Google Alliance was baloney!

[slayer91790]

What happened to that Google Alliance that Google made with all the carriers and manufacturer to keep the software up to date? I knew that was baloney! I have a VZW Nexus which I know VZW is going to take their time on to push 4.1. I feel sorry for the people who are barley going to get ICS and now going to have to wait 1 year longer for all the new goodies. Tisk Tisk...

 

[ajonesma]

I don't think it was quite baloney, because a lot of the phones that haven't gotten ICS or wont get ICS were released before IO last year or in the least made before IO last year. But i'm still getting a nexus from now on.

 

[MRW1215]

It sounds nice on paper, but I can't really see Google holding anyone to that. I mean, on average, manufacturers tend to release at least 3-4 Android phones (if not more) in a year across all carriers, so when you factor in that there are probably hundreds of different Android phones out there, each with their slight nuances, along with the fact that most manufacturers like to add their own modifications to Android, and the carriers have to add on their own bloat, run their own tests, and be able to provide customer service for each update, it's not really surprising that a bunch of phones get lost in the mix.

That's not to say it's still not disappointing, but for the most part, Android (even 2.2 and 2.3) works just fine for the average phone user. Those of us that always want the newest updates and more features will root our phones and flash better ROMs, kernels, etc.

 

[Foyt20]

Google aliance was announced 12 months ago, and when it was announced, it was stated it would take 15-18 months to go live. So, you have 3-6 months before shouting baloney.

And, although I hate when people say it, but just root and unlock your nexus, and I bet jellybean will be out in roms in the next week or so.

Sorry for being the people that I hate

 

[Mercury81]

I don't think it was quite baloney, because a lot of the phones that haven't gotten ICS or wont get ICS were released before IO last year or in the least made before IO last year. But i'm still getting a nexus from now on.

I think the mere fact that people have to buy one brand of phone speaks volumes for what kind of secretive service perks Google gives to Samsung .I agree the message was that all android phones would be updated at the same time. Google is clearly not allowing this and giving these updates differently is totally wrong. This does change my view significantly towards Google and its services and products.

from Evo4GLTE on Android Central

 

[MrSmith317]

Google aliance was announced 12 months ago, and when it was announced, it was stated it would take 15-18 months to go live. So, you have 3-6 months before shouting baloney.

And, although I hate when people say it, but just root and unlock your nexus, and I bet jellybean will be out in roms in the next week or so.

Sorry for being the people that I hate

Jellybean was released in ROM form 2 days ago ;-)

 

[rightontime]

Official jellybean isn't even out yet. Only leaked ROMS from what I recall. Google said mid July so let's wait till mass OTA to scream "Bologna "

 

[Shadowriver]

Hmmmm maybe PDK is child of this allience, the need to solve or reduce problem in equile way. Keep in mind it's manufacture choose which system pick for there hardware (thru i would be better if user had that choose) they don't need Google, they can always go to Microsoft or go back to develop there own systems, so Google can't force everything or manufactures will run away, it need to be negotiated. If development process is really that painful, then PDK is worth a try, time will show.

But imo, best solution is to PCfy (or rether Laptofy) the smartphone market, user choose both hardware and system. Look on laptops, even if manufacture force you a system they don't stop you to replace it with something else if you choose.... why that model can't work in smartphone market? First step is too open bootloaders on all phones, no need of hacks, why this need to look like iPhone jailbreaking? Why this process need to look risky? (and it actually is risky for newbie user). Then next step would be non system phone variants, same as laptops has and everyone will be happy. Also some helpful features to switch system safly would be good too. Main reason now why this not work is stubbornness of manufactures and even more stubbornness of carries (in which users that don't have idea of technology is best user).

But even with this solution it does not solve transitioning problem, same as access to new newer browsers don't make people update them if they don't update by themselves (IE is pure example of that), it will still take some time to people realizing that they can get newer system and maybe one day process would be a lot smoother, iOS way of smoothness, since even iOS users are not forced to update and have transitioning process, iOS4 is still minimum requirement to support by developer, in android you need to think 3 steps back to Froyo to not cut huge portion of users.

 

[pokingmon]

Still though, the root of the problem is that Google has a very clear, simple, and cohesive vision for the Android core OS, and both the phone manufacturers and the carriers DON'T want to play ball. They want to control their devices and market them to death with irremovable apps and features that the original vision of Android gets lost in the mix.

Take my TMobile Galaxy S2 for example: at first glance it looks like a powerful, cutting edge Android phone. Then you turn it on, and get a strange Gingerbread build. Or is that Gingerbread? No, wait, it's ICS. Why does it look almost completely like GB when it's actually ICS? Then you have a ton of app bloat and apps that mimic [read: try to replace] the standard apps offered by Google.

