Can non-Google survive in the wake of Nexus One’s, Droid’s, and Hero’s? I don’t think so. Without Google apps and sync ability, the plain Android OS is just like any other OS. Is it open, is it still Android, can dev’s write for it? Yes, yes, and yes. Is it useful for everyday consumers without Google apps/sync? Not really.
I’m not an Android user (yet) but I think this post speaks volumes about why some phone operating systems have succeeded and others have languished. It’s not a matter of open APIs or even good SDKs, but in fact the open communication and synchronization services that these operating systems lack that keep users away and cause good handset hardware to fail.
Too often I think OS vendors, carriers and handset OEMs just don’t get this gap in what they are bringing to the table. Sync services that work to a proprietary email solution don’t matter. People want what they already have to work and work well across their phone and PCs. If it requires more than a browser and Internet connection, if it doesn’t integrate into the basic email and contact management applications and services then its not going to work for most consumers.
