same sentence together. Sorry but they are literally the best in the industry in this regard.

    Also I assume you’re talking about the “batterygate” thing with the iPhone 6 where they slowed the device down? That was a giant overreaction - the alternative was the phone crashes and reboots constantly.

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  • [–] 6 points 11 months ago

    They both go for the least open option. If asking for all devs registration and validation from google is viable and legally sound, apple will do the same if that's not already in the pipe.

    Both "stores" are targeted for the same issues.

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  • [–] 0 points 11 months ago

    Owning a phone doesn’t give you control over what the operating system can do. You can so what the OS they give you allows you to do, or you can find a way to put a different os on it - but they don’t need to provide a way for you to do that easily.

    Not really sure why this is a hard concept for some people to grasp?

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