Great points lbcoder. Unfortunately, being open source doesn't really force the carriers to use it in an open way. The only effort towards this end is that Google has demonstrated that they don't intend to let the carriers put their proprietary Google apps on the phones unless the phones adhere to some amount of openness. Just because AOSP exists doesn't mean Android phones will allow consumers to use their device however they like. Unless the phone firmware is user flashable, the carrier can lock it down however it likes, regardless of the open source code.
Really, we the consumers are to blame somewhat. Because we have been suckered by the "free phone" deal that has been going on for years. At least in the US, people buy a "free phone" not realizing that it's still a $200 device. Or a $199 iPhone not realizing that it might be a $450 device. Real phone freedom will only come when people go into a phone store to buy a new phone and only see the full price. People will have to choose a phone they want not because their contract is ending and they are getting a deep discount on their next phone +contract, they buy a new phone simply because they'd rather replace their phone with the new one and pay the price of the new one, just like it is with just about every other purchasable item out there. Once that happens, the carrier deathgrip will be over. They will have two choices, prevent 3rd party phones from accessing their data networks and lose customers, or allow the phones and become a commodity like you suggest. But this won't happen anytime soon because any phone manufacturer that makes a cool phone and sells it for $700 isn't going to sell the volume that they want as long as everyone is still in that "free phone" mindset. So I really think it's going to take more than the AOSP. It's going to take a handset manufacturer, to make a phone that sells on ebay, or at consumer electronics stores not underneath a carrier banner. This device can't run AOSP, it has to be desirable in every way, it must run the advanced Google Android versions, with all the proprietary apps that are not AOSP, it must have superior hardware, because consumers are going to end up seeing the full $600-$700 pricetag and still want to buy it. On Aug 11, 6:36 am, lbcoder <[email protected]> wrote: > The mobile phone providers are trying to prevent all this from > happening with their platform, so the mobile phone becomes not a > device to provide freedom, but a device to RESTRICT it... to force you > into a voice plan, an SMS plan, an MMS plan, a Data plan, and a > contract to force you to stick with a particular provider. The VERY > LAST thing on their minds is to help YOU to get the best device > possible. They want to sell you the device that BEST RESTRICTS YOUR > FREEDOMS. Now a community-driven mobile phone OS and breaking the ties > between the device manufacturers and the service providers WILL lead > to the exact opposite thing to what the service providers are seeking. > It will give YOU the freedom of a device that does what YOU want it to > do, it will break the contract with the provider, it will obsolete > voice, sms, and mms plans since all this can be carried over the data > plan. All that the service provider will be is strictly a data > provider and they will have to compete on THAT basis, and if next > month provider X is cheaper than your current provider Y, you will > switch in a heartbeat without ANY service interruption. I can even > envision buying X-month simcards at the grocery store.... X GB for > $4.99, no contracts, just pay cash and it is activated by the cashier > at point of sale. You just buy whichever is cheapest that meets your > data volume requirement. Then to top it all off, with the > proliferation of free wifi, you can see how the mobile phone service > provider will really be pinched. > > Unfortunately, this isn't going to happen for a while, but Android > being open source, and even more as being community driven, IS a step > towards this. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Discuss" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-discuss?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
