asked 2014-12-14 23:08:03 +0200
I've bought my Jolla Phone to have a different OS, so no Android support installed. Sorry for the developers involved and the market strategy. Simply to know if it is a common approach. By the way I'm very happy and I can use the phone with all the common tasks that are expected to be there.
answered 2015-01-02 06:17:47 +0200
The only way forward is to have a surge in community supporting the development of native applications. I wish there are more community events and developer days , meets etc anything which would add fresh applications .Giving away free devices for the developers of top 2 native apps ( fresh and new) of the month is not a bad idea imho.
answered 2014-12-15 19:22:59 +0200
I'd uninstall Alien Dalvik the first thing after getting the tablet (I don't have the handset yet).
@juiceme Yes, the phone does come without it being AD pre- installed, but are you absolutely sure this applies to the tablet as well? (As @shmerl clearly states that he hasn't even the phone yet, let alone the tablet...) Although if I had to guess, Jolla will probably follow the same route with the tablet as with the phone: install Android Support if you think you need it...
Kayakist ( 2014-12-16 02:27:43 +0200 )editanswered 2015-01-01 10:32:34 +0200
So, judging by the responses here it seems you're not alone in using SFOS without Android support. However, when I look in the Jolla store, it seems that 'Android Support' is (one of) the most downloaded app of all. So, a vast majority does apparently see it as a useful function.
Personally, I think it's essential to provide this. I just don't see service providers such as banks making any native SFOS apps (edit: in the near future). They could, however, easily publish their Android apps in the Jolla Store.
yes, because from time to time I use browser and the native browser is a joke. Many websites do not work / display properly ... so I installed firefox and chrome. Imagine at the airport or in the hotel you want to check your flight ... failure, because the native browser is not working or you can not read anything. Other apps as viber or whatsapp are next. From time to time you are forced to use whatever the opposite party is using ... so there must be a solution to the problem soon.
deloptes ( 2017-01-05 18:24:52 +0200 )editanswered 2015-01-01 13:09:19 +0200
I don't think you are alone either. I chose Jolla specifically because I don't want any of Apple, Android, Windows. I have been an N9 user more or less from it's beginning. Due to the shortcomings in the Sailfish PIM apps, the N9 is still my primary phone. Luckily, I was able to get a used N9/64MB last year as a backup in case my current one dies or gets lost.
I do wish Jolla would finally knuckle down to getting the native PIM apps (address-book, calender, notes, to-do) as well as the navigation, tethering and car-kit working in a way that they can be used productively. Even with 1.1.127 Vaarainjärvi (very nerving?) this is not the case. The PIM apps, navigation, tethering and car-kit are the ones I use regularly and IMHO a must have for a smart phone. The most lacking are the following:
Contacts : Does not sync with Zarafa (Exchange compatible) for instance. It seems to sync once but never again. Doing a manual sync gives no feedback at all but the contact list is not updated. N9 works perfectly
Calender : Here CalDav with Zarafa works, at least most of the time. But I find the appearance pretty shitty. 42 numbers and the word 'today' is not enough for a calender page. I would like to see at a glance which column is which weekday ( or at least highlight the Sun. column or even make the highlighted column configurable so that every religion or philosophy can chose their own day). Also when I open a particular month in a particular year and then get distracted, I would like to see where I left off without having to scroll down or sideways. A pulley option to jump to a particular date (or at least month/year) would also be a great help. The problem with all-day events spilling into the next day is still there. (New year for instance on my Jolla happens twice, 1. Jan and 2. Jan). Also here, the N9 is still much more comfortable to use.
Charles
I'm totally with you: the calendar app is the only reason I youse android support on my Jolla. The native app is useless for daily / heavy or business use ... it's stylish, ok, but there are good user suggestions in this forum to improve the usability of the native calendar app. Jolla should take more effort in taking care of those basic smartphone apps in order to become a real alternative to android etc. without the need of using android support.
Jolkas ( 2015-01-02 11:13:57 +0200 )editCalender app works totally fine with my Exchange (work / privat) and dozens of different accounts. It Looks like...well like a calender Looks like. Usability is Jolla style, you love it or hate it. It can´t imagine that People use a Jolla daily AND complain about the usability of the calender.
florifreeman ( 2015-01-14 09:58:30 +0200 )edit@cfgardiner Agree with you that the lack of native PIM-related apps in #SailfishOS is a major annoyance. Also, a native, full featured, Maps (Here-based) solution is badly needed. Lets hope Jolla succeeds in developing and activating more SailfisOS Qt/QML apps/community to overcome these short-comings. The droid-support should only be seen as a short-term intermediary solution and not a way to make Jolla juat another Android-provider and manufacturer.
foss4ever ( 2015-02-22 20:41:05 +0200 )editanswered 2015-01-01 17:13:58 +0200
@mosen You are not alone. I use my Jolla as daily phone and I would never use Alien Dalvik even if it cost maybe a lot of comfort.
answered 2015-01-04 12:58:41 +0200
I´m with you. I also bought my Jolla phone to have a different OS to the big players. My first smartphone before Jolla was an android, and I´ve never catched what it is doing in background, and I wasn´t be able to remove stuff from it I´ve never ordered.
