Yes, since Android 12 app updates doesn’t require user confirmation for updates through the store which installed an app originally. This came at a similar time as the Epic lawsuits, so it might be a concession to prevent losing a lawsuit about their anti-competetive behaviour.
Google did pay manufacturers to not include third-party app stores [1], but I they can’t force other stores to pay them any fees. It’s bonkers to me that Apple wants to charge other app stores for providing apps to their consumers, who paid Apple to own their device.
Yeah paying to not have third party stores come pre-installed is the only thing I can recall for Google, which I never did have an issue with due to the worst thing about Android phones being the uninstallable bloatware installed on a system level that only lets you disable it and comes back after updates. If I want a third party store I prefer that I be the one to install it than the manufacturer forcing it on me, which has been the pro for Apple phones. But, then inability to side load like Android was a huge con.
Pixels and Oneplus hit the nice middle of ground being pretty clean and not having bunch of random third party stores like Samsung, but not being locked down like Apple.
Yes, since Android 12 app updates doesn’t require user confirmation for updates through the store which installed an app originally. This came at a similar time as the Epic lawsuits, so it might be a concession to prevent losing a lawsuit about their anti-competetive behaviour.
Google did pay manufacturers to not include third-party app stores [1], but I they can’t force other stores to pay them any fees. It’s bonkers to me that Apple wants to charge other app stores for providing apps to their consumers, who paid Apple to own their device.
[1] https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/19/22632806/google-epic-premier-device-program-lg-motorola-hmd
Yeah paying to not have third party stores come pre-installed is the only thing I can recall for Google, which I never did have an issue with due to the worst thing about Android phones being the uninstallable bloatware installed on a system level that only lets you disable it and comes back after updates. If I want a third party store I prefer that I be the one to install it than the manufacturer forcing it on me, which has been the pro for Apple phones. But, then inability to side load like Android was a huge con.
Pixels and Oneplus hit the nice middle of ground being pretty clean and not having bunch of random third party stores like Samsung, but not being locked down like Apple.