For days I’ve been reading on tech blogs and in discussion boards about how open Google’s Android is. Some wonder whether it is even open at all, particularly with the new SDK being issued only to a select few developers, leaving others stranded on older versions for who knows how long.
My worry is not whether Android will be open. I have no doubts that it will be. But will it be open enough for the end user? Will it be possible for us to remove and add anything we like to an Android phone, or will the carriers still reign over what we can and cannot do with a device our hard-earned cash has bought? It’s difficult to see why carriers would give in to Google and Android unless there’s something more going on that we’re not yet aware of.
Users who want a fully open device make up a fraction of the millions of subscribers a carrier has. I’ve personally spoken to a lot of mobile subscribers and a majority of them don’t care too much about being open. They just accept whatever their carrier dishes out without making a big deal of it. What is Google going to do to make sure that those who appreciate openness truly get it? Whenever we pick up the newest Android phone from our carrier, are we going to be hindered in some way from taking advantage of what Android promises?
I’m hoping that when my hands get hold of one of the first Android phones, I’ll be able to fire it up and instantly remove all unwanted carrier bloat. I want to run any application I choose, use an instant messaging client, and make calls over VoIP. If I end up unable to do those things, why would I, or anyone else here, continue supporting the platform? We deserve an OS that is open for the end user, the people who matter most, not the carriers and their investors who have no idea what openness is about.
Maybe it’s time for Google to think about their own network, or to partner with a carrier that isn’t afraid of opening up. If Android ends up being part open and part closed, there’s going to be a real backlash.
