Samsung, why are you abandoning your Eco System?

[woodsro0]

Years ago I left Apple over many annoyances. Picked up a Samsung Flagship, One UI was the new interface and it has a plethora of Samsung Apps that all followed the One UI design language, with beautiful icons, complete syncing with Microsoft services, and apps with far more functionality than their Google counterparts, and much better optimized to boot with far less battery use.

Fast forward today, and Samsung has essentially abandoned their own eco system. Gone are the days when the phone shipped with Samsung app defaults that matched the beautiful One UI design language, and we are left with inferior Google Messages for example that look atrocious and completly clash with the One UI design, now it's coming out they no longer ship Samsung Messages anymore, Samsung Email was abandoned years ago, two of the best apps they had. It doesn't make any sense.

To add insult to injury, Samsung abandoned their superior Tizen OS on watches that would get 5-6 days of battery life, was highly optimized, and was showing significant app and watch face growth every year and switched back to a WearOS platform they ran away from a few years prior. To put things in perspective, the OG Galaxy watch was getting 5 days on a power hungry Exynos 9110. Tizen on current GW7 hardware would be in the 14 days or more battery life. It really made no sense for Samsung to switch, the GW3 sold more units than any other Android smartwatch, why would you adopt the losers product? WearOS is inferior in everyway 

We are at the point now where One UI is pointless because Samsung has abandoned all their apps and we are shipped a Frankenstein device with no clear direction, apps with competing design visions, it's very jarring.

Samsung should go back to developing their own apps and ecosystem. You had such a a good business class device when I got the Note 9, and that has just been degrading every since. 

If this is the future of Samsung I guess I'll be forced to go back to Apple. I can't stand Googles Material You it looks atrocious and Samsung had the only UI that looked professional...that could rival Apple....and it seems they want to destroy that.

Can we please get our Samsung Apps back? Can you please develop Samsung Messages and add in AI and proper RCS and tapbacks, can you please integrate Galaxy AI into Samsung Email, can you please continue to develop your own apps instead of pushing Googles stuff? 

[Robin621k]

With all due respect, Google owns Android, their platform, their rules.

The only app that Google is forcing the adoption of is Google Messages if you want advanced features.

Are there some things in Samsung Messages that I would like in Google Messages, sure. Having it prettier with the ability to theme it is not one of them. Functionality and having RSC chat features is more important than how it looks!

[woodsro0]

That's not true, but everyone thinks that.

Google bought Android Inc, but they put out a fork of Android called AOSP(Android Open Source Project) anyone can use it as long as they don't use the word "Android" so Samsung could easily make their own fork of AOSP, remove any reference to the name Android, and not bother with Play Store certification(No Google stuff) and have a sandbox free of Google meddling.

Nothing Google does prevents Samsung from developing their own apps. They can still feature Google Messages while still developing Samsung Messages.

It's also a security issue, Samsung Apps by default run in a virtualized container Secured By Knox, this makes them much more resistant to being hacked that Googles apps that do not have this functionality. Why should I be forced to use a less secure app that is more buggy?

Samsung had to make Auto Blocker because people using Google Messages could have their phone rooted with no interaction, just by someone sending a crafted image file, Samsung Messages was not vulnerable this way because of Knox, abs Auto Blocker and it's protection of Google Messages is not a full Knox implementation.

Again, Google doesn't care if Samsung develops their own apps as long as they make the defaults required for Play certification. Im.asking Samsung to develop their own apps because myself like millions of other prefer them over Google, adding tapbacks, E2EE, etc wouldn't be a lot to ask for Samsung Messages.

[Robin621k]

You do know that carriers also want this to happen. They don't want to use massive servers anymore for texting. Samsung messages go through carrier servers. It was up to them to allow Enhanced Features, RCS.
If you think this is just Samsung bowing to Google, you are wrong. Samsung will never adopt a system like that Apple has employed for IMessage.
Samsung is a hardware company. They are not going to implement a server-side messaging system just so you can have what you want.

[woodsro0]

Samsung messsges already supports plugging into Google Jibe abs has for years, any RCS UP 1.0 or 2.0 messaging app can, Samsung Messages actually has both UP 1.0 and 2.0 certification from the GSMA, Google Messages doesn't. On prepaid Samsung Messages has connected to Google Jibe foe years, what's the problem now all a sudden?

[Robin621k]

Dude, the handwriting has been on the wall since 2022 when Samsung made Goigle Messages the default messaging app.

The fact that you are not happy about this is not going to change things.

Samsung is not going to give you what you want, except it and move on, or still use Samsung Messages with no features.

[patriciostarr]

I personally use google messages. I like it more than Samsung's. One thing i hate about the galaxy store is those pop up ads, so i just use it for updates.

[TipsyTrex]

Google forces compliance via the Google play services. No play services means no play store, no youtube, Gmail, significantly reduced on device functionality, no access to SDKs, no access to automatic updates, and so forth. Google wants to have greater control over the android experience and forces oems to play ball by threatening to take away core functionality. This is why, for instance, good lock will never be as tightly integrated as samsung wants it to be, because it is full of customization options that Google doesn't want oems to offer out of the box.

[Robin621k]

There is no arguing with these people when it comes to Samsung Messages. Google did get the last laugh, though!
My way or the highway

[woodsro0]

You do realize that the US FTC is sueung Google under Anti-trust laws and Google Play Services contract forcing manufacturers like Samsung to default Google apps is a big part of the FTC case to rule is illegal and it's looking like the FTC will prevail once all the appeals are done. I would argue even with no Play Store Google would put those apps in the Galaxy Store simply because they need the ad revenue.

However I think folks missed my point due to a comment about Play Services.

Samsung needs to continue developing their own apps. They can still have Play Store and still default all the Google apps required, but there are millions of people like me that prefer Samsungs apps.

Also, my Samsung Messages has RCS, all my Google Messages friends have a blue bubble next to their name and I can RCS them.

I just like Samsungs apps better they are just better designed. Just my take.

I think the Android landscape is going to change in a few years when the FTC is done with Google after hammering them with unfair business practices like forcing oem to use their stuff.