On-device stuff? Sure I’ll take it. But not ones that connect online.

Yep.

https://fosstodon.org/@altstore/112848967951001360

Especially since Apple doesn’t paywall basic health features behind a subscription.

Disappointed to see the dumb Fitbit Premium subscription carry on. Too pricey.

Targeted advertising is a huge no. No more of that.

Static advertising I can accept, but then who’s responsible for vetting ads? I don’t want scams displayed everywhere.

Devs definitely need ways to support themselves and sustain development. I’ve shared this screenshot from the app Secure Tether before:

I like to chip in a few bucks to my most used apps/services that are donationware, but after all the middlemen take their cut, the devs are left with peanuts. This IMO is the biggest hurdle when it comes to online monetization. A less expensive way to donate will certainly help.

Additionally, there are people who cannot or will not pay for apps, and I don’t want to exclude them from being able to use an app/service they need.

Monetization like how Reddit Gold was and how Discord Nitro is are some of my favorites. Few extra perks and cosmetic features for paying users. Free users are still able to use the main product at no cost and you can gift them Gold/Nitro if they aren’t able to purchase it themselves. I don’t know how that would translate into an app store model though.

The moment they fix the search, fix their recommendations, stop wasting money on junk projects like games and allow me to completely disable Shorts, I will resubscribe to YT Premium.

Indeed, but you miss out on the etched glass if you’re into that.

It is still just Beta 2, but it is disappointing to see Android 15 not get any acknowledgement at all on stage at I/O.

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Ok I’m done watching the stream. Boring as hell.

Thank you for all the updates! Looking forward to tomorrow’s Android announcements.

Did they demo new Google Glasses :O

Audio has been pre-generated.

Not a great example after yesterday’s GPT-4o announcement which appeared to be live.

It can and most likely will. Why MKBHD did not consider that puzzles me.

Interesting. Did a reviewer mention this or were you able to try the device yourself?

I’m one of the few who has had zero issues with the 6a fingerprint sensor. Sure it’s a little slower but it works accurately for me.

MKBHD says to get the 8 over the 8a but I disagree. The improvements are marginal. Unless you really need wireless power sharing, the 8a offers pretty much everything the 8 does if slightly slower.

Best Buy gift card + trade-in or waiting till a price drop make it more enticing than paying $500 for the Pixel 8.

I’m plenty happy with my 6a so I’m going to hold onto it.

Things I like:

• Brighter screen and now upto 120 Hz
• 256 GB option, weirdly for the obsidian color only. Aloe and bay are nicer! (Also annoying how Google phones don’t have microSD card slots because they offer Google Drive. smh this company)
• Will get Gemini Nano for on-device AI
• 7 years of OS updates

Rest is pretty much the same.

Google Store, Amazon and Best Buy are offering a $100 gift card for pre-ordering. Best Buy and Google Store are accepting trade-ins - you’ll have to compare to see which one is offering the most value for your phone. Best Buy gift card will be more useful than a Google Store gift card though.

If you can wait half a year or so, it should drop to about $375 like the previous A phones have, making it a solid bang for your buck.

The easiest way I’ve found without root or ADB is to use Solid Explorer. Well worth the cost.

I select the APK I want and copy it to a different directory. Extremely painless.

Aside from the Nexus One, Google phones have not had micro SD card slots. It’s crazy how one part of the company (Google Drive) can influence the other (Nexus/Pixel).

Then again, Samsung makes micro SD cards and gutted the slot from their S series too…

I had the 8 GB Nexus 4 and it was annoying to have to clear cache from apps ever so often.

It’s pretty good but it works with a limited database stored on your phone.

With Google Assistant’s music recognition you get to access a larger database stored on their servers.

I own my device. I get to choose what I install on it.

Google Chrome isn’t on the Microsoft Store on Windows or macOS Store on macOS. Should I stop “sideloading” it according to his advice?

Edit: Found more about the quote on The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/14/23960811/pichai-we-dont-want-to-allow-you-to-completely-compromise-your-phone

“We’re trying to strike a balance. Apple’s iPhone only allows the App Store, but we believe in choice, so on Android we allow you to sideload and install additional applications.”

I’m so conflicted about it. I don’t want people to have to suffer for intentionally or unintentionally installing garbage on their phones, but I can’t let that take away from how I use my device as well.