The most closed open-source system, eight sins of Android)

Do you think Android is open? Google uses a series of control measures to ensure that each Android phone has its specified software and hardware specifications. However, they also use the Apache license in the android SDK to publicize that android is open.

That's right. Google's mobile platform is currently the smartest way to use open source to drive business agenda. But before we go into this question, let's talk about why the success of Android has nothing to do with open source.

What makes android

Despite the early doubts, Google's Android mobile platform has been widely supported by operators and mobile phone manufacturers in the mobile industry, with only stubborn Nokia. Android has grown from a model in to more than 50 models in 10 years. The rapid development surprised the vast majority of industry observers.

The success of Android has nothing to do with open source. Its success depends on the following three main factors:

-Apple
It seems strange that android was developed by its main rival? Let me analyze it. In
With unprecedented iPhone success and Apple's arrogant and harsh attitude towards network operators, carriers are eager to find a cheaper option;
Therefore, the largest operators at the first layer are actively using Android to develop mobile phones for users who cannot afford the iPhone. More importantly, they do not need to sell a mobile phone
A kickback of more than 300 euros from Apple.

-Carriers around the world are eager to stand out
Android provides them with a unified software platform;
They can easily customize the system they want, and the cost is very low (3 months, this is more than savaje 12
The customization cycle for more than one month is much shorter ). For large carriers, Android also reduces their investment in smartphone software. This is why most Android
Behind the mobile phone project is a combination of operators and OEMs.

-Qualcomm
This $10 billion chip vendor
The rise. Mobile phone developers can use a solution that Qualcomm has integrated for Android to promote it to the market within 9-12 months. (Compared to Motorola's
Cliq took 16 months, while HTC G1 took more than two years ). In addition to Qualcomm, we also have ti's omap3 platform (Motorola
Droid/Milestone based on this solution ). St Ericsson and Broadcom are also working on Android integration solutions.

In other words, on Android phones, most OEM budgets are spent on customization. Symbian
The vast majority of the budget is spent on the transplantation of wireless communication and hardware integration (the result of Symbian's decision in 2001 ). In general, Android enables OEM
Manufacturers can significantly cut R & D budgets and spend money on customization. Of course, we cannot forget that android is free of charge. This free trial is exciting for many vendors.

In other words, Android uses open source for market promotion, which has successfully disrupted the entire industry and led to Nokia's acquisition of Symbian and windows
The overall crash of mobile (however, the translator thinks that the release of the multi-task mechanism of iPhone OS 4 has caused WP7
). However, more importantly, Android attracts thousands of developers by leveraging the open-source name and the charm of Google.
Developers are not allowed to make a lot of money, and the number of Android phones is less than of that of Apple's products (the country with support charges is six times less than Apple's ).

Behind the veil of Open Source

What's even more surprising is how closed Android is, despite the fact that Google's "Do not do evil" slogans and Apache
Authorization mode. I borrowed a sentence from Henry Ford's model-T book: "Anyone can choose Android freely.
As long as it is black (anyone can have android in their own color as long as it's
Black ). Android is an excellent commercial case-to show how a company uses open source to win attention and participate in communities, while maintaining a very strict business operation.

How Google controls each android
What services, software, and hardware are used in mobile phones? This search giant has established a perfect control management system. In order to mine more information, we spent two months, and a lot
Insiders who have close contacts have discussed the issue. The facts we have discovered are shocking. From a macro perspective, Google's Android mobile phone control constitutes the following eight sins:

1.Private branch
. Android has multiple private branches. These are only available to several specific partners, often those developers.
Android OEMs, and these are only available to people who need to know. These private branches are at least six months ahead of the published sdks, and they are also OEMs.
The key to keeping the manufacturer competitive. The public SDK provides the latest features released in private branches for third-party applications.

