Google should take control of Android Ecosystem

[veritas_vincit]

I'm not sure if this was posted previously, but I'll like to see Google taking full control of the Android ecosystem to allow for better and more frequent updates and upgrades of the OS, instead of leaving that to the cell phone carriers. I know is a game changer for the whole application distribution and infrastructure process, but this should start somehow as part of the Android evolution.

What are your thoughts?

 

[anon(5600632)]

It's why I use a Nexus purchased from Google Play. Beats waiting around for an industry restructuring.

 

[Ry]

I'm not sure if this was posted previously, but I'll like to see Google taking full control of the Android ecosystem to allow for better and more frequent updates and upgrades of the OS, instead of leaving that to the cell phone carriers. I know is a game changer for the whole application distribution and infrastructure process, but this should start somehow as part of the Android evolution.

What are your thoughts?

It's not necessarily only up to the cell phone carriers.

The OEMs have to put resources into developing and testing the updates and upgrades.

 

[veritas_vincit]

Here is a reason... For those without a Nexus.

 

[ahaxton]

I'm not sure if this was posted previously, but I'll like to see Google taking full control of the Android ecosystem to allow for better and more frequent updates and upgrades of the OS, instead of leaving that to the cell phone carriers. I know is a game changer for the whole application distribution and infrastructure process, but this should start somehow as part of the Android evolution.

What are your thoughts?

In order to do this, Google would have to:

• Take Android out of Open Source. (Because the software is not totally in Google's control, anyone can download it, build an Android phone with it, and put it on a carrier).
• Stop using OEMs to make their hardware, and start generating hardware themselves. (Because each Android phone is different, both in hardware construction and software build, there is no one model to trust Google to get right the way they do with Apple.)
• If they were by some miracle able to get the OEMs to use the same hardware, they would also have to take away software differentiation. No skins, no add ons, which would take away the OEMs ability to differentiate their phones and thus their incentive to make Android phones in the first place.

Is that truly what you want?

 

[Kelly Kearns]

In order to do this, Google would have to:

• Take Android out of Open Source. (Because the software is not totally in Google's control, anyone can download it, build an Android phone with it, and put it on a carrier).
• Stop using OEMs to make their hardware, and start generating hardware themselves. (Because each Android phone is different, both in hardware construction and software build, there is no one model to trust Google to get right the way they do with Apple.)
• If they were by some miracle able to get the OEMs to use the same hardware, they would also have to take away software differentiation. No skins, no add ons, which would take away the OEMs ability to differentiate their phones and thus their incentive to make Android phones in the first place.

Is that truly what you want?

Then it would just be an iPhone by a different name and all the reasons we buy Android, would be gone.

 

[ahaxton]

They it would just be an iPhone by a different name and all the reasons we buy Android, would be gone.

Amen.

 

[veritas_vincit]

Here is a reason for those without Nexus...
Forbes Welcome

 

[ahaxton]

Here is a reason for those without Nexus...
Forbes Welcome

How many ACTUAL USERS got attacked using the Stagefright exploit? Answer: Not one.

 

[Crashdamage]

I wrote something and this earlier:

http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?p=4699251

Android since v1.0. Linux since 2001

 

[Funny House]

I think a balance is required between dominating the OS
and allowing other company to add the creativity into the OS.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

I think a balance is required between dominating the OS
and allowing other company to add the creativity into the OS.

That is the very foundation of Android, the cornerstone, being able to customize.

To say that should change is like saying Chocolate Pie should be changed to not include Chocolate.

The open source and anyone being able to customize is what makes it Android.

 

[Ry]

Android being open is one of the great things about Android.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[veritas_vincit]

Taking control of the ecosystem doesn't mean loosing the current customization capabilities the OS has, but rather an extrapolation of the security management that Google has over Nexus. I know I could say "just buy a Nexus" but the control on security patches and deployment is a must.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Taking control of the ecosystem doesn't mean loosing the current customization capabilities the OS has, but rather an extrapolation of the security management that Google has over Nexus. I know I could say "just buy a Nexus" but the control on security patches and deployment is a must.

Again, because it is open source, Google releases the updates and the ones like Samsung, then release it. Samsung has basically "Samsung Android" with their own take on it.

Anything else is just Android, operated like Apple.

 

[Almeuit]

I personally would rather it stay like it is. If you want fast updates -- Get a Nexus or Motorola device and be set .

