So why do OEMs even add their skins?
I'm sorry but all this does is fragment Android further - especially if its expanded. I doubt you'll see a ton of NEW users because of this, just cannibalization of the skinned Androids.
How does more choices == less fragmentation? Would you be so kind as to elaborate on that? Thanks.
So why do OEMs even add their skins?
I'm sorry but all this does is fragment Android further - especially if its expanded. I doubt you'll see a ton of NEW users because of this, just cannibalization of the skinned Androids.
Don't forget to see the potential bigger picture: If this does well, imagine if every year Android OEMs develop a "Google Version" of their annual flagships.
: salivating :
Freedom of choice is a beautiful beautiful thing. Now, if people want a great camera, expandable storage (something you would NEVER get with a Nexus device), removable battery, a physical home button, LTE, but still want stock Android and Google updates, you can!
Again, immediate updates and fragmentation are becoming less and less of talking points against Android.
What?
So Google is able to make a deal with one of the (if not, the) flagship Android phone maker to give them the hardware while allowing Google to control the software and that's fragmenting the line even more?
What in the world?
People have the choice. If you're a tech-savvy enough person to know about and care about fragmentation, you now have the choice to pick an OEM flagship phone with stock Android software and immediate updates from Google (any of this sound familiar?) where apps can be brought up to speed with the latest Android at any given time. And this fragments the line more?
For those who don't know about fragmentation (or don't care) and want a carrier branded, bloated, and/or TouchWiz software (again, nothing wrong with this. Some people just don't care or know to care) they can continue walking into a carrier store to pick up the phone.
Freedom of choice. But somehow, this is worse.
Then imagine if this really takes off an we get OEMs creating "Google Versions" of their annual flagships, all sold by and directly updated by Google. This could be a massive answer to fragmentation!
And a massive answer to those clamoring about lack of immediate updates on Android.
I take fragmentation to mean people not getting immediate updates from Google, not having the latest operating system and its features, and therefore making things harder to develop for developers.
How does more choices == less fragmentation? Would you be so kind as to elaborate on that? Thanks.
What?
So Google is able to make a deal with one of the (if not, the) flagship Android phone maker to give them the hardware while allowing Google to control the software and that's fragmenting the line even more?
What in the world?
People have the choice. If you're a tech-savvy enough person to know about and care about fragmentation, you now have the choice to pick an OEM flagship phone with stock Android software and immediate updates from Google (any of this sound familiar?) where apps can be brought up to speed with the latest Android at any given time. And this fragments the line more?
For those who don't know about fragmentation (or don't care) and want a carrier branded, bloated, and/or TouchWiz software (again, nothing wrong with this. Some people just don't care or know to care) they can continue walking into a carrier store to pick up the phone.
Freedom of choice. But somehow, this is worse.
Then imagine if this really takes off an we get OEMs creating "Google Versions" of their annual flagships, all sold by and directly updated by Google. This could be a massive answer to fragmentation!
And a massive answer to those clamoring about lack of immediate updates on Android.
What?
So Google is able to make a deal with one of the (if not, the) flagship Android phone maker to give them the hardware while allowing Google to control the software and that's fragmenting the line even more?
What in the world?
People have the choice. If you're a tech-savvy enough person to know about and care about fragmentation, you now have the choice to pick an OEM flagship phone with stock Android software and immediate updates from Google (any of this sound familiar?) where apps can be brought up to speed with the latest Android at any given time. And this fragments the line more?
For those who don't know about fragmentation (or don't care) and want a carrier branded, bloated, and/or TouchWiz software (again, nothing wrong with this. Some people just don't care or know to care) they can continue walking into a carrier store to pick up the phone.
Freedom of choice. But somehow, this is worse.
Then imagine if this really takes off an we get OEMs creating "Google Versions" of their annual flagships, all sold by and directly updated by Google. This could be a massive answer to fragmentation!
And a massive answer to those clamoring about lack of immediate updates on Android.
EDIT:
Not to mention, you people do realize, stock Android existed before today's announcement, right? It'll just be offered on one more device.
So what do you mean by fragmentation? I take fragmentation to mean people not getting immediate updates from Google, not having the latest operating system and its features, and therefore making things harder to develop for developers.
