Droid's Identity Crisis

[pchakmak]

The banter on this site is extremely interesting, and I for one enjoy it thoroughly! I found this article, which some of you probably read, and found it very much hits home to some of the frustration of the people on this site.

With all of the back and forth about the "who, where, what and how" surrounding the release of that phone...whats it called again...oh yea the Nexus(heavy sarcasm), I found this article to pose some very interesting points about Android/Google's relationship. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated...

Android’s identity crisis seems to be growing - The Washington Post

 

[sbenson]

I've been saying this since I first came to Android. Very well written article and I agree with most everything he says.

Android definitely doesn't have a clear identity. Like the writer, on more than one occasion I'v had to differentiate Android and Droid for my wife, friends and family members. Google needs to kill the custom manufacturer's skin overlays (or pull back on the amount of extreme customizations) and try to unify Android's image. ICS is beautiful and an excellent base for all manufacturers to start from. Manufacturers should spend less time skinning their software and more time bulletproofing their hardware.

 

[chewy74]

This made me angry :icon_cussing:

The Galaxy Nexus was announced by Verizon in the United States, but you wouldn’t have found it on any store shelves on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. In fact, even though you can buy the phone all over the world, the only carrier in the United States that has announced it will carry it has yet to set a sales date. Instead, Verizon is pushing the Droid RAZR — a vastly inferior device.

 

[tjk629]

How the hell is the Razr a VASTLY inferior device?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using DroidForums

 

[Panther1911]

Thank you for posting this.

He couldn't be more right. When I started shopping for a android phone a few years ago, i know very little of what to expect. I expected the OS to be the same across the phones. I was looking at the spec cards and they mostly all had Android 2.1 listed as their operating system. But some of the phones OS's were different. So I choose the one that seemed to be the most basic, the D1.

Since then I have learned about all the UIs that the phone companies put in.

That is why I am holding out for the Nexus. I want the OS the way google intended it to be. Sense UI cost HTC a sale. If it weren't for Sense, I would have bought a rezound.

 

[mightybrick]

I've been saying this since I first came to Android. Very well written article and I agree with most everything he says.

Android definitely doesn't have a clear identity. Like the writer, on more than one occasion I'v had to differentiate Android and Droid for my wife, friends and family members. Google needs to kill the custom manufacturer's skin overlays (or pull back on the amount of extreme customizations) and try to unify Android's image. ICS is beautiful and an excellent base for all manufacturers to start from. Manufacturers should spend less time skinning their software and more time bulletproofing their hardware.

I remember reading that this was Google's intention with ICS: to make it so appealing that the manufacturers wouldn't want or need to skin it. We will know for sure once the Razr and Rezound get ICS.

 

[tjk629]

I remember reading that this was Google's intention with ICS: to make it so appealing that the manufacturers wouldn't want or need to skin it. We will know for sure once the Razr and Rezound get ICS.

If Samsung could touchwiz HC then I'm sure they'll keep the skins.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using DroidForums

 

[firefighterguy]

Had I known that the Nexus would potentially be out this soon before I got my Bionic, I would have held out. I am pissed because immediately after I got my Bionic, the Razr is dropped. Conveniently right after my 14 days are up (it used to be 30 days. What's VZW trying to hide or pull?) Hopefully with Google buying Moto Mobility, Google can streamline the software and keep Moto from skinning their crap on it. And I hope Google grows a set of balls and tells VZW that if they want to sell their phones, that they need to quit sticking their crap on it too. I am sick and tired of having to take that bloatware crap off! I don't use it. Have no use for it. It's wasted space on MY device and takes up resources that could be used for something else. That's the main reason I root. To take that crap off MY phone. It's not VZW's anymore. I bought it. Especially because I bought it outright.

Thanks for letting me vent. And I like the article you posted. Thank you.

*Edited

____________________
"King of the 'Self-Edit'"

"Patriotism is supporting your Country at all times. And your government only when it deserves it" --Mark Twain

I say, "Merry Christmas"

 

[natezire71]

I agree with everything this article states. The Droid RAZR isn't a VASTLY inferior device, but IMHO, it's inferior to the Nexus.

Please don't start a flame war; we all have different tastes.

