Android Mobile Vision API and ML Kit installed without Google Play Services

Question

I have an Android app that uses Android Mobile Vision API to recognise text (OCR). However, the device that the app is installed on has no Google Play Services installed.

I want to find out if it is possible to install ONLY Mobile Vision API or ML Kit without installing Google Play Services.

OS: Lollipop

Android Mobile Vision API

ML Kit

Answer 1

TL;DR: Both require Play Services

Firebase ML Kit, either the off-line Latin or the on-line version has a prerequisite of firebase-core and google-services (Google Play Services 15.0.0 or above).

|-com.google.firebase:firebase-ml-vision
  |-com.google.firebase:firebase-core
    |-com.google.gms:google-services

Prerequisites

• A device running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or newer, and Google Play services 15.0.0 or higher.

re: https://firebase.google.com/docs/android/setup

Google's Mobile Vision API, replaced by ML Kit, also requires Play Services.

• Have an Android device for testing, that runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) or higher and includes the Google Play Store.