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Google confirms Play store will continue to function for existing Huawei phones

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Re: Google confirms Play store will continue to function for existing Huawei phones

#131

Post by bidatzi »

mandelken wrote: post #50
bad_user wrote: post #23

And this is the danger of having so much power concentrated in a single country. Google might not want to do this, but they might need to, because they are a US company. Unfortunately this affects everyone. Why should Europeans care about US’s trade wars? And don’t get me wrong, I would never buy Huawei devices because they are made by a company owned by a communist party, but that’s my choice to make, not that of so…

Huawei is not owned by a communist party. Even google will tell you that much..

It is owned by a union in a communist country https://www.baldingsworld.com/2019/04/26/making-sense-of-hua... How independent from CCP is that institution in practical terms?

Re: Google confirms Play store will continue to function for existing Huawei phones

#132

Post by jmkni »

Matt3o12_ wrote: post #125
rando444 wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty much all android apps can work without google play currently. If you don't want to use google play, you can download the APK from any number of apk mirror sites and install the app yourself manually.

Google Play Services != Google Play Store The play services is a framework that many (and probably all "western") apps require because they use push notifications, maps, google ads and probably a lot of other google services. An android phone without those services installed isn't able to run said apps. And while it is possible to emulate the play services, I don't think this would work on a huge scale because they w…

From a developer perspective, the Google Play Services are so damn convenient, and they work well.

When it comes to push notifications in particular, I don't know of an alternative which works quite as well as Firebase (if there is, please tell me!)

It seems like developing apps without the Google Play Services will take longer, and be more expensive. Maybe that's just psychological, but it's risky to decide not to use them, especially when you are time constained/on a budget, and you know how to use them etc.

Re: Google confirms Play store will continue to function for existing Huawei phones

#133

Post by loyukfai »

ddalex wrote: post #87
enitihas wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not sure why Asian Phone companies would do anything. As far as we see, only Chinese companies might want to. Asia is big and includes a lot more countries than China. Other asian countries are in the same bucket as Europe in moving to custom ecosystem.

It said Asian because Samsung is in the same boat, albeit for different reasons (think platform lockout instead of govt pressure). That's why the keep developing Tizen. I assume that Japanese manufacturers are under a similar threat.

Perhaps the potential profit stream of operating an appstore is also an appealing reason?

Re: Google confirms Play store will continue to function for existing Huawei phones

#134

Post by lightedman »

downtide wrote: post #43
dx034 wrote: post #7

So how long will it take until Asian Phone companies using Android get together to develop an alternative Android ecosystem? They could set it up in a neutral nation with profits going to all companies. So far, these always failed because it was only one company involved (e.g. Amazons app store) but will all major manufacturers involved, it would be much more profitable for developers to be on that app store than on…

I tried the Samsung app store briefly on my Android. I didn't last long with it, it was not that great, and reluctantly intstalled Google Play. It's yet another company trying to usher me into signing up, and trading my data privacy. The themes app for example, wants access to my contacts. Why?

"The themes app for example, wants access to my contacts. Why?"

To reskin the contacts list. Anything dealing with the contacts list needs permission to do so, even reskinning appearance.

Re: Google confirms Play store will continue to function for existing Huawei phones

#135

Post by jsgo »

product50 wrote: post #78
dx034 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which would mean that it could hit any Chinese company within days and companies from other nations within weeks/months. I doubt the US government will put a ban on South Korean manufacturers but I'm not sure if Samsung wants to take that risk.

Samsung is a top OEM in US unlike Huawei. Also South Korea is a big US ally.

Currently, but the US has already chastised South Korea for not spending enough on its defense as it relates to the US. South Korea capitulated I believe, but there remains the possibility that in South Korea's goal of being on agreeable terms with North Korea, it could have negative ramifications on the US/SK relationship.

I don't think it is highly likely it'll play out like that, but if I'm Samsung, I'm either throwing resources into Tizen or forking AOSP into a tailored version of the OS.