 

[prowler85]

Good article. And I too wouldn't say that the Razr is VASTLY inferior...in fact I can't say it's inferior at all, as I haven't seen nor played with a Nexus as of yet. I do know my wife's Razr is significantly better than my Bionic (which ticks me off like firefighterguy above). Doubt it's vastly inferior to the GN though, but time will tell.

 

[zomnomnombie]

I'm going to be the odd man out and offer a dissenting opinion.

Yes I think Android is going in too many directions but I think that's the whole point. Everyone can get more or less what they want from the OS or make it into what they want.

However, for the long term I think Google needs to have its own pure Android line up. Android should be able to stand on its own and Google should be able to market it and their ecosystem as a mainstream/iPhone-esque/simple and pure alternative.

Sent from my R2 unit using DroidForums

 

[pchakmak]

The Razr is not a VASTLY inferior phone, but am I the only one who thinks its pretty darn ugly???

 

[firefighterguy]

(Thanks, Prowler)

I wouldn't say it is vastly inferior to the Nexus, either. For one thing (and this is huge for me) you still have a memory slot on the RAZR. True, it doesn't run ICS yet, but it will. And it doesn't run true vanilla Android (yet). But it will. And hopefully by then Google's acquisition is going strong by then and influences Moto to un-skin their devices.

Nexus - unlocked/unlockable bootloader and fully customizable out of the box
RAZR - locked bootloader (hopefully will change soon)

RAZR - Potential
Nexus - one step ahead with the OS.

Nexus - no microSD slot
RAZR - microSD slot

RAZR - no NFC (but again, at least potential for a software work around)
Nexus - NFC ready.

Nexus - bigger screen (4.5, I think?)
RAZR - still at 4.3

I mean, they are similarly spec'ed enough. So I guess it comes down to personal preference.


____________________
"King of the 'Self-Edit'"

"Patriotism is supporting your Country at all times. And your government only when it deserves it" --Mark Twain

I say, "Merry Christmas"

 

[natezire71]

I had an idea as to what Google should do:

I think that if any particular cellphone manufacturer make's "X" amount of money off of Android phones/tablets, they should be REQUIRED by Google to create a completely Vanilla Android Device each year. This would mean that large manufacturers would (possibly) make Vanilla Devices, whereas lesser-known manufacturers could do whatever they want.

Example:
If Motorola makes "X" amount of money off of all of its phones and tablets in the year 2010, in 2011, they MUST make a Vanilla Device. If they make that same amount again in 2011, then in 2012, they must make a Vanilla Device.

I think that each year amount "X" is reached, that Google should raise the bar amount. Meaning, if Moto nets $1,000 off of phones, then the next year's limit should be $2,000. Something like that.

It's more or less the carriers that have to approve the phones though. Always the carriers....

 

[jstafford1]

I had an idea as to what Google should do:

I think that if any particular cellphone manufacturer make's "X" amount of money off of Android phones/tablets, they should be REQUIRED by Google to create a completely Vanilla Android Device each year. This would mean that large manufacturers would (possibly) make Vanilla Devices, whereas lesser-known manufacturers could do whatever they want.

Example:
If Motorola makes "X" amount of money off of all of its phones and tablets in the year 2010, in 2011, they MUST make a Vanilla Device. If they make that same amount again in 2011, then in 2012, they must make a Vanilla Device.

I think that each year amount "X" is reached, that Google should raise the bar amount. Meaning, if Moto nets $1,000 off of phones, then the next year's limit should be $2,000. Something like that.

It's more or less the carriers that have to approve the phones though. Always the carriers....

How can Google tell someone what to do with a free item?? Google makes Android and puts it out there to be used by others. You can't tell someone what to do with something they can get for free. How would you control that. It defeats the point of Android. Now if you want a truly pure Android phone you will get a Nexus and be happy. Since its a Google branded phone its just as open as it can be.

One thing I think people forget is the "open source" nature of Android is not for us, the consumer. It was for the OEMs. Its a marketing scheme to get more,manufacturers using Android. All they have to do is develope a skin as opposed to the entire OS. Save bukoo bucks there.

As far as Android having an identity crisis, I would disagree. The issue is with the Droid line and everyone calling any Android phone a Droid. But in the end that's not really an issue. Android had some growing pains. But with all I've read and seen of ICS, what was is no more. Android has matured. It is where it needs to be to be competitive in more than just sheer numbers.

"Stay classy Interwebz"