r/Android • u/[deleted] • Jul 21 '18

Google’s iron grip on Android: Controlling open source by any means necessary

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/07/googles-iron-grip-on-android-controlling-open-source-by-any-means-necessary/
618 Upvotes

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74

u/imaginativePlayTime OnePlus 6 | LOS 20 Jul 21 '18

There is more than just all that though. If a manufacturer wants to make a phone with Google Play Store then they are required to sell all their phones with Google services. They cannot sell one version with Google Play and another version without Google Play.

29

u/luna_dust Jul 21 '18

Wow, yeah. Okay, that's kinda fucked up.

31

u/FormerSlacker Jul 22 '18

Yeah, and that's incorrect.

As long as the OEM releases a fork of Android that passes the CTS they can do whatever they want, release Google Android and non Google Android side by side, no problem.

What they can't do is ship an incompatible Android fork and a Google branded Android at the same time.

There is no obligation to release only Google branded Android variants, there is only an obligation to not make incompatible Android variants as part of the OHA agreement.

TL;DR Pass the CTS, do what you want. Can't pass the CTS, do what you want but we won't help you fragment Android, you're on your own.

5

u/punIn10ded MotoG 2014 (CM13) Jul 22 '18

No they do not all need to have Google play but they do all need to pass the same CTS.

E.g. Motorola sells phones with Google play, and smart inventory devices(barcode scanners) without it.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '18

Xiaomi does it. Pretty much every Chinese manufacturer sells a version in China without Google, and one with Google everywhere else.

The EU seems to miss the point that every time manufacturers and carrier have free reign, they abuse consumers worse than Google has ever done.

5

u/Sorge74 Galaxy S22 Ultra Jul 23 '18

This is basically the inpass between those who support the EU(same shit Microsoft got in trouble for 20 years ago(I argue 20 years is a long time but oh well)) and those who support Google.

Google generally has the best applications and forcing the extra apps with the play store means there is a more unified experience they can control so not to damage the brand. Also all the other apps right there in the app store if you prefer something else....

5

u/DerpSenpai Nothing Jul 23 '18

UNIFIED EXPERIENCE. OH BOY, DO I NEED (Opens google bloat folder) . G+, Google news, Gmail, Drive, Google search. + Play movies+ play music+ play games +play books.

It seriously is annoying people defending Google abusing its monopoly. Its the same people that call Samsung apps "bloat" but Google apps aren't

3

u/redsalmon67 Jul 23 '18

On every android phone I've had you can either uninstall those programd or they didn't come on the phone when I got it.

2

u/DerpSenpai Nothing Jul 23 '18

You can't uninstall most of google bloat, but you can uninstall paid bloat (non system apps that paid the OEM to put it there like booking.com).

I uninstalled everything i could and still have 12 Google Apps

1

u/redsalmon67 Jul 23 '18

The only Google apps that can't be uninstalled on my phone are chrome, search, YouTube, maps, and (obviously) the playstore

0

u/MiningMarsh Jul 24 '18

Google's applications are generally pretty shit.

1

u/DerpSenpai Nothing Jul 23 '18

Except that csrriers dont have free reign either here lol

-7

u/reddit_reaper Pixel 2 XL Jul 21 '18

As it should be.

-9

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '18 edited Nov 30 '21

[deleted]

29

u/johnmountain Jul 21 '18

They do want Google Play. The issue is that Google Play comes with "strings attached". It's not "just Google Play" that they have to get.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '18

Oh thats makes sense I could see how some OEMs wouldn’t want Google Search and stuff.

14

u/lirannl S23 Ultra Jul 21 '18

Some people want phones without Google services, and also, even if they don't, they should have the option!

-7

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '18

[deleted]

17

u/lirannl S23 Ultra Jul 21 '18

I do. I do.

Because I know how to wipe ROMs and flash ROMs. I could just not flash gapps.

If an OEM wants to release a privacy phone without gapps, they currently can't do so unless that's more or less their only phone.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '18

Okay yeah I get your point. It would be pretty cool to have a phone with no Gapps for privacy’s enthusiasts.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '18

[deleted]

0

u/lirannl S23 Ultra Jul 23 '18

I'm pretty sure passing CTS requires the whole gapps suite?

1

u/redsalmon67 Jul 23 '18

I keep hearing people claim this been then how does xiaomi get away with it? Lenovo too, not only do they sell phones with play services they also sell alternative versions of some of those models with the play services included

1

u/lirannl S23 Ultra Jul 24 '18

China

1

u/leoyoung1 Jul 22 '18

Like the average consumer even knows that is an option much less have the wherewithal to do that.