Source: HERE
AT&T: The most crippled Android experience
We try to be fair to every handset, but the are some we just can’t help but make fun of. Everyone thought Verizon was going to cripple Android, but they became friends with Google and offered the full Android experience.
AT&T is in bed with Apple and has gone to extreme measures to make sure their first Android phone, the Motorola Backflip, was under-powered and locked down. We already knew about the lack of Google search and today another limitation has surfaced.
The Backflip has no option to install applications from unknown sources (aka non-Market applications). This is important to note because every Android phone (that I know of) has included this as a default option of the Android OS.
Maybe it was done to “protect” the users, but this blocks the install of apps purchased on alternative markets and beta apps like Swype. Developers will also be unable to easily load and test their apps on the device before they release them.
Basically, AT&T is offering the same locked-in market experience that iPhone users get to enjoy put up with.
To add insult to injury, customers are also not allowed to remove the dozen or so AT&T apps that come preloaded with the device (bloatware). Android phones already struggle with limited storage space and having the carrier dictate which ones are installed on a user’s phone is a disappointment.
So to recap the AT&T Backflip:
1. Outdated Android 1.5 with Motoblur
2. No Google search (replaced by Yahoo)
3. Unable to remove AT&T bloatware apps
4. Cannot install non-market apps
Let us hope that AT&T offers a more open experience on their future devices, because this is not the Android that we know and love.
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Click to collapse
Honestly, I am SO... SO SO SO SO SO SO glad I am not on AT&T with my Android devices, nor that I waited for them to FINALLY get one, I would be PI$$ED about this!!
Well, until it was rooted and custom ROM's released... but still... seriously??
Yep, they just don't get it & continue to screw their customers!
I bought a Huawei MediapadM2 8 LTE in December 2015, it never received any Android updates and so is stuck on Lollipop 5.1.1. Given that Google actually releases regular security patches now, is this old version of Android inherently not secure and are there things I should avoid doing with it. The tab itself is great for playing games and media consumption but I have stopped using it for anything where I would need to enter financial information.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4575649&stc=1&d=1534662898
damole said:
I bought a Huawei MediapadM2 8 LTE in December 2015, it never received any Android updates and so is stuck on Lollipop 5.1.1. Given that Google actually releases regular security patches now, is this old version of Android inherently not secure and are there things I should avoid doing with it. The tab itself is great for playing games and media consumption but I have stopped using it for anything where I would need to enter financial information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The earlier versions of Android are very insecure especially Lollipop with no updates. Even without storing and using the tablet for sensitive information it can still track your media preferences and if infected can record your voice/data or even be used as a gateway to hack other machines (with wifi network or with tethering). Not to worry though you can find a rom for your device or try developing one by yourself this will be a more recent version without all the security holes and has recent updates.
The forum for your device is here
Now it's official, no Google blessings!
They killed it before its even born!
The best smartphone any Geek could ever dream of.
6.5 inch horizon screen with better screen to body ratio and smaller notch
Kirin 990 with 5G 7nm processor
4500 mah battery
27w wireless charging with 3 times faster reverse wireless charging
Improved camera sensor
Better in display fingerprint sensor
Better UI
etc...
Tthey promise a stable huawei mobile services platform and a rich app store database, but can it replace Google play services (play store, maps, youtube, drive, etc...)
Even if we can add Google play services, will it be continuously getting updates? Will it be secure? Can it be allowed to add it in the 1st place?
Why kill a great company with leading technologies and limitless potentials?
I am a Huawei flagship user since the Porsche design mate 9 passing through all the great phones Huawei created and ending with the Mate 20 Pro 8gb 256gb international version. No way I'm going back to Samsung. The Note 10 plus can't be compared to the legendary Mate 30 pro!!!!
I'm in shock, I feel I'm in a nightmare and I need to wake up and find it's over soon!
Searching Huawei's App gallery on my Honor view 20, there are lots of YouTube clients. There is web browser access of course. For other apps like maps, we just extract the apk from an old phone and fire it over to the new mate 30. Just means a manual process every now and than. I'm not sure if the lack play services will cause issues? Just think how great the battery life would be without Play Services! Also, we won't have google listening to our every words and then serving up ads all the time.
Same here ... We need to know will we be able to install the play store and google apps .... ?????? This is the important question .
Or when u buy the phone will it transfer all your apps in the 1st sync between 2 phones ?
Is it possible that we can just create a custom rom with all the google services?
hwoarang626 said:
Same here ... We need to know will we be able to install the play store and google apps .... ?????? This is the important question .
Or when u buy the phone will it transfer all your apps in the 1st sync between 2 phones ?
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Click to collapse
It isn't ideal but you could install Aurora Droid if you cannot install the Google Play store.
As for transferring all your apps. I would assume not That seems to be a Google service when you setup your phone with your Google account. Unless they provide a service like that which can read apps and settings from the previous phone.
