When it comes to all things mobile, simplicity is king. Simple UIs, easy-to-use handsets and uncomplicated games are all ideal when you’re on the move.
The runaway success of the iPhone can be partly put down to the fact that it’s both simple and powerful.
Google’s open source Android mobile OS looks like it may be sacrificing its ease of use as it fragments into an increasing number different versions.
To date Android has been promoted to the public as an iPhone-rivalling mobile experience with Google services at its heart. The thing is, an increasing number of versions of the OS are being developed that deviate from that simple description.
Here are some of the different versions currently available.
- Google Experience handsets like the G1 use the ‘official’ Google version of Android. They get over-the-air software updates and provide the full suite of integrated Google services.
- Some handsets with modified UIs are starting to appear. HTC and Motorola may have built better looking ways to use Android but you won’t be able to download official Android updates from Google, you’ll have to wait for the handset manufacturer to sort that out for you.
- Android based computers such as the Archos 5 Internet Tablet will most-likely run highly customised Android builds. Archos, for example, will have its own app store instead of the standard Google one.
- There’s an active community of homebrew OS modders creating their own versions of Android. One popular mod, Cyanogen, has been put on hold thanks to Google objecting to its apps being distributed with it. As a result an Open Android Alliance (as opposed to Google’s own Open Handset Alliance) is aiming to create open source alternatives to the parts of Android that aren’t open source – Google Maps, GTalk, the Youtube client and the like. Install one of these mods and you won’t get any Google content at all.
So, the first Android handset is less than a year old and already we’re seeing the OS split into numerous directions. What does this mean for the average consumer? Confusion.
As time goes on, these different development strands are likely to get further apart and become increasingly incompatible. Even if they run standard Android apps, they may well fail to deliver what consumers have been told to expect from Android.
Will a particular handset run all Android apps? Will it work seamlessly with your Google account? Will the UI be familiar? Will the OS update automatically? Consumers have to double check these things before buying an Android device.
With the iPhone’s global reach expanding ever further, the Palm Pre starting to reach out beyond the USA and Nokia doing very interesting things with the N900, Android may start to lose its appeal in the face of its rivals’ simplicity.
While Android is highly attractive to developers and hardware manufacturers thanks to its cost-effectiveness and openness, as a consumer brand it is looking increasingly weak.
This is a case of a glass half full or half empty. Android is a OS, which is build to be highly customizable. Not only developpers but also handset-building company’s like Motorola can do great things with it in just a fraction of the time that it will taken to build their own OS. And more important against a fraction of the costs.
iPhone and android powered phones are like apples and eggs (dutch saying)..no comparison…
I think the big thing here is that it’s the phones that will attract customers, not the fact it happens to have Android in it.
Things that are going to attract one person to a certain phone is going to push another person to get something else. The fact that HTC, Motorola and the rest can put their own spin on what the phone is and does just gives the consumer more choices. Something Apple is notorious for not doing.
So it very much is an apples to oranges comparison. The brand awareness comes from different aspects. I think an appropriate comparison is in the PC market, Dell and Intel. People may buy a Dell because they trust the brand. Meanwhile Android advertised phones is equivalent to a computer being advertised with “Intel Inside”. From brand awareness perspective people then expect it to be fast and support the software they think they’ll want to use. A phone advertised with Android people when they become aware of the brand will think this phone should be stable and support the same apps that all the other Android phones will.
I disagree. The software might be tweaked some, but every PC OEM (HP, Dell) does the same thing. They take a standard Windows install and add all their bloatware and custom software. All Android apps will work with the software as long as it matches the base version its written for. (Just like the iPhone)
The bigger problem is all the different hardware its distributed on. Thats where you run into apps not working correctly.
Your last bullet point in the blog is a stretch as well. Those are custom ROMS written for developers and tech geeks (I am one). Its not like they are wide spread or being distributed through manufacturers/retailers.
The problem for Android developers is that they are dealing with three parties pulling in different directions:
Google, Manufacturers, Carriers.
Each of them are trying to control the software.
But if that wasn’t bad enough it is also different manufacturers and carriers in each case, thus fracturing the market.
Good or Bad.. I think this is pretty much the intention. Android allows carriers (and others) to either stick with the basics, or create their own “brand”. From the Android page, “Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications.” – Android is not JUST an OS, it is an entire mobile framework. How well that framework holds together WHEN the OS/Hardware splits happen, we’ll have to wait and see.
Android’s got it going on with Flash and the ability to run apps simultaneously. I don’t think that’s going to be enough if people initially purchase the phones and negative feedback ensues because of software update and download difficulties.
