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Arstechnica [0] has a better article on it. The tl;dr is that Amazon already uses a fork of Android called FireOS. However, Google makes manufacturers sign a c

Arstechnica [0] has a better article on it. The tl;dr is that Amazon already uses a fork of Android called FireOS. However, Google makes manufacturers sign a contract that says that if they manufacture devices that run Android, they cannot manufacture other devices that use forks of Android. This was making it difficult for Amazon to find manufacturers that could make device with FireOS, so Amazon is ditching Android entirely. 0: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/11/amazon-fire-tablets-and-other-gear-will-reportedly-switch-away-from-android/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/11/amazon-fire-tablets-...

deovferreira 3y ago
It's not the manufacturers (as in, the factory that makes the device). This has to do with inclusion of play services (I.e. An OEM like Amazon cannot ship incompatible Android forks if it wants in on the GMS/play services/play store ecosystem). This would prevent Amazon from shipping those but they wouldn't be refused by factories. This is more likely about control/NIH.
- riffraff 3y ago
  This seems like something the antitrust should look into either way. I mean, it's almost literally what MS was doing with windows back in the 90s, isn't it?
  - deovferreira 3y ago
    I don't disagree.
  - ApolloFortyNine 3y ago
    Meanwhile at Apple, with the only way to install apps being through their 30% cut app store.
    - realusername 3y ago
      Both should be legally hammered, we don't need to pick any option
      - wkat4242 3y ago
        Which is what's happening in the EU now, Apple will be forced to open up sideloading.
mdasen 3y ago
Let's say Amazon creates their own OS. Google then makes manufacturers sign a contract that says if they manufacture devices that run Android (with access to Google Play services), they can't manufacture devices that use forks of Android or Amazon's from-scratch OS. If it's an anti-trust violation, then it's an anti-trust violation whether it's a fork of Android or not. If it isn't an anti-trust violation, then Google can ban things that aren't forks of Android too. If it's legal for Google to force manufacturers not to use Android-based FireOS, then they could also force manufacturers not to use Vega-based FireOS. It feels like Amazon needs to challenge the legitimacy of those Google contracts or else they may find themselves in another situation where Google just amends their manufacturer contract to disallow Android forks and Vega-based FireOS.
- thaumasiotes 3y ago
  > If it's an anti-trust violation, then it's an anti-trust violation whether it's a fork of Android or not. If it isn't an anti-trust violation, then Google can ban things that aren't forks of Android too. Actually, the law often turns more on the intent of the person being investigated than on what they do. (Is this a good idea? No.) Google can claim a more convincing fig leaf when they're regulating Android than they can when they're just saying "also, you can't work with Amazon". And that slight difference in plausibility can make a big difference in whether the same contractual clause is legal or illegal.
unethical_ban 3y ago
Ha, seems like a way for Google to prevent Amazon from pulling the Hardware equivalent of Elasticsearch forking --> Opensearch. "Hey, y'all can have our source code, but no one big try to copy our business plan with it"

deovferreira 3y ago

It's not the manufacturers (as in, the factory that makes the device). This has to do with inclusion of play services (I.e. An OEM like Amazon cannot ship incompatible Android forks if it wants in on the GMS/play services/play store ecosystem). This would prevent Amazon from shipping those but they wouldn't be refused by factories. This is more likely about control/NIH.

riffraff 3y ago
This seems like something the antitrust should look into either way. I mean, it's almost literally what MS was doing with windows back in the 90s, isn't it?
- deovferreira 3y ago
  I don't disagree.
- ApolloFortyNine 3y ago
  Meanwhile at Apple, with the only way to install apps being through their 30% cut app store.
  - realusername 3y ago
    Both should be legally hammered, we don't need to pick any option
    - wkat4242 3y ago
      Which is what's happening in the EU now, Apple will be forced to open up sideloading.

mdasen 3y ago

Let's say Amazon creates their own OS. Google then makes manufacturers sign a contract that says if they manufacture devices that run Android (with access to Google Play services), they can't manufacture devices that use forks of Android or Amazon's from-scratch OS. If it's an anti-trust violation, then it's an anti-trust violation whether it's a fork of Android or not. If it isn't an anti-trust violation, then Google can ban things that aren't forks of Android too. If it's legal for Google to force manufacturers not to use Android-based FireOS, then they could also force manufacturers not to use Vega-based FireOS. It feels like Amazon needs to challenge the legitimacy of those Google contracts or else they may find themselves in another situation where Google just amends their manufacturer contract to disallow Android forks and Vega-based FireOS.

thaumasiotes 3y ago
> If it's an anti-trust violation, then it's an anti-trust violation whether it's a fork of Android or not. If it isn't an anti-trust violation, then Google can ban things that aren't forks of Android too. Actually, the law often turns more on the intent of the person being investigated than on what they do. (Is this a good idea? No.) Google can claim a more convincing fig leaf when they're regulating Android than they can when they're just saying "also, you can't work with Amazon". And that slight difference in plausibility can make a big difference in whether the same contractual clause is legal or illegal.

unethical_ban 3y ago

Ha, seems like a way for Google to prevent Amazon from pulling the Hardware equivalent of Elasticsearch forking --> Opensearch. "Hey, y'all can have our source code, but no one big try to copy our business plan with it"