Mereja

Author: Ryan Heaton

  • Why Android “with Google” Makes a Difference for Netbooks and Tablets

    “Android” and “open” go together like peanut butter and chocolate, but last year, avid Android followers were reminded that Android might be open, but Google apps for Android? Not so much. Workarounds have allowed use of those applications on phones, but Android’s future is not limited to phones. Manufacturers are testing, announcing, and even releasing Android netbooks, MIDs, and tablets. However, devices in this burgeoning Android market have yet to be certified as “with Google.” While there is no indication that phone sales are better or worse with or without that association, there are several reasons that being “with Google” could be an important distinction for other devices.

    GOOGLE APPS
    Tablets and netbooks are “connected” devices, but even with robust web applications, native device applications provide several advantages over their web-only counterparts. Features like offline use and cross-app-functionality are two major examples. Android users (or Google app users looking for Android) will expect access to native applications for Google Contacts, Calendar, Gmail, Voice, and Maps, but those native apps are are not part of the “open” Android.

    STANDARD USER EXPERIENCE AND ACCESS TO ANDROID UPDATES
    Android “fragmentation” comes in several forms, but differing OS versions is arguably the biggest problem for manufacturers, developers, and users. Devices with creative modifications to Android causes more work for manufacturers to keep up with the latest version of Android. Though other mobile platforms may also suffer this problem, Android adoption is vulnerable the longer these “old” operating systems hold onto significant market share. It is nice that Google provides open and updated access to such information (via Android Developers), but manufacturers need to be prepared to keep up with the releases. Developers may already be weary of having to support the “latest and greatest” as well as catering to the larger market segment of older Androids. Though Android 1.6 is still the dominant market release, “with Google” devices could be able to receive such updates in a more timely manner.

    ANDROID MARKET
    Really, it’s all about the apps. The Android Market is a legitimate marketplace and access to it is critical to the success of any Android device. Device-specific app stores will have a hard time competing with the established Android Market (if they can compete at all). Google and developers will need to work on how to segment applications based on max resolution, but that is not a new problem, even for Android. A soon-to-be-released non-Android tablet has a way to scale apps meant for smaller screens to match larger-screens – something for Google and developers to consider.

    GOOGLE HAS THE FINAL SAY
    The hurdle to getting Android “with Google” is Google. I expect that manufacturers are interested in selling “certified” devices, but none have yet to surface. The Google blog  announcing Chrome OS acknowledges that “Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks,” which sounds reasonable. Unfortunately they confuse the tablet / netbook market (manufacturers and consumers alike) in the very next sentence, saying “Google Chrome OS …is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems.”

    Perhaps Google has a plan. Perhaps Google is quietly working with manufacturers. Perhaps the lines will soon be drawn – touch vs. non-touch, minimum / maximum processing power, or even external device support. Wherever they may be drawn, it is important to do so soon and let the netbook market and, more importantly, the tablet market get moving – “with Google.”

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  • The Non-Device News from Google’s Press Event

    After endless speculation, today’s press event at Google answered the burning questions about the Nexus One.  The event, though, offered more than just news about the Nexus One.  It also offered insight about Google’s role in shaping the future of Android.  With steam from the hype machine finally easing up, let’s review some of the things that are about to happen for Android.

    Software
    Android version 2.1 offers some noteworthy enhancements to the user experience.

    • Updated Gallery application.  Release 2.1 brings much needed changes with finger scrolling, various options for picture sorting, and pleasant navigation animation throughout.
    • Voice-to-text entry in any text box.  While 3rd party applications and input providers allow for this on today’s devices, having built-in integration should make the process easier to use.  (The demonstration quality was impressive, but with data always going back to Google for processing we can hope that improvements are constantly being made).
    • Google Earth. More impressive to some than others, but it’s finally coming to Android.  This should be a Market application, but there was no specific mention as to whether or not it would require a specific version of the OS.

    Cooperation with Google, manufacturers, and carriers
    Some of the only new information to come from the press event had to do with carriers and handset manufacturers.  It was no secret that the Nexus One was made by HTC, had T-Mobile 3G built-in, and would have an offer for a T-Mobile subsidized price.  What was completely missed by virtually everyone (is there a link anywhere to the contrary?) was the plan to bring the Nexus One to Verizon and Vodafone in the spring of this year.

    During the Q&A session, Mario Queiroz mentioned that there were ongoing discussions with a number of carriers.  He even went so far as to suggest that one of the largest obstacles was system integration with those carriers in order to make the purchase and activation process as seamless to the customer as possible.

    Google also made a point about manufacturers.  A number of times we heard about the partnership and strong relationship between Google and handset makers – especially HTC and Motorola. Though this was expected to be a Nexus One event, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha joined the panel during the Q&A session – seated right beside HTC CEO Peter Chou.

    At the risk of hopeful speculation, it seems reasonable that Google is working to expand the device “store” by offering more than a single device on a couple of carriers.

    Multitouch and app storage
    One of the best questions from the Q&A session received one of the most aggravating answers.  It seems Google still refuses to address the question of multitouch support for US-based devices.  When pressed for clarification about why Google applications (Maps, Gallery, Browser) had multitouch capabilities in overseas equivalents to US devices (Hero, Droid / Milestone), Andy Rubin could only dodge the purpose for the question, pushing it off as a software question for device manufacturers or developers. Regardless of the importance of multitouch in the broad scheme, Google needs to move beyond it by openly addressing it. Build it in or don’t and say why you didn’t.  The coy act is grating and starting to feel a lot like Apple’s take on cut / copy / paste for the iPhone.  Google: please do not wait so long that the press applauds for multitouch just because you finally came to your senses.

    Another question addressed a longtime frustration with Android: why is the application installation space so limited?  The answer was most encouraging: the issue is one of piracy, but there will soon be an upgrade for installing applications to an SD card.  Again, no specific information on when or which OS versions would be supported, but this is likely the first time that the issue has been so clearly addressed – especially with such a positive result.

    The event as a whole might have felt anticlimactic after weeks of anticipation, fizzling out with details of the “superphone” we already knew about and not really shaking up the mobile ecosystem after all.  If it were seen as an Android event, however, the news is promising.