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Motorola's "enhancements" to Android make the Atrix nearly unusable. My wife moved from the iPhone to the Atrix, and it is only because Android does allow customization that I was able to download enough skins and fixes to make the phone usable.

AT&T wants to push their useless buggy navigation to the Atrix, despite the fact that Google's navigation works just fine.

So skins are what makes Android usable or unusable? Is that what you are saying?

And Atrix is unusable because you can't get your favorite skin on it? Wow. There are sure a lot of Atrix phones sitting un-used then because the vast majority of users never hack their phones.

And Google Maps and Navigation appear on the Atrix, and you can even set them ad default and never worry about AT&T navigation ever again. Where's the problem here?

The real problem is that Google designed Android WRONG, and those phone makers and carriers who want to add features and customization can't do so cleanly without rebuilding Android to hang in their desired changes.

What if every point release of Windows or Linux kernel had to wait for every package, every desktop (KDE, Gnome, XFCE) to be updated before you could slip it in? What if Dell or Acer or HP couldn't ship any laptops just because they couldn't get their bloatware to run until they hacked the next minor release of windows?

When Google figures this out, and repackages Android so that you can slip in OS updates without destroying carrier specific layers then the fragmentation will stop.

In the mean time, its pretty much a tempest in a tea pot, since somewhere approaching 90 percent of all Android installs are in two versions of Android, 2.1 and 2.2. See http://www.androidcentral.com/sites/androidcentral.com/files/articleimage/684/2011/04/android-versions-4-2.jpg
Fragmentation is largely a figment of the past rapid development cycles.

According to k0nane, it's on the Evo as well. Thanks for calling attention to the presence of CarrierIQ on LG.

Source: http://forum.androidcentral.com/lg-optimus-s-rooting-roms-hacks/64914-carrier-iq-4.html

LOL... hold on....

This article shows that in Europe alone, Android shipped 7.9 million units in the last quarter of 2010. You know, as in just a few months ago. It grew by an amazing 1,580% in that market year-to-year. In all of 2010, Symbian took #1, Android #2, then RIM and Apple respectively. Although note that in Q4, Android did overtake Symbian as well.

Wecome back to reality.

Oh, sales per device per quarter? Does it really matter? It's not Google's fault that Apple decided to close themselves off so much. Comparing device-to-device when talking about Apple vs. Google is like talking apples to oranges. It'd be more accurate to compare manufacturer sales at that point, in which case RIM is still leading Apple (among others, but they're more alike). I've always said that Apple is their own worst enemy sometimes, because they have so much potential just to stampede everyone over and keep it that way, but they continue to opt for a closed-everything market with all their products tying into themselves almost exclusively.

Speaking towards the future, Samsung is expecting to sell 50 million smart phones in 2011, and gleaning from some quick info that they expect approx. 20 million of those to be running Bada, which still leaves 30 million for Android since they'll mostly all be running one or the other. I don't know how much Apple expects to grow by that time, but assuming Samsung gets close to that number and Apple sees significant growth, at the very least they would be very close to compare on a per-manufacturer basis with a single OS. I'm kind of skeptical that Samsung will see that many smart phone sales, but I guess that's based off of the trend of going from dumb phones to smart phones, and since they already dominate the market with that, I think they're counting on upgrades bumping up that smart phone number. I guess we'll see what happens.

There was only one Xoom benchmark done against the yet-to-be-released ipad2. It was from anandtech, it was graphics performance only, and it has been re-quoted over and over again as if it is meaningful, which it is not really. It was not even adjusted for screen resolution! It is not objective, verifiable, repeatable, concrete data to draw any good conclusions. They listed the DETAILED results for the iPad and iPad2, but only pulled out three tests to compare to the Xoom. Does that seem reasonable? And it certainly says nothing about any other aspects of real-world performance.

Once the iPad2 is released, I am sure more comprehensive and complete benchmarks will give a real picture.

Case in point- we all know the Xoom was rushed out the door too quickly, and Android 3.0 is very new. But Motorola just pushed an update out that (reportedly) increased OVERALL performance of the Xoom by 28% in the Quadrant benchmark! http://forum.androidcentral.com/motorola-xoom/67196-xoom-hri66-hri39-raises-quadrant-benchmark-23-a.html

The Optimus V is an Android phone. It has been rooted and has custom roms. The phone in this particular case is not very locked down. I have an Optimus S from Sprint and love it for the price (same phone, different network).
http://forum.androidcentral.com/optimus-v/

http://www.examiner.com/gadgets-in-san-francisco/motorola-droid-owners-reporting-issues-with-android-2-2-update
http://www.androidcentral.com/evo-4g-update-pulled-over-problems
http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-20019676-85.html

Just a few quick search examples.

