Android Fragmentation is a big Problem for Developers

guest · Feb 29, 2020

Moment drops support for Pro Camera app on Android because of fragmentation
February 28, 2020
https://9to5google.com/2020/02/28/moment-pro-camera-app-android-support/

Alongside its physical lenses, Moment has been working on its Pro Camera app for over two years now, but the company has just announced it will be shutting down the app on Android.
Why is Moment shutting down this app on Android? Put simply, every Android maker is completely different, and that makes things difficult.

In an email sent to some Moment users (h/t Justin Duino), Moment CEO Marc Barros explains that each Android maker has different takes on Android and those changes often affect Moment’s access to camera features. At this point, the Moment Pro Camera app is different on every phone with a “random compatibility list” with different features on every model.
Click to expand...

Trying to deliver and maintain this app for Android is just beyond the company’s “engineering bandwidth” especially as updates break things.

"[...] It breaks our heart to say this, but we’ve spent the last two years, yes two full years, trying to deliver a pro-level manual camera app for android. It should be simple, but unfortunately, it’s not.

The short story is that phone makers like to create their own flavor of Android, each with different amounts of access to select camera features. The result has been a random compatibility list where each phone has different features in the app by phone model.

Despite years of messaging phone makers to share their changes and make camera features available to us, we haven’t been able to change this culture. I wish we had dozens of engineers to continue developing this app, but we don’t. [...]" Marc Barros Co-founder Moment
Click to expand...

guest · Feb 29, 2020

Here’s how fragmentation killed the Moment Pro Camera app for Android
February 29, 2020
https://9to5google.com/2020/02/29/moment-pro-camera-app-android-exclusive/

This week, Moment announced that it would be pulling the plug on its Android app, “Pro Camera.”
Why? Because of Android’s fragmentation. In the time since, I’ve seen countless people complain that Moment just isn’t trying hard enough or that it can’t be that complicated.

Instead of just telling you that I think they’re justified in this decision, I think it’s easier to just show you how complicated the situation has become for Moment Pro Camera on Android.
As it stands now, Moment only actively supports around 20 Android smartphones including select Samsung, Pixel, and OnePlus devices.

Ok, so what’s the barrier here? After all, it can’t possibly be that difficult to support these Android phones, right?
Moment shared a spreadsheet with me to show every feature that its Pro Camera supports on Android from 24fps video to HDR+ to just supporting all of the cameras on the device. In that spreadsheet, the variance between these different smartphones and what Moment has been able to support is simply astounding.
Click to expand...

[...] every device can support varying levels of photo and video features. Vendors can opt to restrict select camera APIs and features on that specific device, something the vendors themselves can get around by “whitelisting” their own camera app.

Pure “stock” Android wouldn’t have this problem, but the changes made by vendors such as Samsung, OnePlus, and even Google itself break a lot of these features.

Is there a way for Moment to develop workarounds to get these features working? Technically, yes, but it’s a very complicated process that a paid app distributed through the Google Play Store wouldn’t want to be involved in.
Moment’s team of developers is not large, so maintaining so many different feature sets across so many devices has to be incredibly frustrating. Making things worse, most likely, is the constant fear that the next Android update might break something else that they simply can’t fix.
Click to expand...

guest · Apr 4, 2020

Google is trying to fix Android camera apps but it's not going to work
...because manufacturers need to support it
April 4, 2020
https://www.androidcentral.com/google-trying-fix-android-camera-apps-its-not-going-work

As good as the camera app that comes with your phone is, there are always reasons why people look to apps that use their own camera mode.
Third-party apps are there to fill the void and give us what we want.

Except when they don't work the way we think they should. This issue came into the news cycle in a big way when Moment decided to discontinue its great Moment Pro camera app, and the reason why is because the company just couldn't build separate versions for every phone.
It stinks that the app is left to wither and die, but you can't fault Moment for not seeing any value in continuing.

Google's solution is the CameraX Jetpack library. It's a software library that developers like Moment can use to build an app that has access to all of Android's camera features as well as support for extras like Samsung's wide-angle lens or telephoto lens. It's not part of Android itself, but it's a free and easy to use add-on that's available to everybody for free.
Click to expand...

There's just one problem — the company that makes a phone has to "expose" the Android camera APIs so the CameraX Jetpack can use them. Since it's voluntary, they aren't going to.

Phone makers don't want to share everything, and this can cause big problems for developers.
It's a tough situation, but it also makes perfect sense. Samsung, for example, takes pride in the camera on its flagship phones. And it should — [...] is also very protective of its camera technology — both hardware and software [...]
This isn't just a Samsung problem, either.

The fix is easy and very difficult at the same time — Google needs to stop making things voluntary. [...] needs to force their inclusion.
The same can be said about any voluntary Android features or APIs; unless manufacturers have to include support we are the ones who suffer.
Click to expand...

Google is to blame for Moment discontinuing its Pro camera app

Google. you have to take control over your platform to stop this sort of thing from happening
Click to expand...

Log in or Sign up

Android Fragmentation is a big Problem for Developers

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

Log in or Sign up

Android Fragmentation is a big Problem for Developers

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

Useful Searches