Interesting article on Android phones

[JessiesGirl]

Sent to me by a die-hard Apple lover, so take as you will:

How Carriers and Phone Makers Are Strangling Android (And How Google Could Save It) [Rant]

 

[928Droid]

One of the "smarter" articles about Android in the "real world" I have read, thanks for sharing.

 

[LordKastle]

"Without a carrier"...except for the fact that T-Mobile is the only carrier who has given Google the okay to sell it directly and that it is not receiving 3G speeds on the AT&T network...oh and that Verizon already said no to it so we will not seeing it and it will not exist on the Sprint Network. Like I said in another post...Google has failed in its attempt to produce an "Unlocked phone" in which they could sell directly. Verizon was basically the lone-safe guard against a monopoly of this kind occurring and they had the courage to say no.

This article is more of an attack on HTC, ironically enough they are being paid by Google to produce this phone...and why you ask? "Sense UI"...Motorola's Droid is raw Android OS, while the thousand of HTC phones being released this year all have the core of the Android OS edited to produce "Sense UI".

Think this was posted already though.

 

[Martin030908]

Fragmentation is an issue with out a doubt. HTC is the only one 'adding' to the Android (Google) OS. I agree with Kastle... more of a knock on HTC, which is fine... after the Beautiful Widgets fiasco and now that they're asking to pull the app indefinitely to review it I hope they choke on their own UI. LOL

 

[joshua117]

Thanks for the article, i believe i have read it before but still an interesting take on it. now as the droid is my first android based phone i can not actually speak for the validly of this argument, however this has been an issue for every os ever developed (for computers and smart phones). it feels like the writer is taking a very bias stand and overstating the problem at hand. there will always be updates to solve third party software and if not, well if whatever improvements are made justify the upgrading to a new phone well i (and most people as the iphone has already proven) be getting a new phone. and besides i don't think i have ever gone more that two years without trading up anyway.

 

[nyyfan]

so i guess since the droid runs plain android, and there is seemingly no reason for google to withhold 2.1, that the question lies with Verizon as to whether we will be pushed an update to 2.1?

 

[LordKastle]

There is no question whether 2.1 will be released on the Moto Droid. It will be.

Verizon and Google need to make sure the flagship phones of each carrier are updated to support most apps and games.

 

[bass_lover1]

Fragmentation is an issue with out a doubt. HTC is the only one 'adding' to the Android (Google) OS. I agree with Kastle... more of a knock on HTC, which is fine... after the Beautiful Widgets fiasco and now that they're asking to pull the app indefinitely to review it I hope they choke on their own UI. LOL

Not entirely true. Motorola added MotoBlur to the Cliq/Dext, which also run on Android.

 

[takeshi]

"Without a carrier"...except for the fact that T-Mobile is the only carrier who has given Google the okay to sell it directly and that it is not receiving 3G speeds on the AT&T network...

GSM carriers don't need to approve devices that aren't sold through them. GSM users regularly take devices from one carrier to another or take unbranded devices to whatever carrier they want.

However, lacking at&t's 3G band doesn't help the Nexus One.

Though, as the article mentions, there is a plus to getting the device directly from Google -- no middle men when it comes to updates. Considering the many, many posts on various Android forum sites titled something along the lines of "Is the X.X update coming to [insert your Android device here]?" I think many would find that to be a considerable plus.

Verizon was basically the lone-safe guard against a monopoly of this kind occurring and they had the courage to say no.

What "monopoly" are you speaking of? Nexus One won't make the other Android device makers (past or present) cease to exist.

This article is more of an attack on HTC, ironically enough they are being paid by Google to produce this phone...and why you ask?

Sense gives HTC a bit of a niche in the Android world IMO. I don't know if I'd say it was an "attack". I'd say it's difficult to tell if, per the article, Google is trying to reign in the OEM's or if it has other intents in mind with Nexus One. There's really not a lot of hard information and lots and lots of speculation and hype.

 

[Martin030908]

Fragmentation is an issue with out a doubt. HTC is the only one 'adding' to the Android (Google) OS. I agree with Kastle... more of a knock on HTC, which is fine... after the Beautiful Widgets fiasco and now that they're asking to pull the app indefinitely to review it I hope they choke on their own UI. LOL

Not entirely true. Motorola added MotoBlur to the Cliq/Dext, which also run on Android.

thank you for the correction!

 

[LordKastle]

Takeshi...what monopoly? One that the likes of the cellular industry has never seen before. Lets look at what we have in front of us...

Windows Mobile - Pure mobile OS..pushed by Microsoft to manufacturers. Microsoft has no produced a sole device as theirs like Apple has done.

Apple iPhone - Apple's one device [Yes there is 2 versions, one is old and one is new]. Apple created the OS on their own and produced their own hardware.They had no intention of licensing out or pushing their OS out to other phones.

Google - Creators of Android OS and pushed to be the mobile OS of choice of manufacturers currently. BUT now Google wants to enter in the industry by promoting a device in their name to eliminate carriers control over phones. They want the best of both worlds [Both to push the Android OS on other manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung, Moto, etc AND to include a device to betray these same manufacturers.] Verizon rejected them and likely ended their bid to do this in the 3G era.

If anybody says that Google's goal was to sell an unlocked phone to 1 1/2 carriers, that is simply wrong. They wanted it to be CARRIER-FREE...not limited to T-Mobile and HOPEFULLY AT&T if they can work out the EDGE/3G data bugs.

I hope this makes it easier for you. Verizon's decision demonstrated courage and I am sure the manufacturers were very happy. Be careful Google..right as Android is on its way up, you may backstab the same companies pushing the OS for you. And I can think of at least a couple other OS's waiting for the opportunity you currently have....one with an endless amount of money to spend, upgrade and push.

 

[darreno1]

Apple iPhone - Apple's one device [Yes there is 2 versions, one is old and one is new]. Apple created the OS on their own and produced their own hardware.They had no intention of licensing out or pushing their OS out to other phones.

Actually Foxconn manufactures the iPhone. The iPhone is actually a blend of parts from Taiwan, China and who knows where else. Foxconn is also the company that manufactures the Palm Pre and many other phones.

 

[LordKastle]

Maybe you are missing the point? When I say produce their own hardware I mean they come out with their own phone. They have their own device to coincide with the OS. They are not like Windows Mobile/Microsoft, as the latter has not produced a cellular device.

Google wants to take a page out of Apple's book and Microsoft's and play both sides of the ball.

Apple may come out with their own phone and OS but they are not giving other manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Motorola, and others the opportunity to use that OS on their phones.

Foxconn is paid to produce the Apple iPhone but they are not independently contracting agreements with carriers to sell the device. It is ALL Apple. HTC was paid to produce the Google Phone...same idea.

This is different than these manufacturers producing a product line for carriers for their own benefit. There is a HUGE difference.

 

[darreno1]

^^I get your point, but many people have the misconception that Apple actually makes the hardware which is incorrect.