cross-posted from: https://lemdro.id/post/2289548 (!googlepixel@lemdro.id)
According to the comments section, users have been able to sideload them without issues. Play Store has since begun allowing the installs.
Updated: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Google-Pixel-8-Pixel-8-Pro-benchmark-block-lifted.759613.0.html
Google has lifted the block it placed on the ability for users to freely install benchmarking apps on its Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones. The block had been in place during the review embargo period but extended past the on sale period where customers purchasing the devices couldn’t install benchmarks on their new Pixels either.
That is insane. Straight up blacklisting popular software because they don’t want people to look too closely at what they purchased. It’s amazing what the public is willing to accept, just such a constant stream of reports about bad behavior from companies that most people can’t find the energy to care.
It was an android 14 compatibility issue and the app has since been updated and runs fine.
The app hasn’t been updated but the Play Store block has indeed been lifted. People were sideloading without issue. Perhaps Google intended for the block to only last until launch to prevent reviewers only.
Android 14 uses new APIs and Google requires everyone to update their SDK to say whether or not it uses the new APIs. If they did nothing it was flagged as an incompatible app, but if they don’t use the APIs it will run fine.
You can usually adjust your app and publish an update without needing to change the app’s targetSdkVersion. Similarly, you should not need to use new APIs or change the app’s compileSdkVersion, although this can depend on the way your app is built and the platform functionality it’s using.
https://developer.android.com/about/versions/14/migration
You can update the SDK without triggering an update to the app and it will be available on the play store.
Occam’s razor applies here.
There is actual compatibility, and official compatibility.
The updated apps likely didn’t have any code changed. (why they still worked when side loaded) Instead, the Play Store listing updated the compatibility filter to include Android 14, so 14 users could now see them in the Play Store.
It’s not an uncommon practice. Many apps might simply have a compatibility filter like “yes if [OS version > X]”. But that can be a problem if some future OS breaks compatibility. Especially in the case of a benchmark app that’s supposed to give comparable results between OS versions. If the new OS tweaks something that doesn’t fully break the benchmark, but causes inaccurate numbers, that would need to be checked before it gets approved.
Ah, so I fell for reactionary bs assuming that a fairly well written article had good information? Dammit. =P Thanks for the info, that sounds a lot more plausible to me.
Seems like someone at Google didn’t hear about the Streisand effect. Now there’s even more scrutiny into the chip benchmark. Great job, Google.
Irresponsible reporting. The app couldn’t be installed because the min API version of the app didn’t meet the requirements for Android 14.
Google didn’t “block” anything, this is fear mongering.
This article seems to be outdated as both apps are now visible in the Play Store and I had no problems downloading and running them. A comment suggests that it may be due to the previous minimum SDK target for the apps being too low. I’d be willing to chalk this up to being more innocuous than active malice on Google’s part.
“Don’t Be Evil” always sounded odd. As if that sort of thing needed to be said.
After 20+ years of consistent anti-consumer behaviour, Alphabet gets no benefit of the doubt.
When this first came out I checked on my Pixel 7 which is on A14 already and I didn’t have the apps available either.
They are now available.
So yeah, it’s almost certainly on the app developers who didn’t target the new API version available, not Google. New Pixels launch with new versions of Android, but you can validate the same issue on older Pixels who have already upgraded to the new Android version.
It’s even more odd they got rid of that saying in 2015 and replaced it with “Do the right thing”. I’m not sure it was an improvement.
Isn’t this because the minimum SDK level increase requirement in the play store and android 14? This gets rid of older Lapis that are less efficient or secure from modern apps. The benchmarking tools haven’t targeted newer APIs and are thus the ones at fault. Devs need to keep their stuff updated; that’s half the point of the beta period every year for the major version releases.
People seem to be reporting that they were able to sideload without issue and the restriction was subsequently lifted from the Play Store.
