Android client update (unofficial info) (ICS)

[Equalify]

Still no news from spotify considering an update (atleast officially)..
But i've been annoying the developers in one of their chatrooms for a while, and when i noticed there was no info on this forum regarding an update, i figured i'd post this.

dan^spotify and chiel are employees at spotify.

This is a log from the spotify platform (developer) irc chat room from Feb. 11th
...

[18:21:03] <dan^spotify> The Android client is currently undergoing an epic rewrite
[18:21:05] <@chiel> dev0: yeah, we've been a bit understaffed in the mobile department for a while
[18:21:12] <dev0> i just noticed yet another update for the ios app and got a little upset that spotify doesnt work on my tablet, or on ics on my phone
[18:21:13] <@chiel> so it took some time to get up to speed
[18:21:16] <dev0> 😞
[18:21:25] <@chiel> yeah. i won't deny that it sucks
[18:21:38] <@chiel> but like dan^spotify said, the android client is actually undergoing an epic rewrite


..And this is a log from today from the same channel. Does say a lot about how important we Android users are to Spotify

(11:37:58) <dev0> so, i was wondering. how far away is that "epic android rewrite" release date ?
(11:38:33) <dev0> cause 20 million galaxy s2's just got ICS (4.0)..
(11:43:00) <dan^spotify> I'm not sure how that's relevant?
(11:43:31) <dev0> its relevant cause spotify does not work on ics
..
(11:44:41) <dan^spotify> Well, it's coming along well


So there is light in the end of the tunnel.. But it looks like it's a VERY long tunnel..


EDIT: (22/03)
For everyone that dont feel like reading through all the pages.

Post from licenced end of page 3:

Here you go - it's in french though

https://twitter.com/#!/Spotify_France/status/182770603080691712

Google Translate says: "To answer all questions at once: Android is a correction on the way, just likethe iPad application, thank you very much ..."

[Flakes · Accepted solution]

I have a galaxy nexus with ICS and no issues so far. What exactly is not working on ice cream sandwitch?

[Equalify]

Client crashes a lot, can't sync, can't load, can't log in..
Having to uninstall, delete cache, reinstall to make it start up again, just to have all the issues all over again within a few days..
Many of those issues are also present on 2.x, but occur a LOT more frequent on 3.x/4.x making the app unusable..

Read the forums.
http://community.spotify.com/t5/Spotify-Ideas-and-Feedback/Spotify-needs-to-support-Android-3-Honeyc...
http://community.spotify.com/t5/Mobile-Android/Is-my-phone-compatible-with-Spotify/td-p/63/page/3
and half of the other threads in the android forum..

[timfidler]

>     (11:43:00) <dan^spotify> I'm not sure how that's relevant?

Brilliant! There's nothing like knowing your market/ customers.

Is it just me or is this cagey, half-arsed hint at a possible future "epic" update in the future not a bit... well....amateur. As this is the only reason I actually pay Spotify, it's pretty darn important. In fact so important that I've cancelled this month and gone to Deezer.

Reading between the lines, I wouldn't hold my breath for any update in the next year or so. It's not like they've actually done much with it in the last couple of years! They seem completely oblivious to their customers. Anyway, I'm back off to Deezer world where it seems I'm taken more seriously.

[SteveBrammer]

The problem is that Spotify have dug a big hole for themselves by neglecting the Android platform for so long and allowing their iOS app to race ahead, feature-wise.

What I am afraid is about to happen is that the new epic rewrite of the Android app will, feature-wise, just stand still. It will be a complete rewrite that will certainly be better architecturally, will be compatible with Honeycomb and ICS and will have a new fancy interface conforming to Android's latest guidelines, but will have only exactly the same features as now. I suspect that the complete and epic rewrite has taken up so many resources and so much time that they haven't even thought about new features like playlist folders and 320kbps quality.

I hope I'm wrong, but my prediction is that when the new Android app is finally released it will be somewhat of a disappointment and will lack both playlist folders and 320kbps quality streaming/offline.

