Android licensing mechanism that seems to be known but not known.
Huawei's smartphone, Amazon's tablet, and of course Google's Pixel are also Android, but why can't I use the Google Play store on some devices?
In this article, I will explain the licensing mechanism of Android, which you do not need to ask, but you do not know.
What is an Android open source project?
First you need to know about the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). As you've heard, Android is open source (the idea that the source code, which is a computer program, is open to the public and anyone can handle it freely), and everyone in the world creates apps using Android's open source. can do. AOSP is developed and maintained by Google engineers and is based on open source Linux software.
Most Android smartphone makers develop AOSP with their own Android version, so smartphones such as Samsung, LG, Xiaomi, and OnePlus have slightly different screen appearances. Each company has its own team of software developers.
In addition, although not part of AOSP, Android has Google Mobile Services (GMS), which is usually bundled. This includes Google Chrome, YouTube, Google Search, and the Google Play Store, but these aren't on Amazon devices (and potentially Huawei devices).
"Google mobile service" that is important in application development
Google licenses "Google Mobile Services (GMS)" to device manufacturers for free, but only if certain criteria are met.
One of the criteria is to pre-install Google apps such as Gmail and Google Maps on your device (by the way, this policy also puts huge penalties on Google's European regulatory agencies). ..
Still, most Android device makers, such as the Galaxy S10 and LG G8 ThinQ, offer GMS packages.
Hardware companies make the most of Android on their devices, and Google is happy with each other by gaining a large number of users by getting them to use their apps and services.
But GMS contains more than you might think. Not only does the Google Play Store provide apps, it also provides a Google Play Services framework that performs most of Android's security scans. It also contains an important API for developers to use to connect to Android.
Without these APIs, it would be difficult to develop applications outside the Google Play store.
With the de facto shift from AOSP to GMS, some say it's no longer practical to develop a product that is viable on AOSP alone. Google, on the other hand, would argue that the core code needed is open source and maintained for anyone to deploy. There are also Lineage OS and Amazon Fire OS projects.
Amazon competes with Google on Fire tablets. Amazon is reluctant to direct its users to Google's apps and services, especially video and music, and as a result, Amazon's Fire tablets don't have a Google Play store. The Amazon App Store also has some of the most popular and well-known applications, but few are on the same level as Google because the developers of each app haven't devoted resources to porting them to apps for Amazon.
"Pure Android" on Google Pixel
In contrast to AOSP, some devices have "pure Android".
In the past, the way to get a "pure Android" was to buy the Nexus series. Nowadays, "Android One" used in Nokia etc. can be said to be pure Android (to a greater or lesser extent). It doesn't look as glamorous as Samsung or OnePlus, and it doesn't have its own app.
And now the "new" pure Android is the Android that Google has on the Pixel. It has ASOP, GSM, and Google's own additions. This includes a weather widget, a Now Playing display on the lock screen, Call Screen support, and additional camera features.
Android, Android One, and Pixel Android are often confused because they don't make a big difference in the overall scheme of Android. But if you want the latest and greatest Android (not necessarily the cleanest Android), you'll probably want a Google smartphone.
What happens to Android on Huawei smartphones?
Huawei may now have lost access to the GMS, but this is not a pessimistic story. Like most smartphone makers doing business in China, China's restrictions on the Google Play store have already introduced their own app store.
Still, US sanctions threaten not only GMS licenses, but also the copyright framework for AOSP access. AOSP is free and open source, but Huawei may not even be available.
When that happens, Huawei will have to develop a whole new OS, not just a new app store. There are still many questions at this point, but the key to Huawei's continued use of Android is how much it affects both AOSP and GMS licenses. Huawei may continue to use AOSP's and be in a position closer to Amazon.
At this stage, due to legal complexity, the conclusions have not yet been clarified, and Huawei may be given grace as a result. Having a Huawei smartphone doesn't mean that one day it suddenly becomes unusable. Google states that the Google Play Store and Google Play services will continue to run. However, there are no promises regarding the devices that will come out in the future and the next and subsequent versions of Android.
Huawei and other Chinese manufacturers have already achieved no Google Play store in China, but alternative app stores are highly localized, without Snapchat, Spotify, and Twitter.
What do you think?
I hope that you can understand the background of what has happened around Android and the news around Android in the future.
