4 ms·

I've never understood why OEMs think there is value in altering Android. As far as I can tell, it just gives them higher costs in exchange for some vague percep

I've never understood why OEMs think there is value in altering Android. As far as I can tell, it just gives them higher costs in exchange for some vague perception of additional value in terms of the customer value. It would seem more logical to me for OEMs to say "screw it, let's just make the best hardware" and minimize their software development costs which they are paying to Google. I would have thought another lesson from Windows is that bloatware is hated and doesn't improve anything - although in the Windows world, the PC makers likely made money by including the bloatware on their machines. Of course, none of this would solve the update issue as far as I can tell because the carriers are always involved in checking updates. Obviously, Apple bypasses this issue - but my question is why does it still exist for other phones? Carriers always say they need to check the phones - but why? And if so, why don't they need to check iPhone updates? My cynical assumption is that carriers want control and they add actually zero value but do this to maintain control.

rst 11y ago
Early Android native UIs were rough enough that manufacturer skins were arguably real improvements. That case has gotten a lot weaker since the Google mothership started getting serious about design.
- frik 11y ago
  Exactly. While Android 1.x looked more like Win95/WinCE, and Android 2x still had some rough edges. Samsung TouchWiz UI for Android 2 made it look modern and very similar to what Android 3/4 looked like.
  - inthewoods 11y ago
    Good point - agreed - but now these OEMs seem convinced that they are actually adding value. Sunken cost fallacy I suppose.
ignoramous 11y ago
Much of the customization stem from fixing android's perceived shortcomings by the product-management at respective OEMs. Besides, you must realise that Google doesn't engage OEMs as much as it should when it decides what goes and what doesn't AFAIK, Google does it own prod-mgmt. Android isn't a standard. Which is a good thing, 'cause it can move fast and break things (which it often does). For instance, Amazon saw that the WebView was tightly tied with Android and that was security concern (up until it was freed in Android L), and so Amazon made it OTA'able in its third iteration of Fire OS (Android K). Also, in a crowded market, you need a differentiator. If every phone is going to look and do the same thing, why would anyone buy one device over another? Samsung needs to market things with its offering, it can't just do so with Hardware. It needs the stylus to justify the exorbitant price tag on its Galaxy Note line of products. It needs floating activities on its mega-screen and wants people to get hooked on to that feature, to an extent that they can no longer do without it, which makes sure they'd buy and recommend Samsung over other OEMs. Secondly, hardware is just one part of the equation. Sometimes you require vast changes in Software to make sure the hardware is properly utilized... Or you just have a better Software solution up your sleeve than what Google gave you. Thirdly, some of the Google Apps aren't stellar-- Photos is miserable, Camera is a-okay, Music Player is a-okay, Video Player is miserable, Launcher isn't smart, Lockscreen isn't smart. You need premium apps for your devices. Besides, why would you want Google to walk away with the cake (usage information generated using all those apps) from a customer you acquired with all those hours you spent marketing the phone, establishing your brand, figuring out the quirks of doing businesses globally, toiling endlessly to sort out the logistics, whilst also fighting patent battles, as if the existing technology arms-race weren't enough... among a host of other commitments? You and I (and I take that most of the HN community) are purists... not everyone else is.
- avn2109 11y ago
  >> "Or you just have a better Software solution up your sleeve than what Google gave you." Honest question, have you ever seen any OEM modification to Android that was a net improvement over stock? Maybe someone has improved power management or some low level feature that I've never noticed.
  - 11y ago
pjmlp 11y ago
The practice is older than Windows, it goes back to the bundles that were delivered with home systems. Apparently they like product differentiation a lot.
xbmcuser 11y ago
They source their hardware from Samsung or lg etc. Feel if no differentiation in software anyone could copy them. Samsung have enough hardware chops to make a pure Android phone that others won't be able to copy. But apple envy has caused them to lose the plot.

rst 11y ago

Early Android native UIs were rough enough that manufacturer skins were arguably real improvements. That case has gotten a lot weaker since the Google mothership started getting serious about design.

frik 11y ago
Exactly. While Android 1.x looked more like Win95/WinCE, and Android 2x still had some rough edges. Samsung TouchWiz UI for Android 2 made it look modern and very similar to what Android 3/4 looked like.
- inthewoods 11y ago
  Good point - agreed - but now these OEMs seem convinced that they are actually adding value. Sunken cost fallacy I suppose.

ignoramous 11y ago

Much of the customization stem from fixing android's perceived shortcomings by the product-management at respective OEMs. Besides, you must realise that Google doesn't engage OEMs as much as it should when it decides what goes and what doesn't AFAIK, Google does it own prod-mgmt. Android isn't a standard. Which is a good thing, 'cause it can move fast and break things (which it often does). For instance, Amazon saw that the WebView was tightly tied with Android and that was security concern (up until it was freed in Android L), and so Amazon made it OTA'able in its third iteration of Fire OS (Android K). Also, in a crowded market, you need a differentiator. If every phone is going to look and do the same thing, why would anyone buy one device over another? Samsung needs to market things with its offering, it can't just do so with Hardware. It needs the stylus to justify the exorbitant price tag on its Galaxy Note line of products. It needs floating activities on its mega-screen and wants people to get hooked on to that feature, to an extent that they can no longer do without it, which makes sure they'd buy and recommend Samsung over other OEMs. Secondly, hardware is just one part of the equation. Sometimes you require vast changes in Software to make sure the hardware is properly utilized... Or you just have a better Software solution up your sleeve than what Google gave you. Thirdly, some of the Google Apps aren't stellar-- Photos is miserable, Camera is a-okay, Music Player is a-okay, Video Player is miserable, Launcher isn't smart, Lockscreen isn't smart. You need premium apps for your devices. Besides, why would you want Google to walk away with the cake (usage information generated using all those apps) from a customer you acquired with all those hours you spent marketing the phone, establishing your brand, figuring out the quirks of doing businesses globally, toiling endlessly to sort out the logistics, whilst also fighting patent battles, as if the existing technology arms-race weren't enough... among a host of other commitments? You and I (and I take that most of the HN community) are purists... not everyone else is.

avn2109 11y ago
>> "Or you just have a better Software solution up your sleeve than what Google gave you." Honest question, have you ever seen any OEM modification to Android that was a net improvement over stock? Maybe someone has improved power management or some low level feature that I've never noticed.
- 11y ago

pjmlp 11y ago

The practice is older than Windows, it goes back to the bundles that were delivered with home systems. Apparently they like product differentiation a lot.

xbmcuser 11y ago

They source their hardware from Samsung or lg etc. Feel if no differentiation in software anyone could copy them. Samsung have enough hardware chops to make a pure Android phone that others won't be able to copy. But apple envy has caused them to lose the plot.