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You don't pay Google for Android.

cooldeal 14y ago
Actually you do, unless you're Amazon. For access to the Google Play store, GMail, Maps, Navigation, Youtube etc. etc. Those are neither free nor Free. http://www.reghardware.com/2011/09/21/andy_pad_chief_admits_to_bundling_unlicensed_android_market/ http://www.reghardware.com/2011/09/21/andy_pad_chief_admits_... It's very telling that most people do not know this. Google sent a C&D to the Cyanogen Mod folks for bundling these apps. If you install CM, you have to download the app store app from someone committing copyright infringement.
- recoiledsnake 14y ago
  >It's very telling that most people do not know this. Welcome to the HN info bubble.
- pgeorgi 14y ago
  That doesn't say anything about cost. The deal on Google apps is (or used to be) membership in the OHA, which is about app level compatibility. There are two possible impedients for cheap devices there: 1. minimum hardware requirements (which exploded over the last few Android releases), 2. Google might not care about herding a bunch of small vendors. reghardware merely "implies" that it's about cash.
HarshaThota 14y ago
If you want to call the phone an Android phone and include any of Google's apps or services, you do have to pay Google.
objclxt 14y ago
...you pay Microsoft though! Microsoft has per-device fees for Android arranged with most major manufacturers (including Samsung), in exchange for which they don't sue for patent infringement. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/06/motorola_samsung_patent_shakedown/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/06/motorola_samsung_pat... It has been suggested by some people (somewhat tongue in cheek) that in some cases the license fee for Windows Phone is less than the patent licenses for Android.
- mtgx 14y ago
  It's not. HTC only pays $5 per phone for example. HTC pays up to $45 for other royalties (unrelated to Android), though, so it's not a big deal.
  - recoiledsnake 14y ago
    I think the articles were about Microsoft making more money(in total) on patent licenses on Android phones rather than the Windows Phone nascent platform.

Actually you do, unless you're Amazon. For access to the Google Play store, GMail, Maps, Navigation, Youtube etc. etc. Those are neither free nor Free. http://www.reghardware.com/2011/09/21/andy_pad_chief_admits_to_bundling_unlicensed_android_market/ http://www.reghardware.com/2011/09/21/andy_pad_chief_admits_... It's very telling that most people do not know this. Google sent a C&D to the Cyanogen Mod folks for bundling these apps. If you install CM, you have to download the app store app from someone committing copyright infringement.

recoiledsnake 14y ago
>It's very telling that most people do not know this. Welcome to the HN info bubble.
pgeorgi 14y ago
That doesn't say anything about cost. The deal on Google apps is (or used to be) membership in the OHA, which is about app level compatibility. There are two possible impedients for cheap devices there: 1. minimum hardware requirements (which exploded over the last few Android releases), 2. Google might not care about herding a bunch of small vendors. reghardware merely "implies" that it's about cash.

HarshaThota 14y ago

If you want to call the phone an Android phone and include any of Google's apps or services, you do have to pay Google.

objclxt 14y ago

...you pay Microsoft though! Microsoft has per-device fees for Android arranged with most major manufacturers (including Samsung), in exchange for which they don't sue for patent infringement. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/06/motorola_samsung_patent_shakedown/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07/06/motorola_samsung_pat... It has been suggested by some people (somewhat tongue in cheek) that in some cases the license fee for Windows Phone is less than the patent licenses for Android.

mtgx 14y ago
It's not. HTC only pays $5 per phone for example. HTC pays up to $45 for other royalties (unrelated to Android), though, so it's not a big deal.
- recoiledsnake 14y ago
  I think the articles were about Microsoft making more money(in total) on patent licenses on Android phones rather than the Windows Phone nascent platform.