We’ve marveled at the wonders of Google’s open source Android platform, but beneath the shiny surface lie a few skeletons in the search giant’s closet.
From battery life to Bluetooth and secret plans for pocket-domination, we’ve sifted through Android’s dirty laundry to bring you its hidden dangers.
Battery life bombshell
We were excited when we first heard we’d be able to run multiple apps at the same time using an Android phone. It’s something sadly missing from the iPhone, but there’s a cost attached to the convenience, and it’s in battery life.
We love the fact we’ll be able to peep Google Maps with a media player and another app chugging along in the background, but it’ll also leave battery life seriously lacking.
Maybe Apple’s got the right idea on this. At least iPhone owners aren’t always seen with a charger in tow.
Virus potential
Google’s charity in giving developers carte blanche to make their own apps was praised by all, but there’s a reason Apple keeps a tight reign on the iPhone’s apps.
Google has explained that the Android Market will operate in a similar fashion to YouTube. And as the video site has shown, just because everyone’s invited it doesn’t mean the party’s better. It paves the way for a barrage of shoddy apps with enormous potential for dodgy viruses. Expect to see a lot of small print and botched development jobs.
Ads in your pocket
With the ability to track user preferences, browsing habits and locations, Google has more information on you than you think. The search behemoth plans to make money through targeted ad revenues based on individual users’ needs or interests, and will aggregate data to target you with ads.
You could be innocently searching for a specific restaurant and be bombarded with adverts for ‘the best places to eat nearby’ based on your phone’s GPS positioning. Nobody wants spam on their phone, and with news that Google’s Chrome browser will be coming to Android, the potential for bothersome ads is huge. Somebody make a pop-up blocker app!
Proprietary software
Google’s lined up a select few handset manufacturers and networks to create Android toting handsets, but each will have their own agenda, and dedicated software to show off their unique features and abilities.
Not all of it will run on other mobiles either, so getting the best services around might still mean being tied to a specific network.
Bluetooth left out
Android might seem like a treasure trove for developers to create their own apps, but the dropping of Google’s Bluetooth API means they won’t be able to create applications that use Bluetooth. So we won’t be seeing any fancy file sharing apps, letting us chuck media onto a computer or other mobile any time soon. Unless you want to use cables…ugh!
