Google defrags Android by removing OEMs and Carriers from the loop

[Bateluer]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013...oems-step-aside-google-is-defragging-android/

It's such a simple idea: Android updates roll out too slowly, so start releasing all the cool stuff separately. The hard part is making it actually work. But the first reason this is now possible is a little app that has finally come of age: "Google Play Services."


Google Play Services can do whatever it wants.
Calling Play Services an "app" doesn't really tell the whole story. For starters, it has an insane amount of permissions. It's basically a system-level process, and if the above list isn't enough for whatever it needs to do next, it can actually give itself more permissions without the user's consent. Play Services constantly runs in the background of every Android phone, and nearly every Google app relies on it to function. It's updatable, but it doesn't update through the Play Store like every other app. It has its own silent, automatic update mechanism that the user has no control over. In fact, most of the time the user never even knows an update has happened. The reason for the complete and absolute power this app has is simple: Google Play Services is Google's new platform.


This gets even more interesting when you consider the implications for future versions of Android. What will the next version of Android have? Well, what is left for it to have? Android is now on more of a steady, continual improvement track than an all-at-once opening of the floodgates like we last saw with Android 4.1. It seems like Google has been slowly moving down this path for some time; the last three releases have all kept the name "Jelly Bean." Huge, monolithic Android OS updates are probably over—"extinct" may be a more appropriate term.

Not having to package everything into a major OS update means Google can get features out to more users much faster and more frequently than before. Android feature releases can now work just like Google's Web app updates: silent, continual improvement that happens in the background. Your device is constantly getting better without your having to do anything or wait for a third party, and developers can take advantage of new APIs without having to wait for the install base to catch up. This should all lead to a more unified, less fragmented, healthier Android ecosystem.

We all know fragmentation was pretty much a myth invented in a mostly futile effort to try slow Android's growth, but this action pretty much drops an atom bomb on that argument. And throws egg on the face of the company that started the myth because even a phone running Android 2.2 or 2.3 can get nearly all of the software features afforded to the newest devices running 4.2.2 and 4.3, compared to competitor's phones getting updated to the latest OS but with most of that OS's coolest features removed.

 

[darkewaffle]

New NSA backdoor is more like it

 

[Red Storm]

I do love that we've moved on from annual updates to getting the cool stuff sooner whenever it's ready.

 

[Eug]

I still think fragmentation on Android is a HUGE problem.

In fact, I experienced one small but very annoying instance of this problem recently, when a VoIP app from a major company didn't work properly on my Motorola RAZR HD, even though the phone is running Jelly Bean and the company who makes it is actually owned by Google.

Ironically, I'm told it works just fine on the Samsung Galaxy S III.

 

[Graze]

I still think fragmentation on Android is a HUGE problem.

In fact, I experienced one small but very annoying instance of this problem recently, when a VoIP app from a major company didn't work properly on my Motorola RAZR HD, even though the phone is running Jelly Bean and the company who makes it is actually owned by Google.

Ironically, I'm told it works just fine on the Samsung Galaxy S III.

Yeah and this can't be the developer's fault at all, however "major" they are?

 

[Red Storm]

I still think fragmentation on Android is a HUGE problem.

In fact, I experienced one small but very annoying instance of this problem recently, when a VoIP app from a major company didn't work properly on my Motorola RAZR HD, even though the phone is running Jelly Bean and the company who makes it is actually owned by Google.

Ironically, I'm told it works just fine on the Samsung Galaxy S III.

What's the app?

 

[cbrunny]

Won't this provide even less incentive for smartphone companies to update their android shells?

 

[Eug]

What's the app?

Vonage VoIP

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vonage.TimeToCall

P.S. It runs fine on my wife's ancient iPhone 4 (which is running iOS 6).

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/vonage-mobile-voice-text-video/id491391564?mt=8

Yeah and this can't be the developer's fault at all, however "major" they are?

Of course it's up to the developer to troubleshoot, but the point here is that hardware and software fragmentation makes it much harder on the developer.

The software is supposed to work on Android 4.1, but it doesn't even on a recent (but not too recent - 2012) flagship phone from a hardware manufacturer that Google itself owns.

BTW, I wonder if such "defragging" methods might actually make things worse in some instances, since suddenly you'll have OS versions that are different but all labelled with the same number.

 

[sweenish]

Your OS version number isn't changed, nor does it need to be.

The apps will check for Google Play Services and disregard the OS version.

 

[Mopetar]

We all know fragmentation was pretty much a myth invented in a mostly futile effort to try slow Android's growth, but this action pretty much drops an atom bomb on that argument.

There are still fragmentation issues. I was recently talking with someone looking to develop software to use phones as data collecting sensors by using the accelerometer, GPS, and other onboard hardware. They said that doing it on Android was a pain because all of the different phones used different parts which operated differently, such as polling at different intervals, among other issues.

Another group of app developers recently made some of their own observations: http://opensignal.com/reports/fragmentation-2013/

Android fragmentation isn't the huge problem that some make it out to be, but to say that it's a complete non-issue is just as disingenuous. This is definitely a smart move by Google to address the problems they've been having with the carriers, but it's not some be-all-end-all solution to every developers issues with Android.

 

[Eug]

^^ Wow:

iOS 6: 95%
iOS 5: 5%
Other iOS: 1%

(Yes I realize this adds up to 101%.)

 

[lopri]

Blocking Google Services via firewall and staying away from actual Google services (apps) give insane battery life for your Nexus 4 in case anyone is interested. It is not realistic, but not impossible.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

^^ Wow:

iOS 6: 95%
iOS 5: 5%
Other iOS: 1%

(Yes I realize this adds up to 101%.)

Considering most iOS devices are running iOS 6 in name only that really doesn't mean anything.