Re: Google confirms Play store will continue to function for existing Huawei phones

#136

Post by duxup »

vetinari wrote: post #118
product50 wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. Original poster is trying to go into hyperbolics. Why would LG and Samsung want to participate in this and risk Google's wrath? Which user would like to get a phone without Google's apps on it? This is all looks good on paper as a so called strategy but in real implementation, almost impossible to implement. Consumers will just shift to another Google supported phone.

> Why would LG and Samsung want to participate in this and risk Google's wrath? As an insurance, so they do not have to be afraid of Google's wrath.

Samsung with their own apps has been hedging their bets that way.... but going all out and forking the OS and building a device (even for test) could get them kicked from the Open Handset Alliance.

Re: Google confirms Play store will continue to function for existing Huawei phones

#137

Post by dcsan »

voltagex_ wrote: post #53
throw20102010 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most Chinese versions of Android are completely de-Googled[1]- no Play store, no Maps, no GMail, etc. They have their own app store, web browser, and everything else. They are still based on Android, but it's not a stretch to think that most Chinese phone manufacturers could fork the open source project tomorrow. As soon as Google goes too far against the Chinese government, the manufacturers will receive a notice th…

The big problem I have is that what happens when that unlock site goes away? When I bought my Mi4c, it wasn't getting an update I knew was released. When I ran a packet capture, I found it was trying to hit "udate.xiaomi.com" instead of "update.xiaomi.com". I was eventually able to unlock and reflash the phone manually.

so xiaomi shipped a phone with the wrong hardcoded update URL? How did that work for the rest of their users and not for you? for example if they fixed it at the other end and also enabled udate.DOMAIN it should work for you too?

Re: Google confirms Play store will continue to function for existing Huawei phones

#138

Post by dcsan »

dx034 wrote: post #46
throw20102010 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most Chinese versions of Android are completely de-Googled[1]- no Play store, no Maps, no GMail, etc. They have their own app store, web browser, and everything else. They are still based on Android, but it's not a stretch to think that most Chinese phone manufacturers could fork the open source project tomorrow. As soon as Google goes too far against the Chinese government, the manufacturers will receive a notice th…

In the end, the only superior system Google offers outside of China is Search (and to some degree Mail). Search can be integrated without the need of an app and GMail can be accessed by any mail client. All the other money making products (Maps, Play Store, Pay) could probably be replaced without users complaining much.

with multiple competing app stores, and even OS modifications (miui) its arguable that taking the google out of android created a much more competitive and vibrant ecosystem in China. Amazon failed where the rest have thrived.

Re: Google confirms Play store will continue to function for existing Huawei phones

#139

Post by disiplus »

PeterStuer wrote: post #74
disiplus wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

as somebody that bought an huawei device from a carrier, if carriers wont sell your devices you are just like dead. and i cannot imagine carriers selling devices that need to sideload google play and stuff.

The dominance of bundled sales by carriers is not a universal practice around the world. In Europe this was even forbidden for long time as it gave the Telco's too much power over the nascent mobile industry.

its not forbidden, i thing it's the way most of the cell phones are sold in europe.

https://shop.a1.net/handys-telefonie/alle-handys/?ProcessTyp...

Re: Google confirms Play store will continue to function for existing Huawei phones

#140

Post by rchaud »

dharma1 wrote: post #49
rqs wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I could go one step further: Build another open source OS that can run Android app but not Android. Many Chinese companies already tried it (non-open source though) before but been persuaded not to, I guess they're feeling a little bit different now. The good part is, by building that OS, the domestic tech communities could receive a huge boost. So far for Huawei, Google's blockage is partly useless. As long as Huawe…

"Build another open source OS that can run Android app but not Android." It's not as easy as it may sound like. There have been attempts: https://sailfishos.org/wiki/Android_Compatibility https://github.com/anbox/anbox https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2019/04/new-project-brings-andro... ChromeOS Android container approach is probably the best, but isn't fully open source to my knowledge. That's not to say that a state act…

It's doable to a good extent. I had a Blackberry Passport from 2014 that ran BBOS, which was a non-Android OS. Around 2016, BB added a "Android compatibility layer" (not sure how it works), that allowed for the install of APKs for Whatsapp, Instagram and a number of other apps BB users didn't have native equivalents for. Worked fine, but I'm sure app firmware updates caused issues.
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