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Imagine if Microsoft had released a "Microsoft PC"? Why would anyone buy anything else? If you're a Android licensee now you're forced to differentiate whether

Imagine if Microsoft had released a "Microsoft PC"? Why would anyone buy anything else? If you're a Android licensee now you're forced to differentiate whether you want to or not because you have to compete against the favored Nexus. The Android dev environment was destined to be a fractured mess to begin with. The Nexus just sped up the process.

eli 17y ago
I still don't see how that has anything to do with fragmenting the platform. If anything, a semi-official reference device would work to unify the platform around that implementation, no?
- cantastoria 17y ago
  Why would HTC and Motorola follow the Nexus? What's in it for them? As far as they were concerned the whole point of Android was that there was no reference implementation. If the start looking to the Nexus as a reference implementation all they get is to become box makers for Google's software. As an Android developer, if you want to cover the whole market, you're now going to have to deal with handset makers at war with the developer of the platform. I can't see how the Nexus provides anything but more motivation for Android licensees to make their products significantly different from what Google is offering.
  - theBobMcCormick 17y ago
    > Why would HTC and Motorola follow the Nexus? What's in it for them? Considering HTC makes the Nexus, I think it's pretty clear what's in it for them. :-)
dannyr 17y ago
The Nexus One does not appeal to all types of users. I know people who would much prefer the Droid. This fragmenting thing, stabbing licensees etc. are just crazy talk. Google will come out with another phone that is not built by HTC. The next one will probably be there Motorola. Google is not stopping any manufacturers from releasing an Android phone. What Google is doing is raising the standard for its Android phones. Isn't this how an ideal market should work? The most innovative company wins. Motorola, LG, etc may be allies with Google but they need to step up their game. If you are releasing crappy phones, blame yourself not Google.
- cantastoria 17y ago
  The Nexus One does not appeal to all types of users. I know people who would much prefer the Droid. Why? Google is not stopping any manufacturers from releasing an Android phone. What Google is doing is raising the standard for its Android phones. It's not a question of stopping manufacturers, it's a question of distorting the market with a phone that has an insurmountable advantage. Google can no longer be an honest broker. I assure you if HTC and Motorola had known about the Nexus neither one of them would have been so aggressive in developing their own Android phones. Motorola, LG, etc may be allies with Google but they need to step up their game. They aren't allies anymore, as of Jan 5th they just became competitors.
  - stcredzero 17y ago
    The Nexus One does not appeal to all types of users. I know people who would much prefer the Droid. > Why? Because some people out there have just got to type with their thumbs on a physical keyboard. Others swear by Verizon.
  - thwarted 17y ago
    It's not a question of stopping manufacturers, it's a question of distorting the market with a phone that has an insurmountable advantage. Google can no longer be an honest broker. I assure you if HTC and Motorola had known about the Nexus neither one of them would have been so aggressive in developing their own Android phones. HTC makes the Nexus. You can't even buy an HTC phone from HTC, http://www.htc.com/us/where-to-buy http://www.htc.com/us/where-to-buy (but this may be a function of the US cell market, maybe you can buy from HTC directly in other countries), you have to buy it from a carrier, or in the case of the Nexus, from Google which ends up being carrier agnostic (once the carrier list is expanded). If the nexus has an insurmountable advantage, it's HTC that can deliver on it even to other specific carriers. I'm not even so sure what this insurmountable advantage is. If these other manufacturers want to compete, they're going to need to start innovating. And they can put less effort and money into innovation on the software side, because they can license android, and spend all that they would have spent on software on making their hardware better.

eli 17y ago

I still don't see how that has anything to do with fragmenting the platform. If anything, a semi-official reference device would work to unify the platform around that implementation, no?

cantastoria 17y ago
Why would HTC and Motorola follow the Nexus? What's in it for them? As far as they were concerned the whole point of Android was that there was no reference implementation. If the start looking to the Nexus as a reference implementation all they get is to become box makers for Google's software. As an Android developer, if you want to cover the whole market, you're now going to have to deal with handset makers at war with the developer of the platform. I can't see how the Nexus provides anything but more motivation for Android licensees to make their products significantly different from what Google is offering.
- theBobMcCormick 17y ago
  > Why would HTC and Motorola follow the Nexus? What's in it for them? Considering HTC makes the Nexus, I think it's pretty clear what's in it for them. :-)

dannyr 17y ago

The Nexus One does not appeal to all types of users. I know people who would much prefer the Droid. This fragmenting thing, stabbing licensees etc. are just crazy talk. Google will come out with another phone that is not built by HTC. The next one will probably be there Motorola. Google is not stopping any manufacturers from releasing an Android phone. What Google is doing is raising the standard for its Android phones. Isn't this how an ideal market should work? The most innovative company wins. Motorola, LG, etc may be allies with Google but they need to step up their game. If you are releasing crappy phones, blame yourself not Google.

cantastoria 17y ago
The Nexus One does not appeal to all types of users. I know people who would much prefer the Droid. Why? Google is not stopping any manufacturers from releasing an Android phone. What Google is doing is raising the standard for its Android phones. It's not a question of stopping manufacturers, it's a question of distorting the market with a phone that has an insurmountable advantage. Google can no longer be an honest broker. I assure you if HTC and Motorola had known about the Nexus neither one of them would have been so aggressive in developing their own Android phones. Motorola, LG, etc may be allies with Google but they need to step up their game. They aren't allies anymore, as of Jan 5th they just became competitors.
- stcredzero 17y ago
  The Nexus One does not appeal to all types of users. I know people who would much prefer the Droid. > Why? Because some people out there have just got to type with their thumbs on a physical keyboard. Others swear by Verizon.
- thwarted 17y ago
  It's not a question of stopping manufacturers, it's a question of distorting the market with a phone that has an insurmountable advantage. Google can no longer be an honest broker. I assure you if HTC and Motorola had known about the Nexus neither one of them would have been so aggressive in developing their own Android phones. HTC makes the Nexus. You can't even buy an HTC phone from HTC, http://www.htc.com/us/where-to-buy http://www.htc.com/us/where-to-buy (but this may be a function of the US cell market, maybe you can buy from HTC directly in other countries), you have to buy it from a carrier, or in the case of the Nexus, from Google which ends up being carrier agnostic (once the carrier list is expanded). If the nexus has an insurmountable advantage, it's HTC that can deliver on it even to other specific carriers. I'm not even so sure what this insurmountable advantage is. If these other manufacturers want to compete, they're going to need to start innovating. And they can put less effort and money into innovation on the software side, because they can license android, and spend all that they would have spent on software on making their hardware better.