But people are different and different are their requirements to a smartphone. Someone needs a businessphone with big office suite and others wants to have connections to a handful social networks, the next is looking for 3D games. In my case, Jolla has nearly all the features I need. Sometimes a little buggy and basic (calendar, media and gallery for example), but I hope it will be better in future.
What I miss is offline navigation. Once by car and once for hiking. Both of that I can´t get without android support. But hopefully I´m looking forward to the day I´m able to remove Alien Dalvik.
Have a good year.
calendar, media and gallery will improve as you can see the regular updates are bringing lot of changes. What we all must understand is that Jolla is a very small company with very less developers working in comparision to the big players. Its up to the FOSS community to support via other applications. Hope you have openrepos enabled. Heard of new telegram native app ? Jollagram !
pavi ( 2015-01-04 13:43:51 +0200 )editanswered 2015-01-04 10:35:06 +0200
Actually, you can have Sailfish OS without any (even optional) support for Android apps quite easily.
Just pick any supported Android phone and install Sailfish OS on it. ;-) https://wiki.merproject.org/wiki/Adaptations/libhybris - these come without Alien Dalvik. ;-D
If you look at the list for Green under GSM voice you will see that its limited to Nexus line , a HTC phone and a Sony xperia model . Maybe we could add 2-3 more models. But I want something cheap and mainstream like Moto G supported. That would revolutionise sailfish os adoption.
pavi ( 2015-01-04 12:39:04 +0200 )editanswered 2015-01-09 19:01:36 +0200
Don´t understand this post at all. Are you afraid that Jolla isn´t focussing on native apps ??
It´s necessary to have millions of apps today to sell a phone. People are used to it since what, 2010? Jolla can´t earn Money without those App Support => You have to understand that Jolla only earns Money with the Hardware !! No data mining Money like G, A and MS have!!
They Need to sell as many devices as possible, so it´s Kind of a Marketing strategy to give Android Support, even if People don´t use it at all.
It´s cool that i have the CHOICE of doing so. Jolla is about Freedom and Responsibility (no horseshit!). Plz don´t think that every Android app is bad at all => The official QNAP Manager app uses only necessary rights on my phone, this is a Company which Needs to Keep it´s good Name, so datamining through apps is not an Option for em.
To everyone who is shouting for native apps => Jolla is how big? 80 People?? THIS IS NOTHING. Feel free to prog your own application and see how difficult this can be. And it Needs TIME. So just wait, there are more native apps coming.
The monthly Support is a dream. Never saw that on a phone before!
every one could have an opinion about that, but my question is a question, very precise, to know if there are many others like me with ONLY Sailfish and native apps. This could a strategic question to know where to put developers effort.
Jolla-be really different ( 2015-01-13 23:16:05 +0200 )editIam with you too! Don´t understand me wrong, I LOVE the native Sailfish apps, and i would be happy to get more of them. But Posts like your´s always Sound like Jolla is not focussing on that. They are. Android is just a temporal Bridge, but a necessary one! Without Android Support, sales where much badder. My opinion: Wait till summer for Sailfish OS 2.0 and the tablet. Sailfish = Linux. There are many "apps" out there, you just have to use them. And there are many Linux programmers who do this Job since +25 years. I think we will Profit from those People, who want a FOSS Tablet and do programs for that but not for the phone.
florifreeman ( 2015-01-14 09:54:15 +0200 )editAsked: 2014-12-14 23:08:03 +0200
Seen: 5,569 times
Last updated: Jan 09 '15
Don't know why you have been downvoted (just corrected this;) - Imho it's an absolute necessity and a cool strategy to provide Android support for things which now and likely longer cannot be provided natively. For me such a thing is e.g. the Here maps.
chappi ( 2014-12-14 23:29:22 +0200 )editTo me android apps are a crutch to stay in contact with certain people hooked on wrong services or to use services myself that ignore our tiny ecosystem. Sad, but until the critical mass of users is reached to A: make sailfish attratcive to services or B: make those propritary services apps obsolete by having native apps or system integration. Both rather fare away but not impossible scenarios. So, crutchy Android support via Alien Dalvik is very necessary imho at the moment to give us a complete Smartphone experience!
mosen ( 2014-12-14 23:34:30 +0200 )editI don't have android support installed. I've played with it and on the whole I'm not impressed, but I also don't have huge requirements or expectations from the phone and I'm happier playing with terminal and learning about Sailfish OS as I go along.
I enjoyed the difference the Nokia N9 offered, especially upon deciding to open and play with terminal, but I sold it to get a Jolla and I'm quite glad I did. Jolla has a lot of work to do, but bit by bit, 'we' are getting there! :)
You're not alone!
Spam Hunter ( 2014-12-14 23:37:51 +0200 )editHaven't felt the need yet to install the android runtime. I have all the apps I need natively. Most of those so called apps are only insecure and privacy invading fronts for web services anyway, so the browser does fine in most cases inho.
Philippe De Swert ( 2014-12-15 00:18:25 +0200 )editit's a personal choice - you have to decide it by your own
rudi ( 2014-12-15 00:53:40 +0200 )editthere are a few android apps I use, where there might be only very few people, who would like to use it. so, I will not develop something - as well as nobody else.would do it for me as only user - ok for me, I'm able to use the android apps - great
the android engine is a chance, no need to use it