Android Daily Superthread (Dec 24 2021) - Your daily thread for questions, device recommendations and general discussions!

Daily Superthread (Dec 24 2021) - Your daily thread for questions, device recommendations and general discussions!
All Open source Simple Mobile Tools apps are Free
Potential DOJ suits against Apple and Google delayed amid budget woes
YSK: Android Auto and Android Automotive are not the same thing.
[MrMobile] Celebrating The Weirdest Phones Of 2021!
[LG G8 ThinQ] Yes, LG phones are still getting Android updates
Huawei P50 Pocket comes with gapless folding screen and SD888 chipset

Daily Superthread (Dec 24 2021) - Your daily thread for questions, device recommendations and general discussions!

Posted: 24 Dec 2021 04:00 AM PST

Note 1. Check MoronicMondayAndroid, which serves as a repository for our retired weekly threads. Just pick any thread and Ctrl-F your way to wisdom!

Note 2. Join our IRC and Telegram chat-rooms! Please see our wiki for instructions.

Please post your questions here. Feel free to use this thread for general questions/discussion as well.

The /r/Android wiki now has a list of recommended phones and covers most areas, the links have been added below. Any suggestions or changes are welcome. Please contact us if you would like to help maintain this section.

Entry level (most affordable devices costing under $250 (US)/ $325 (Canada)/ €200 (Europe)/ £200/ ₹12,500 (India)

Midrange section, covering the $250-500(US)/$300-700(Canada)/€200-500/£200-450/₹12,500-30,000 segment

Flagship section, containing the most expensive devices with the highest end specifications

submitted by /u/curated_android
[link] [comments]

All Open source Simple Mobile Tools apps are Free

Posted: 24 Dec 2021 05:21 PM PST

submitted by /u/VijayXD
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Potential DOJ suits against Apple and Google delayed amid budget woes

Posted: 24 Dec 2021 08:47 AM PST

submitted by /u/DanTheMan827
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YSK: Android Auto and Android Automotive are not the same thing.

Posted: 24 Dec 2021 01:16 PM PST

I'm posting this more as a reference for future linking, but this can also be a discussion for those who want to know more or for those who want to add to and/or correct anything in the OP.

Android Auto

Android Auto is a form of screen mirroring similar to Apple CarPlay. It mirrors your phone in a car-centric interface to the car's display. The car's display becomes your touchscreen interface, but you are very much running off of the phone. Android Auto exists in both wired and wireless configurations.

Android Automotive

Android Automotive is a full fledged Android OS for cars. It runs on the car. Your car is the "Android phone" in this case. When you run an app, it is running on the car completely independent of your phone. You can still run Android Auto and/or Apple Carplay on top of it if the manufacturer has opted to allow this (and has the required hardware, if applicable).

Android Automotive runs in two common flavors - with and without GAS (Google Automotive Services). With GAS means Google's built-in apps to include the Google Play Store. This allows the owner to download and run the apps that they want. Examples of cars with this approach include, but are not limited to, the Volvo XC40 Recharge, Polestar 2, and GMC Hummer EV.

Without GAS means that while Android Automotive is the OS, apps can only be installed via sideloading (if allowed or obtained via a form of jailbreak), or through the manufacturer's preference (pre-loaded and/or custom app store). An example of a car using this approach is the Lucid Air. (SOURCE)

Key Differences

Running Android Automotive means that you're not running off your phone, which means not draining the battery on your phone. You're also not using your phone's data plan (unless tethered to it) as many of these vehicles have their own data plans (the Polestar 2 comes with 6-years of complimentary free data). Apps are also allowed to better integrate with your car. So using the Polestar 2 as an example again (sorry, it's the one I'm most familiar with), the native Google Maps can tell you not just how long to your destination, but also your expected remaining battery charge at that destination, or how long you'll need to charge at a charging location. This is similar to what Tesla does, and you cannot accurately achieve this with Android Auto or Apple Carplay due to the walled off access to the car's functions (though apps exist that estimate it, they aren't nearly as accurate).

Google Assistant is also integrated (for cars using GAS) and can be used to control aspects of the car or even broadcast to your home speakers. For cars without GAS, their voice control will be determined by the manufacturer. For example, Lucid uses Amazon Alexa.

submitted by /u/jaykresge
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[MrMobile] Celebrating The Weirdest Phones Of 2021!

Posted: 24 Dec 2021 03:28 PM PST