29 votes

Android 11 takes away camera picker, forces use of default camera app

29 comments

  1. [29]
    tesseractcat
    Link
    I hate how Android has been getting more and more locked down over the last few iterations. Changes like removing the overlay system, the new storage API's, this, the fragmented OEM based gesture...

    I hate how Android has been getting more and more locked down over the last few iterations. Changes like removing the overlay system, the new storage API's, this, the fragmented OEM based gesture systems that aren't compatible with 3rd party launchers, Google's continued "feature" updates that are really new proprietary services, removal of call recording, removal of the little down arrows in the quick settings that let you do quick adjustments, and more that I'm probably forgetting.

    I hope that by the time Google removes custom launchers in favor of the always nebulous 'security and user protection', a usable alternative mobile OS that values user freedom will be available.

    27 votes
    1. [12]
      spctrvl
      Link Parent
      The way Android's been going the past few years might just see me switch to an iPhone as a daily driver whenever my current phone gives out, if alternatives like the PinePhone aren't ready by...

      The way Android's been going the past few years might just see me switch to an iPhone as a daily driver whenever my current phone gives out, if alternatives like the PinePhone aren't ready by then. Seems like google and the major manufacturers are hell bent on cutting down on the openness and variety that made android the more compelling platform to me. If I'm going to use a locked down device with no headphone jack or removable battery, I may as well use one that gets software support longer than three hours off the assembly line.

      14 votes
      1. Shahriar
        Link Parent
        Isn't that the truth. Customization was the key feature of Android. What was that saying again? Oh right, "be together, not the same."

        If I'm going to use a locked down device with no headphone jack or removable battery, I may as well use one that gets software support longer than three hours off the assembly line.

        Isn't that the truth. Customization was the key feature of Android.

        What was that saying again? Oh right, "be together, not the same."

        10 votes
      2. [10]
        tesseractcat
        Link Parent
        I see people say this a lot, but I would never want to move to an even more closed system. I don't value more updates when they don't affect my main issue with the platform.

        I see people say this a lot, but I would never want to move to an even more closed system. I don't value more updates when they don't affect my main issue with the platform.

        4 votes
        1. [9]
          spctrvl
          Link Parent
          Yeah, I don't particularly want to either, it's just that at this point an iPhone looks like a better value proposition from my end, with the ROM scene being practically moribund and iPhones...

          Yeah, I don't particularly want to either, it's just that at this point an iPhone looks like a better value proposition from my end, with the ROM scene being practically moribund and iPhones becoming easier to repair and maintain than most Android phones. I would much prefer it if something like the PinePhone was usable as a daily driver for my next phone though.

          11 votes
          1. [4]
            HrBingR
            Link Parent
            Honestly you can do a lot with an iPhone these days, and even more once iOS 14 releases. That said, my iPhone is jailbroken and will never not be, so I will grant that I have a lot more...

            Honestly you can do a lot with an iPhone these days, and even more once iOS 14 releases. That said, my iPhone is jailbroken and will never not be, so I will grant that I have a lot more customisability than most iPhone users.

            5 votes
            1. [3]
              JXM
              Link Parent
              I used to jailbreak regularly but gave up years ago. For me, it's not worth maintaining anymore for the small benefit that you get. I'm excited that they are finally allowing third party browsers...

              I used to jailbreak regularly but gave up years ago. For me, it's not worth maintaining anymore for the small benefit that you get.

              I'm excited that they are finally allowing third party browsers and email clients to be the default apps in iOS 14, even if they are only doing it to alleviate anti-trust concerns. Hopefully they allow us to change the default app for even more types in iOS 15.

              6 votes
              1. [2]
                Akir
                Link Parent
                Does that mean that browsers aren't forced to use webkit anymore? That was basically the primary reason why I ended up passing on the last iPhone.

                Does that mean that browsers aren't forced to use webkit anymore? That was basically the primary reason why I ended up passing on the last iPhone.

                1. Diff
                  Link Parent
                  I think that rule's still in place, but those browsers will be able to be set as the default handler for links and stuff in other apps, where currently it's always Safari.

                  I think that rule's still in place, but those browsers will be able to be set as the default handler for links and stuff in other apps, where currently it's always Safari.

          2. [4]
            tesseractcat
            Link Parent
            How is the ROM scene moribund? And I really doubt that Iphones are easier to repair than Android phones, given the extremely wide variety of Android phones available, many with similar parts. I...

            How is the ROM scene moribund? And I really doubt that Iphones are easier to repair than Android phones, given the extremely wide variety of Android phones available, many with similar parts.

            I too would definitely like something like the PinePhone, but the few 'open source' phones that are being produced nowadays are so lacking compared to even cheap Android phones that it's hard to justify switching, when a rooted Android phone would be better value wise and longevity wise.

