One of the men who invented Android has declared that phone manufacturers and networks should make more of an effort to change the way Google's mobile operating system works. Yeah, I know what you're thinking -- is he nuts? But bear with us: he may have a point.
Speaking at a conference on open sourcery, Rich Miner said adding extras to Android is "a big opportunity" for manufacturers and networks "that they seem to have left on the table", Fierce Mobile Content (!) reports.
Miner was one of the founders of Android Inc in 2003, before the company was bought by Google in 2005. Why is he so keen to see others mess with his baby?
Many phone fans prefer manufacturers and networks to just leave them alone with untainted Android. But we can see Miner's point, in that Android represents an opportunity to come up with eye-popping, cool and clever new interfaces.
Android can be customised up the wazoo, thanks to its open-source code. That varies from making small tweaks to the basic look and feel to completely reinventing the interface. Sadly, few companies really go to the trouble of transforming Android -- the best example I can think of is Amazon's dramatic revamp on the Amazon Kindle Fire HD tablet. It emphasises that slate's multimedia capabilities and channels users into buying more music and movies and books.
Half-hearted
Instead, manufacturers have bodged on skins such as HTC Sense or Samsung TouchWiz that barely change the operating system at all -- no wonder the lack of differentiation between Android phones is a problem if they're all using basically the same software.
Meanwhile, networks load on pointless bloatware apps. C'mon guys: the whole point of an app-based device is that you only download the ones you want!
And to the chagrin of phone fans, all these half-hearted tweaks just get in the way when it comes time to update to a new version of Android, such as Jelly Bean.
The only network service I'm interested in is checking how much data or minutes and texts I've used, and quickly and easily paying for extras such as roaming. Apart from that, the only bloatware app I've ever used is Orange Wednesday, and I actively avoid things like Sony's TimeScape. Enough of these half-hearted tweaks! For me, networks and manufacturers should either change everything or change nothing.
Do you ever use any of the extras added to your phone? What would you find useful for your network to add? Or should networks, manufacturers and everyone else leave your phone alone completely? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 6
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anonymous 9 November, 2012 12:30
i currenty run an Orange SE Arc with... 16 mg free space thats 4%!! The low space symbol has been on for months and cannot update anything No way of removing bloatware and pointless Apps they i never use or want. Orange never do their resurch on individual handsets and the Low onboard space that unfortunatly blighted the ARC has been reduced even more by Orange Bloatware..
It has leant me a lesson though! I am out of contract from the 12th so its a Sim free Note 2 for me and no meaga data sparse 2 year contract for me. giff Gaff all the way.
Eric Manktelow 9 November, 2012 13:23
The last thing phones need is more unneeded junk.
The whole reason Android is so fragmented is because of manufacturer and network interference, it would be better for users and the OS if everything goes vanilla with people still having the option to install junk on their phones from the Play store if they want.
anonymous 9 November, 2012 13:46
Customised or Pure Android? Kindle Fire HD or Nexus 7? No brainer ... as I'm sure the post-Christmas sales figures will tell.
And also, I don't know anyone that's chosen a Samsung over a HTC solely because they preferred TouchWiz over Sense (or vice versa).
Eric Manktelow 9 November, 2012 16:12
I know a couple of years ago reviews often praised Sense (urgh) and included the UI as a reason to buy over a non-HTC phone (when I bought my Desire for instance.)
I never like Sense myself, and I hate Touchwiz, but some people must like them.
anonymous 9 November, 2012 20:33
So CNET UK criticises Android for so called fragmentation, whilst simultaneously criticising it for not having enough differentiation? I do get what this article is getting at, but with the amount of criticism they've given the system for this so called fragmentation and then say what they've said here about lack of differentiation.
So what is the actual problem? Very contradictory.
anonymous 11 November, 2012 01:08
I am a previous Samsung galaxy s2 and a htc wildfire s owner. i love the s2 and hate wildfire. i want to try android without modification. I am buying a nexus 4 this week but am concerned about the liquidation of the android brand. I would recommend the removal of skins to manufacturers who should advertise vanilla android devices as something worth having like simple and quick updates with a lovley logo. most android fans despise skins and love vanilla android. ( android is customasible but leave that for medicaly devices who dont need updates like google now) theres nothing worse than having a similar device and same software than your friend but cant play a gamer without crashing your device