Both the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and the LG Optimus Pad (G-Slate) were running honeycomb at MWC. http://www.androidcentral.com/lg-optimus-pad-hands http://www.androidcentral.com/hands-10-inch-samsung-galaxy-tab-android-30-honeycomb

Both the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and the LG Optimus Pad (G-Slate) were running honeycomb at MWC. http://www.androidcentral.com/lg-optimus-pad-hands http://www.androidcentral.com/hands-10-inch-samsung-galaxy-tab-android-30-honeycomb

Today I go weeks without ever shutting my Android phone off. That is why WinMo was garbage.

Samsung epic reboots daily
G1 freezes daily
HTC EVO reboots continuously after update

I could go on and on about anecdotes about Android phones crashing, freezing and rebooting endlessly after updates. Guess it's garbage as well, no?

Is compatibility mandatory? No. The Android Compatibility Program is optional. Since the Android source code is open, anyone can use it to build any kind of device. However, if a manufacturer wishes to use the Android name with their product, or wants access to Android Market, they must first demonstrate that the device is compatible.

and the Android 2.3 Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) http://source.android.com/compatibility/android-2.3-cdd.pdf

6. Developer Tool Compatibility Device implementations MUST support the Android Developer Tools provided in the Android SDK. Specifically, Android-compatible devices MUST be compatible with: â Android Debug Bridge (known as adb) [Resources, 23] Device implementations MUST support all adb functions as documented in the Android SDK. The device-side adb daemon SHOULD be inactive by default, but there MUST be a user-accessible mechanism to turn on the Android Debug Bridge.

Kind of difficult to legally call your device android if you can't adb install apps on the device and while using the SDK might seem complicated to install apps some help full developers made the Android Sideload Wonder Machine (http://forum.androidcentral.com/android-sideload-wonder-machine/) to solve that problem. Sorry but android wins on the front of being able to install non market apps no matter how you slice it. Since in order to call your device an android device you MUST include functionality to install non market apps.

Because an Android phone is no guarantee of an open platform, either. I was really hoping the OpenMoko FreeRunner was going to go somewhere, but it never made it to "ready for prime time" status.

Yes the iPhone 4 has full device encryption but Android phones don't. A thief can root a phone and read all unencrypted data from it when connecting it to a computer. example: http://www.androidcentral.com/android-passwords-rooted-clear-text
There are a number of open issues about it on the google android site; ex. https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=10809

I'm wondering if Handcent or other 3rd party apps are affected by this bug also or if its just in the Google app code only.

None of the other FREE (or paid) SMS apps have had this reported.

Further, its very rare, and complicated to reproduce this, unless you frequently have a lot of message threads between many people going on, and respond asynchronously.

"Darth Mo" posted how a specific a sequence of messages can cause this problem, and it seems to involve the Back Button on Android, after reading a message from one contact but then deciding to respond to a different prior message thread.

If you are on the Galaxy S like I am, Froyo started rolling out today in the UK - hoping the US is not far behind.

If you have root like I do, you probably have had froyo for months

If you are on the Galaxy S like I am, Froyo started rolling out today in the UK - hoping the US is not far behind.

which is only one

It was my understanding that you could install packages from outside the market.
So how is it closed again?

"You mean jailbroke it."

No. I rooted it.

"You use a different term so it hides..."

No... I use a different term because that is the term used for this platform, regarding this activity on all of the sites that describe how to do it and how to revert.

As for any implied attempt to compare one device to another, please...do tell?

Where did I accuse any device of being more crippled than another?

Where did I even mention *any* device other than the Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate??

Oh...right... I didn't.

(It's all in your head...)

As for it being crippled, I suppose it depends entirely on one's definition of crippled.

Lockdown, as dictated by the practical reality that no popular consumer device has ever actually *been* successfully locked down, is irrelevant.

It is what you can do *after* the device has been unlocked that dictates my opinion on how "crippled" or not it may be.

Please do not ever again try to assume you know anything about me. The mere thought of it is absurd. ...and you are apparently very bad at making assumptions.

