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Help Old android phone with Market, can't install apps

U

uasu

Lurker
Hi everyone,
I have an old Galaxy Spica, which I want to use as a secondary phone.
The issue is, it still has the Google market installed, and I cannot download any apps from it.
Would I need to install Google play? Would it be supported by the phone (firmware 1.5 Cupcake)?
Another thing, how would I install the google play, or any other app, if the phone doesn't even have a file browser?
I'd rather not root it, if there is any solution.
Any help would be appreciated :)
 
I think 1.5 might well be the problem. The oldest version of the Play Store apk I could find still have Froyo 2.2 as its minimum android OS version. If you have a device which is compatible with the Play Store it would update to that automatically if left connected to WiFi for a while, so if yours is stuck with the Market I expect that really does mean it's not compatible.

I recently flashed a 2.3 ROM which came with Market on my old phone, and as you say it could not install any apps. I guess that Google no longer support the old app or API.

It would be good to have a file browser or alternate app store in this circumstance. You could set up ADB on a computer, enable usb debugging on the phone, then install a file browser using "adb install <app>.apk". Of course to do that you need to find a trusted apk for a file browser.
 
No, just turn on USB debugging. I can't remember where that option is in 1.5, but it's at least not hidden the way it is in 4 or 5.
 
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