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#8

@zacariaz I understand your frustration. However, as other other users have pointed, Sailfish is made to be Google free :smile:

I agree with you that the sad reality is that many apps are not available on Sailfish. I wish we had a better native support, but it’s up to the community at this point tbh. I personally have used Micro-g and most of my issues have been solved. Hope you can try it, that way you escape the services trap, at least by a little bit hehe.

I would love to have more native apps and would love to pay for them, sadly the store still does not allow for paid apps :frowning:. Hopefully with this new forum, developers are encouraged to post more often and maybe we can fund developers via this community so we get more native support!!

#9

Your first point:

The problem is not Android support, but the developers who like to use the Google framework to make a profit. Easy to use and much cheaper to produce apps. Google provides many free functions that would otherwise have to be developed first. This is the trick to retain developers and make money with your data. It is “win win” for developers and Google, it is a strategy and that is what Google services and the Play Store stand for.

There is another way. Use stores like F-Droid (FOSS). There are also modern apps that do not require a Play Store and Google services. There are “real Android” apps and no cash cows and chimeras for Google. Sailfish stands for google-free and not for Trojan horses. I hope Jolla doesn’t change that. If you don’t like that, you should buy a google phone instead of a sailfish license.

No matter how, you should inquire beforehand whether you want this.

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#10

I have to say one thing, before I leave this subject behind.
You keep saying Sailfish is Google free, but android is Google. It is, there’s no way around it. Sure, in theory, you can pick it apparat and use the parts you like, maybe, but still android apps are developed for Googles Android, so in my not so humble opinion, Sailfish will never be “Google free” as long as it offers Android support, be it fully functional or not.

#11

Once again, no. Android is not Google. Google owns Android and exploits it to make money, but Android is not Google. And, once again, simply install apps from Amazon store and you will find that they do not use anything Google and nevertheless they work in Android.

7 Likes
#12

Your are right: “Sailfish will never be “Google free” as long as it offers Android support, be it fully functional or not.” Thats why many SFOS user have not installed the android emulation.

#13

The real Android

3 Likes
Privacy Improvements
#14

Is Amazon any better than Google from the privacy viewpoint? They require me to log in to download apps, they track my behaviour, they serve me ads. It does not seem a step forward.

#15

@fph you miss the point here. @jameson doesnt mean amazon is better, but just points out you can have a fully functioning android without google.

3 Likes
#16

But what is the ultimate goal of having a Google-free Android then, if not to get rid of all the tracking? Just for the warm fuzzy feeling?

#17

Yes, you can overwrite your device’s firmware. Sometimes it can be difficult to find the precise version that you need because proprietary Android developers (Google, Samsung, Motorola, Sony) make it hard to find ROMs, but you can do it. There are other Android-focused websites like XDA-Developers that can help with that.

Having said all of that, I’ll repeat what many others have already said: it is not a fair criticism of Jolla or Sailfish to complain that it doesn’t support the entire Google Android ecosystem. If it did, it would be an Android operating system. You can take it as far as you want and install MicroG or similar software, but at that point you might strongly consider sticking with a commercial Android device.

A fully functioning Jolla Store that accepts payments from multiple currencies would do wonders to expand the number of native Sailfish applications. Why Jolla has not pursued this for so many years is not clear to me. I understand why in the early days…but now it is time to take part in the international mobile app market.

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#18

I was replying to your assertion that Android is Google, by showing that there are Android apps that work without anything Google, such as the ones you can get from Amazon store or from the Huawei store for post-Trump-ban Huawei phones.

1 Like
#19

The Google license also prohibits the “commercial Google Android” together with another preinstalled operating system on a new phone. Jolla would have to be licensed by Google. Together with the “full Google Android” no more Sailfish may be installed. Jolla offers only Android support and not Google support. The Play Store can be installed under Sailfish, but why not take an Android phone right away?

This discussion has been around since the Stone Age :wink: Jolla is Sailfish and not Google.

