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Comment by neolog | Hacker News Reader

Why not get an Android device?

Android is hobbled, as well. The only way to implement automatic upgrading, background installation or batch upgrading/installation of apps is via the Play Store. Not only that, but most people have no idea how to side load apps, and Android doesn't make it easy.

Both Google and Apple have kept a stranglehold on the mobile app distribution market for over a decade now.

> Not only that, but most people have no idea how to side load apps, and Android doesn't make it easy.

I completely disagree. I'm not sure how they could make it much easier without defaulting to allowing it. Download the APK, open it, click install (or if the setting disallows it, follow the prompt to change the setting).

The tour via settings isn't that easy for "Joe Average" and updating isn't easy as well.

This is a good thing! It shouldn't be too easy, just easily possible for someone who knows what they're doing (What we used to call "power users", what happened to those?)

The point in this sun thread is "phone creators make it hard to use other app stores, that's anti-competitiom", the GP claimed "it's easy on android, come on" I refused that notion. I didn't make a statement about the value as I'm conflicted. I see the issues of the Windows desktop, where users install whatever they find as administrator without second thought, but I also see the issue of gatekeepers apple and Google ...

Does it still nag you repeatedly about your device settings being insecure as well after you enable it to load from non-Play sources? It's been a while since I was on Android, but remember that being immensely unfriendly to the whole idea.

Only the first time you enable it and the first time you install an app from a particular source. I don't remember ever getting repeated nags.

Joe average doesn’t want to sideload apps. That’s what people don’t understand on here.

No, he definitely does when he can't get what he wants on the app store (e.g. Fortnite).

I agree with you, it just click -> (prompt setting) -> install. Android would ask me to only allow once, which is super convenient since I would like to disable it after finish installation. I don't understand how can it be easier while remaining security. Beside, third party app store is allowed.

> Beside, third party app store is allowed.

Third party app stores on Android are not allowed to compete with the Play Store on feature parity because of limitations put in place by Google.

Again, the only way to implement automatic upgrading, background installation or batch upgrading/installation of apps is via the Play Store.

There are third party app stores in China, like taptap. https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2020/09/listening-...

Automatic updating is technically possible for any system app, including Samsung's app store on Samsung's devices.

It is still far better than iOS, and it might get better: I have seen Google employees comment on here that the next release of Android could allow the install apps permission to non-system apps.

Because they sell your digital soul to advertisers.

Which is exactly what would happen if there were third party app stores.

It would be a race to the bottom where they all ended up with zero margins but where your data is sold to third parties.

Nobody would stop a quality alternative from holding out. Not unlike Apple surviving the onslaught of cheap PC clones.

How does me being able to install an application i downloaded from F-Droid, GitHub or whatever other place i might trust or even developed myself on my phone without having to pay or get Apple's permission mean that Apple will sell my data to 3rd parties?

Not GP, but if enough people were conditioned to install their apps from sources outside of the appstore, Apple may end up seeing their AppStore margins shrink and do a pivot to selling user data.

That's not it, even with the numbers Apple touts they are getting from the App Store, they could comfortably live without.

It's the third party app stores that would sell the aggregate data instead of taking a cut off sales.

But that isn't something that has to happen, only something that Apple may choose to do. They do not have to, however.

> Which is exactly what would happen if there were third party app stores.

there already are lots of third-party android app stores, if you look at the variants of android packaged and shipped on new-in-box phones in mainland china.

Source?

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