There is already a huge market hurdle to jump (it’s 3GS meters high). Google should seriously examine the history of it’s OS-base-of-choice Linux’ success, or lack thereof, to garner a mainstream user-base. It’s open source, many FREE versions and Joe Blow is choosing to continue to PAY for an OS rather than attempt to figure out Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Gentoo, etc. (Can anyone figure out Gentoo?)
My rambling today is based on the fact that I’d love to see Android succeed, I’ve been lusting after the HTC Hero and, as technically savvy as I can be, do NOT want to have to screw around with time-consuming software or updates. Martin’s post points out a glaringly obvious potential problem.
Thanks, as always, for the info. Donna
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Hi Martin,
Does everybody eat the same flavour of icecream ? Do all people order the same Pizza topping ? Do people wear same colour shirt everyday ? No, No & No.
This is the real beauty of Android. The basis design remains same and then you can go ahead and make the changes in it. Everybody loves different flavours whether it be icecream or mobile phones.
It might be a bit confusing. Even I was expecting the automatic download of Android 1.6 on my Hero but I now understand that this will be done by HTC through ROM upgrade when they want to. But it does not make any difference to the way I use the phone. The sense UI is a classic example of what can happen when the basis product is same but people redesign it to make it different. Even motoblur is different and exciting.
I believe that having different versions does create some confusion but not so great a confusion as to make Android bad. We hope to see more innovation with Android as different manufacturers try to differentiate their products
Uh, I think this article is making a mountain out of a mole hill. I think there may end up being SOME confusion in the consumer realm, but I think most people who are not tech savey, don’t care. They are going to make their decision to buy a device because they’ve used a friend’s phone, or saw a commercial and liked a feature they saw, etc, etc. Once they GET the phone, they’ll explore and find out what’s possible with it.
Okay, read my post again. Maybe a couple more times to make sure. Done?
Okay. Now you should understand that I was referring to consumer confusion over what Android is. If they see Android powered phones (with Google), Android powered phones (without Google), internet tablets and more, with lots of different users interfaces they may well get confused as to what Android is, especially the way it’s marketed on the highstreet as a great way to get all your Google services in one place.
Understand?
I think the only entity confused about Android is “TheNextWeb”… Android is and will be customised endlessly… The hardware has nothing to do with the development of the app… The version of android does.. Regardless majority of apps would be compatible on newer builds or will be updated to be. If it werent the case windows would have not made it to version 7… and Linux would have died long time ago…
The updates in android are at kernel level and framework for the most part. There are many custom builds that run 1.6 with HTC Sense UI and even newer kernels and features than what is availiable through the OEM’s. That is the drive behind Android. Most of the time you have to wait on the OEM to make an update for your iPhony, while the Android community comes out with fixes and missing features and infinitely improves the phone to every user desires.
Oh, how tragic it is that we are NOT stuck with the same LAME interface that Verizon or the iPhone use. The Android platform is not developed far yet. There are lots of essential features that are missing or being developed. It has only just began. Android is not the iPhony, its just the OPERATING SYSTEM…. What runs on that operating system is up to the OEM and the USER!!! Not Apple or Google!!!
Obviously someone has not done any research…
Hi Bobby. I’m going to paste in my reply to Anonymous above as your comment pretty much covers the same ground…
Okay, read my post again. Maybe a couple more times to make sure. Done?
Okay. Now you should understand that I was referring to consumer confusion over what Android is. If they see Android powered phones (with Google), Android powered phones (without Google), internet tablets and more, with lots of different users interfaces they may well get confused as to what Android is, especially the way it’s marketed on the highstreet as a great way to get all your Google services in one place.
Understand?
YOU SIR ARE A JACKAZZ… pardon my french.
The only confused entity is this blog/website what ever it is.
FYI, Android is OPERATING SYSTEM!!! Not a PHONE!!! Hence it will be modified to the OEM’s liking. Ubuntu, Kabuntu, Fedora, RedHat simular kernels but different flavors…. Hummm why is linux so complicated for people… because it makes you think outside the box and most people are too lazy to understand what is going on.
The beauty of open source is that Kernel and OS improvements can be done by the comunity not when Apple decides that you should be able to copy and paste or view your MMS on your phone for example. No one wants to talk about the basic features that the iPhony is missing…. Tethering, Customization, Running Multiple Apps…. Even WinMo has those… LOL
And that’s the problem Dim – the image of Android promoted to consumers is at odds with the way it’s handled by developers and manufacturers. It’s a problem that needs solving… somehow.