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Android KitKat ships without browser app. OEMs have to license Chrome

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Re: Android KitKat ships without browser app. OEMs have to license Chrome

#51

Post by hkmurakami »

shooper wrote: post #36
Timmmmbob wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the truth is that the AOSP Browser is now abandonware - Google have stopped developing it in favour of Chrome, and likely won't accept non-security patches for it. I don't think this matters much anyway. Firefox is a more than capable browser. Possibly better than Chrome on Android. It's certainly smoother.

Also, the Open Handset Alliance terms may prohibit OEMs from replacing Chrome with, say Firefox. From http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/googles-iron-grip-on-... >Any OEM hoping to license Google Apps will need to pass Google's "compatibility" tests in order to be eligible. Compatibility ensures that all the apps in the Play Store will run on your device. And to Google, "compatibility" is also a fluid concept tha…

So much for an "open" handset alliance. What a misnomer :(

Re: Android KitKat ships without browser app. OEMs have to license Chrome

#52

Post by zmmmmm »

shooper wrote: post #36
Timmmmbob wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the truth is that the AOSP Browser is now abandonware - Google have stopped developing it in favour of Chrome, and likely won't accept non-security patches for it. I don't think this matters much anyway. Firefox is a more than capable browser. Possibly better than Chrome on Android. It's certainly smoother.

Also, the Open Handset Alliance terms may prohibit OEMs from replacing Chrome with, say Firefox. From http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/googles-iron-grip-on-... >Any OEM hoping to license Google Apps will need to pass Google's "compatibility" tests in order to be eligible. Compatibility ensures that all the apps in the Play Store will run on your device. And to Google, "compatibility" is also a fluid concept tha…

They would certainly prohibit them "replacing" Chrome with FireFox, but the suggestion that they would stop an OEM shipping an alternative browser on a phone is such a ridiculous piece of FUD it's laughable.

Re: Android KitKat ships without browser app. OEMs have to license Chrome

#53

Post by mkr-hn »

icebraining wrote: post #42
mbennett wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If only there wasn't an agreement prohibiting such replacements. Bonus points for calling it the "Open" Handset Alliance agreement. http://www.theverge.com/2011/05/12/google-android-skyhook-la...

Then don't sign the agreement? You can still use Android on your products.

It works! The lack of an agreement between Amazon and Google has yet to be a hindrance on my new Kindle Fire. All but one of the apps I wanted is in Amazon's store, and that one app was available as an .apk.

Re: Android KitKat ships without browser app. OEMs have to license Chrome

#54

Post by saurik »

drzaiusapelord wrote: post #31

This is fud. Browser is still in AOSP. Pretty sure this is it here: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/packages/apps/Brow... Obviously you can create the gui for a browser to access the webkit renderer if you didnt want this. Anyway, this is meaningless. No one ships commercial phones without the Play store and Chrome will be just another app bundled with the deal.

Large releases in the US come with the Play Store, but there are tons of lesser-known devices, especially in countries like China, that do not.

Re: Android KitKat ships without browser app. OEMs have to license Chrome

#55

Post by cpeterso »

nostrademons wrote: post #50
icebraining wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey, some of us use Firefox.

...which at least follows web standards fairly closely. Firefox is nearly as quick as Chrome at keeping up with the latest and greatest. Android Browser hasn't been updated in years.

Plus, Firefox still supports Froyo and Gingerbread. Chrome only supports Ice Cream Sandwich and later. Android users with older phones have been abandoned by Google, but at least they can download a modern web browser.

Re: Android KitKat ships without browser app. OEMs have to license Chrome

#56

Post by [deleted] »

Timmmmbob wrote: post #34
drzaiusapelord wrote: post #31

This is fud. Browser is still in AOSP. Pretty sure this is it here: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/packages/apps/Brow... Obviously you can create the gui for a browser to access the webkit renderer if you didnt want this. Anyway, this is meaningless. No one ships commercial phones without the Play store and Chrome will be just another app bundled with the deal.

Yes, the truth is that the AOSP Browser is now abandonware - Google have stopped developing it in favour of Chrome, and likely won't accept non-security patches for it. I don't think this matters much anyway. Firefox is a more than capable browser. Possibly better than Chrome on Android. It's certainly smoother.

[deleted]

Re: Android KitKat ships without browser app. OEMs have to license Chrome

#57

Post by Oletros »

shooper wrote: post #36
Timmmmbob wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the truth is that the AOSP Browser is now abandonware - Google have stopped developing it in favour of Chrome, and likely won't accept non-security patches for it. I don't think this matters much anyway. Firefox is a more than capable browser. Possibly better than Chrome on Android. It's certainly smoother.

Also, the Open Handset Alliance terms may prohibit OEMs from replacing Chrome with, say Firefox. From http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/googles-iron-grip-on-... >Any OEM hoping to license Google Apps will need to pass Google's "compatibility" tests in order to be eligible. Compatibility ensures that all the apps in the Play Store will run on your device. And to Google, "compatibility" is also a fluid concept tha…

>Also, the Open Handset Alliance terms may prohibit OEMs from replacing Chrome with, say Firefox.

Any link to that "prohibition" or it is just speculation?

Re: Android KitKat ships without browser app. OEMs have to license Chrome

#58

Post by Oletros »

mbennett wrote: post #37
ozten wrote: post #20

If only there was a free, completely open source browser with more than 4.5 stars in the Google Play store which could be bundled without any business deals... Bonus points for a cool project codename like Fennec.

If only there wasn't an agreement prohibiting such replacements. Bonus points for calling it the "Open" Handset Alliance agreement. http://www.theverge.com/2011/05/12/google-android-skyhook-la...

>If only there wasn't an agreement prohibiting such replacements.

Exactly what agreement?

Re: Android KitKat ships without browser app. OEMs have to license Chrome

#59

Post by Oletros »

shooper wrote: post #35
forgottenpass wrote: post #10

Are the additional terms for licensing Chrome beyond what was already needed for OEMs to get the Play Store? Unless there are and they're onerous in particularly new way, this feels like a non-issue getting attention because the business agreements around Android are relatively public compared to other OSes.

>this feels like a non-issue getting attention because the business agreements around Android are relatively public compared to other OSes. Are they? Where can we see them? The page at [1] about the Open Handset Alliance contains a lot of noise about openness etc. but there are no details of the agreements or how much it actually costs for a Google apps license. I remember everyone was surprised when Google forced Ac…

What has to do OHA with Google Apps?

Re: Android KitKat ships without browser app. OEMs have to license Chrome

#60

Post by chris_mahan »

bostik wrote: post #33
raverbashing wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I'd say one advantage of the "store" model is that you don't need a browser to download a new browser (well, in the back it probably has a lot of Webviews, still)

I think I'm going to make a bet against myself. I have a feeling that in 2-3 years' time the play store app will be phased out and integrated with Chrome. From thereon, if a vendor wants to call their device an Android[tm], they'll have no choice but to ship a browser they no longer control in order to have access to Android app arketplace. I'm not sure if this is laying groundwork for a pre-emptive strike against co…

ChromeOS on Android on Linux?
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