Known for slaying Symbian and instilling fear within the heart of Steve Jobs, Android has apparently taken a turn for the worse.
In an attempt to squash fragmentation and speed up OS updates, Google is no longer allowing manufactures, carriers and the average hacker to modify Android without their express permission.
Over the last couple of months Google (GOOG) has reached out to the major carriers and device makers backing its mobile operating system with a message: There will be no more willy-nilly tweaks to the software. No more partnerships formed outside of Google’s purview. From now on, companies hoping to receive early access to Google’s most up-to-date software will need approval of their plans. And they will seek that approval from Andy Rubin, the head of Google’s Android group. (BusinessWeek)
Although those in the open source community will whine about this (note: is Android still considered open source now?), this is actually a smart move by Google as users and app developers will no longer have to deal with stale Android versions.
For too long Android has suffered at the hands of carriers who out of ignorance, apathy or fear of the unknown have delayed updating their handsets (even for critical issues).
Unfortunately a few decent manufacturers like HTC will no longer have the freedom to improve Android’s user interface, making it difficult for future devices to distinguish themselves from the “sea of me’s.”
While Google’s latest move brings them closer to Windows Phone 7 than iOS, the company can no longer claim that they are “open.”
Hat Tip: John Gruber
Originally posted on March 31, 2011 @ 2:25 pm