 

[zerocool84]

iOS has fragmentation but not to the extent of Android because there are things only the newer phones can do that the older ones can't even with the same OS version.

 

[Zaap]

*yawn* this noise again.

Whatever great and terrible problems this fragmentation thing supposedly does, I've never once, read a single legit reason why I should give a flying rat about it.

 

[Graze]

*yawn* this noise again.

Whatever great and terrible problems this fragmentation thing supposedly does, I've never once, read a single legit reason why I should give a flying rat about it.

Who's this guy? I like your style!!

 

[lothar]

^^ Wow:

iOS 6: 95%
iOS 5: 5%
Other iOS: 1%

(Yes I realize this adds up to 101%.)

What Apple doesn't show you is this:

In case you aren't aware, massive fragmentation exists among iOS 6 devices.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

We all know fragmentation was pretty much a myth invented in a mostly futile effort to try slow Android's growth, but this action pretty much drops an atom bomb on that argument. And throws egg on the face of the company that started the myth because even a phone running Android 2.2 or 2.3 can get nearly all of the software features afforded to the newest devices running 4.2.2 and 4.3, compared to competitor's phones getting updated to the latest OS but with most of that OS's coolest features removed.

WTF is with this? Fragmentation has existed except for deniers like you. Yes, it's improved, and Google's done a lot to try to mitigate these concerns, but it's not like it doesn't exist. The fact that there's still 5 different Galaxy S4s doesn't spell fragmentation for you?

Look, I get it, Google Play services offers some nice functionality updates, but there's no way an Android 2.2 or 2.3 phone is getting the same experience. There's more to the OS than JUST Play Services.

 

[Crono]

"Defrags" is the wrong word to use. They are decoupling services from the base OS and pushing them as independent apps. This gives them a lot more control, but it's not really meant to address "fragmentation". Fragmentation isn't a problem, as you kind of want users constantly being reminded that the newer versions of Android exist. It's the same way older car models are pushed aside by new models. No one talks about the Toyota or Ford fragmentation problem.

Fragmentation is an imaginary problem until Android versions (with features exclusive to each version) start outpacing the release of new phone models, which I don't see happening soon.

 

[Eug]

What Apple doesn't show you is this:

In case you aren't aware, massive fragmentation exists among iOS 6 devices.

Siri not running on an iPhone 4 is not even close to being the same thing, since it's still running the base iOS 6, which it got the day of the iOS 6 release.

That'd be like a Galaxy S III running 4.3 as soon as Nexus devices got it, but not supporting one feature of it. How long has 4.3 been out now, yet the Galaxy S III still doesn't run it? Hell, there are a bazillion Android phones out there still for sale that don't even have 4.0.

 

[Deeko]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013...oems-step-aside-google-is-defragging-android/




We all know fragmentation was pretty much a myth invented in a mostly futile effort to try slow Android's growth, but this action pretty much drops an atom bomb on that argument. And throws egg on the face of the company that started the myth because even a phone running Android 2.2 or 2.3 can get nearly all of the software features afforded to the newest devices running 4.2.2 and 4.3, compared to competitor's phones getting updated to the latest OS but with most of that OS's coolest features removed.

Spoken by someone who clearly has never developed an app. Android fragmentation was a huge issue for app developers, and even if it didn't impact the amount of apps available, it absolutely impacted the quality. Certain SDK versions added vast improvements for app developers, and most app developers don't have the resources to maintain multiple versions of an app, so they go with the lowest common denominator - which in today's world is still Gingerbread.

If this is true and app developers will have access to the latest SDK on every device, it is indeed very big news, but it's foolish to downplay the impact this has had up to this point. Also, having access to the latest maps API does not at all equal having the latest version of the Android SDK, so this might not be as big a deal as you think - there are a lot of things in the SDK that have to do with developing an app itself, not what the app talks to.

 

[Bateluer]

Spoken by someone who clearly has never developed an app. Android fragmentation was a huge issue for app developers,

See, even now, people still bring the myth up.

 

[gorcorps]

We all know fragmentation was pretty much a myth...

Thread ruined immediately by biased garbage. Next time just speak for yourself... "we all" don't believe that crap

 

[lothar]

Siri not running on an iPhone 4 is not even close to being the same thing, since it's still running the base iOS 6, which it got the day of the iOS 6 release.

That'd be like a Galaxy S III running 4.3 as soon as Nexus devices got it, but not supporting one feature of it. How long has 4.3 been out now, yet the Galaxy S III still doesn't run it? Hell, there are a bazillion Android phones out there still for sale that don't even have 4.0.

When Google added Turn by turn directions to it's maps app, it didn't say "Here, only those running the latest OS gets this"
What plausible reason does one need Siri for given Android phones released 4 years ago are fine with running Google Maps with turn by turn directions? Hell, even Google's map app for iOS supports turn by turn directions on the iPhone 4 and 3GS. Why can't Apple? People will always talk nonsense about "iPhone 4 is missing some 'Audience' chip" which is a stupid excuse because map app developers from many companies including Google are able to provide turn by turn directions on both the iPhone 3GS and 4.

FaceTime is no different from Google Talk video, Google Hangouts video, Skype, and many of the other video communication services apps.
What excuse is there for not enabling FaceTime over cellular data on the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 even though they can do it over Wifi? Let me guess, you'll say Siri again?

I'm sure if all the Android manufacturers decided to release a 4.3 update for all their phones, with no actual 4.3 features you'll still be happy that you got the "latest" update simply because you have the latest version number.

 

[JD50]

People are still going on about this fragmentation nonsense? Go ask my wife, mother in law, or sisters about their Android phone and fragmentation. Their eyes will glaze over in 5 to 10 seconds, guaranteed.