How "Open" is Android?

Engineering always involves tradeoffs. Smaller size might be an advantage, but smaller size limits input and output options. Bigger smart phone screens are a plus, but at the cost of battery life. More features can enhance user experience, but means more complexity. "Open" systems encourage innovation, at the cost of standardization and interoperability.

Observers have faulted Android for its fragmentation, over the last year, for example, a somewhat inevitable result of allowing choices. But Android seems to realize it has to limit the amount of freedom developers have, in order to ensure that users and customers can be sure "Android" apps and devices actually work on the devices they buy.

As it turns out, Android code is made available without charge to device manufacturers, but those manufacturers must adhere to a “compatibility” standard determined by Google. Some will complain about the threat to "openness." Others will cheer the consumer interface advantages, among them the assurance that software and hardware actually works.

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