I am a strong advocate of open source systems, creative commons and of any system, or platform, that allows users to have more control over their own gadgets and content. Android, technically, allows me to do this but the reality is much different.
The fact is that even if Google already made ICS available, it will take a long time for all Android users to have the latest OS on their devices and some will never get it. This problem is well-known and is fundamentally based on the fact that lots of manufacturers and carriers, if not all, like to make their own version of the latest Android system thus delaying the update and frustrating users.
A case for uniformity and different business models
If Google were to take control of the Android OS, as I believe it should,OEMs would be able to focus on what they do best (devices) and the advantages would not stop here:
1. Uniformity: If Google were to take control of the Android OS users would know that their device would get the latest version of the OS as soon as it is released. I am sure that there are technical aspects to this that I can’t even start to understand but I can envision Google pushing a light version of the latest OS to older devices and a full featured version to the most recent devices. This way users would know that their 18 month old device would still be getting the latest version of the OS and it would be up to them to decide if they wanted a new device. My guess is that many would still buy the latest model but they would have a choice.
2. New revenue channels: If Samsung, HTC, AT&T, Vodafone and others really want to offer what they think is the best experience for the users they should look at this as a business opportunity. Allowing Google to take control of the OS updates would allow these brands to make that unique experience be a new revenue channel. I personally enjoy many of the aspects of HTC’s Sense UI and would not mind paying an extra fee to have it on my phone. What I don’t want is to wait 5 months to have ICS and, as a user, this is frustrating.
3. Empowering the Developers: If Google were to take control of the Android OS this would help the developer community. Many have spoken and written about fragmentation, much better than I can, but I have witnessed first hand how frustrating it can be to try to develop an application that will work, with the same behavior, across all Android versions. A mobile system like Android can’t survive without developers and Google should take this into consideration not only because it is the right thing to do but because the company’s business model also depends on it.
4. Democratization of the user base: At the moment we have different social classes in the Android community: those who root, those that can afford the latest models, those that have no idea how to root and can’t afford the latest models every 8-9 months. I often hear the argument that anyone can root their device, if they want to, but that is not true. Rooting is still a technical process that might end in a useless device and, this alone, scares many users. When I say “many” I am talking about the vast majority of Android users out there. If Google were to take control of the OS (see 1) the majority of users would have access to the latest Android version and this would also translate into a more solid and strong community. This might seem like more of a philosophical advantage but, in my opinion, it’s a very important one because the Android community plays an important role in the success of the OS.
Final Thoughts
Imagine this scenario: Google makes available a new Android flavor. In a matter of days all devices bought in the last 18 months get the update. OEMs’ Facebook and Google+ pages are not swamped with requests for immediate updates to all of their devices (“Come on! When am I going to get ICS on my Desire HD?!”). OEMs will be able to gather feedback from users and deliver added value. Developers will be able to take full advantage of the new OS features.
Doesn’t this make more sense? Let me know what you think in the comments.
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Well thought out and composed
Thank you, Jeffery!
Have been saying this lately. Google should have control over Android and getting it out to users at the soonest. But Google slipped up big time when it came to the Nexus One. It has the same specs as the Nexus S, but Google isn’t giving it ICS. That was bad, and they got a lot of stick from the dev community, as it is supposed to be a dev device.
But in all, I agree with your points, they’re all valid. But am sure manufacturers and carriers will not like Google if they actually do this, they’ll say it defeats its open source roots
Bradley, I know that the OEM and carriers will frown at this idea but what we have now is unsustainable. As an example, I got the 3.1 update to my LG Tablet, one week after ICS was launched.
Brad, the nexus one and nexus s have different specs, not the same. You can check the device pages too see. The nexus one isn’t getting ICS because its just to old in terms of specs whereas the nexus s is last years developer phone.
Two things make Android desireable. 1 its level of open sourceness and customization. 2 the community of developers and constructive feed back from users. Carriers and manufacturers enjoy this to provide their customers an experience they feel is what they want. Google should not be held responsible for what carriers and manufacturers do with Android. My point is if you want a pure Android experience and latest updates buy a Google nexus phone. Google should do their part in keeping their Nexus devices up to date.
Ruben, but that means that I, as a consumer, have to have a phone from a OEM that I might not particularly like. That solution would actually constrain the offer available, don’t you think?
I agree that Google needs to do their part and make sure their developer devices get the updates fast. Thats the reason why i bought the Nexus but now im worried that Verizon will take their sweet time pushing out the update. I think if the manufactures handled more of the support issues the carries would be more willing to push out updates. As it stands right now, if there is a problem you call the carrier and the carriers dont want to deal with that. I also think i should be able to plug my phone into my comp and update it as soon as one becomes available.
Lol drivers are an issue as well. We have ICS on the Razr.but allot of things are broken, because this doesn’t play well with that, etc. You’re asking google to take on massive overhead.
Yes I am
Every company is greedy, why they dont use stock. Itd be so much better if it was 2008 again, stock android. of course it didnt take long when the 3rd android phone came out (Droid) to use a UI and begin the downhill swirl.
This is pure fantasy as it would not and could not happen with Google’s current model! Tech. writers need to stop trying to fit Google and Android into a traditional business and technology model.. That is not how this was designed from the beginning and is not going to change anytime soon
Google develops the kernel and the associated APIs and that is it, other than their own market place. Google would need to close source the OS to control it in the manner recommend by the author. This goes against the entire premise of Android and what it was initially developed to do.
These are nice thoughts though, just not practical ones.
Omega, you might be right. However I don’t understand business models that are set in stone and that are not flexible enough to adapt and evolve. You imply that my solution would cripple Android and I don’t agree. I think it would strengthen it and give way to other ways of using the OS.
Android is tons of fun if you’re a techie or computer savvy. If you’re not bold enough to root but love tech, like me, it can get frustrating, but it’s really fun to read about all the awesome stuff people can do with their Android phones. Only problem is that it makes me anxious seeing and reading about all that awsomeness people do with their phones. The biggest downer is waiting for the updates to roll out from the carrier. When I got my Samsung Captivate from AT&T, it was out for one month. It took AT&T a year to roll out Froyo. When Froyo rolled out from AT&T, Gingerbread was already on phones being sold. That’s where my frustration began. Here I am new to Froyo and all the talk is about Gingerbread. Finally, AT&T gets Gingerbread out for the Captivate and ICS has already been out for 2 months. My 2 year contract ends on Sept 04 2012 and I’m seriously concerned about being always at the end of the line for updates. Im now considering the Nokia Lumia 900 in hopes that I’m not always running a year behind the masses.
Thank you for your testimony Tony. Your personal experience mirrors the one from many other users.
Wow dude that’s awesome i hope they read this.
It is the way it should be.. the problem is that the phone’s manufacturers and/or service proveders wont be able to leave a phone unupgraded to force you buy the latest one.