 

[Laura Knotek]

I posted something about that on WindowsCentral. A member there said that he wanted to see more OEMs make Windows Phones. I said that one of the reasons why the OEMs aren't making Windows Phones is because they cannot differentiate their devices from the Microsoft branded devices.

The main reason there are so many different Android devices from so many different OEMs is because the OEMs are able to add their own skins, launchers, specific apps. If vanilla Android was all they could run, then they wouldn't bother making Android devices.

I like the variety of Android devices available, and I don't want that to change.

Sent from my rooted Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk

 

[Ry]

See Android One too.

 

[Tadrift]

This is a very good subject, but unfortunately it leads the conversation in a perpetual circle.

Android, being open license/source has made Android what it is today. It is the very idea that anybody can develop and push OS features in their own version, overlay, or for someone elses version. It PUSHES the OS to grow and have features. But Google is not a OEM Hardware Manufacturer, so they can't know how or what has been exactly changed in the OS to make a specific device work correctly. And this is the impossible part for Google. If you want to know how difficult it is, just go to XDA forums and read just one Custom ROM thread about the trials and failures on just one device, let alone hundreds.

I do agree they need more control, especially for security updates. OEM's are NOT software developers, they build things. They want to keep the carriers happy by building in carrier services and bloat into the OS. And they won't put enough money behind software development to keep updates coming out as they should. OEM/Carrier versions are slow, ugly, riddled with security holes, and lose support way to fast. We deserve better. Google is powerless to stop them being that the OS is free and OEM's just don't care enough beyond selling a device, while the carriers try to wash their hands of it and blame Google and just want bloat to tie users to their network.

So it just goes in circles. BUT, there is a solution in my opinion. Android is big enough now controlling most of the smart phone market. That means Google wields a lot of influence. But with so much money at stake for everyone, they are moving slow. The answer is unlocked devices taking the carrier out of the picture. The more unlocked devices the better. This is a trend that Google is pushing and they need to push harder.

Carriers need to be out of the picture, then the manufactures can feel free to give the buyers what they want without influence and directly update the phones. Carriers are fighting hard against this change and are putting enormous financial pressure on OEM's to not do it. A lot of people still buy their phones from carriers and the manufacturers are afraid. Google could speed up this change and they should. Maybe special Google apps with more free features or extra cloud storage for vanilla Android unlocked devices or incentives to unlocked device manufacturers (they got the money), such as paying the licensing fee for better camera software/drivers that keep many unlocked phones away from the best camera category because of price. Or offer Google financing to unlocked stock android devices to pull people away from the carriers. There is a lot they can do, but haven't.

 

[Laura Knotek]

This is a very good subject, but unfortunately it leads the conversation in perpetual circle.

Android, being open license/source has made Android what it is today. It is the very idea that anybody can develop and push OS features in their own version, overlay, or for someone elses version. It PUSHES the OS to grow and have features. But Google is not a OEM Hardware Manufacturer, so they can't know how or what has been exactly changed in the OS to make a specific device work correctly. And this is the impossible part for Google. If you want to know how difficult it is, just go to XDA forums and read just one Custom ROM thread about the trials and failures on just one device, let alone hundreds.

I do agree they need more control, especially for security updates. OEM's are NOT software developers, they build things. They want to keep the carriers happy by building in carrier services and bloat into the OS. And they won't put enough money behind software development to keep updates coming out as they should. OEM/Carrier versions are slow, ugly, riddled with security holes, and lose support way to fast. We deserve better. Google is powerless to stop them being that the OS is free and OEM's just don't care enough beyond selling a device, while the carriers try to wash their hands of it and blame Google and just want bloat to tie users to their network.

So it just goes in circles. BUT, there is a solution in my opinion. Android is big enough now controlling most of the smart phone market. That means Google wields a lot of influence. But with so much money at stake for everyone, they are moving slow. The answer is unlocked devices taking the carrier out of the picture. The more unlocked devices the better. This is a trend that Google is pushing and they need to push harder. Carriers need to be out of the picture, then the manufactures can feel free to give the buyers what they want without influence and directly update the phones. Carriers are fighting hard against this change and are putting enormous financial pressure on OEM's to not do it. A lot of people still buy their phones from carriers. Google could speed up this change and they should. Maybe special Google apps with more free features or extra cloud storage for vanilla Android unlocked devices or incentives to unlocked device manufacturers (they got the money).

I could see something like that working. For example, if Samsung sold unlocked devices then they could still include TouchWiz, spen, Samsung Pay, and many other features and provide faster updates while maintaining the unique features that customers like while not waiting for AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint.

Sent from my rooted Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk