@xenia i assume that is because it comes with software meant for chinese market and id probably avoid using it on the stock rom anyway
and about custom roms... well, it has a mediatek soc, technically they're not as bad as they used to be but id not be expecting much :c
oh right the lack of gms is probably due to us sanctions...
but I'm also not sure how well custom roms would work here, this seems to change some stuff in android to make audio playback better
@mayu@xenia the sanctions are only for Huawei and a few others. The reason why this device requires GMS installed separately is because in order to run full-fat Android, you need to be part of the Open Handset Alliance…
… Which is controlled by Google and requires you to pay a heavy licensing fee to Google to join.
So by making you install it separately, they don’t have to pay big bucks to Google.
Google also will kick out a company from the Alliance if they fork AOSP without Google’s permission, so that might be part of it.
@xenia@mayu yeah, I don’t understand why people say Android is open source. I mean, yes… It technically is. But if you want to use Android Android, then that implementation is dependant on if you’re willing to cough it up to Google.
Like how Chromium is open source and yet mysteriously Google seems to be the gatekeeper
@xenia@mayu ah I checked. If you’re part of the OHA, you’re forbidden from forking Android entirely. This is why Samsung Tizen is based off Linux and not Android, for example.
@yassie_j@mayu@xenia and it's a bit problematic to install gms without having prior knowledge, but i figured that out for a smartwatch in a few days.
but at least having sanctions make all that chinese brands cheap here, which is a plus - the best would be buying a pinephone/purism with no crapware but the reality is, welp...
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