[OttoJacky]

---

SteveBrammer 

---

Well that sounds good to me. I hope you'd push it out ASAP even a bit buggy and fix it soon after that. Nowadays people want more updates and more often, not just every other _year_. Can't wait to see that update, maybe a small preview pictures when it's nearly finished? 🙂

Luckily to me all your software has worked perfectly to me so I cannot really blame you guys. I've seen a negative trend in the comments and many people have ended up unsubbing to you due to the neglection of Android and customer support. Great to see at least one official replying here, SteveBrammer thanks for replying. I'm sure people would love to see more interaction from all of you.

[SteveBrammer]

Ottojacky:
I'm not a Spotify employee, just voicing an opinion.
I thought that was clear from my comments and from the fact it says "Founder" next to my name and not "Spotify".

[overfloater]

---

@Flakes wrote:
I have a galaxy nexus with ICS and no issues so far. What exactly is not working on ice cream sandwitch?

---

Yeah, it seems you're one of the lucky few. The iOS app has some bugs and is kinda crashy on a 3GS, but that's not a patch on the Android app running ICS.

At the mild end you have playlists failing to progress, or the occasional mid-song app crash. Slightly more annoying, you have the "stuck in offline" bug, or playlists that insist on resyncing every time you launch the app. At the far end of the spectrum, you have the app crashing and actually taking out the entire OS (i.e. the phone reboots), or simply crashing immediately on launch.

For a while I was getting app crashes and force reboots. Then I spent about a month in "stuck in offline" status -- which actually worked for me since I primarily use Spotify on my commute (subway, no internet access) and didn't need up update my playlists. Unfortunately I decided last week that I wanted to sync and update my playlists, so I uninstalled/reinstalled to cure my "stuck in offline" status, but only succeeded in transitioning to "insta-crash when you launch the app" status. Currently hacking around my playlists with the desktop client trying to find a cure, but I'm spending most of my time killing the Android app with Force Stop, reinstalling, and/or rebooting the phone.

Any way you slice it, the existing app really can't be "certified" as compatible with ICS. If you're lucky it'll work for your account, but I don't think anyone's worked out the magic formula to make it behave consistently.

On a more constructive note: if there's anything we Android users can supply to the devs in terms of crash logs, etc., to help troubleshoot, let us know...

---

@SteveBrammer wrote:
Ottojacky:
I'm not a Spotify employee, just voicing an opinion.
I thought that was clear from my comments and from the fact it says "Founder" next to my name and not "Spotify".

---

Yeah, I'm starting to think "Community Founder" might be a better title, since it seems to be commonly confused for "Spotify Founder"!

[bradavon · Accepted solution]

Thanks dev0 for the chat log.

Can general members login to this IRC chat room or is it for developers only? Have you managed to glean any time frame? Even a vague one of, 6 months/this year etc...

Frankly I'd just be pleased with a stable release that works with Android 2.x (it currently does, just!), Android 3.x (it currenly doesn't) and Android 4.x (it currently doesn't.). iPad and Tablet apps are also long overdue too.

I too don't get why Android has been so neglected. Sure iPhone was once streets ahead of Android in popularity but those days are long, long gone. Spotify Desktop on Windows and OS X is beautiful, the Android app really lets the side down.

[LostRiot · Accepted solution]

Ahh, this is so annoying, I got the OTA update notification yesterday, but I haven't done it because I want Spotify to still work (and I've paid for this month). But to be honest once this month is over if its not 4.0 compatible I'm going to cancel my subscription and upgrade android, sorry Spotify, I want Android 4.0 more than your **bleep**ty client. 

Spotify is holding on to my subscription by a thread here, if I lived in the USA or somewhere where there was an alternative I would already be gone.

[Rorey]

@overfloater Fair enough. I think this is a great idea. I've added the "Community" adjective to the Founder rank to avoid confusion.

Cheers.

[eatonjb · Accepted solution]

I moved to Rdio, so glad, they have been 4.0 ICS complient since the beginning.  

