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While people think this is a move to curl illicit app activity(which is the cover issue), I think there's a much bigger motive. It's the fight against Amazon.

by ktta 9y ago

While people think this is a move to curl illicit app activity(which is the cover issue), I think there's a much bigger motive. It's the fight against Amazon. Depending on how strictly this is enforced, now Amazon Fire Tablet users won't be able to use Google Play store (they were able to with an apk till now) which cuts off access to the app ecosystem on the Google Play Store. Now there are quite a few apps on Amazon's App store[1], but obviously many users will feel the pain. So now they will not have access to the following - Google Assistant, Google Home and Google Maps which will hurt the most. [1]: https://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b/ref=topnav_storetab_mas?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011 https://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b/ref=topnav_storetab_mas...

yellowbeard 9y ago
Great point, if this is the case, huge attack on Amazon.
- gman83 9y ago
  Is it really though? I doubt a large percentage of Kindle users actually go through the trouble of sideloading gapps.
  - Someone1234 9y ago
    Plus I bet Amazon would welcome this if they did. Just more users for Amazon's own app store and ecosystem.
    - ktta 9y ago
      Or if Google comes out and starts restricting more things, it just might result in users choosing other Android options. Samsung tablets are an option.
thiagocsf 9y ago
This would explain why Amazon refuses to add support for chromecast to their streaming service.
- bhouston 9y ago
  Its too bad Prime Video does not have chromecast even on proper Andriod devices. It is sort of annoying. I do not use Prime Video with Chromecast/Google Assistant because of this. Why not support it? Given that everything else (Spotify, Netflix, etc.) supports Chromecast/Google Assistant, why not this? I'm being spited in the service of platform wars. Argh.
  - adjkant 9y ago
    Because they want you in their ecosystem with their version of chromecast and their assistant.
hojjat12000 9y ago
The first thing I did after I got my FireHD8 was to sideload google apps. But the side effect was losing the battery life and making my tablet useless. I then did a factory reset and just sideloaded MoonReader and that was it. The battery lasts longer now.
yorby 9y ago
Amazon doesn't want their tablets to have the Play Store (they don't come with it pre-installed), I don't really get your point.
- hooluupog 9y ago
  But its users want.
- hanbura 9y ago
  I imagine Amazon wouldn't be opposed to preinstalling the Play Store. But getting permission from Google to do that comes with a long list of requirements. You are either at the mercy of Google's requirements and conditions or you develop replacements for every Google App (which are way more than most users realize). Amazon are basically the only company daring to try the latter path.
  - yorby 9y ago
    Amazon likes to have control over what is available in the app store... so they made their own.
- ktta 9y ago
  >Amazon doesn't want their tablets to have the Play Store Sure, but their customers do. It will be a lot less attractive option for some people if Google comes out with its own tablet, since it will have Google and Amazon's apps (setting aside the possibility of price difference) I also partly agree with what habura said. I think Amazon does care about the Google Play at bit because the developer fees on the apps go to Amazon rather than Google. On the other hand it is also more about the services ecosystem that Amazon and Google are offering. Take the following: 1. Cloud storage - Google Drive vs Amazon Drive 2. Digital content stores(books, movies, etc) 3. Music Subscription. (this came later, but still helps my point) Amazon might've weighted the above and thought that if it has a monopoly of these services, people would go with Amazon rather than Google's services, since it will be available on more devices. Note: This is all speculation, and even maybe as another user called it, a 'baseless conspiracy theory' so take it with a grain of salt. Longterm corporate decisions are hard to decode with confidence.
halfteatree 9y ago
As usual, this is a baseless conspiracy theory that doesn't even make sense.
- ktta 9y ago
  It would be baseless if ROMs aren't allowed to have them. But they do, hence my conspiracy theory isn't asinine. Also, I bet this will do nothing to the Chinese tablets side-loading Google's Apps.

by ktta 9y ago

yellowbeard 9y ago

Great point, if this is the case, huge attack on Amazon.

gman83 9y ago
Is it really though? I doubt a large percentage of Kindle users actually go through the trouble of sideloading gapps.
- Someone1234 9y ago
  Plus I bet Amazon would welcome this if they did. Just more users for Amazon's own app store and ecosystem.
  - ktta 9y ago
    Or if Google comes out and starts restricting more things, it just might result in users choosing other Android options. Samsung tablets are an option.

thiagocsf 9y ago

This would explain why Amazon refuses to add support for chromecast to their streaming service.

bhouston 9y ago
Its too bad Prime Video does not have chromecast even on proper Andriod devices. It is sort of annoying. I do not use Prime Video with Chromecast/Google Assistant because of this. Why not support it? Given that everything else (Spotify, Netflix, etc.) supports Chromecast/Google Assistant, why not this? I'm being spited in the service of platform wars. Argh.
- adjkant 9y ago
  Because they want you in their ecosystem with their version of chromecast and their assistant.

hojjat12000 9y ago

The first thing I did after I got my FireHD8 was to sideload google apps. But the side effect was losing the battery life and making my tablet useless. I then did a factory reset and just sideloaded MoonReader and that was it. The battery lasts longer now.

yorby 9y ago

Amazon doesn't want their tablets to have the Play Store (they don't come with it pre-installed), I don't really get your point.

hooluupog 9y ago
But its users want.
hanbura 9y ago
I imagine Amazon wouldn't be opposed to preinstalling the Play Store. But getting permission from Google to do that comes with a long list of requirements. You are either at the mercy of Google's requirements and conditions or you develop replacements for every Google App (which are way more than most users realize). Amazon are basically the only company daring to try the latter path.
- yorby 9y ago
  Amazon likes to have control over what is available in the app store... so they made their own.
ktta 9y ago
>Amazon doesn't want their tablets to have the Play Store Sure, but their customers do. It will be a lot less attractive option for some people if Google comes out with its own tablet, since it will have Google and Amazon's apps (setting aside the possibility of price difference) I also partly agree with what habura said. I think Amazon does care about the Google Play at bit because the developer fees on the apps go to Amazon rather than Google. On the other hand it is also more about the services ecosystem that Amazon and Google are offering. Take the following: 1. Cloud storage - Google Drive vs Amazon Drive 2. Digital content stores(books, movies, etc) 3. Music Subscription. (this came later, but still helps my point) Amazon might've weighted the above and thought that if it has a monopoly of these services, people would go with Amazon rather than Google's services, since it will be available on more devices. Note: This is all speculation, and even maybe as another user called it, a 'baseless conspiracy theory' so take it with a grain of salt. Longterm corporate decisions are hard to decode with confidence.

halfteatree 9y ago

As usual, this is a baseless conspiracy theory that doesn't even make sense.

ktta 9y ago
It would be baseless if ROMs aren't allowed to have them. But they do, hence my conspiracy theory isn't asinine. Also, I bet this will do nothing to the Chinese tablets side-loading Google's Apps.