Android is undeniably one of the hottest products available to customers living in this era of technology. From the beginning, smartphone sales under the Android OS have zoomed across the globe. In the US alone, the figures show that in the first quarter of 2010, Android landed in the 2nd place after the giant Blackberry OS. So much is the hoopla surrounding the Android that people cannot let go off. The demand for Android Smart phones has also proportionately increased the number of people accessing the online store of Google for Android devices, the Android market.
Seeking motivation from Apple’s Appstore, Google created Android market for app developers to freely publish their apps without any restrictions. Unlike the Apple Appstore, the Google Android market does not spot any seeming restriction towards third party development and does not run an apps approval program. Android has broken the Service monopolistic mobile carrier approach taken by other OS. Being an open source OS, Android leverages all the advantages of the device and service provider independency. While consumers enjoy a low-cost smart phone loaded with cost-effective apps and features, the developers are provided with unrestricted customization rights. The application framework can be reused and be replaced by selective components. Android also supports an open source Web-Kit, Engine-based web browser, which is additional good news for developers.
Since Android uses a Java virtual execution environment developed exclusively by Google, Sun Corp the owner of Java related brands and trademarks cannot claim Android as their own. This gives Android seemingly unrestricted future possibilities.
The cost effective nature of Android and its efficiency has lured most of the application developers and equipment manufacturers to adopt Android OS. It is undoubtedly one of cost effective gambles taken by manufacturers. The user is able to replace the Google bundle of apps with their own choice of non-Google bundle of apps.
However, what are the limitations of this software or the so called Android market? Well recently Google has started putting in restrictions on its OS platform development by third party developers. Google wants their apps to be developed using Dalvik Virtual Machine while ironically most part of the Android is written either in C or C++. Google does have stringent measures of regulation of products sold from Android Market. Agreeing to the terms and conditions of Android Market makes the user completely under the discretion of Google’s Policies. The detailed, fundamental market usage agreement covers most of the topics users usually take advantage off. Unlike any other closed mobile platforms currently in use like the iPhone OS, Google tracks publicly issues and features at Google Code’s site.
The fact that Android OS is developed and marketed by all 50 members of OHA including Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Sprint, HTC, China Mobile etc makes the Android market a lot bigger. The biggest advantage of Android is its open source status. The open standard of Android has created a lot of opportunities for different software development companies. Android has succeeded in creating new business models for thousands of application developers worldwide.
When introduced, the openness of the Android was hyped as the main strength and hence it may be a bad idea to regulate the Android market. Being said that, Google has to ensure the quality of apps that are sold as well. The first Android G1 released was totally a Google phone. However, later addition by the G1 manufacturer the HTC Magic, saw the rise of additional Android features other than the usual Google based bundles. The fight is sure to be intense and different manufacturers will try to outrun each other making full use of the open features of the Android OS. Obviously Android is sure to grow as Linux offering developers a chance for developing apps for its growing versions by different OEM suites.
On the bright side less restrictions means, multiple interfaces developed for Android will be customized and be ultimately modified by different software developers. In fact, it is presumed that the Android will get completely customized within 2 years. If the regulation, of Android is not present, the competition will further heat up and Android will become an invisible giant within no time.
The Android’s success is driven by its world wide acceptance and the world’s thirst for an open source mobile environment. The backing of countless app developers and telecommunication leaders makes Android an all-rounder and yet so powerful OS. If the Android platform is regulated as such with no further restriction’s the era will soon see a chain reaction of people preferring cost effective mobiles with smartphone like features, rather than costly mobile with unnecessary apps.