According to an article over at Ecommerce Journal, Google is looking at following in Apple's footsteps by gaining full, universal control over the Android user interface… but this writer disagrees.
We have mentioned before that Google was looking at improving user experience in Android Gingerbread, since they are now almost completely satisfied with what's going on under the hood. Google wants a unified interface to be spread out to all their devices, put a stop to the fragmentation that has been plaguing them, and make third party UI overlays like HTC Sense “as pointless as possible” by bringing their UI experience up to snuff with what users want. Some developers are stating that this move is the first in Google becoming more like Apple, by gaining control over the Android interface.
To say that this is Google becoming Apple in the dictatorship department is ridiculous. All Google is trying to do is improve their product to the point that consumers won't want to use a UI overlay, thus moving the market by demand to utilize a stock experience. I, for one, look forward to the changes to the UI that will come with Android's coming releases, and applaud them for what they have already done.
What do you think? Is Google headed down Apple's path, or simply trying to appeal to consumers? Let us know in the comments.
[via Ecommerce Journal]
Google perhaps should have given more attention to third-party themes earlier in the game. If we had good customization through themes (a la BlackBerry) there would have been less incentive for Moto/HTC/Samsung to differentiate the way they did. Well-supported themes (and a theme creation studio) would be great to have in gingerbread.
I don’t think Google will ever be like Apple.
Unification, good.
Monopolization for the sole purpose of mandated monetization, bad.