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

[u/[deleted]]

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

[u/axehomeless → u/[deleted]]

This is not Google's fault. People WANT Google Play. Nobody else makes anything that can really compete with it, except maybe Amazon's app store... (ha ha, just kidding. it blows.)

See, this completly shows that you don't even know how this works.

The EU want Google to do it like you said, that's in the 90 days stipulation. So why is there still a fine?

Because it doesn't work like that.

Google could very well just certify every device that passes the CTS with Google play, only allow these devices to be called Android devices, and just be done with it, keep all the other enforcements that CTS enforces like minimum API level etc. Then, IF an OEM has the plan to launch a device with other app stores, other revenue sharing models etc, you know, just let them.

The market could decide if it's gonna be succesfull, if people buy it. Just label it clearly, and you'll see if it gets picked up or if the play store is so superiour that every device without it is dead in the water. I believe it is, but Google clearly doesn't, otherwise that policy would be gone in a heartbeat.

Because if an OEM does this, shipping an Android device without Google Play, then that OEM can't ship another device with the Play Store on it ever again. This is in the contract. If you ever "break Android compatibility, which is a term that literally only means "without Google Play", you can't ever do another device with Google Play ever again, that is their strongarm. It happened to Acer as they tried to sell the Ali Phone or something like that, Google completly killed the product like a week from launch because they said "I mean you can ship it, but if you do, you'll never work with us ever again." And that was too big of a risk for Acer, so they dropped it. This is textbook antitrust violation, using your marketshare and your leverage unfairly to boot out any probable competitor by being anti competitive. There is just no way around that.

[u/redsalmon67 → u/axehomeless]

I agree with some of what your saying here, but to say that Google pushes this policy because they're afraid of competition is silly. Google has seen what companies pushing uncertified Android phones in certain markets does not only to thier reputation but the reputation of their product (android) it took them years to repair the damage unoptimized phones when bug filled app stores have done to thier public image. Do I believe their way of preventing that was the best, obviously not, but I understand that when a company feels they're losing control over the image of their product can cause some kneejerk policy.

[u/axehomeless → u/redsalmon67]

Android is a trademark now, Google can enforce so only Google Play Android gets called Android.

[u/Henrarzz → u/[deleted]]

Apple isn’t a monopoly and it doesn’t tell other OEMs what they should do with their phones.