[cr3amy]

I'm seriously shocked that a company in this day and age, whose business is based on pushing technology into a Music industry that has been avoiding it for years, doesn't understand the need to keep up-to-date on the mobile applications. Especially Android, which has a bigger install base than iPhones. And it's shocking that they don't understand the need to communicate with their customers. Are they trying to lose customers here? I don't get it.

[Maedhros]

Hi guys,

Just want to give my 5 cents 🙂

I am running ICS (4.0.2) on Galaxy Nexus with newest Spotify Client fetched manually from m.spotify.com (not the market). I am not sure if there may be a version difference somehow, but on my phone Spotify works okay, except for a few minor points:

1) Lightly messed up graphics for the center Play-tab. Nothing annoying though, just a bit cosmetic ugliness 😉

2) Random crashes and locks and sometimes even phone restarts. I have yet to confirm if this is actually Spotify or maybe my Avast protection messing with Spotify making it crash.

3) Sometimes the app does not move onto the next rack on the playlist, but is fixed easily with a light swipe on the screen 😉

Basically my experience is that Spotify works on ICS, but is a bit unstable at times. I am hoping that Spotify might patch the existing version to fix the 3 points above, but my hopes are unfortunately blackened by the fact that as a developer I know the mentality already that developers would like to focus on the "Epic Rewrite" 😉 ..... But still crossing my fingers for a quick-fix for the existing version so we won't have to wait ½-1 year 😉

[Flakes]

I now have problems too. Especially the "stuck in offline" problem. This really sucks. Spotify startet in germany last week. I waited some time for it to start, tried it and i liked the **bleep** out of it. Especially how the client is build and the apps integration is really a step forward. Now, one week later i have problems with the desktop client (fb friends dont show up) and the android client has massive problems.

So after one week my opinion changed from "wow this is so awesome, i will tell all my friends" to "Disappointed because they have buggy software".

Would be a problem if this was really a fresh start but from this forums i certainly sounds if the problems are much much older and still not patched.

[bradavon]

Remove the Facebook connection at both ends and try to reconnect again. The Desktop softwaer isn't at all buggy, it's very stable.

When even Spotify themselves admit their Android app sucks, there is a problem.

[waaaghzag]

I just sent this to them:

"I'm running Android version 4.0.2 (Ice Cream Sandwich) on my Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Spotify app instantly closes after launch. It has been doing this for the last week and hundreds or even thousands of users have reported this in feedback on the Android Market page and Spotify forums so why has it not been fixed yet? I only pay for premium membership to use this on my mobile device. Will there be a fix in the next week or within a month? When is it due? If there isn't a fix coming before the end of the month then I would like my last premium membership payment refunded. I'm sure I'm not the only customer that feels this way either."

Let's see what response we get....

[Flakes]

It looks to me like they are sitting it out, until the new version is ready. Seems to be a popular method for big companies these days. 😞

[eksempel123]

I'm a pirate. Not very proud if it, but it is who I am. Yarrr came Spotify with the hidden treasure of all times, behold ALL the music at one place! Thy it cost no more then a small goldcoin every now and then. Worth every grams of gold. But yerr got sloppy and didn't care for my cries. I was angry, my crewww was angry.

But seriously, in this picture, the girl is iUsers, the pirate is me (or other android users as well) and the white whale are some (SOME, by all means not all..) leaders within Spotify who gives a crap about android users. And yes I canceled my Spotify subscription and replaced it with what.cd and waffles.fm  mp3/flac files with stock player works far better than Spotify on the android

. 

Am I mad? Yes. Have I been patient and endured the techsupport answers with implied facepalms (try to reset spotify is the oldest jokes ever)? Yes. Am I technically stealing from the artists by pirating music? Yes, but I will gently puff that responsibilty over at Spotify. Will I return to Spotify when the android version is _perfect_? SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY.

[bradavon]

@ Dev0: Any further update?

This thread has turned into yet another Android rantfest :-(.