[murphcid]

No kidding. The whole reason for the Priv (stupid name), is so you can USE the Google apps, and still have BB security.

LOL
Give people a BB10, they want to put cobalt's Google play services into it
Give people an android, they want to take the Google play services out

[tw1g_007]

I swear you guys are just plain... dumb. Why get the Priv in the first place? Just wow.

 вιaсĸвεггч� ᕵαssρσяτ SE via CB10 (AT&T OS 10.3.2.2474)

[tickerguy]

For what it's worth I have both Google Maps and Waze running, unpatched, on my Passport.

I can sign into Waze, but I can't sign into Google Maps because it wants Play Services. It'll run without it, but not with the enhanced functions that they provide. Ok. Nonetheless if I use them Google gets my data while they're in use. That's the trade-off.

You folks seem to think all these services and apps are "free". They are not. The price is simply not denoted in dollars. It's denoted in data, which you give to them to do with whatever the hell they want now and forever. Bad deal? Maybe. But you don't have to accept it; it's on offer, not a mandate. Don't like Google Maps? Pay for an offline mapping program that doesn't talk to the network to run or buy an old-style Rand McNally and stick it in the car.

[6stringriffs]

But the original XDA article above also tells you that YOU HAVE A CHOICE. The choice to pick & choose to delete certain Google bloatware that you will not be using. The article is not telling you to just delete G-Play Services. For examples:
Google+
Google Partner Setup (I don't even know what this is!)
Drive
Device Policy
and eventually Gmail if you have the BB Hub on the Priv (or if it is sold separately as an app).

The article empowers the user with choices! It's up to you to be intelligent enough to make them!

[Steve Rizla]

From the XDA forum:

Setting up Android Marshmallow, without Google - XDA Forums

Do this and you have it setup like BB10 without all the swipes & sh!t. But at least you will have complete privacy from Google.

You need all of the drivers for all the hardware on the PRIV and you need a way to load a custom build onto the PRIV.

[jope28]

It's just a tough spot for some that want to get on the boat with what seems to be BlackBerry's new path, but at the same time would rather not use Google stuff. It's just a personal choice for a few. That's all it is, it's not "hate" or anything negative.

I say to just stick to BB10 if the cons of BB10 don't outweigh the cons of being in the Googly world.

When it's time to move on from BB10 for me, I doubt it'll be to an Android device.

But the reality is that most potential buyers have different preferences than I do.
So... I think it's awesome for BlackBerry to try all and any option to keep its hardware division alive.


 Frosty White Q10/10.3.2.2789 CB10 

[tickerguy]

But the original XDA article above also tells you that YOU HAVE A CHOICE. The choice to pick & choose to delete certain Google bloatware that you will not be using. The article is not telling you to just delete G-Play Services. For examples:
Google+
Google Partner Setup (I don't even know what this is!)
Drive
Device Policy
and eventually Gmail if you have the BB Hub on the Priv (or if it is sold separately as an app).

The article empowers the user with choices! It's up to you to be intelligent enough to make them!

Except that the "primary" act you need to commit is to root to get rid of the original setup (which is there as a result of the mandated device anti-theft protection.) Formerly that wasn't necessary, but now it is.

Reality is that post-setup you can shut down tasks and in 6.0 you can revoke all the permissions from pieces you don't want, which will do the same thing in effect. However, if you revoke the wrong things you could wind up bricking the device (I've done it with Android before) and if you don't have the moral equivalent of an autoloader (some devices DO NOT have them!) you're in fairly serious trouble if you can't get back in.

For most of the Googleplex stuff you can indeed turn it off without ill effect. However, the core of it all, Play Services, has to run or nothing that wants it will work, and the entire reason people want Android .vs. BB10 is to access those apps.

If you're not going to allow Play Services to run then you really ought to just buy a BB10 device.