Re:Android 12 forces you to choose a default browser unless ...
by dangus on Tuesday March 15, 2022 @02:30PM
(#30689061)
Technically, Sailfish is what you're asking for, though it's a little bit niche, Europe-focused, and only supported on specific Sony devices: https://sailfishos.org
> I despise apple because of their design choices that prevent you from doing even the simplest tasks.
That seems a little dramatic. I'm quite sure that iPhone owners are able to complete "simple tasks."
I'd recommend trying a device with a recent iOS version, giving it a chance, and seeing if that opinion still rings true. The iPhone as a platform is a lot more open and flexible than it used to be.
I switched from Android in 2016, and the most shocking thing about it was just how much of the experience is essentially identical to Android. Apple and Google have been borrowing identical features from each other for quite some time now.
If you last tried iOS back when Steve Jobs was alive, you might think that all of these things couldn't be done on iOS:
- Install full browser extensions (introduced in iOS 15)
- Integrate with 3rd party password managers (iOS 12)
- Change default browser, email apps. (Default navigation app still can't be changed, sadly.)
- Removing icons from the home screen without uninstalling the app (iOS 15)
- Adding widgets to your home screen (iOS 14)
- Use an alternate keyboard (iOS 12)
- Tell Siri to play a song in Spotify or other third party services
- Use third party communication, navigation, and music services with CarPlay (Spotify even adds a custom UI element for its favorite button)
- Play videos with Picture-in-Picture
- Cast to Chromecast and other non-Apple casting devices (app-dependent, but you can always use the Chrome browser, YouTube, and Spotify apps to cast that way)
- NFC is no longer locked down
Really, the only difference between Apple and Google is that their business interests are aligned in a slightly different way. They're both restrictive when it comes to features that threaten their business model.
I agree with you that we should have more/better alternatives, or at the very least more consumer protections and restrictions on Apple and Google's duopoly.
> I despise apple because of their design choices that prevent you from doing even the simplest tasks.
That seems a little dramatic. I'm quite sure that iPhone owners are able to complete "simple tasks."
I'd recommend trying a device with a recent iOS version, giving it a chance, and seeing if that opinion still rings true. The iPhone as a platform is a lot more open and flexible than it used to be.
I switched from Android in 2016, and the most shocking thing about it was just how much of the experience is essentially identical to Android. Apple and Google have been borrowing identical features from each other for quite some time now.
If you last tried iOS back when Steve Jobs was alive, you might think that all of these things couldn't be done on iOS:
- Install full browser extensions (introduced in iOS 15)
- Integrate with 3rd party password managers (iOS 12)
- Change default browser, email apps. (Default navigation app still can't be changed, sadly.)
- Removing icons from the home screen without uninstalling the app (iOS 15)
- Adding widgets to your home screen (iOS 14)
- Use an alternate keyboard (iOS 12)
- Tell Siri to play a song in Spotify or other third party services
- Use third party communication, navigation, and music services with CarPlay (Spotify even adds a custom UI element for its favorite button)
- Play videos with Picture-in-Picture
- Cast to Chromecast and other non-Apple casting devices (app-dependent, but you can always use the Chrome browser, YouTube, and Spotify apps to cast that way)
- NFC is no longer locked down
Really, the only difference between Apple and Google is that their business interests are aligned in a slightly different way. They're both restrictive when it comes to features that threaten their business model.
I agree with you that we should have more/better alternatives, or at the very least more consumer protections and restrictions on Apple and Google's duopoly.