            3 votes
            1. spctrvl
              Link Parent
              Compared to, say, 2012, there's not much of a ROM scene anymore. Back then, it seemed like practically every phone out there had a million and one ROMs, even phones with locked bootloaders needing...

              Compared to, say, 2012, there's not much of a ROM scene anymore. Back then, it seemed like practically every phone out there had a million and one ROMs, even phones with locked bootloaders needing exploits to flash, and they offered weird and interesting takes on the android experience. These days, there's not much besides lineage unless you're running a pixel, and there's less and less that distinguishes it from stock.

              As for repairability, of course I'm sure that there's still easily repairable Android phones around, but they aren't the norm anymore. iPhones might not be designed for user service, but the parts, guides, and tools are widely available, and having fixed iPhones from the 6s to the X, I can tell you that it was quicker and less painful than my Moto X or Nexus 6P, though granted I haven't done super in depth repairs.

              That said, I will likely continue using my rooted Moto X Pure for another few years at least. I just replaced the battery a couple months ago and want to squeeze every last drop of life I can from this thing.

              3 votes
            2. [2]
              JXM
              Link Parent
              Phones in general are trending toward being less and less repairable. It's been going that way for nearly a decade now. Yes, but none of those parts are interchangeable between manufactures. So...

              Phones in general are trending toward being less and less repairable. It's been going that way for nearly a decade now.

              given the extremely wide variety of Android phones available, many with similar parts.

              Yes, but none of those parts are interchangeable between manufactures. So it's essentially the same as iPhones.

              3 votes
              1. spctrvl
                Link Parent
                Worse, if anything, because with there only being two or three iPhone models per generation, a lot more people are going to own a particular model, meaning you'll have a much easier time finding...

                Worse, if anything, because with there only being two or three iPhone models per generation, a lot more people are going to own a particular model, meaning you'll have a much easier time finding parts and info for it.

                1 vote
    2. [4]
      rmgr
      Link Parent
      Once I get a weekend to sit down and figure how to get my Pinephone to detect my Yubikey, I think it might be time for me to seriously think about leaving Android. If you told me it was going this...

      Once I get a weekend to sit down and figure how to get my Pinephone to detect my Yubikey, I think it might be time for me to seriously think about leaving Android. If you told me it was going this way a decade ago I wouldn't have believed you but here we are.

      10 votes
      1. [3]
        vord
        Link Parent
        The Google that made Android is no more. The slide started circa 2004 with the IPO, but things shifted even more dramatically after the re-org to Alphabet, Inc in 2015. ASOP isn't dead yet, but I...

        The Google that made Android is no more. The slide started circa 2004 with the IPO, but things shifted even more dramatically after the re-org to Alphabet, Inc in 2015. ASOP isn't dead yet, but I suspect once Google pushes out the Linux kernel for it's own, ASOP dies a swift death.

        5 votes
        1. [2]
          I_WANNA_DO_IT_AGAIN
          Link Parent
          I think you mean AOSP ;-)

          I think you mean AOSP ;-)

          3 votes
          1. vord
            Link Parent
            Yup, that's what i get for posting just before bed.

            Yup, that's what i get for posting just before bed.

            3 votes
    3. [5]
      feigneddork
      Link Parent
      I know others have teased about moving to iOS but Google moving closer and closer into proprietary features and lack of integration, as well as the thought of having to flash ROMs and have to...

      I know others have teased about moving to iOS but Google moving closer and closer into proprietary features and lack of integration, as well as the thought of having to flash ROMs and have to manage & maintain my own group of tech outside of work (as well as the extra faff of detangling from Google), I just gave up and moved to iOS.

      iOS has faults. It is a walled garden. It's pretty much tough to customise it without Apple's blessing; the recent iOS 14 introduces widgets and home screen customisation. As a previous Android user it's pretty inflexible and it's absolutely telling this home screen was not designed for anything other than icons. You have to pay for things like custom ringtones whereas on Android I could easily slap on Saint Pepsi's Enjoy Yourself as a ringtone and my phone was incredibly distinct from everyone else in a pleasant way. Nearly every single lifestyle app (from exercise to dating) has some sort of subscription service tacked on. A lot of iOS features seemed to be designed to really encourage you to use their products (lack of NFC pairing to headphones means you have to dig through menus & menus of Bluetooth customisation vs flipping open AirPods and instantly pairing, lack of integration with any other smartwatch other than Apple's Watch).

      With all that said, unless Android really competes and offers something vastly different to iOS like they used to (instead of deeper and deeper integrations with Google which is not what I want), then I'm most likely going to stick to iOS. That, or Microsoft enters the mobile space in a big way and offers the customisation that allows users to express themselves yet not make the OS unwieldy.

      6 votes
      1. [4]
        mxuribe
        Link Parent
        I do recall hearing that Microsoft will enter the mobile space...but under the covers it will be android (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_Duo) ...so not sure if it will be more or less...

