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Samsung's Latest Note 7 Battery Fix Violates Android Compatibility Docs (arstechnica.com)
Over the past few days, we have extensively talked about the Galaxy Note 7 -- and its faulty battery. Amid announcements of a global recall, Samsung noted that it is rolling out a firmware update to let users know if their device is affected by the faulty battery. If the battery icon on the device turns green, it means the device is safe to use. The problem is that according to Google's Android Compatibility Definition Document, a set of guidelines that Google imposes on every OEM that opts for Google Mobile Services-enabled Android aren't supposed to tinker with things like battery icon. ArsTechnica reports:In the CDD, Google also defines some of the interface design -- usually the parts apps need to interact with, like the System UI and shared theme assets. This includes mandating the color of the status bar icons, which seems to throw a wrench in Samsung's publicized plans. The section titled "3.8.6. Themes" reads: "Android device implementations MUST use white for system status icons (such as signal strength and battery level) and notifications issued by the system, unless the icon is indicating a problematic status or an app requests a light status bar using the SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_LIGHT_STATUS_BAR flag." Google spells it out pretty clearly: status bar icons have to be white. They aren't allowed to be green, which is the color Samsung plans to use in a future update.
So what?
unless the icon is indicating a problematic status
Right. The icon *is* indicating a problematic status: The device is using a battery which might explode.
Android usage terms and conditions probably need updating to allow changes which are necessary to ensure product safety. It has been shown that Note 7 devices with a white power icon may be unsafe whilst replacements with the green icon are safe to use. The ball is in Googles court.
Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
Oh boy, and I thought this world has important problems to solve
THOSE DIRTY BASTARDS!!! They had the temerity to violate a minor rule in an unenforceable voluntary standard to fix an actual operator safety issue! What gall.
Really though, nobody should care one bit about this. The violation is that the icon is green under normal conditions. Turning red when unsafe is standards-compliant, but the green normal state isn't. The problem is that a white normal state provides no confirmation to the user that the battery status has been checked at all. Turning green confirms that the check has been performed and the result was acceptable. Could they have used some other method of indicating this? Sure, but it would have been more intrusive and less clear to the user. This is simple and elegant, and addresses a problem that the standards writers certainly never anticipated. It's a great solution, really. Why would anyone object?
I am a geek attorney, but not your geek attorney unless you've already retained me. This is not legal advice.
Why use the battery icon anyway? Seems to me that I'm less likely to be looking at that icon when the phone is in my pocket, which just so happens to be the time that really want it to not explode. If there were a loud siren when it started getting to hot, or whatever signals the icon reacts to, that'd be much better. Or maybe just turn the thing off? But an ICON???
Politics; n. : A religion whereby man is god.
Why would Samsung care? They have never used Google's interface for any of their phones. Who cares if they violet Google's UI color rules when they reskin everything anyway.
i got cancer reading this. people are dying in other countries.
So changing the color of the icon violates the policy but blowing up the phone doesn't?
... if it is does not pass. Then the fact that they changed its color is indicative of a real problem, and thus not breaking the standard.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
How do you know if you have a safe phone or just haven't gotten the notification?
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Sorry, maintaining full android "compatibility" on a product you are recalling anyway is not more important than safety.
Would you be able to tell if the icon is green instead of white?
I'm not color blind, but depending on the saturation of the green and the viewing conditions I don't think I'd be able to reliably determine the color of a small green icon versus a small white icon.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
It's open the same way that Chrome is. If you fork it, you can't call it Chrome and you can't use Google's trademarks all over it.
Set a permanent notification on phones that says the phone has the newer, safer battery. I have a couple of notifications that are always there when I swipe down to view them. If someone needs to prove they have an the new battery they can show the notification. Then when there's an update to a newer OS version is installed the notification can be removed, or not. Oh, wait, when will Samsung update the OS?
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell
So, they can't change the icon color. So, instead, they should just include a flaming phone icon. That should convey it perfectly.
The problem is that according to Google's Android Compatibility Definition Document, a set of guidelines that Google imposes on every OEM that opts for Google Mobile Services-enabled Android aren't supposed to tinker with things like battery icon.
I agree that, under normal circumstances, Samsung should get dinged for something like this. But the problem is Samsung's copy of this document got destroyed in a fire.
#DeleteChrome
Consumer Product Safety Commission did a mandatory recall, right?
I don't think the TSA is okay with just asking "did your last reboot say your phone won't explode?"
How do you know if you have an unsafe phone if you don't read slashdot and don't know your battery indicator is supposed to turn green if you're OK?
If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
This.
I think a popup is the way to go.
If you need some indicator to show other people, put it in the settings menu.
A tiny thing like the battery changing green could mean that the battery is fully charged or something.
Red could be interpreted as it needs charging.
This is probably why google doesn't want companies messing with the battery indicator.
I only care if white people I know personally are dying. Even then it's debatable.
I guess blue is okay because that's the color the signal strength icons (wifi and cell) on my official Galaxy Nexus turn to with an internet connection, which just happens to be very convenient.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
"Beleaguered" used to be a word I reserved for Blackberry/RIM.
Now I can use it for Samsung.
Trolling is a art,
Solution: Added new "Battery on fire" battery icon status.
Problem solved!
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
As long as you don't bundle Googe crapware with it. Then you must comply with their rules.
Why do you think Cyanogenmod comes without Google crapware?
That's weird, this 1+1 (created by the same organization) that comes with Cyanogenmod has Google apps preloaded on to it.
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
Cyanogenmod is not Cyanogen OS.
The OS comes with gapps but you have to install gapps yourself on Cyanogenmod.
The real kicker with andriod is the google apps. Maps, Play store, Gmail, Hangouts, Chrome etc. If a phone/table vendor wants those then they have to submit to google's UI rules.
Some vendors have tried to replace the google apps with others (for example the "fire" series from Amazon) but afaict said vendors have seen pretty limited success.
note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
At that point it doesn't much matter. Indicator turned green for unknown reason.
What if you know the phone might be bad, and the indicator doesn't indicate that it's validated it's a safe phone? Is it safe? Did the roll-out miss you? You need some kind of visual confirmation that the test has been done and came back clean, or else you're still in an unknown and unsafe state.
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