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this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2024
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I mean, if Google weren't shit, I'm sure Android would be more viable. They've can't even keep a consistent brand! They've gone from Google Play this and that, to migrating everything - including podcasts - to YouTube.
If only there were other apps for podcasts on Android, it would be a viable operating system.
Google is kind of crap, but Android has a lot more built-in escape hatches than iOS does. People don't seem to use them as much as I'd hoped, but they're available.
I've been using Podcast Addict for years now. Dunno why people think they are bound to one thing when Android offers so many choices.
I think they're just have choice paralysis. There's too much stuff on Android, and picking something is really rather anoying.
Something like a Gallery. There's probably a 1000 galleries on Play Store, 50% of them are "my first app", that display a fullscreen ad every other photo.
You have to know what you want, research it, then get it. Non-nerds don't really care about that.
My guess. I'm a nerd who does care about all that.
You do have a point, but each App's play store page itself shows whether it has ads or in-app purchases. One can use that as an indicator for selecting an app. So people just need to pay attention to the small text right below the App's title
Then there is always f-droid . You can find really good quality software without ads in fdroid. I rarely use the play store these days (except when I have to update whatsapp and banking apps)
Again, you're telling this to an android nerd. I'm aware.
I'm speaking from a perspective of an average joe, who is 100% not aware of the existance of F-droid or is convinced that it's malware.
I'm also don't expect people sift through hundreds of apps, opening each page and checking permissions/ads/reviews.
People install apps either because they've heard about it on TV/whatever, or a friend told them to install this specific app.
This is why people rely on default apps, and compare "phones" based on that.
I will confess I used Google podcasts for years not realizing that the FOSS alternatives were MASSIVE improvements.
Is there a podcast app that automatically plays the next episode of podcasts in the correct order (oldest to newest)?
I've tried a bunch of podcast apps and none of them seem to do that like Google podcasts did, unless I'm using them wrong.
Antennapod can do that. You can define the sort order per show.
Pocketcasts fixed that a while ago. You can set the sorting of episodes for each podcast and then it plays in that order.
That’s google’s strategy though.
Although they let you have full control and don’t force you to use their apps, it’s setup so the majority just use the defaults and are discouraged to sway away from google’s ways.
Its fully intentional.
While I totally agree, the average Joe is just going to gravitate to whomever controls the ecosystem. Kinda hard to trust a higher authority when they can't even get their in-house shit together.
Are you implying that the average user doesn't know how to install an app? My 80 yo parents do that on their samsung tablet.
No need to trust any higher authorities, whatever that means
I think they mean the average person isn’t going to take the time to check 20 different contacts apps in the store to find the perfect one, then do it again with every other basic app on their phone.
They’re just gonna use the default app 99%
I'm implying that people choose the path of least resistance.
Gotcha, sorry misunderstood
Android is more popular globally, the only place where it isn't true (AFAIK) is USA where the colour of the text bubble is important for reasons that defy logic.
That's just a thing tweens and teens do, it's just like when kids were obsessed with expensive shoes when I was a kid and would ostracize the kids who couldn't afford them. No sane adult I have ever met gave a shit about my text bubbles.
If that company is serious about conducting professional business for any length of time, they'll learn better soon enough. In my industry, we still use dialup modems to remotely manage some equipment. You'd be fired for telling a customer to fuck off for not having a specific phone.
That's half-true. No adults I voluntarily associate with care what brand of phone anybody else has in theory, but a lot of the iPhone owners are vehemently unwilling to install any third-party messaging apps. That means:
Yeah. We usually mock apple users in my country xd they go in high debt to get one of those candy bricks and can't even afford a cellular plan afterwards. Lmao
Google's marketing department defies logic every day.
Is that your biggest concern about a tech company? Id be happy for marketing departments to he shut down and the money redirected to make better/cheaper products.
While Google sucks now and has for a while, in their early days they have demonstrated that marketing is not all it takes to make innovative, successful products.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Apple obsession with marketing has created fanboys that spend the night queuing up to be the first to get the latest iPhone, and that don't question the technology or ethics (or anything) behind the flashing toy that they crave. Good for the executives and the shareholder but as a customer?
Fuck google buy a google pixel then put grapheneos on it
Is there another option?
Other options are Fairphone, Volla, Murena - or flashing "vanilla" custom ROM's on phones other than Pixels - or using Ubuntu Touch, Plasma Mobile, Mobian, Droidian or Sailfish OS.
Its kinda ironic that google pixel is the only phone with decent secirity hardware and an unlockablw bootloader.
Buy a second-hand Google Pixel.
They would make a lot more money on that purchase if it’s vanilla android though. Yes, you’re spending money on the hardware, but is Google really known for making bank on just hardware sales?
buy a used phone