• mycodesucks@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    I hate Google as much as anybody else, but that Google has been ordered to open up when they already allow side loading, and Apple is apparently all good, is all you need to know this whole system is a joke.

    • misk@sopuli.xyz
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      3 months ago

      Google is big enough to be considered a monopoly in mobile phone operating systems. Play Store is technically a separate service / business which enjoys unfair advantage of being installed by default. I think this approach might be good because it’s better for user experience (unlike EU web browser thing for example) and has a good shot at postiviely affecting power balance between app developers and platform owner.

      I’m curious how this will play out. Apple should be next obviously.

        • misk@sopuli.xyz
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          3 months ago

          I meant “next big corpo beaten into submission by regulators”. I don’t think Epic gave up on them yet.

          • mycodesucks@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            I wouldn’t say Google has been “beaten into submission”. They still interweave their crap services into every Android phone with no ability to remove or disable them, couple their apps with an intrusive, privacy violating, system degrading backend with special rules for its own apps versus everybody else… even force the default system web browser to be an unremovable Chrome installation, and not even a peep from regulators that any of this might be anti-competitive.

            No company has been properly beaten into submission since Ma Bell. Even the big Microsoft browser decision in the 90s turned out to be a joke - they’re right back to doing the same thing with impunity.

            • misk@sopuli.xyz
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              3 months ago

              Even if things go well it will be one thing at a time probably. This news doesn’t sound big because Google is so big but for businesses dependent on Google infrastructure this is a major win, no?

              My perspective might be skewed since I live in EU and we mostly won right to our data and privacy.

      • mycodesucks@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        That’s not actually true though.

        Android is open source and many devices, mostly Chinese products, launch with custom Android builds completely free of Google services. This is not a Google constraint - manufacturers CHOOSE to use Android builds that use Google’s services. Creating your own build simply stops you from integrating Google’s services into the OS, which is actually a PLUS if you ask me.

        Even if they WERE requiring it, that would have nothing to do with end user store front installation, which is already something you can do, as shown by the 2 non-Google app stores I have installed on my phone.

        Again… I’m not defending Google as some kind of good company here. I’m simply stating there is no way to make an anti-competitivity argument against Google in mobile that doesn’t apply at least as much to Apple. This is a nonsensical double-standard.

        • conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works
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          3 months ago

          Because of their market dominance. That’s what antitrust laws are about.

          The fact that it’s not just their own hardware completely changes the legal arguments in play.

    • ocassionallyaduck@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Google has also made unwelcome moves recently indicating they might crack down on sodeloaded app stores. So I’m glad this ruling happened.

      • Rixonomic@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        A couple years ago, I used Aurora to install paid games on my Shield TV. Games that Google Play doesn’t normally allow on the Shield (like the PS2 era GTA games). Well Google changed something, and it’s no longer possible to download and install purchased apps or games through Aurora, even if you log into your Google account. This sucks, because I formatted my Shield TV expecting be able to reinstall these games, but it doesn’t work anymore.

        Yeah, Aurora is still good, but Google has been crippling it.

        • Brad Boimler@startrek.website
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          3 months ago

          Is it the pro or the tube shield the tube is 32 bit only and most apps and games have moved to 64 bit only so the pro would be needed but I can still install paid apps on aurora on my phone just fine.

            • Brad Boimler@startrek.website
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              3 months ago

              Odd I used it to install GTA: SA definitive edition purchased on the play store website then installed and updated via Aurora still works just updated it recently too.

              • Rixonomic@lemmy.world
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                3 months ago

                It might be the kind of thing that works sometimes in some situations, but isn’t officially supported.

                Either way, it used to work for my ShieldTV Pro, but it doesn’t work anymore. Doesn’t matter how many devices I try to spoof, or how many times I reinstall the app, or how many times I re-login, etc.

                Makes me really sad that I formatted the Shield TV. Oh well.