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Re:Samsung is imploding in China by e12e on Tuesday May 12, 2015 @09:33PM (#9536187)
I just wish they'd made a real effort to make Android more open - say make a real push to get commitment from all OEMs to support ASOP. That way it would've been much easier to make different Android distributions, than it is now. Unfortunately, Google does not only seem to not care about that, but is actively moving much of the useful APIs to closed source, locked down Google properties.

At least we still have Linux and Mozilla (and Canonical), so I still think more open mobile/tablet/phone platforms are comming. They might run Android apps -- or might not. They might be able to work with a workable for-profit/pay marketplace/app-store (AFAIK the only working such market place for open OS' is Steam -- maybe Valve will eat everyone's lunch in the end. Steam for mobile apps and games? Why not.).

Hangout exemplifies everything that is bad with the path Google is on. It replaces a system based on open standards, that (mostly, except for federation?) welcomed any and all existing clients -- and a system that allowed for having separate apps for handling IM and SMS (say, maybe you wanted your IM to alwasy use OTR, but not for SMS).

The sad thing is, contrary to what Google claims, I don't think publishing a Google app that did most things would have been untenable while basing the work off of existing standards. I think it would probably have been easier.

Re:Samsung is imploding in China by motoboi on Wednesday May 13, 2015 @08:52AM (#9538484)
Adopt an standardized OS would push manufacturers out of business.

They don't want to be recognized as another android phone, because then consumers would simply move tho the cheapest capable ( or faster, or better camera) android phone.

My thought is that Samsung need that it's phones be seen as a totally ( and worth) product that Moto X. So they can monetize on this perceived value.

Re:Samsung is imploding in China by e12e on Wednesday May 13, 2015 @04:44PM (#9541830)
I don't think they'll be able to hold off comodization of the handset market much longer. Then again: Apple is doing well on x86 (laptops). We'll see.