I'm by no means saying that people should be forced to use Googles default apps like a Nexus product, but in a way it makes more sense to give every user the pure Nexus first impression, and then lead them to alternatives via the Play Store. Carriers and manufacturers simply will not do this. They want to tack things on and impose restrictions on the devices in an attempt to simultaneously put horse blinds on the user and pimp out their own offerings. It would AT LEAST be respectful of TMobile to make their hogwash they include with the phone able to be uninstalled, but they locked them in. I absolutely hate it, and I hate how slow my phone sometimes feels. I randomly get "Check Status..." in my notification bar. Compared to my coworkers brand new ICS Galaxy Nexus, which my phone is faster than, his phone breezes through everything like silk.

As far as how Google should tackle the problem, I don't have very many ideas that won't either make users uncomfortable or result in carriers/manufacturers giving Google the finger. I'd *prefer* Google mandate that all bloatware should be able to be uninstalled. I'd *prefer* Google to require carriers/manufacturers to enable a feature in their devices that allows the user to reset the phone/tablet into "pure" mode, which would basically wipe the device and put it in the standard/vanilla Android of whichever version is installed. Those are things carriers just won't do, and will respond by saying there are certain things about their service that "requires" their dumb crap running in the background. (THAT, is baloney, as we all know)

Sometimes though there is a dissonance between carrier and device manufacturer. Going back to my phone again, Samsung made the Galaxy Nexus and did a great job with it. They made some amazing hardware with the S2, but unfortunately the CARRIERS fouled up by clogging them with trash. HTC has been talking lately about releasing bootloader unlockers for their devices and they seem to do a good job of pushing out builds of the latest Android versions to carriers, but again, the carriers completely drop the ball. The only recent ICS update I can think of where miraculously the carrier didn't hose things up, is with the Droid Razr. ICS supposedly looks almost completely vanilla aside from a few things here and there. That's really impressive, but it's also possible that it's just a fluke and we won't see other carriers follow.

I just received my first replacement S2 insurance provided me because of my last one breaking. If this one breaks, I am absolutely ordering a Galaxy Nexus for it's lack of bloat. Camera and screen quality be damned. I just want to be pure Android and give Google's vision a fair try.

 

[MRW1215]

Well, you have to kind of realize, too, that each of the manufacturers want to differentiate their phones, not only from their competitors, but from their own other phones. While it would be nice if everything was stock (or at least extremely close), that would make it a lot harder for all the manufacturers to make their phones stand out. Otherwise, the only difference between phones would be their physical appearances (and of course, the specs, but the average phone user doesn't have much of an interest in specs), and that would just be kinda silly.

So, there just really isn't a right answer, unfortunately.

 

[Mercury81]

It's starting to come to light that the whole Google android system is similar to the automobile. I say that because like android there are lots of phone makers like car manufacturers, they are trying too be competitive and trying to win our business. It's not as cut send dry as I imagined ,but I still think if they are coming into the market with a new product the duo have an obligation to update the current system for the full contracted period.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

[pokingmon]

@MRW1215: You make a great point. The manufacturers are competing with each other, and the carriers are competing with each other too. So it's a complex situation where they get aggressive with trying to standout or make their products/services appear superior to the others. At the same time, I feel like if (for example) TMobile were to release a cutting edge Android phone and *TOUT* that it's 100% pure vanilla Jelly Bean 4.1, many would see that as an advantage over the others, and it would standout. Currently that's how the Nexus is marketed really. It doesn't have the best specs, but the purest experience.

Now sure, most customers aren't as savvy as we are when it comes to their devices and understanding what they want, but I don't think that would be a very difficult road block to overcome when it came down to marketing a pure Android device to them. Maybe it could be an option upon booting it up for the first time? Enhance your device with the latest FREE apps and widgets from TMobile? with two options: Yes, enhance my experience and install TMobile apps, or No, I'll choose all my apps later. Hitting Yes would install APK files preloaded on a certain directory, and hitting no just leaves it all plain vanilla Android. Although, that would require them to inject that into the ROM, and it wouldn't technically be 100% pure because of that. But hey, at least it's a good starting point?

I think that would be more efficient to implement than, say, asking the customer at the time of purchase, and there being 2 completely separate SKU's. One pure and one with all the bloat.

 

[LCW]

blame the carriers and manufacturers like Samsung & HTC for not adhering to the pure Android experience... they insist on having their own skins and pre-installed apps... blame them, not Google for the massive fragmentation...

in the meantime, i will keep enjoying JB 4.1 on my Nexus... it is sweet.

 

[quamdar]

I really hope the 5 new nexus devices go over pretty well. I have already decided I want to limit myself to nexus but it would be nice to have a choice between a few nexus phones...