2.Closed evaluation process
. All code evaluators seem to be Google employees, that is, the Code submitted from the community is only
Google has the right to decide whether to accept it or not. In addition, Google is still circulating a culture of thinking "not invented here". They think that Google
Code written by employees is invincible. If you ask anyone who has submitted a patch to Android, you will get the same answer: almost nothing is submitted by Google.
Accept, and when rejected, there is often no reason or explanation.

3.Evolution speed
Google's innovation speed in Android is unique in the mobile industry.
Four major versions were released in the month. OEMs who want to write articles on Android have to keep up with Google (this reminds me of the mobile cup
OMS), or you will not be able to keep up with the release of new features and bug fixes. Nexus One, droid, G1, and other mobile phones with Google experience apps
Google provides innovative testing sites.

4.Incomplete Software
. Use public sdks
Mobile phones cannot be built completely. The missing key parts include wireless communication integration modules, international language packs, carrier information packages, and closed-source Google applications, such
Market, Gmail, and Gtalk. Although cyanogen can customize its ROM, the applications contained in it are not authorized, so they cannot be released for commercial purposes.
Android phone.

5.Closed developer community
. Android Market is the only one with over 40 thousand programs and each mobile phone
All OEM manufacturers have signed for the Android app store. This restriction is terrible because no OEM is willing to release Android without a market.
Mobile phone (tianchao is an alternative ). Of course, releasing an application on the market is very simple and there is no approval process. This is just the opposite of Apple's appstore.

6.Anti-differentiation contract
It is almost unknown that all Oha members have signed an anti-differentiation contract. However, this contract can be understood as failing to publish a mobile phone that has not passed the CTS compatibility test. (CTS) (Note: It seems that mobile has been kicked out of the private branch of Android. Is it because their OMS violates this agreement ?)

7.Development Blueprint for confidentiality
The development blueprint for Android is quite a cup of cake. So far, the publicly released development blueprint remains in the first quarter of 2009. If you want to see the internal development blueprint, you need the blessing of Google.

8.Android Trademark
Google holds the registered trademark and title right of Android. Anything you want
Android manufacturers must be authorized by Google. To put it simply, you can enter the Google portal, or there is no portal. If you want to do Android
Branch, you rely on yourself, for example, you need a company as big as China Mobile.

There is also a major chapter in the legend of Android: CTS (compatibility testing group), that is, Google's set of Android mobile phones to test whether the mobile phones reach Google
. According to our sources, CTS not only tests the software API, but also includes performance testing, hardware functions, device design, and UI.
User Interface requirements, and services packaged in the machine. CTS determines that you can add additional features, but cannot cut functions from the most basic configuration. In addition to CTS, OEMs must
Google signs an authorization contract so that they can package Google services, such as Gmail and YouTube.

CTS limits the idea of OEM-tailored Android mobile phones to weaken the version! At the end of the year, MTK and MSI released some low-end android
Cell phone !) This also greatly limits Android's ability to open up the low-end market. The fact that CTS is compatible with more than 40 thousand applications is a great challenge for Google
To occupy the 2-digit market share of the smartphone market. These restrictions, as well as the partnership between Google and OEM, which has led to the establishment of an OEM circle
Android fund discussion.

Google's ultimate goal

With Android in hand, Google aims to provide a stable platform for its revenue-generating services. At present, this advertising business. But in the future, Google
Target in voice services (Billions of users without data services) and Google Checkout (for example, Visa cards in the mobile field ). But regardless of Google
What is the ultimate goal? We should be aware of Android and Windows Mobile, Mac OSX, or palmos.
In comparison, it is not open much. Android is one of the smartest cases to use open source to drive the business agenda. Android
In the bones, we do not have as many non-evil ideas as we have instilled in our subconscious.

 

By Andreas Constantinou from visionmobile.com
| Lordhong
Translated from http://www.ifanr.com/9833

 

It's been a while before Android was developed. Moto's droid (milestone), HTC's hero, and Google's Nexus One have all been used. Android SDK 1.5, 1.6 to 2.01 have been used. I feel that what I mentioned in this article is more or less true.