this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023
128 points (97.8% liked)

Android

17677 readers
46 users here now

The new home of /r/Android on Lemmy and the Fediverse!

Android news, reviews, tips, and discussions about rooting, tutorials, and apps.

πŸ”—Universal Link: [email protected]


πŸ’‘Content Philosophy:

Content which benefits the community (news, rumours, and discussions) is generally allowed and is valued over content which benefits only the individual (technical questions, help buying/selling, rants, self-promotion, etc.) which will be removed if it's in violation of the rules.


Support, technical, or app related questions belong in: [email protected]

For fresh communities, lemmy apps, and instance updates: [email protected]

πŸ’¬Matrix Chat

πŸ’¬Telegram channels / chats

πŸ“°Our communities below


Rules

  1. Stay on topic: All posts should be related to the Android OS or ecosystem.

  2. No support questions, recommendation requests, rants, or bug reports: Posts must benefit the community rather than the individual. Please post to [email protected].

  3. Describe images/videos, no memes: Please include a text description when sharing images or videos. Post memes to [email protected].

  4. No self-promotion spam: Active community members can post their apps if they answer any questions in the comments. Please do not post links to your own website, YouTube, blog content, or communities.

  5. No reposts or rehosted content: Share only the original source of an article, unless it's not available in English or requires logging in (like Twitter). Avoid reposting the same topic from other sources.

  6. No editorializing titles: You can add the author or website's name if helpful, but keep article titles unchanged.

  7. No piracy or unverified APKs: Do not share links or direct people to pirated content or unverified APKs, which may contain malicious code.

  8. No unauthorized polls, bots, or giveaways: Do not create polls, use bots, or organize giveaways without first contacting mods for approval.

  9. No offensive or low-effort content: Don't post offensive or unhelpful content. Keep it civil and friendly!

  10. No affiliate links: Posting affiliate links is not allowed.

Quick Links

Our Communities

Lemmy App List

Chat and More


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
all 28 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 82 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Seriously, Google cannot support products beyond ads, search, YT, and gmail. I feel like I have been beating this horse to death for years now. Don't buy Google products and services. They will end support for them.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

And Android. I don't think Android is going away anytime soon.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

Let the grapheneos foundation take it over

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Pixel gets more updates than Samsung. Chromecast is pretty well supported. Google Homes are supported.

The only Google hardware that still exists that I can remember off the top of my head, that got fucked, is Google WiFi. They stopped updating it months before they released Nest WiFi.

They shut down stadia, but everyone got a full refund.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

The Nexus Q was given away at no cost to attendees of Google I/O, but the product's consumer launch was indefinitely postponed the following month, purportedly to collect additional feedback. Those who had pre-ordered the Nexus Q following its unveiling received the device at no cost.

So again, Google decided not to launch something, and people got it for free.

Google may be wishy washy for many things, but I'd argue their hardware support is mostly pretty good.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't know that I would qualify "more" updates as better supported. Length and quality of support is a better indicator of overall support IMHO.

Google hardware - I have purchased two Google Home Maxes (both EOL'd), a Google OnHub (updates stopped after ~18 months), HTC M7(8?) Google Play Edition, Nexus....I had bad luck, but I'm not trusting another piece of Google hardware for my life.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Google Home Maxes (both EOL’d)

Except they continue to work perfectly. What would you like to see changed? Since it runs in the cloud, you're always getting up to date Google assistant tech on them. When Google adds new commands to Google Assistant, Google Home Max automatically gets them. A firmware update is not required.

a Google OnHub (updates stopped after ~18 months)

Google OnHub is part of what I said in my original comment. Google WiFi got fucked. However, you're completely lying.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_OnHub

Released 2015.

and

"In December 2021, Google announced that OnHub routers would no longer receive any software or security updates."

18 months is 1.5 years. 2016 - 2021 is 5 years. Not sure why you're lying?

HTC M7(8?) Google Play Edition, Nexus…I had bad luck, but I’m not trusting another piece of Google hardware for my life.

The fact you're using examples from 2013 to criticize Google a decade later is wild. I guess it's easier to just be ignorant and hateful.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I still have an Apple 5s (I think) around the house that still "works", but I wouldn't call it supported. It does still receive security patches though, so that's something I guess.

OnHub was the predecessor to Google WiFi. Google touted the OnHub as a "future-proof" router, with 802.15 Zigbee and bluetooth onboard. They indicated that they would enable these features at some point in the products life. Google WiFi came out around 12 months after OnHub, and OnHub suddenly stopped receiving feature updates after that. Google continued with security patches, but that was about all I could recall getting. I'd be curious what other OnHub owners think about their purchase long-term. It certainly didn't feel supported after WiFi was released. I guess that goes back to my quality vs. quantity of support. It's great that they continued to push security updates for years later. It's the least they could to after they shafted everyone that purchased one of these.

Long-term history matters when it comes to establishing a trend in a company's behavior.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 1 year ago (7 children)

So... let me get this straight. Google sucks and Pixels are only sold in some countries, so their solution is to reduce Fitbit devices to those same countries?

This is foreboding. Could this be the start of either a rebrand of Fitbit or, worse, a culling of the line in favor of Pixel smartwatches?

Google, I swear if you fuck with my Fitbit I'm adding it to The List (right under Play Music and Inbox). I don't want a smartwatch, I never wanted a smartwatch. I want my compact little step tracker that gives me a ton of metrics data.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The second Google bought them out should have been the moment you started to be on the lookout for a potential way out. It's unfortunately really on brand for them. There's not a lot that survives acquisition.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

That's a bit unfair. Waze is still going and unaffected by being acquired by Google. YouTube is obviously still going and has become a core part of Alphabet's business.

For acquisitions that have strong existing user bases, they have a history of keeping them around. I'm surprised by this move, I can't think of another example where they've killed a product with a large user base they've spent Billions on. Not that they're killing FitBit, just reducing the countries it will be sold in.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

FitBit will die with the 3rd gen pixel watch, calling it now.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Welcome to the Garmin Vivosmart family. πŸ˜€

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Looks like I'll be part of the family soon! The Vivosmart does look like what I'm after - small activity tracker for small wrist that provides me all my bodily metrics for my weird metrics-loving self so I can cross reference it with MyFitnessPal (calories and macros) and Daylio (mood).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Google wringing hands while looking at Garmin

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It will probably be an incorporation of Fitbit into the Google ecosystem. Hell, the new Pixel watch is basically a Fitbit with some additional Google elements in it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I came from the Sense 2 and it's the same graphics for several screens as my previous watch. They definitely copied off the Fitbit purchase.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Fitbit will be an app soon

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It already is, they're just removing the competing product they bought for the very reason they bought it.

They already took away the only features I bought one for some time ago. The app itself will meet the same fate sooner or later.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I went Fossil smartwatch. I'd figure google would keep the apps around longer than the device.

RIP fitbit

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Fitbit has premium subscriptions. Not sure why anyone bought them to begin with.

Even before Google, Fitbit made it hard/impossible to sync your stats with other apps.

Get a Mi Band or something better.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 year ago

Very much a Google thing to do

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago

One month of Fitbit Premium doesn't seem appropriate. At the very least, unlock full functionality for them if you're not longer giving them a way to pay for it.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

It's just a family owned startup with a few employees, they don't have the resources to sell devices in all those countries

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Fitbit sucks and did even before Google bought them out. I'm glad I have a Garmin now.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago

Is this to make the pixel watch look less like the piece of crap that it is? LMAO