Saw somewhere about a 'Vodafone' version of Android

JamWheel · 05-11-2009, 07:19 AM

I saw on one of the many Android blogs that a Vodafone representative had mentioned they would be de-googlising Android in the future and making it more Voda centric.

Does anyone else see this as a bad thing? The whole reason I have an Android phone is the Google integration!

JamWheel

Hands0n · 05-13-2009, 04:28 AM

That would be a bad thing and not in keeping with the spirit or intention of the Open Source Android. But that is the thing with Open Source - firms can take it and do what they want.

If that happens I'll be a jailbreaking my HTC Magic!

JamWheel · 05-13-2009, 04:33 AM

Arguably, it is precisely the point of open source

That said, I have never liked how the various carriers embed their own software onto a phone OS cluttering it with rubbish I will never use.

camperdown9 · 05-14-2009, 09:19 AM

Hi

In my view its bad. I mean its a bit like your broadband supplier telling you what website you can visit or what programs you can have on your pc.

I was listing to a Podcast this morning and the podcaster was saying that Orange.uk are going to create their own GPS system. The podcaster went on to say that in the past Orange had stopped their customers from using any other I.M. system other than the one that Orange wanted to promote. He went on to say whats to stop orange from saying that you can only use the systems that we own on your phone. I know that the networks pay out for the handset at the start of a contract however we all pay the cost over the 18 months. (Orange are by no means the only one)

Alex

Hands0n · 05-14-2009, 01:32 PM

The irony is that Android gives the mobile network operators the best opportunity of completely customising their handsets. Despite the initial eagerness of Android by the users on these forums I think that we will see, in time, that Android will take choice away rather than give it unbridled.

It may well be possible, in the future, to purchase generic Android handsets - but I reckon that the mobile operators will not be able to resist extreme customisations on their "own brand" handsets. And I'm absolutely certain that there are no end of Chinese handset manufacturers (i.e. Amoi or Huawei) who will build custom Android handsets for the operators if the current mainstream makers will not.