        I do recall hearing that Microsoft will enter the mobile space...but under the covers it will be android (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_Duo) ...so not sure if it will be more or less customizable.

        1 vote
        1. [2]
          Deimos
          Link Parent
          Microsoft has already attempted to get into mobile multiple times and failed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Phone They discontinued the most recent iteration relatively recently after...

          Microsoft has already attempted to get into mobile multiple times and failed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Phone

          They discontinued the most recent iteration relatively recently after never getting more than a tiny bit of market share, so I think it would be really surprising for them to try anything significant again.

          4 votes
          1. Liru
            Link Parent
            As someone who's actually currently using a Windows Phone as an internet hotspot, and had to develop applications for it a while back, it would be a lot more popular if Microsoft actually gave...

            As someone who's actually currently using a Windows Phone as an internet hotspot, and had to develop applications for it a while back, it would be a lot more popular if Microsoft actually gave half a crap about it instead of cutting corners on the OS and hardware. Unfortunately, they decided to go with the half-baked mess of an OS and unreliable hardware, making it difficult to use as a daily driver when random things crash or stop working. Not to mention the usual Microsoft strategy of injecting ads onto your home screen was floated around...

            And then they were shocked that adoption was low.

            4 votes
    4. [7]
      vord
      Link Parent
      While I've not used complete Google-free Lineage OS, I think it's a reasonable launching point for an alternative. Issue is always going to boil down to application support, and I doubt anything...

      While I've not used complete Google-free Lineage OS, I think it's a reasonable launching point for an alternative. Issue is always going to boil down to application support, and I doubt anything that isn't open source is going to be readily ported without a massive user-base moving over. Firefox as an app-engine is likely the best case scenario for a lot of stuff. But even then, I have doubts that anything other than stock Android/IOS is going to attract enough of an audience to be sustainable.

      The right answer is to mandate unlockable bootloaders and that all firmware must be publicly accessible for free (should be standard for all electronics IMO), so that there is always at least a possible migration path, even if it requires technical knowledge to setup.

      5 votes
      1. [5]
        moonbathers
        Link Parent
        I've used Lineage for a while and while I don't use my phone for a lot, it gets the job done. There are small user experience things that I don't like, but you're going to get those on any OS...

        I've used Lineage for a while and while I don't use my phone for a lot, it gets the job done. There are small user experience things that I don't like, but you're going to get those on any OS without a lot of support. It was kind of a pain getting Aurora Store set up as well, but now that I've done it it's bearable.

        3 votes
        1. [4]
          ohyran
          Link Parent
          I use Lineage without Gapps daily as my main phone and not that I claim you're lying - but for me the installation of Aurora Store is just a click in F-droid away.

          I use Lineage without Gapps daily as my main phone and not that I claim you're lying - but for me the installation of Aurora Store is just a click in F-droid away.

          6 votes
          1. [3]
            moonbathers
            Link Parent
            When I started using it there was a bug that made it so signing into Google was hit or miss, but since they fixed that life is a lot easier. I also had some trouble installing MicroG to the point...

            When I started using it there was a bug that made it so signing into Google was hit or miss, but since they fixed that life is a lot easier. I also had some trouble installing MicroG to the point that I ended up putting a version of Lineage on my phone that already had it installed.

            1. [2]
              ohyran
              Link Parent
              Oh... ok so I use the anonymous log in (which is the suggested method as Google does not accept it as a store and that means they can block your account if they find out that its been used like...

              Oh... ok so I use the anonymous log in (which is the suggested method as Google does not accept it as a store and that means they can block your account if they find out that its been used like that).

              MicroG is a PITA to install - and the stock suggestion is to use a premade ROM with it (like you did in the end). In my case I don't use MicroG (my only Google-necessary app (Bank-ID in Sweden) is installable anonymously from Aurora and set up with a tiny bit of fiddling on the banks end.

              1 vote
              1. moonbathers
                Link Parent
                Yeah, you definitely want to use the anonymous account. And agreed completely about MicroG, I think it was necessary for the maps app that I wanted to use? I don't actually remember, and since I...

                Yeah, you definitely want to use the anonymous account. And agreed completely about MicroG, I think it was necessary for the maps app that I wanted to use? I don't actually remember, and since I use a different one now I may not have even needed it but I've got it now 🤷

                1 vote
      2. [2]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. crdpa
          Link Parent
          I always root and run my phone gapps free, but my new one is a pain to unlock the bootloader so the only thing i did is remove the bloat with adb, but Google is still here. I gotta say. The...

          I always root and run my phone gapps free, but my new one is a pain to unlock the bootloader so the only thing i did is remove the bloat with adb, but Google is still here.

          I gotta say. The localization is way, way better and faster with gapps installed.

          OpenStreetMap and Osmand works, but without gapps it's not the same.

          4 votes