Connecting THETA Z1 with Pixel 4 Android 13

jcasman · October 3, 2024, 5:51am

Based on this article (“Does Pixel 7 Pro Work with Z1 and THETA Mobile Application with Android 14?”), I tested my Pixel 4 running Android 13.

I wanted to know if there were issues with connecting using Android versions leading up to Android 14.

Here’s my equipment:

Pixel 4
Android 13
Z1 firmware running firmware version 3.30.2
RICOH THETA mobile app (Android) version 2.9.4

I checked the RICOH support page to see if there is related information. It says:

Recommended system requirements for Android: Android OS 10.x or later

And it also says

Operation is not guaranteed on all devices.

It does not explicitly list devices.

First, I used the RICOH THETA mobile app, and used the in-app connection. I had to register my THETA Z1, since it was not on the list originally. It connected smoothly after I inputted the serial number. After that, I tried reconnecting 4-5 times with the Z1 already listed. No issues.

I tested three basic functions.

take picture and live preview

view thumbnails on phone prior to download

view picture after transfer from camera to phone

I also tried connecting using the setting in the Pixel 4 first, and then using the RICOH THETA mobile app. This also produced a smooth connection multiple times.

craig · October 3, 2024, 6:17am

Did you see this note on the RICOH Facebook page that the page admin is recommending Android 9-12? link

It’s obviously much better to say Android OS 10.x or later, which is what is on the support page.

I’m basically hoping that there is really no problem with Android 13 and Android 14 (which is what I’m using every day with the X and Z1).

I’m optimistic that the problem with connection was more isolated than the Facebook Group post from the THETA事業部分室 admin would imply.

@jcasman can you test the RICOH360 app and see if it really does require account login to use?

jcasman · October 3, 2024, 4:50pm

Despite what the RICOH THETA admin is saying in the post above, I am using the RICOH THETA app with my Pixel 4 running Android 13 regularly. Connecting is not an issue. Wi-fi can drop at different times, but it is not too common, and I can reconnect generally quite quickly. It’s a great app for working with my THETA.

craig · October 3, 2024, 4:51pm

I’m using Android 14 with a new 2024 phone with no problems. My connection to the X and Z1 is stable with no problems.

Sam_Rohn · November 5, 2024, 6:28am

reports of android 14 / pixel pro 7 issues with Ricoh THETA android app were intermittent and apparently did not affect all users, but several users reported that they needed to connect camera to phone wifi before launching the ricoh theta app or the app would crash at launch but that did not work for everyone

one of these reports is here - 360° Panoramic Photographers on Facebook | Alright, I'm done with Ricoh theta | Facebook

i am an iphone user so i did not experience any of this myself, but we did have more than one user report these problems on a few facebook groups

Ricoh said they would look into android app updates and a few weeks later released one final update for ricoh theta android app with no announcement and did not say if this issue had been addressed, and 5 weeks after your screencap they officially announced this app is discontinued and will not be supported after December 2024

i am disappointed with the recent lack of communication and clarity from Ricoh about all this

the new “RICOH360:THETA Capture App” which has replaced the older app removes many critical pro features like AEB mode, and forced registration preventing camera control is a textbook UX sin, a “skip login” option is standard practice and respectful of users freedom of choice

i also believe that as developers you guys can confirm that no method of maintaining app login state could ever be 100% reliable in all situations, it could be broken by app update, os update, server update, or any of these crashing, or other unpredictable factors, and as that could prevent camera use in locations with no way to connect to internet and log back in, this means theta cameras are no longer acceptable for many professional use cases

you can reproduce this required login camera lockout problem as explained here - Ricoh THETA 360° Camera User Group | # New Ricoh360 app: login error if no internet access, cannot control camera | Facebook

the relationship between the “RICOH360:THETA Capture App” forced registration and login with Ricoh360 Tours account signup is also murky, they both share same login and this makes it seem like registering the app is really signing up for a tours account?

in the end, this all only feels like Ricoh is needlessly extorting ALL theta camera owners to sign up for and hopefully eventually pay for some cloud/tour service upgrade, and if we choose not to register we cannot use our cameras with the new app, and this is unsurprisingly making many unhappy users out there in facebookland

hopefully ricoh management will change course and restore missing features in the new app, and importantly allow us to operate our cameras without registering for and logging in to a service that is not essential to camera operation, as we did with the old app

craig · November 5, 2024, 4:49pm

@Sam_Rohn thanks for your well-written post.

This is a useful summary of the challenges. Thanks for all your work.

We can of course summarize community posts and submit the information to RICOH in a report. However, out of respect to you and all your efforts, I just want to be candid on the limits of our ability to help. Unfortunately, I personally don’t have contact with anyone at RICOH who could influence the course of development strategy.

In my opinion, the most effective strategy is for influential people like you to contact people at RICOH directly and pass on your insights. You’re an expert RICOH THETA user and have long-association with the brand and company. I’m on the low-end of skills for photography and actually serve the role of a tester of the API and related developer technologies. Thus, your opinion as an expert photographer likely will carry more weight than my opinion.

To be honest with you, I have a long-shot hope that an independent developer will produce a mobile app in the future that could serve as an alternative to the official RICOH apps. It’s a long-shot because the RICOH THETA app is polished and professional from years of use.

Realistically, I understand that it may be too difficult for an independent developer to build a polished mobile app as a hobby. Also, it would be difficult to make the mobile app commercially viable by selling it for something like $5.

This said, the tools I have in my toolbox are the API documentation and related documentation. Thus, this is what I’m trying to work with. I’m also working with @jcasman to increase our direct outreach to developers and producing more content on the official RICOH SDK and associated technologies. I’m also taking an online class on how to get apps into the Apple and Google app stores.

Thanks for caring and engaging.