Btw. Google vs. Amazon. Use F-Droid as a store for tracker and ad-free apps.

4 Likes
#20

and when the developers are gonna create mainstream apps for sfos, like they do for android and iOS?

1 Like
#21

blindtyping so sorry for typos, that’s not gonna happen, 99.9% of app developers don’t care about foss, having to only aim at two platforms is good and they effectively are goog employees as google pays their wage, rooted and other non google play solutions allow for all kinds of adblocks and shit, you’re lucky to not be banned for using third party apps like whatsapp does

#22

SailfishOS is not an OS for the Mass Market. Its an OS for Linux freaks, Developers, Enthusiasts…
It will NEVER have so much apps like Android or IOS. And this is IMHO good so.
Of course, more apps would be nice, but it will never be an amount like in PlayStore or AppStore.
When you are Linux geek and love SailfishOS - use it. When you need an high amount of shiny apps like in PlayStore or AppStore - buy an Android Phone or iPhone. Life can be so simple… :slight_smile:
So i clearly don’t understand, why so many folks love to see SailfishOS as an Mass Market OS.

Microsoft already tried to be an Global player and offer Mass Market Mobile OS> You know the story. Even after buying Nokia they failed.

There is no place for the 3rd global player in MobileOS Market. So Jolla, as a small Finnish company is doing anything right: The offer an OS for Security-oriented users, Linux Devs and Freaks, FOSS advocates…And business and governance organizations. And here they could be better…

9 Likes
#23

U are completely right in what you explain. Maybe I was not clear enough when I wrote that sentences.
In my opinion with mainstream apps is to be possible to use Signal, to communicate with my people around the world.
Is not about having so much apps, like I think that Jolla has a loooot of them. Is about having some acces to some good apps like telegram or signal , like Ubuntu touch does, and this is a linux distro also.

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#24

If i am right, the difference between SFOS and UBtouch is that UBtouch is using a lot of webapps. And probably Telegram and Co. are Webapps in UBtouch, so unless SFOS would turn into the direction of Webapps, we have to wait for native SFOS apps. There is also the solution of using Flatpack, but therefore you have to do changes on the software of your phone and like i heard, Flatpack has security issues…

4 Likes
#25

I know that you are completely right. BUT: A phone, which can not really be used as a daily driver, is just waste. And everybody has different expectations for the usage as a daily driver.
I am taking myself as an example:
I use at least two apps for public transport. With SFOS on this browser? Forget it!
I use Wire for communication. It’s a good and privacy concerned network, but there is no app. I have asked on the Telegram group, if there was someone who knew how to program it and I would pay a big part and make some crowdfunding - no results.
So: If it I can’t use this phone for my daily obstacles: Why should I posess it except for experiments? How could we generate enough errors for correction, so that SFOS is better - without the phone being a daily driver?

#26

Every person have different expectation for what is daily driver. For me - is an Xperia XA with SailfishOS very good as a daily driver. But not for you. When you can’t live without the apps, which are not avaiable on the SailfishOS - than you need another Phone / OS as a daily driver. Take Android / IOS and you will have the apps you want.
SailfishOS cant be as good as Android / IOS (in terms of apps amount) because the OS is developed by the small company and community. It will never have as much apps as android / IOS. Maybe sometimes things will changed, but not yet. So just think about it.

If you need SailfishOS - use it like it is, develop apps for it, tinkle with it. But if you cant live without apps, which you use in daily live - than you need another OS. Maybe a second mobile. or just switch from SFOS to another OS, IMHO.

3 Likes
#27

SFOS is what it is and it is not everyone’s darling, but you keep a bit of privacy with a European OS. This is more important for me than many apps. With the support of a few patches, some apps OpenRepos and a handful of Android apps, it is useful for me.

A walled garden that takes away my privacy (for me) is useless. That is why SFOS is an alternative. Less is more! That was my conscious decision few years ago after I read about it.

10 Likes