Could The Future Of Android Be Windows?

I think Google should really limit the capability of OEMs to fuck with the OS.

Everything should simply be vanilla-Android with few exceptions:
* Skin - custom colors, fonts, and buttons/icons
* Modules - hardware specific drivers for certain cameras, GPS transceivers, WiFi, etc.
* NO BLOATWARE - but allow the OEM to place a (deleteable) link on the Home Screen that allows the user/owner to opt-in to downloading some/all that crap as an option.
 
I think Google should really limit the capability of OEMs to fuck with the OS.
Yeah, now that it's gotten to the point where the Android ecosystem itself sustains demand, Google should be in a better position to dictate terms. But standardizing the platform also leads to criticism. A while back Google changed the policy to all or nothing requirement for various Google branded "standard" pre-installed Android apps. That's great for consistency, and Google's version of the base open sourced apps are superior, but Google still got push back over that. For a carrier that wants flexibility (in order to control bandwidth usage or offer other semi-useful features), it's almost required to replace the sometimes crappy base apps, and that's a slippery slope that leads to terrible shells and other dubious "improvements".

On top of those complications, carriers usually just want to bleed customers. The OS itself is free, so there's no reason really to install crapware to displace license costs like on full Windows systems, but squeezing out another couple of dollars per subscriber by installing 3rd party Android crapware is just another dimension of greed.
 
As long as what I have works, it is hardly dead. Oh, and guess what, if I were to get a Galaxy S7 Edge, I would end up using all the Microsoft Apps and not even bother with most others. Also, I would not bother rooting it because it is a phone, not a desktop computer.
And that's the problem. Unlike a desktop computer, I can't just put whatever I want on the phone, which could be an updated version of Android. It's the same for Windows, except no open source OS. It's my phone, let me do what I want with it.
 
I just use nexus phones. I specifically will not use a branded phone for the reasons mentioned.
 
I think Google should really limit the capability of OEMs to fuck with the OS.

Everything should simply be vanilla-Android with few exceptions:
* Skin - custom colors, fonts, and buttons/icons
* Modules - hardware specific drivers for certain cameras, GPS transceivers, WiFi, etc.
* NO BLOATWARE - but allow the OEM to place a (deleteable) link on the Home Screen that allows the user/owner to opt-in to downloading some/all that crap as an option.

Since it is open source, Google has no say in the matter.
 
I'm not big on smartphones, but I do prefer the Android approach over the iOS approach.
So far, I agree. Having been screwed twice by Apple making their own devices obsolete, I'll stick with android for a while (reference is to Apple's automatic updating apps to ones that will no longer run on the hardware they self 'upgrade' themselves on, and not being able to recover the old versions that DID work on that hardware. Once done, all they suggest is to buy a new phone/pod/pad).
 
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