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Android M Developer Preview and Tools

android-developers.blogspot.com

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Re: Android M Developer Preview and Tools

#121

Post by hornetblack »

NeutronBoy wrote: post #112
threeseed wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I just don't understand why the telecoms wouldn't use the newest OS as the default. Why would they allow you to upgrade the OS when they can sell you a new phone and a new multi year contract. It's a pretty basic strategy.

Uh carriers across Europe and Australia don't restrict OS updates afaik

Kinda. My Xperia Z didn't update to Kitkat when it was available. I bought it at JB-HIFI and therefore it came with Telstra junk on it. In /system/build.prop there's a setting called Customisation Number. So I used towel root and changed it to a stock number and the system updated to Kitkat and removed the non-uninstallable Telstra junk.

Telstra didn't update because of a battery issue. Which was true... the battery died quickly if you left the GPS on. I didn't use the GPS much so I left it off. (This issue has since been resolved, then telstra enabled the update)

Considering I didn't even have Telstra as a carrier. it was because JB-HIFI is a Telstra reseller that this happened.

It's because the Manufacturer agreed to only update when Telstra updated. It's all through the Sony update software.

Re: Android M Developer Preview and Tools

#122

Post by pjmlp »

CountSessine wrote: post #58
vardump wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Can Google not poach one or two of Apple's negotiators to go to the right meetings at Motorola, Verizon, etc to talk about updates? I don't understand why things like these are necessary in the USA. Why should network operator have control to which version you're running? Most other places you can just get new firmware directly from manufacturer.

I don't understand it either. How should the carrier have any say/input into when the firmware on these phones is updated?

Because they also do firmware customizations with their own apps, services and UI according to their marketing material.

Re: Android M Developer Preview and Tools

#123

Post by pjmlp »

amolgupta wrote: post #3

the NDK support in Studio will end the use of eclipse for Android development.

Thankfully, as they will not add Java 8 support. Source: the Q&A at the end of the developer tools session.

So at least we can make use of some C++ love, even if the frameworks access is limited.

Re: Android M Developer Preview and Tools

#124

Post by mappu »

rentnorove wrote: post #49
calvin_c wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They've actually set the number of permission groups to 8. But at least you can accept/decline each individually. EDIT: The permission groups are Location Camera Microphone Contacts Phone SMS Calendar Sensor

Conspicuously absent: - Read external storage - Internet

I recommend AFWall+ for preventing the latter.

Re: Android M Developer Preview and Tools

#125

Post by mappu »

threeseed wrote: post #109
kllrnohj wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your post was word for word identical to posts made 2 years about KitKat when it was released. Only instead being compared against Gingerbread. And several years before THAT when Gingerbread was released people were saying it about Donut & Eclair. So yes you'll have to wait ~2 years for the majority to be on M or higher. Oh well. Does that suck? Yeah. Is it a major, show stopping, "omg google why haven't you devoted…

I have no idea what your point is. Why shouldn't Google be devoting resources to solving this issue ? Being unable to upgrade is a massive security risk and prevents developers from rolling out new and interesting features in their apps. It is largely a solved problem. You have a core OS/SDK which is upgradeable and some sort of plugin style architecture around it for themes/new features. Sure some OEMs may ignore it…

Upgrading the core OS is hard mostly because new android versions rely on certain new kernel features; and the new kernels break backward compatibility with proprietary drivers.

There was a story posted a few weeks back about how a certain (Samsung or LG?) phone had added new members to the middle of a kernel struct, for the benefit of their camera driver. It hamstrung a lot of the community reverse engineering work to port a new kernel to the device.

Re: Android M Developer Preview and Tools

#126

Post by leonatan »

threeseed wrote: post #107
mattei wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Awesome Mixpanel trends reports. For comparison iOS8 adoption according to Mixpanel, >85%. Very fast adoption since iOS8 release ~8 months ago. https://mixpanel.com/trends/#report/ios_8/from_date:-270,rep...

It has been rumored that for iOS9 Apple will be focusing on reducing the overall footprint. There are a lot of 8GB devices that could be upgraded to iOS8 but are unable to because of lack of disk space.

What 8GB devices? Even iPod Touch starts at 16GB and is supported.

Re: Android M Developer Preview and Tools

#127

Post by mcintyre1994 »

vardump wrote: post #68
wongarsu wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>As for Internet, they leave that out of their "improved" Play store permissions as well (and the M groupings seems like a carbon copy). Why would they do that? On it's own "Internet" may not seem to be an important category, but I am willing to give apps many more permissions if I know that they can't phone home. For tools, the Internet permission is often the deciding factor for me.

A few years ago mobile virtualization was hyped a lot. What came of it? I'd love to be able to run multiple OS instances on same phone. Use one for private communication and others for fun and games (not that I play games, but the point).

Nowhere near the same but android does support multiple accounts - might be worth looking into whether they're sandboxed enough to stop apps looking beyond the account they're installed on.

Re: Android M Developer Preview and Tools

#128

Post by castell »

threeseed wrote: post #111
digi_owl wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And watch Samsung go Tizen over night, HTC partner up with Microsoft, etc etc etc. Damn it, Android without Google is already big in China. And lets not forget that Amazon is maintaining what amounts to a fork for their device range. Google can't really play hardball unless they want to go full Apple. In essence Android has gotten where it is by being more accommodating to OEMs etc than the competition. Something aki…

Samsung/HTC are never going to just abandon Android arguably no matter what Google does. People have invested money in apps and content which locks them into that platform. Tizen is a non-starter (nobody is building apps for it). And Microsoft is still struggling for traction.

Most new Samsung devices (including all SmartTV and SmartWatch) already use Tizen (based on an evolution of Samsung's Bada). Samsung could switch to Tizen anytime given it features a compatibility layer. People don't buy "Android" devices, they buy by the brand name of the manufacturer e.g. "Samsung".

Re: Android M Developer Preview and Tools

#129

Post by rtpg »

austenallred wrote: post #88
vardump wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Can Google not poach one or two of Apple's negotiators to go to the right meetings at Motorola, Verizon, etc to talk about updates? I don't understand why things like these are necessary in the USA. Why should network operator have control to which version you're running? Most other places you can just get new firmware directly from manufacturer.

The thing that's confusing to me is that the carriers don't automatically default to the newest version of the OS. Even if it weren't a contractual obligation, I can't imagine, say, the AT&T store loading a phone right now with iOS 7

a big reason is that you actually need to test whether the newest version works well. Even the jump from 4.4 to 5 has some performance hits. Not to mention when we get beyond vanilla android, custom home screens and stuff are extremely sensitive to base OS changes.

Also, the phone companies themselves need to put out the updates, which isn't happening a lot of the time (or with 6 month+ delays).

Re: Android M Developer Preview and Tools

#130

Post by izacus »

pjmlp wrote: post #123
amolgupta wrote: post #3

the NDK support in Studio will end the use of eclipse for Android development.

Thankfully, as they will not add Java 8 support. Source: the Q&A at the end of the developer tools session. So at least we can make use of some C++ love, even if the frameworks access is limited.

Hmm, Java 8 is actually supported in Android Studio. That support however will not make device Dalvik/ART VMs magically support Java 8 bytecode :)

Retrolambda is rather useful to get a subset of J8 features.

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