3 ms·
all Android phones have three sets of restrictions: 1.) Restrictions imposed by Google, which you are free to ignore if you stick to just the released source c
by m0nastic 16y ago
all Android phones have three sets of restrictions:
1.) Restrictions imposed by Google, which you are free to ignore if you stick to just the released source code of Android (like the Market or their proprietary apps)
2.) Restrictions imposed by the Manufacturer (which you could ignore by making your own phone)
3.) Restrictions imposed by the Carrier (which you can presumably ignore if you make an unlocked GSM phone).
Working outside of all three of those restrictions would basically put you in the same category as OpenMoko (which while an enterprising idea was pretty much guaranteed to not go anywhere).
So I'd agree, "you" can go create a phone without any of the carrier restrictions, provided you are a handset manufacturer. I'm not a handset manufacturer, so I can't.
- slantyyz 16y agoBut what of those "Chinese Android" phones I hear about? That they're based on Android but aren't officially Android?
- m0nastic 16y agoAs far as I know, any phone that runs Android is "Officially Android", of which there are a number of Chinese handset manufacturers making handsets. Many of them don't have access to the Market, or run Google's applications, but I don't think that makes them "not officially Android".
- eli 16y agoHuh? If you want a phone without carrier restrictions, you just need to buy it somewhere else. It's not cheap, but it's very easy. See, for example, http://www.htcphonestore.com/ http://www.htcphonestore.com/
- m0nastic 16y agoI was actually referring to making a phone, not buying one; but I thanks for the link. It could come in handy if I need a phone for development.