I don't want to use reddit's own app, why would I use a third-party app? I want a proper unhindered mobile web experience :)

> I don't want to use reddit's own app, why would I use a third-party app?

Because the third party apps are much better that the official one, in all metrics. If you have a specific grievance against the official app, there are overwhelming chances that you won't face the same issue in a 3rd party app.

I think you've missed the point completely. Twice. :)

There's exactly zero reason for a text-and-images-and-comments site to have an "official app", or a plethora of "third-party apps that are better than the original". A mobile site would be perfectly fine.

However, since there's zero incentive for anyone to use those apps, instead of improving (or at least keeping) the mobile experience Reddit actively degrades it. Hence the entirely unnecessary apps.

I currently have next-to-zero incentive to even click on links to Reddit, and the requirement to have an app just for that will bring that incentive to exactly zero.

And it looks like their redesign had zero intention to improve mobile experience.

I think if you use a good app like rif or sync, you will realize that they do add considerable value to "a text-and-images-and-comments site". I find them easier to navigate than any website. Another big plus is that apps have a lot of settings. You can customize the layout, colors, basically everything in a good app.

This is basic stuff. A single website can never provide all the flexibility of use that an app based on the api can.

For some reason you assume I want or need any of that.

Reddit is not my go to website. Neither is Hacker news. Or Twitter. Or... Or...

I browse the web. I may come across links that I click. I really really really don't appreciate the experience of getting yanked out of my flow into some app.

Even Facebook has a very decent mobile web experience. However for some reason Reddit actively degrades its mobile site and tries to make it as unusable as possible.

I use a cheap Android phone and it has severely limited space. Just give me a useable mobile site, not yet another app I can't install.

All those apps are between 4 and 8MB in size. Is your phone that limited in space?

If you put your ear against an unopened Huawei Y360 box and listen carefully, you'll find it's already started complaining about lack of space. And Google's updates to its unremovable apps are huge. I have 5 apps installed on it and need to remove one before I can download anything else.

Which is fine, it helps with addiction and most things can be accessed through a web browser anyway.

Whoosh.