Another good thing to note besides just installing the Google Play Store is that you need Google Play Services for some apps. Things like Netflix won't play in HD, WhatsApp won't be able to back-up your data to Google Drive, and Snapchat won't work either. You might be able to circumvent those problems with the microG Project though. But I believe that that is still in an early stage of development.
In a follow-up interview with Richard Yu clarified one important question in regards to how users will have control over the software they’ll be able to install on the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro;
and he also confirmed that users will be able to unlock the bootloaders for the Mate 30 and 30 Pro.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/14887/huawei-launches-mate-30-mate-30-pro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DO1cnJwIWw&feature=youtu.be
i don't speak Italian but google apps are installed at 5:15. Maps and youtube are shown shortly after that. Play store is also shown being installed. Getting this phone when it's available.
Is the unavailability of GApps permanent ?
---------- Post added at 09:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 PM ----------
Cccmachins said:
In a follow-up interview with Richard Yu clarified one important question in regards to how users will have control over the software they’ll be able to install on the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro;
and he also confirmed that users will be able to unlock the bootloaders for the Mate 30 and 30 Pro.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/14887/huawei-launches-mate-30-mate-30-pro
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Click to collapse
We can have Magisk, Custom roms and Kernels then ?
Actually with unlocked bootloader and easy root this may be the phone to get.
pete4k said:
Actually with unlocked bootloader and easy root this may be the phone to get.
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Click to collapse
I was wondering the same thing. In the olden times- phone with unlocked bootloader allowed us to customize phone to the teeth- Performance and battery longevity both improved. Shouldn't that be the case here?'
RE-sale would suffer
mwatson said:
Searching Huawei's App gallery on my Honor view 20, there are lots of YouTube clients. There is web browser access of course. For other apps like maps, we just extract the apk from an old phone and fire it over to the new mate 30. Just means a manual process every now and than. I'm not sure if the lack play services will cause issues? Just think how great the battery life would be without Play Services! Also, we won't have google listening to our every words and then serving up ads all the time.
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Click to collapse
I think the same way as you. The first thing that crossed my mind when Richard Yu said that's not going to be any GMS was that battery life would be freaking awesome. GMS like play services has a really high battery consumption. If I get the Mate 30 Pro, I would just sideload YouTube and Gmail. I don't really need other Google services.
I think this was a dreadful way of handling competition with Huawei.
They outran everyone and so - you treat them like terrorists and run them out of the market.
It's transparent and anti-capitalist and I'm going to buy the phone and I hope that China keeps going.
It's left a bitter taste in my mouth for everything American.
For the time being I'm just going to short-cut from my browsers to gmail etc
I don't need the apps
And side-load when this becomes possible.
I don't like to see people beat down good competition.
I'm behind Huawei all the way - I don't think anyone will ever trust America again - I wish them luck with Harmony OS and in the long term, I wish China's tech, every success.
Let's see.
Onward.
First message on xda-developer since, well, when I actually used the XDA II!
I am not moving away from Android and if I can, Huawei (Mate 7,8,9P,10P,20P, P20P, P30P). Am now looking at prove that GMS can be installed on the M30P and I will upgrade, if not, I'm sorry Huawei.
Are we still on XDA-Developers ? People could boot 3 OS's on the HTC HD2 !
Installing Google Services on the Mate30 is really easy...
Just look at any Meizu or Xiaomi china phone and see how easy it is to get it to run the full Google services, heck, flashing Gapps after Flashing any ROM avaiable on here should already be 2nd nature to most of us !
I agree. Sideload Google services is very easy. Just flash a gapps package and you're done. If you just want YouTube and G-Mail, just flash these two apps
Hope we can easily sideload all Google stuff.
I don't see any phone worth buying outside of M30P or maybe M30X in the future
I have a Mate 20 Pro and it's an amazing phone, I'd like to buy a Mate 30 Pro and I have zero problems with side-loading apps and unlocking bootloaders etc.
The only question I have is, is it possible after side loading the apps for Google restrict them remotely?
Sorry if this is well known, I've been out of the ROM / app flashing game for a while.... back in my HD2 days it was a new ROM every week and great fun
GMS will be like installing on a chinese SKU'd phone, but the issue as a daily driver will be things like widevide, saftey net, bank apps, etc... not to mention having to root for things like aptx codecs etc. It will also remain to be seen if push notifications via gcm will be ok as well, or FCM i think is what the push api is called now.
Netflix, Spotify, most decent banking apps, might be b0rked. Really a shame since this hardware is leagues ahead right now. Pixel 4 xl is looking to be a disappointment comparatively, and note 10 was just 10++ basically.
gn0s1s said:
GMS will be like installing on a chinese SKU'd phone, but the issue as a daily driver will be things like widevide, saftey net, bank apps, etc... not to mention having to root for things like aptx codecs etc. It will also remain to be seen if push notifications via gcm will be ok as well, or FCM i think is what the push api is called now.
