• bantamw@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    The Apple Satellite SOS is actually rather good - and a nice thing to have embedded. Although it is limited compared to a dedicated device.

    I still have a Garmin InReach Mini 2 which also uses Iridium and isn’t geo-locked (used it trekking in Nepal and whilst in the Maldives on a liveaboard boat so my family can see where I am).

    It would be good to have that full functionality built into a phone device, so you only need one device rather than multiple. I assume Apple will partner with Garmin or someone similar to go there if the Android manufacturers aren’t interested.

    • gramathy@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      I saw the logo during a flight a couple weeks ago and forgot about it until I saw this post. Did the demo, it’s really solid to have in an emergency if it works like it says it does

    • Starks@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      It’s a dead-end solution. Apple will ditch it for NTN and cellular Starlink eventually.

    • Zealous896@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Spacemobile will worl with any newish smart phone for full 5g functionality voice, text and data.

      I would imagine this is why no one wants to pay for a feature that will be readily available with additional costs to them in the near future.

  • sabboom@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Never ever ever ever copy Apple. Anything they do can be done so much better. Copying Apple is like copying test answers off the dumbest kid in school.

    • Sam5uck@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      would love if others copied their soc core design.

      others have already been copying their display backplane design (ltpo) but not as refined (samsung calls it hop)

      ceramic shield is slightly harder to scratch than victus

      iphone video is still unrivaled by any other smartphone

      list goes on. and i use an android (pixel 8 pro).

      • boredredditorperson@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        No it’s a good idea thats why the industry was moving that way with or without apple, such as the PRADA phone that came out before iPhone.

  • diacewrb@alien.topOPB
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    1 year ago

    Essentially, the project is dying because Qualcomm couldn’t get a single Android manufacturer to add satellite messaging to a phone. Qualcomm’s satellite solution didn’t require much in the way of new hardware, so the rejection was apparently due to Qualcomm’s design of the feature and (presumably) any tack-on fees it was adding to the bill of materials.

    • Thelango99@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      To ensure uptake, they could have tacked on a fee for not implementing it. Those funds could then subsidize the phones that do.

    • BobbyTables829@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      This is the biggest bummer of being an android fan. The numbers don’t lie: most Android devices are budget-friendly. The high end market is dominated by Apple, and as such, so is innovation in hardware.

      This was a problem with Mac vs PC and it is with iPhone vs Android. I don’t get it then, and I don’t now.

  • Scheeseman99@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    If Starlink’s satphone service works out (big if, it’s reliant on Starship) the first company that makes a deal with them will be able to offer (eventual) global mobile coverage to their customers without needing to do any hardware upgrades. Not just texts, but calls and ~2-4mbit internet.

    I think the rejection of Qualcomm’s proposal is the industry placing their bet.

    • Zealous896@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Spacemobile is probably years ahead of them but you’re correct. They are most likely why the industry is not paying for this because spacemobile will work with ant smartphone woth voice, data and text.

  • Defoler@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    I expect apple pay a decent amount for this satellite support to satellite providers (nothing is cheap and free). And I expect android manufacturers don’t want to pay for it nor use proprietary hardware that could lock them out in the future.

  • dotjzzz@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Essentially, Qualcomm couldn’t get anyone to use their proprietary protocol that probably requires Qualcomm hardware and definitely requires royalty payment to Qualcomm.

    I wonder why no OEM would want to be locked to Qualcomm and pay Qualcomm more.

    • capn_hector@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      someone was recently telling me that in a previous life qualcomm was consistently the worst company they had to work with and that they quote “never missed a chance to twist the knife”, both financially and also just with routine incompetence.

      this was after the story of qualcomm suicide-bombing their new ARM desktop processors’ launch by bundling a high-power high-performance SOC with phone-tier power ICs that required ganging multiple of them together (since qualcomm didn’t have a proper laptop SOC, but wouldn’t miss the chance to bundle a sale of something) and since they were phone ICs they had high-density bumpout that required a super expensive PCB. Oh and partners couldn’t even just throw away the power ICs because they were DRM’d to the processor… even apple doesn’t do that lol.

      https://semiaccurate.com/2023/09/26/whats-going-on-with-qualcomms-oryon-soc/

      • CosmicCreeperz@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        Man, I used to work on set top boxes and Broadcom had a similarly dominant market share for a while there. And they were also a nightmare to work with. Ironically Broadcom (well, the renamed parent company that bought them) tried to buy Qualcomm a few years ago. Luckily it failed…

      • MWisBest@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        Yeah, the reason Google is promising 7 years of software updates on the new Pixels is they’re no longer beholden to Qualcomm providing security updates to all their proprietary drivers. Qualcomm charged exorbitant fees for updates past a couple years and did a half-ass job of it.

