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Android Companies Keep Pretending That Android Doesn't Exist (theverge.com)

Europe's biggest tech show IFA is underway in Berlin currently. Companies from around the world are showcasing their new smartphones at the event, chearleading the advancements they have made on the hardware side. Pretty much all these devices are running Android, but the way they are presented, you wouldn't be able to tell if that really is the case. The Verge's Vlad Savov writes: Sony would have us believe that buying an Xperia phone grants us a pass into the exclusive Xperia experience. The stuff actually differentiating the Xperia brand is junk and bloatware: the Xperia assistance software is a mobile version of Microsoft's Clippy. Huawei is even worse in its Android omerta, deathly afraid to utter the green giant's name. I understand that hardware companies want to spend more time talking about their hardware, but all these launches feel lobotomized without a proper discussion of the software driving their devices. Tell me about your implementation of Android. Tell me why you think it's okay to launch a phone without the latest software. Reassure me that I won't be left behind the way that many 2014 Android flagships already have been, and explain to your users why they don't need smarter multitasking, improved notifications, and baked-in VR support. Yes, those are harder issues to discuss, but dodging them is what makes customers untrusting of Android manufacturers.

2 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Seems logical enough. by HBI · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Very logical thought process.

    In addition, I get the impression that Android = "cheap" is pretty well ingrained into at least the US market. All the junkiest phones advertise running Android nowadays. Avoiding the term is probably a net benefit for vendors intending to charge a premium.

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
  2. Re:No surprise by rubycodez · · Score: 4, Interesting

    false.

    I have the misfortune of having to carry my employer's Apple phone when on call

    my Android phone is much faster at any task