Google should take control of Android Ecosystem

[Kelly Kearns]

Everyone doesn't want stock Android though.

Samsung needs to get away from carriers, but carriers also helped Samsung here in the US. The device manufacturers just need to demand somethings different with carriers. Samsung could get away with telling carriers they will handle their own updates like Apple does. Samsung just has to do it. Once a bigger phone manufacturer does that, the smaller ones can demand the same.

 

[Ry]

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

Just reading comments from people that switched from an LG or Samsung to the Moto X Pure Edition - I see them asking about features those OEMs put into their version of Android.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Just reading comments from people that switched from an LG or Samsung to the Moto X Pure Edition - I see them asking about features those OEMs put into their version of Android.

Everyone doesn't want stock Android though.

Samsung needs to get away from carriers, but carriers also helped Samsung here in the US. The device manufacturers just need to demand somethings different with carriers. Samsung could get away with telling carriers they will handle their own updates like Apple does. Samsung just has to do it. Once a bigger phone manufacturer does that, the smaller ones can demand the same.

I agree. Many customers buy Samsung, LG, HTC, etc devices because they like the features that those devices have.

The majority of customers don't like the bloatware that the carriers add.

Sent from my rooted Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Well many people don't realize how truly vanilla, vanilla Android is and think they want vanilla Android. Android being open OS the very single reason why we have various flavors of Android.

I do however think the carriers need to be removed from it, which would stop the carrier bloat.

 

[Geodude074]

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

Really? And I thought it was just because WP8 sucked.

Is there a WP10 out yet? I don't even know.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Really? And I thought it was just because WP8 sucked.

Is there a WP10 out yet? I don't even know.

Low sales definitely have a huge effect. However, even when WP8.1 was new, OEMs weren't clamouring to manufacture devices.

Even if Windows Phones from Nokia/Microsoft were selling like hotcakes, if OEMs are unable to differentiate their products from the Nokia/Microsoft products, why would they bother manufacturing any?

Windows Mobile 10 has not yet been officially released. I'm not optimistic about new OEM devices being released, though.

Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk

 

[Tadrift]

I agree. Many customers buy Samsung, LG, HTC, etc devices because they like the features that those devices have.

The majority of customers don't like the bloatware that the carriers add.

Sent from my rooted Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk

That is true. Not everyone will like plain vanilla android. I people like those samsung and htc, etc. extra features.

I think this is another opportunity for manufacturers. Not that everyone is going to agree, but Samsung for example could just do basic Android and then sell feature packs for a small add on fee. Or maybe offer different versions of Android and let people choose. And possible do a small fee for certain feature packaged Android version. Much like auto manufacturers do. No one likes fee's, but I would do it to get the phone the way I want it.

But they certainly can't do that currently with the carriers in the middle. At some point, this has got to be the direction manufacturers go with phones because phones are getting to the point where they are ALL power, beautiful screens, etc. so they got to do something different that will make them money and set themselves apart. There is a reason so many phones are offering leather, etc. It is just more money in their pockets. Giving customers options will be the future.

 

[veritas_vincit]

Again, the focus here isn't the features or anything that could identify one vendor from the other. My point here is security in up to date OS patches deployments. Thats it.

 

[hallux]

Again, the focus here isn't the features or anything that could identify one vendor from the other. My point here is security in up to date OS patches deployments. Thats it.

Except that in order to release the security update all those extra features need to be tested against the security patch. Google has no control over them and if a device manufacturer wants to keep customers they will make sure all those features work when a device gets updated. This is one reason Motorola has kept their add-ons tominimum.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[veritas_vincit]

Except that in order to release the security update all those extra features need to be tested against the security patch. Google has no control over them and if a device manufacturer wants to keep customers they will make sure all those features work when a device gets updated. This is one reason Motorola has kept their add-ons tominimum.

Posted via Android Central App

Good point @hallux. So in summary, everyone with devices other than a Nexus are on their own regarding security by depending on the manufacturer and the carrier for deployment, which we already know the results so far.

 

[hallux]

Good point @hallux. So in summary, everyone with devices other than a Nexus are on their own regarding security by depending on the manufacturer and the carrier for deployment, which we already know the results so far.

Pretty much. And we now see what Motorola is doing to THEIR customers. One benefit is that they're dropping carrier-specific devices and going all-in on "Pure edition" type devices so the updates SHOULD be a little easier as there will only be one update to develop.

 

[Alex Wetzel]

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

That would also drastically decrease the amount of competition in the smartphone market.

Posted from the one and only Note 4

 

[Monitordroid]

This would be wonderful. As a app developer, we struggle a lot with this issue. It's funny how it was Google's hands off approach that attracted us and now we see its downsides. But I must agree that it is what makes Android unique compared to Apple. I'll tell you how I feel about it based on how many device specific issues we have to fix before the end of the year.

 

[Tadrift]

As it stands now, yes if the carrier and/or manufacturer doesn't step up, Google can't do much if anything. But Google is not doing it out of choice. Google knows that in order for Android to remain strong it must have more control moving forward. Problem is, they don't seem to want to rip the band aid off and in stead appear to have a multi-year strategy to migrate to a more direct (pure) market place. Here is what I see happening in the very near future that will change all of this.

I see a very dark day coming for Android. There really hasn't been a security exploit that has done any damage, they have all been "potential" threats. It is only a matter of time when one of those exploits does actually cause a security breach that effects peoples data on a large scale. People will be afraid and it won't be Google who takes the hit. It will be the phone manufacturers. They will try to blame the carriers, but that won't work. They have to much political cover. A weak manufacturer like LG or HTC will go down. It is going to be ugly. When that happens, the carriers are going to finally step aside (run for cover) and manufacturers will be obligated to update (at least security wise) all devices that are still considered "serviceable". There will be a national debate and depending on how bad the data/security problem is, there could be new laws. The phone manufacturers will tell people with carrier branded phones to send their phone a service center where they install a fresh update or new OS directly, so no carrier testing is needed. Possibly even charge a fee. I think Motorola already sees this coming, but I don't agree with what they are doing excluding the carrier versions from updates and that going to backfire on them. They are clearly sending a message to the carriers, it isn't meant to upset customers, but it will.