    • danidr@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      I know what you’re trying to say, but oh boy, you’ve phrased that poorly.

        • danidr@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          You could’ve used “any” instead of ”none” as someone suggested, and it would’ve sounded less harsh. Or maybe, something like:

          “Android manufacturers like to charge Apple prices but offer less services”.

    • caiomarcos@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Yes, it’s amazing that in this day and age, android phones still have NONE of the services Apple provides

        • PretendingToBeHere@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          With Android OEMs you always get something that is somewhat similar to the iPhone counterpart, but on the cheap. It’s always been like this and honestly, it’s maddening given the price tags.

          • somedankbuds@alien.topB
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            1 year ago

            Waiting for an actual example. Lol. What can you do on an iPhone that you can’t do on an Android phone?

            • Tsigorf@alien.topB
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              1 year ago

              Well, a whole bunch of things. I really don’t want to play devil’s advocate (disclaimer: I hate Apple), but things like keeping the same smartphone with its security updates for 7 years (making the price per year of iphones cheaper than androids), getting privacy features, hardened security, essentially make apple device more able than the vast majority of android devices.

              Surely, that’s not true for all. I believe the Fairphone beats them all on those points, though that’s very niche.

              • Heil_S8N@alien.topB
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                1 year ago

                try sideloading an app on your iphone without voiding your warranty and software updates.

                for tech savvy people, android has the best market for sideloaded apps. youtube revanced, modded spotify, apps that add entire new features, many more. on iPhones this market is relatively non-existent.

                • Zedd_Prophecy@alien.topB
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                  1 year ago

                  Exactly this - Want to use another browser on that I phone that isn’t Safari? oh no - every other choice is just a differently skinned Safari. Don’t get me started on Apple maps. Android you can change the functionality by using any number of different launchers. I phone tech is overpriced for the feature set and you are limited to their walled garden. I would love the satellite feature and it’s only a matter of time before it’s in Anroid. The Apple ecosystem is style over function and us technically inclined people will never settle for the Fisher Price simple phone.

                • Tsigorf@alien.topB
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                  1 year ago

                  You’re absolutely right on this point. I’ve known AltStore and know it’s really limited.

                  Gladly, Europe’s Digital Markets Act (mostly against companies such as Apple) is changing things in the good way regarding this. It’s still infuriating laws are necessary for this.

                • Starfox-sf@alien.topB
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                  1 year ago

                  Sideloading or rooting a phone does not void warranty. Although some (ie Lenovorola) makes the process of unlocking bootloader to allow a phone to load rooted or third party OS to go through their site that “voids” the warranty.

              • dotjzzz@alien.topB
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                1 year ago

                getting privacy features,

                What privacy features? And did you know many skins offer fake information? For example OPPO and Vivo. Provides fake IMEI and tracking information to the app instead of blocking access.

                It poisons the well enough that tracking data in China is basically useless.

                • Yancy_Farnesworth@alien.topB
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                  1 year ago

                  You realize that is only a subset of data that apps have access to right? And the app permissions you grant on Android have always had an issue of being overly vague, way too broad, and never making clear just how far reaching the data it gathers goes?

                  I find it ridiculous that anyone can trust Google to make it harder to track users of their software and devices. They’re an ad company first and a tech company second. Their entire revenue stream is based on selling your eyeballs to advertisers. Everything from Android to the Play store is about selling you to other companies, not selling you a product.

              • FaktaMestern@alien.topB
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                1 year ago

                You get privacy features and hardened security, next time don’t buy but a Chinese brand you can’t even pronounce and think it represents the 99.99% of all devices. Dumb ass hell comment.

    • BobbyTables829@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      What I don’t get is that they gave things they can teach, and they choose not to.

      I think the biggest problem with Android (other than all the manufacturers hating on each other while Apple destroys them) is the Play Store. It’s a total dumpster fire. They need to have much, much better search features in the Play store, and they could be in an advanced menu. And they could totally track who searches for what and how. But instead they give you zero ability to power search for any app, and corral you into the most useless (Top Free, Top Paid, etc.) lists ever.

      Why does a company known for having such a great search engine not want you to be able to search for what you want? And then they act surprised when everyone goes to Apple?