"You mean jailbroke it."

No. I rooted it.

"You use a different term so it hides..."

No... I use a different term because that is the term used for this platform, regarding this activity on all of the sites that describe how to do it and how to revert.

As for any implied attempt to compare one device to another, please...do tell?

Where did I accuse any device of being more crippled than another?

Where did I even mention *any* device other than the Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate??

Oh...right... I didn't.

(It's all in your head...)

As for it being crippled, I suppose it depends entirely on one's definition of crippled.

Lockdown, as dictated by the practical reality that no popular consumer device has ever actually *been* successfully locked down, is irrelevant.

It is what you can do *after* the device has been unlocked that dictates my opinion on how "crippled" or not it may be.

Please do not ever again try to assume you know anything about me. The mere thought of it is absurd. ...and you are apparently very bad at making assumptions.

The HTC Desire Z is about to be released as the T-Mobile G2 later this month ($200ish with a plan.) The T-Mobile G2 will have the stock Android UI as did the G1 years ago.

http://g2.t-mobile.com/
http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-announces-desire-z-qwerty-slider

Yes yes, Apple invented the ultimate smartphone - they set that trend, but since then they haven't done anything. They are slow to iterate hardware and software features unlike Google and their partners where there seems to be a new phone coming out or announced every single day (follow a site like Android Central - not really even exaggerating there).

On that boycott link - I found a bunch of "HD" (not sure what that means really in this case) games from gameloft on marketplace just doing a simple search on my Droid - I wonder how firm this policy is? Why are they boycotting the market? I'd suggest that the market (no pun intended) will sort things out - their sales will be lower because most users will get programs via the Android Marketplace since its pre-installed on every Google branded Android phone - there must people making money on there too - the amount of paid apps keeps increasing quickly.

Also there's at least one guy earning 10k a month from Google ads on his Android apps.

What I find funny is that everything the iPhone 4 added as a new feature Android has had either since launch (multi-tasking) or since 2.1 (almost a year now) and they are polished features (unlike my fucking Nokia) - they haven't set a single trend since the launch of the original iPhone honestly. I've actually heard on twitter and other places people looking for a better "more android like" notification system for their Jailbroken phones. Competition is only a good thing if your actually trying to be better than them.

Indeed. And similarly, it was wrong that the original news of the exploit was publicised as a good thing (or, at worst, neutral), rather than being publicised as a major security hole (like you know they would have had it have been something like Internet Explorer).

This is Apple news, it's always a cause for whining. Jailbreak ? OMG HAX, it's the end the world! Security update ? OMG, evil Apple want to stop users taking control of their device.

Of course, it is a problem that you need to jailbreak an Iphone to enable basic functionality.

This is bullshit, basic functionality ? You gain the ability to run unsigned, unapproved software. A locked iPhone will do the same as any locked smartphone.

But if the media has such a problem with that, maybe they could actually focus on that instead of praising Apple all the time, or conflating the issue with security exploits

The media praise Apple all the time ? This is bullshit on the same order as the "liberal media." It's confirmation bias: you get annoyed by stories that you perceive as pro-Apple and consequently see them everywhere.

or maybe give some coverage to the more popular platforms (Symbian, RIM, Android) that don't need to be jailbroken, instead of the overwhelming coverage of Apple all the time.

Don't know about the others but Android phones need to be jailbroken to gain full control, they just call it being "rooted". In fact Google recently pulled an app that would root your phone from their store (oh the irony!).
Android phones get plenty of coverage btw, they just don't specifically talk about the OS as much which you would expect it being a phone.

You can thank Motorola for this gaff, not Verizon. Motorola Bootloader Lockdown Explained It seems that, since the Droid X is using part of Motorola's code along with the Android OS, they did not want that open. Part of protecting their IP I suppose.

I'm just waiting for the "Android: Hold it any way you want!" ad campaign.

The wait is over.

As one of the many dissatisfied Droid Eris owners I have a couple things to say. First, Verizon has told me several times that they are "handling things differently now" when it comes to defective phones. It took three trips to two separate, local Verizon stores and two phone calls to Verizon tech support before someone finally agreed to send me a replacement Eris. I have been told by three separate Verizon reps that a software patch is being released that will "definitely fix" the sound problem, but as of last Thursday there was no ETA on said update (looks like that's changed). Between a new (well, "refurbished") handset and a software patch this week, I'm hoping I have a working phone soon.