Not to mention, you people do realize, stock Android existed before today's announcement, right? It'll just be on one more device now. How is that fragmenting more?
Just got done reading another one of your threads. I found myself kind of surprised now that you use an HTC One, knowing that it is vastly inferior to Touchwiz. Touchwiz is more feature filled, more capable than Sense, yet you choose to use an inferior interface. Preference is key, but just realize you are using an inferior Android interface. Also, while you tout the pure Android experience, you realize it is also inferior to Touchwiz, because you can prefer to not do things one way (S-features), but you have to admit that it is the inferior way of doing things.
How about reading the post I was referring to which stated that a "what if" regarding the rest of the Android OEMs doing this.
I'm sorry but that is definitely fragmentation. Whether or not is good or bad is of no consequence to me. If you saw, I'd like to grab one of these GS4's and will likely do so when they are released.
Lol, chill Couch. I'm not attacking anything.....adding more versions of the same phone IS fragmentation. And, taking the GS4 "Nexus" as the example, the release of said phone won't necessarily add a substantial marketshare as has been suggested, but will likely cannibalize other Nexus and skinned Android sales.
Again, nothing bad about this....I never said there was. And if these Google versions end of being released for other major flagships and become popular, why did they ever release skinned versions in the first place?
It answers those clamoring for lack of immediate updates but it doesn't address fragmentation because what you essentially have now is GS4 Google edition and GS4 Touchwiz edition. One will be running the latest and greatest from Mountain View whilst the other will be several months behind. One app may work here but not there. A feature may be present here but not there.
Fragmentation still exist.
I just fail to see how this causes more fragmentation. Maybe you're using the wrong word? Maybe you mean it might cause more "confusion"?
I'm using the word fragmentation to mean what people constantly knock Android about.. no immediate updates, not having the latest features, not having the latest APIs to update apps, etc.
Remember, stock Android existed before this day. All that changed today is it's on one more device (which makes said device arguably better by bringing it closer to Google and their software).
Again, maybe you mean confusion.
As for sales, yeah, who knows how well it'll sell. I have no prediction.
Just got done reading another one of your threads. I found myself kind of surprised now that you use an HTC One, knowing that it is vastly inferior to Touchwiz. Touchwiz is more feature filled, more capable than Sense, yet you choose to use an inferior interface. Preference is key, but just realize you are using an inferior Android interface. Also, while you tout the pure Android experience, you realize it is also inferior to Touchwiz, because you can prefer to not do things one way (S-features), but you have to admit that it is the inferior way of doing things.
I've always thought of fragmentation in Android as the HUGE number of display resolutions, sizes, software skins that cause a less optimized experience when compared to something like iOS.
So we are obviously using the term differently (though I take issue with you saying I'm using it "wrong"). I understand what you're saying through your definition.
Uhms. Okay. Please reread my posts. Good luck.
: backs away slowly :
So would you guys just prefer android to only offer stock android? That be bad for people that love skinned versions.
Fragmentation is more that that...lots of different devices with different screen resolutions and OS. That's just the phones. And now we have same Galaxy phone with 2 fragmented OS.
So why do OEMs even add their skins?
I'm sorry but all this does is fragment Android further - especially if its expanded. I doubt you'll see a ton of NEW users because of this, just cannibalization of the skinned Androids.
It answers those clamoring for lack of immediate updates but it doesn't address fragmentation because what you essentially have now is GS4 Google edition and GS4 Touchwiz edition. One will be running the latest and greatest from Mountain View whilst the other might be months behind. One app may work here but not there. A feature may be present here but not there.
Fragmentation still exist.
Also how is stock Android fragmented?
Never said it eliminates fragmentation. Fragmentation will exist inevitably (it exists on iOS, too). But those that care about it now have yet another option to minimize it.
And again, the bigger picture: as stock Android becomes more pervasive, developers will have their hands on latest APIs more quickly to update their apps.
Please remember, everyone: stock Android existed before today. Nothing has really changed except it's given people another option to address their Android concerns.
His post is just like some posts you made in another thread I just had the 'pleasure' of reading.