Fuck tech giants. Ruin everything
this post was submitted on 26 Dec 2023
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How are other stores not already possible on Android? Wondering as a long time F-Droid user that is also forced to have "Galaxy store" too.
I think it's more about the defaults included, plus Google hides sideloading more with each new version of android. They have a semi-reasonable worry of "If we show off how easy sideloading is or can be, that enables bad faith actors." Like Microsoft and IE/Edge.
But on a fresh install of Android, if you download f-droid from Chrome or Firefox, you need to:
- Allow the browser to install apk files
- Install the apk
- Then enable f-droid to install apk files
Meanwhile Play Store doesn't have any of that, it's enabled and allowed to download and update anything without user prompt, it's an opt-out.
Plus with how anything that conflicts with a default app like a Clock app, there's a decent shot it might not work due to the default battery optimizations, the internal syscalls for "Google's Clock" instead of "Default Clock" it just kinda makes using anything that's not the one included with your phone more of a headache.
It's easier with SMS, Dialer, browser, and Home launchers, but if you wanted to change any other important apps like your calendar or email it's kind of a headache.
There's also the recent fallout from the Epic v. Google case which determined that Google was also leveraging their market dominance to manipulate the market and negotiate more favorable deals behind closed doors to reduce competition.
Honestly, I feel like they've made side loading easier and easier as times go on. Used to be that you'd just get a pop up that installs weren't authorized for that app, then you had to dig through the settings to enable it. Nowadays the pop up has a shortcut to the correct settings page and even visually flashes the right toggle for you to make it easier to find.
I could be wrong but I think at one point the outside sources toggle was just a one time thing and affected all applications.
You're right, it did use to be that way and I'm pretty sure it also automatically took you to that particular setting when you needed it
It's a monopoly in the same sense why Disney and Microsoft had to be investigated from their recent acquisitions. Monopolies in the real world aren't just a "this and only this is allowed", but also more of a "you have a choice, but do you really"
They do exiat there is f-droid but i use the neostore client. Its all foss apps would reccommend.
To add to other replies, play store protect flags apps with same names but different keys. This can cause false positives for security issues that pop up, I believe f-droid signs with keys generated through their system so they don't match a play store version. Users then could think it's a virus from f-droid and use play store instead.
Good, maybe they'll accomplish something while America's government is busy gargling billionaire balls and accepting bribes.
All storage devices should be able to store any grouping of 0s and 1s. I should not be limited by my manufacturer, my carrier, nor my download url by what things the device I own can have stored on it.
I don't know why this wasn't a bigger deal when the iphone came out...
They are able to store anything. I can download Android app’s on my iPhone. Installing and running is a different question though. And of course a device is limited in what it can run by architecture and operating system. Whether they should be limited by manufacturer or carrier policy is another question though.
I wonder why "Play" is written in English but "Store" is katakana.
I'd guess because Google Play is a set of services that just use "Play" as a prefix.
Even more likely is Google Play is specifically a trademark
https://developer.android.com/distribute/marketing-tools/brand-guidelines
In a screenshot it's 'Play' + katakana. In some languages I checked on Wikipedia it's always 'Google play' or partially or completely translated, in korean it's completely in hieroglyphics, in chinese it's used both ways (with play staying in english), in japanese it's called entirely in english:
Google Play（グーグル プレイ）は、Googleによって提供される、主にAndroid及びChromeOS（2016年4月以降）向けデジタルコンテンツ（アプリケーション・映画・音楽・書籍など）の配信サービス[1]。2012年3月6日にGoogleは「Android Market」を「Google Play」に改名し、「Google Play ブックス」「Google Play Music」といったサービスも合わせて誕生した[1].
Brand managers influence wikipedia too, some even create their own pages and update them. It makes me think it's a marketing thing - a dedicated department thinking if they can translate these words and if it makes the brand look better to the public. Like that script in burmese (Myanmar) it has it all translated into their language: https://my.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%80%82%E1%80%B0%E1%80%82%E1%80%9A%E1%80%BA_%E1%80%95%E1%80%9C%E1%80%B1%E1%80%B8
This is the best summary I could come up with:
TOKYO -- Japan is preparing regulations that would require tech giants like Apple and Google to allow outside app stores and payments on their mobile operating systems, in a bid to curb abuse of their dominant position in the Japanese market.
These effective monopolies on in-app payments can lead to users paying more for the same content or services on mobile devices than on personal computers.
The legislation aims to force them to allow third-party app stores and payment systems as long as they are secure and protect user privacy.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has forecast Japan's mobile app market expanding to $29.2 billion in 2023, up by roughly half from 2018.
That legislation, set for full implementation in 2024, bans "gatekeepers" from favoring their own tools in search results, with violators facing fines of up to 10% of their global turnover for the previous fiscal year.
In the U.S., it was reported last week that Google has agreed to pay a $700 million settlement in an antitrust case involving its app store.
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