This thread is about the Verizon Wireless HTC Eris, a phone sold only thru Verizon, Always locked, Always unnder contract, and it works only on their network.

Try to stay on topic.

The problem here is Verizon denying Warranty Claims against this phone.

The good news is that there are reports of a software fix coming in 4 day.

http://www.androidcentral.com/droid-eris-owners-update-coming-july-16

if you look at the raw numbers and general performance numbers also performance per watt numbers than you can see why no one really switches over from ARM to Intel in the non netbook space where Windows compatibility is a non issue.

I think the absence of an x86 operating system suitable for phones (even Windows Mobile is RISC-only) might also be a factor. Obviously Intel thinks so.

The architecture is garbage and the Risc core + interpreter on top of it just wastes cycles compared to a lean and clear instruction set ARM provides.

Ooh, Deja Vu. I used to work at Sun, and one big reason that company no longer exists: too many people there couldn't get past their loathing for the x86 architecture.

Hey, I hate it too. Probably more than most people, since back in the 80s, I tried to learn Windows programming and was partially stymied by all the weirdness of the segmented architecture back before it was hidden by 386 memory management. But I long ago learned to live with it. As they say in the military, quantity has a quality all its own, and you can't compete with the x86 architecture solely on the basis of technical superiority.

And it's not just about Windows compatibility. The x86 systems I worked on at Sun (and that the SPARCophile salespeople refused to push) mostly ran Linux. You think Steve Jobs cares about Windows compatibility? No, he cares about keeping costs down, and using Intel-based chipsets allows him to do that.

I used to assume that ARM would dominate the netbook market, for all the technical reasons you mention. When I decided to buy a netbook, I actually looked for an ARM one first. Couldn't find one worth the cost. Ended up with the aforementioned Atom netbook, and its battery life is everything promised for the ARM netbook. ARM may be theoretically better suited for low-power systems, but so far theory and practice are not the same.

Well since so far AT&T only has a single Android phone

This article disagrees with you. First it was the Backflip, now the Aria.

For the moment, I am extremely impressed with Shapewriter. And for a few days more, you can get that for free with no expiration and it is not a beta. So I don't see a need for Swype right now:

http://www.androidcentral.com/shapewriter-being-pulled-market-get-it-while-you-still-can

yes, it does store the screenshots... for the purpose of having them show up in the Sense UI bookmark widget. on my Hero they are stored on the storage card, on the Incredible they are located on the on-board 6GB partition, http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-browser-bookmark-images-scare explains it in greater detail

I don't know of any other phone that has that feature at all, supported or not.

http://forum.androidcentral.com/hacking/7674-wifi-hotspot-app.html

There's at least one poster there talking about simultaneously supporting his iPod touch and laptop - no extra software on those devices - via their wifi.

The beauty of Android - you can get in as much trouble as you like. :)

Huge iPhone like device. Not something you want to hold up to your ear, bluetooth recommended just to hold down the Geek-factor.

http://www.androidcentral.com/dell-streak-coming-att-later-summer

Speculation about carrier based on the frequencies is at best guesswork, because new radios can be swapped into the design very easily. Most radio chipset manufacturers can give you a radio with the same pin-outs and die size for any flavor of cell system you want to talk to, and the programming interfaces are all standardized as well.

It could be on sprint tomorrow if they wanted.

Bluetooth is holding down the Geek factor? lol

Huge iPhone like device. Not something you want to hold up to your ear, bluetooth recommended just to hold down the Geek-factor.

http://www.androidcentral.com/dell-streak-coming-att-later-summer

Speculation about carrier based on the frequencies is at best guesswork, because new radios can be swapped into the design very easily. Most radio chipset manufacturers can give you a radio with the same pin-outs and die size for any flavor of cell system you want to talk to, and the programming interfaces are all standardized as well.

It could be on sprint tomorrow if they wanted.

heh, I don't even understand how he could have thought otherwise. I never said the ROM's was slow.

Anyway.

The guys over at http://www.androidcentral.com/ had a talk with HTC.

HTC said phones released this year, will get Froyo in the second half of 2010.

