Google’s Android platform has been the favorite of the OEMs for a long time due to its flexible nature. OEM’s have been able to change and modify the user interface of their Android smartphones without Google’s intervention. However, the OEMs and third-party developers will not have this liberty when it comes to the latest Android expansion by Google.
Google will not allow OEMs to change the UI on Android Wear, TV and Auto and will have sole control on UIs of these three platforms that were announced at the I/O developer conference last week.
“The UI is more part of the product in this case. We want to just have a very consistent user experience, so if you have one TV in one room and another TV in another room and they both say Android TV, we want them to work the same and look the same… The device manufacturers can brand it, and they might have services that they want to include with it, but otherwise it should be the same.”
David Burke, Google’s director of engineering said in an interview with Arstechnica.
Google will directly manage software updates for Wear, Auto and TV hardware, pushing out new versions much like Chrome desktop updates, added Burke. The aim behind the initiative is to bring a unanimity among all the platforms that run on the latest version of the Android. This also give users a consistent experience for users using all these platforms.
This will surely increase the competition between hardware partners as they will have to offer other features and services to lure customers. Google has already implemented the decision on Android Wear as all the three announced smartwatches from LG, Motorola and Samsung have similar software although the hardware is different.
Source:Arstechnica