> So chrome must be installed, prominently, and is not able to be deleted by the device manufacturers. Reread the relevant section: Chrome cannot be deleted by

> So chrome must be installed, prominently, and is not able to be deleted by the device manufacturers. Reread the relevant section: Chrome cannot be deleted by the device's user either. Allowing users to delete "core apps" (and ensuring that doing so doesn't brick the phone) would go some way to leveling the playing field even if device makers were still required to preinstall them. It would either force many of the capabilities that have been migrated out of Android back into it, or would force releasing Play Store as open source to provide alternative implementations of those APIs. Maybe a bit of both. This would undoubtedly complicate security and permissions, but it would be worth it. There ought to be an exception, BTW: locking things down to prevent uninstallation should be acceptable in some contexts in return for restricting advertising and targeting, for example, on kids' phones.