[...] if your phone was launched this year, we will most likely offer an upgrade for it to the Froyo version. This includes popular models like the Desire and Droid Incredible as well as hotly anticipated phones like the Evo 4G, MyTouch slide and upcoming models. We will announce a full list of phones and dates once we are closer to launching the upgrades. We are working closely with Google and our other partners to ensure we have the earliest access to everything we need to provide a complete and solid Sense experience on Froyo. We expect to release all updates in the second half of this year but can't be more specific yet.

Source: http://www.androidcentral.com/most-2010-htc-android-phones-will-get-froyo-2010

heh, I don't even understand how he could have thought otherwise. I never said the ROM's was slow.

Anyway.

The guys over at http://www.androidcentral.com/ had a talk with HTC.

HTC said phones released this year, will get Froyo in the second half of 2010.

[...] if your phone was launched this year, we will most likely offer an upgrade for it to the Froyo version. This includes popular models like the Desire and Droid Incredible as well as hotly anticipated phones like the Evo 4G, MyTouch slide and upcoming models. We will announce a full list of phones and dates once we are closer to launching the upgrades. We are working closely with Google and our other partners to ensure we have the earliest access to everything we need to provide a complete and solid Sense experience on Froyo. We expect to release all updates in the second half of this year but can't be more specific yet.

Source: http://www.androidcentral.com/most-2010-htc-android-phones-will-get-froyo-2010

Lots of brand new devices are sold _today_ that still have 1.5 and 1.6 (read: Sprint's Android phones). [...] If Flash only works on 2.1+ devices, and most existing devices are 2.0 and lower with no upgrade path in sight, Adobe has to wait for an entire generation of existing users to upgrade.

There's an upgrade path in sight, although it's taken longer than expected. Word on the street is the HTC Hero will get 2.1 in less than two weeks.

50% bigger screen than Apple's next-gen iPhone that was leaked, (4.3"), and yet it's still a smartphone, Small enough to fit comfortably in one hand, unlike the iPad.

HDMI out, runs flash, works as a hotspot for up to 8 other devices, Yes, it even does pinch-to-zoom. And at 4.3", it's got 50% more surface area than the current iPhone (and the leaked iPhone's screen is even smaller).

A tablet's too big to just shove in your pocket or purse. The iPhone's screen is too small to really share. This is "just right". It's a tablet-killer. So maybe HP sees that the tablet market, after more than a decade of trying to take flight, is going to nosedive, and will come out with something Palm-ish in a 4.3" format?

Dell seems to have realized http://www.androidcentral.com/dell-looking-glass-tablet-tegra-2-love a lot earlier that Windows 7 would not be responsive enough on a slow processor and made the conscious and responsible move towards an alternative OS before HP. It has taken HP months of tests to realize that an Atom CPU and Win7 aren't a match made in heaven. They even posted videos on their YouTube channel recently! HP should either upgrade the Slate's CPU and stick with Win7 -- which would give them a larger-than-life ecosystem -- or they should go with Android, which, not only is open, but it's also growing in popularity at a great pace http://www.tgdaily.com/mobility-features/49518-android-market-hits-50k-app-mark/.

Just a few days ago: "50 Android games in 10 minutes"
http://www.androidcentral.com/50-android-games-10-minutes

I love my Mini 10... There are others coming down the pipe though... http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet http://www.androidcentral.com/vega-android-tablet-runs-android-20-looks-great

Can anyone find what the requirements actually say? This is the best I've found. What's the Difference Between Android and Google? And Why Does it Matter?

Google is putting a stake in the ground for the first category, the open category, the one that resembles computers as we all know them. Apple and the carriers want to turn phones into consoles.

Until one of the categories requires that the end user has root access and the ability to reload all the software on the phone possibly modified by themselves, none of them are going to resemble the desktop computer. Until then it would be like buying a Packard Bell computer that was locked down to only allow loading Packard Bell's bloated branded version of windows, checked by BIOS, and when they go out of business you will never be able to upgrade. That's not open, that's lock down, I don't see the open category.

Even if there was a open category that allowed the user to control their software, there's still no X windows. Without X windows you can't run anything not designed for Android. What's the point if in the future phone gets to be as powerful as today's desktop if it can't run today's software?

Here for $5:

androidcentral.com

Get your facts right. There is no special chip. You can buy or (surprise!) make your own adapter. I own one of these, and they work just fine.

Posting anonymous since I'm a Google employee.

its actually coming to the G1 via TMo's RC33 OTA update ---- see here... http://androidcentral.com/google-latitude-included-android-update/