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Google Drops Bluetooth API From Android 1.0

Posted by timothy on from the first-draft dept.

Ian Lamont writes "Google has dropped Bluetooth and the GTalkService instant messaging APIs from the set of tools for Android 1.0, but says that handsets using the Android OS will work with other Bluetooth devices such as headsets. According to a post on the official Android developer blog, Google dropped the Bluetooth API from the mobile OS because 'we plain ran out of time.' The GTalkService API was removed because of security concerns that included the possibility of applications revealing more details about users than they might want to let out, such as their real names and e-mail addresses."

5 of 167 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Uh, bluetooth's kinda important for cell phones by LWATCDR · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You should read the post link first.
    "The 1.0 version of Android and the first devices will include support for Bluetooth; for instance, Android will support Bluetooth headsets."
    So headset and I hope A2DP will be supported. I will also bet that some other other functionality like file transfers will be supported.

    What will not be supported is direct access to the Bluetooth API to applications. So it will probably be impossible to write things like a bluetooth remote control for it :(. At least in the first release.
    The thing is with APIs is if you don't get them right the first time you are left with supporting broken code forever OR you break a lot of apps.
    See Windows for an example.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  2. Re:How come developers never do this? by jonnythan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There's a reason companies don't just put up polls for decisions about how to develop products.

    Customers don't know what they want, and most of the responders will not be people who have any intention of buying the product anyway.

  3. Re:Huh? by Van+Cutter+Romney · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seriously, they can afford to Beta hosted applications running on their website and claim that if it crashed it was in "Beta". But software running on consumer devices? I don't think so.

    --
    Help a man when he is in trouble and he will remember you when he is in trouble again.
  4. iPhone doesn't have it either by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Does the iPhone have a Bluetooth API? Nope. Whats the big deal?

  5. Re:IM and bluetooth by Shade+of+Pyrrhus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Read the summary. It's going to be on the handsets, but not accessible via the API. In other words, you can't develop a program that specifically uses bluetooth.
    This doesn't mean you won't be able to have something like Skype, and use a bluetooth headset - that's simply the audio input/output that the device will use.

    Bluetooth isn't really that big of a deal in this instance. I'd be interested in seeing what applications people would make that need to communicate via bluetooth, though - maybe some interesting games or computer-sync apps...