Thank you for mentioning the importance of Blue Tooth!
1 Like
Hi @flypig is this Issue somehow on Jollas To Do list? I would like to use a fitnes tracker but its not working, because of the missing bluetooth support in the Android App Support. Would be great to have a statement from Jolla on this topic.
1 Like
As far as I am aware this is very difficult to achieve because of the different ways in which SFOS (linux) and Android handle bluetooth, so sharing this connectivity is not possible at the moment for Bluetooth Low Energy connections (what watches and fitness trackers mostly use). The question had been asked before and the answer has always been ânot at the momentâ. There has been no indication from Jolla to date that this position is likely to change as far as I know.
1 Like
today iâm getting my hybrid smartwatch and i just happened to come across this thread. then i wonât have to fret later when no connection can be made from the fossil app. so for setup iâll at least have a first function for my xperia 10 iv, which is waiting for sailfish (hopefully soon with bluetooth in android apps).
The device seems to be supported by Gadgetbridge so you could potentially* port it to Amazfish.
*My understanding is that Amazfit GTS/R support is inspired from there, but there are chances this is more complicated since itâs a different vendor/kind of device so you may also lack UI for some functionalities, whereas Amazfit share some more UI bits.
1 Like
thanks for the reply! i have already downloaded the gadgetbridge app via f-droid and will test this later with the fossil hybrid watch (gen 6).
but as soon as it requires command input or or downloads from github, it is unfortunately beyond my competence.
Just to make sure: Iâm not implying gadgetbridge would work with bluetooth on SFOS Android
1 Like
oh, then excuse my misinterpretation and thanks anyway for the information about this alternative application.
Currently he is using regular android, since sfos for xperia 10 iv does not exist (yet?), so using gadget bridge should work.
Another PUSH for Bluetooth Passtrough.
To set one thing straight:
It is not like we get AlienDalvik for free, we pay for it.
I did not see a warning upfront that Bluetooth would not be available to Android apps (while knowing that not all apps will work, because of gapps and so forth).
ROI is no valid argument for omitting Bluetooth passthrough, if necessary adjust the price of the package or make it an optional component that costs extra.
I already paid twice for SailfishX, i use my devices as daily driver.
I want to stick to Sailfish, but if things do not change, i will switch to the free version in the future and just use waydroid on top, no point in paying over and over for a feature that is advertised but treated stepmotherly.
1 Like
Actually the development of Sailfish is strongly focused on the Android compatibility. In the recent releases we saw big development steps here with version upgrades, signed images, improvements of security architecture, look-and-feel of android apps, and the like. I do not see a reason to complain here.
3 Likes
No reason to complain then, if focus is now on android compatibility weâll probably see Bluetooth support very soon, jey, finally!
1 Like
I did not mean that bluetooth support was not desirable, but that you can not complain about android support being not developped further despite being a paid feature.
2 Likes
The XperiaX i used before did not get an upgraded AlienDalvik, it is still stuck at api level 19 or so, even though there is an official Android 9 image for it.
I do not know if it is due to technical reasons, but back then i also did not find an explanation from Jolla and had to get a Xperia XA2 to profit from the upgraded AlienDalvik.
Is it a complaint, if in the official forums subforum called âfeature requestsâ there is a thread" Bluetooth Support in Android" with 134 replies and ~9400 views which implies that there is quite a demand for that feature?
Having Bluetooth in AlienDalvik is necessary to be able to use or control many devices, like Smartwatches, Cameras, Gamepads, Smart Home Devices and so on.
This is nowadays one of the things a smartphone is used for.
âUse apps native to sfosâ is no valid argument either, else there would be no need for AlienDalvik anyway.
Why do users have to beg for a essential feature, and there is not at least a official response from the developers like âWe heard you, butâŚâ âwe need a certain amount of time to make it happenâ or âit is technically not possible due toâŚâ or âif we implement it we need to charge it seperatly because it needs that many manhoursâ?
It is. (Too old kernel - the SFOS port is not based on said Android 9)
This was communicated.
Iâm sorry, but this hardly classifies as essential.
That would be nice. There have been some in the community meetings though, but also sort-of non-answers in content.
My money is on that it is effectively impossible to implement.
Proxying/emulating the interfaces can only cause a world of hurt with apps making creative/undocumented use of apis. And having users be able to switch between what controls Bluetooth will cause lots of complaints and interesting issues (like perhaps no bt audio in Android mode).
3 Likes
Iâm trying to connect my Garmin Vivo device through the Garmin Connect app. But the Garmin app keeps saying Bluetooth is disabled despite being turned on and being able to see the Vivo Smart in the device list from SFOS itself.
Judging this thread, am I correct in saying that currently no smartwatches and/or Garmin devices can be used at all on SFOS?
Important qualifier to that: with the Android app.
There may well be some Linux solutions to doing so, there looks to be at least some interesting search resultsâŚ
(Edit: for Amazfit, Pinetime and Pebble there are of course fully-fledged native apps, i was thinking of Garmin specifically)
But if there isnât, that then implies that no, effectively there is not.
What we then need to ask ourselves then is how that ever became acceptable.
Why is it that we accept random tech gadgets gets to limit people on what OSes they use, but for example parking garages would be out of their mind to demand you drive a specific brand of car?
5 Likes
Havenât been able to find one, so I guess I need to buy some different device then. Will see if I can get those native apps to work before I buy hardware, but I guess itâs not very straight forward as long as they arenât in the Jolla app shop.
1 Like
I wanted to avoid google, and after reading the documentation about Android support, I flashed sailfish to a new Xperia 10iii.
I have very few functional requirements, but one of the drivers was to access a variety of bluetooth devices that have an associated Android app.
This was the first thing I tried and it was an instant fail. It seems that bluetooth and Android is a dud, and has never been working.
There was no mention of this limitation in the Jolla documentaiton I read. Quite disappopinted to say the last - failure on day 1. Is it possible to flash LineageOS to the device instead?
3 Likes