Firstly, thanks for the clarity. The OP’s problem is apparently not what you’re talking about. It was indeed an installation problem. Other people might have other problems.
But the problem you’re talking is a standard problem with edge detection autofocus. It’s probably not a bug but a failure to implement various Sony focusing mechanisms. Fingus already talked about Laser Autofocus in comment #8, but that’s apparently for low-light shots. Is it working?
There’s also a Sony feature called Predictive Hybrid Autofocus which may or may not be useful for sports. Sony claims that it is. I’ve seen no evidence that is working.
The RGB-IR sensor probably isn’t implemented either.
The problems with edge detection are much less apparent in Continuous mode. The latter seems to use the zoom-in/out autofocus once and then keep the same focus for later ‘manual’ shots. It is a much more obvious problem on macro mode. [There may also be something Snap Camera does to change the behaviour of Advanced Camera but I haven’t reproduced this as yet].
It’s also possible this is a reduced problem in the latest version: “* Continuour-focus fixes from @llelectronics” (sic)
It obviously also depends what you’re shooting. Most of us don’t shoot sports from a close up position or take photos of something following an O-shaped path.
As a lifelong amateur photographer, I have also learned to keep the camera still.
The problem exists in Snap Camera and is arguably worse there but I only use it for 3 shot HDR, which is useless with fast motion shots or a moving camera, so it’s fairly irrelevant.
I don’t imagine this zoom in/out autofocus is anything to do with Jolla but rather Sony’s own implementation of a backup function. If so, that’s not going to get fixed in anything other than a later Android version. But the lack of implementation of some of these features might.
Your bug thread is also a misuse of the verb ‘to hang’ in in title. In computing terms, something hanging very much means the program needs to be closed (and often, the system rebooted). “Delay” is the word you’re looking for.