Netflix, Spotify, most decent banking apps, might be b0rked. Really a shame since this hardware is leagues ahead right now. Pixel 4 xl is looking to be a disappointment comparatively, and note 10 was just 10++ basically.
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Click to collapse
Yes, am very keen to see if banking apps will work.
SafetyNet WILL be broken by unlocking the bootloader. It's a given. Sadly this means no Netflix, no banking apps, no Snapchat (can cope without that one) etc. To me that's fine - I never watch netflix on my phone and banking I always access from a browser. For a phone the major things, for me, are battery life and the camera. I'll be getting this and hoping I can sideload stuff later.
Just bought google pixel 4a and would like to migrate from google android to something open source ( I m quite new to this)
Would like to use some Google services like google maps, then some bank apps if it's possible?
Could you point direction what kind of OS will suit me for this purpose and would be good to get some guidance for installation.
Thanks
Banking / payment apps typically ( for good reasons ) check whether phone got tampered, especially whether its bootloader got unlocked or its Android got rooted: this test is easy to perform, cannot be suppressed, even if this is constantly claimed.
Hi,
First sorry for this vague post. I am on Android since 2012. During 2012-2014 I used to try out lots of custom ROMs as I was in college and I had mobile like Samsung Galaxy S3 and then later Nexus and the OEM abandoned the updates after a while. After that I started working and since then have been on multiple Google line of devices, first Nexus and now my latest is Pixel3. I am generally happy with the phone. However, my Pixel3 stopped receiving updates I started thinking why I should dump this and buy a new one when it's perfectly working fine for my need.
I just came to this site after like ages to see what is the current status of custom ROMs. It seems overwhelmingly new now. I remember back then we had some sharp edges and something or other didn't work. Since then I am more into google ecosystem now. I use google Fi for phone. I like and use most of the google feature. So just wondering what will I lose by moving to custom ROM and am I ready to live without those features or should I just accept that I will not have any updates and if I need the updates I will have to buy a new phone.
I am not much interested into rooting and gaining advanced controls or doing anything extra nerdy. I will be perfectly happy with just getting the security patches and whatever feature is there if they keep working.
1. what are some good custom ROMs popular these days?
2. What are the things I'd lose moving to custom ROM?
3. Does all hardware for ex: Finger print, NFC work?
4. What about google apps, I mostly like all google app like camera, google pay, phone, play store
5. I like the google specific features like call screening and google assistance, google feed. I guess I will lose those.
6. I also use google Fi, can I still use that seamlessly or is there any gotchas I need to be aware of?
7. Is there any other way to keep my phone Googlized and receive security updates. It is totally acceptable if I can get security patches after some delay and not via OTP but have to sideload manually.
r0b0 said:
Hi,
First sorry for this vague post. I am on Android since 2012. During 2012-2014 I used to try out lots of custom ROMs as I was in college and I had mobile like Samsung Galaxy S3 and then later Nexus and the OEM abandoned the updates after a while. After that I started working and since then have been on multiple Google line of devices, first Nexus and now my latest is Pixel3. I am generally happy with the phone. However, my Pixel3 stopped receiving updates I started thinking why I should dump this and buy a new one when it's perfectly working fine for my need.
I just came to this site after like ages to see what is the current status of custom ROMs. It seems overwhelmingly new now. I remember back then we had some sharp edges and something or other didn't work. Since then I am more into google ecosystem now. I use google Fi for phone. I like and use most of the google feature. So just wondering what will I lose by moving to custom ROM and am I ready to live without those features or should I just accept that I will not have any updates and if I need the updates I will have to buy a new phone.
I am not much interested into rooting and gaining advanced controls or doing anything extra nerdy. I will be perfectly happy with just getting the security patches and whatever feature is there if they keep working.
1. what are some good custom ROMs popular these days?
2. What are the things I'd lose moving to custom ROM?
3. Does all hardware for ex: Finger print, NFC work?
4. What about google apps, I mostly like all google app like camera, google pay, phone, play store
5. I like the google specific features like call screening and google assistance, google feed. I guess I will lose those.
6. I also use google Fi, can I still use that seamlessly or is there any gotchas I need to be aware of?
7. Is there any other way to keep my phone Googlized and receive security updates. It is totally acceptable if I can get security patches after some delay and not via OTP but have to sideload manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. LineageOS
2. I have not found anything lost.
3. Yes
4. You can download the Google Camera app from the play store. Probably the phone app also, but I have not tried it. Google Pay will require rooting and Universal SafetyNet Fix module.
5. Don't know, as I don't use them.
6. I don't use Fi, but would expect it to work.
7. I'm not aware of any other way, but have not looked. Lineage does everything I need.