Re:KaiOS – A Smartphone Operating System
by eadmund on Monday February 26, 2018 @11:48AM
(#16466685)
> They would not get Google Play Services
If I have Firefox and thus can load up any Google web page, do I need Google Play Services?
Re:KaiOS – A Smartphone Operating System
by ocdtrekkie on Monday February 26, 2018 @12:51PM
(#16467290)
As a strange event, I actually upvoted bitmapbrother, we agreed on something! As he says, MicroG is a hack, and there's no reasonable point where someone is going to take stewardship of Android away from Google. (Other than antimonopoly action.)
There's no point in having Android if you can't run Android apps, and most Android apps users want are now dependent on Google's proprietary libraries (Play Services). So why would you want an Android fork if you aren't going to be able to run Android apps? Might as well go with KaiOS at that point.
Re:KaiOS – A Smartphone Operating System
by bitmapbrother on Wednesday February 28, 2018 @01:41AM
(#16481166)
What does a browser have to do with Google Play Services? Google Play Services, like the name implies, supplies services to apps and games. Without these services a large majority of apps that rely on them will cease to work on an Android phone without Google Play Services.
Re:KaiOS – A Smartphone Operating System
by eadmund on Wednesday February 28, 2018 @11:11AM
(#16483902)
I was thinking that with a browser the need for on-phone apps is significantly reduced.
If one does want or need native apps (e.g. for security), then is it possible for a third party to emulate Google Play Services? Or do they use a certificate to prevent third-party clones?
No they wouldn't have. They would not get Google Play Services and your MicroG "solution" is ridiculous from a commercial perspective and a violation from a TOS perspective that would be shut down by Google.
>It's even possible they could have overtaken Google and became the effective steward of the Android platform
I don't think you understand the army of developers it takes to maintain and enhance Android on an annual basis nor the millions of dollars it costs Google. To even suggest that they would have overtaken Google and become the steward of the Android platform is ridiculous.