Battery comparison HTC M8: Android vs Windows Phone

[MDMcAtee]

Wow..that's totally opposite from my m8 and those around me with Android phones.

My m8 is exceedingly frugal when it comes to the battery life,and isn't difficult to make it so. One of the best things to do with it to extend battery life is to enable the built-in battery saver. For those who are still having issues with it,clearing the cache seems to eliminate this after a restart too. Now this is for the m8..not the rest the Android phones,however getting a full day of usage has never been a concern on any I have ever owned..but this phone is considerably better than them.

Most people I associate with already know about app management,and each Android phone has different ways of dealing with it unlike WP closed architecture...and while it can be confusing for some,most folks who actually like Android phones learn what it takes to get the best out of their devices.

As to your comments about Google...you really need to rethink your opinion. They are bound by the same laws as all the rest and if they go further overboard with how they do things,people will get around it as they always have... Android is open source..WP isn't....and Google's revenue is still growing..so things won't be changing anytime soon...just like the growth rate of Android phones...

Each platform has good and bad my friend..

 

[a5cent]

Most people I associate with already know about app management,and each Android phone has different ways of dealing with it unlike WP closed architecture...and while it can be confusing for some,most folks who actually like Android phones learn what it takes to get the best out of their devices.

Could it be that you work in the tech sector and that you have surrounded yourself with similar people? I exist in exactly that kind of bubble and I'm always shocked at how different society is when I get ripped out of that environment and thrust into a more representative group of people (during military service).
Just the fact that your folks like Android already puts them out of the mainstream IMHO. Most just want a phone and most are more closely tied to an OEM (due to marketing), rather than the OS itself.

 

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Wow..that's totally opposite from my m8 and those around me with Android phones.

My m8 is exceedingly frugal when it comes to the battery life,and isn't difficult to make it so. One of the best things to do with it to extend battery life is to enable the built-in battery saver. For those who are still having issues with it,clearing the cache seems to eliminate this after a restart too. Now this is for the m8..not the rest the Android phones,however getting a full day of usage has never been a concern on any I have ever owned..but this phone is considerably better than them.

Most people I associate with already know about app management,and each Android phone has different ways of dealing with it unlike WP closed architecture...and while it can be confusing for some,most folks who actually like Android phones learn what it takes to get the best out of their devices.

I've never actually met anyone that likes Android phones. They tolerate it and think it's okay, but it's like Windows has often been looked at - I'm stuck with this and I'd prefer better.

The M8 does better than most on Android, but I know people with S5s, S4s, Moto Droids, etc. Kudos to HTC for building a phone that handles Android and Windows Phone so well - because it is superb, but the One M8 is the best thing out there and it's not even close (other than two superior Nokia features - Camera and live audio recording).

I get a lot of info from talking to a Verizon friend who is in corporate sales, but I also chat with AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint reps as part of my job on a regular basis. Their impressions are that people find Android a pain. Battery life is worse than expected, performance is too. They just feel like their choice is Apple or Android - and people that don't go for the iPhone quickly have an aversion to Apple. Tech geeks love Android because they can root the phone, play around, etc, but it's not for the masses and it's poorly designed as a mobile OS. It's extremely inefficient AS IS unless the OEM dickers with it in some way.

The sad thing from the Windows Phone angle is that there is an opening. The carriers are stuck with Android, but Windows Phone is lower cost per handset to them when it comes to maintenance, akin to the iPhone. They have tons of overhead on Android. Same for the OEMs. Samsung doesn't care, but HTC, LG, etc don't like the burden they have to bear with Android.

When Verizon wants to build a WP app for their customers, Microsoft helps them. When they want to build an Android app, Google provides zero assistance. When HTC wants to build apps for WP, Microsoft helps them. For Android? Zero help from Google. Google doesn't care about Android users or OEMs or carriers. All they care about is people logging in and giving them data that allows them to sell ads. 95% of Google's revenue is all ad sales and Android's architecture has little to do with caring about user needs outside of making sure you stay so they can sell information about you and push ads to you.

Microsoft and Apple have incentive to care about user experience in the mobile world. They have incentive to care about battery life. Google couldn't care less because Android is just there to collect more data and push more ads. OEMs needed something to compete with the iPhone and Microsoft wasn't ready while Google smartly bought someone and made it "free" (which was required anyways).

I've found app management in my limited Android usage to be a great pain. I don't even have to think about it on my WP handset. Same on my Windows tablet. Unless I open the desktop (I have a Venue 8 Pro), I never worry about management in the Modern UI. Managing tasks is old school and very 10 years ago. I don't do it on my desktop because I have no battery, but I love that I don't have to worry about it on my mobile Windows devices. Microsoft's smart app suspension works extremely well and gives me less hassle.

 

[MDMcAtee]

Could it be that you work in the tech sector and that you have surrounded yourself with similar people? I exist in exactly that kind of bubble and I'm always shocked at how different society is when I get ripped out of that environment and thrust into a more representative group of people (during military service).
Just the fact that your folks like Android already puts them out of the mainstream IMHO. Most just want a phone and most are more closely tied to an OEM (due to marketing), rather than the OS itself.

No...I work for the largest employer in my state and work with people from all walks of life and from countries all over the world...

Posted via Windows Phone Central App

 

[salmanahmad]

I've never actually met anyone that likes Android phones. They tolerate it and think it's okay, but it's like Windows has often been looked at - I'm stuck with this and I'd prefer better.

The M8 does better than most on Android, but I know people with S5s, S4s, Moto Droids, etc. Kudos to HTC for building a phone that handles Android and Windows Phone so well - because it is superb, but the One M8 is the best thing out there and it's not even close (other than two superior Nokia features - Camera and live audio recording).

I get a lot of info from talking to a Verizon friend who is in corporate sales, but I also chat with AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint reps as part of my job on a regular basis. Their impressions are that people find Android a pain. Battery life is worse than expected, performance is too. They just feel like their choice is Apple or Android - and people that don't go for the iPhone quickly have an aversion to Apple. Tech geeks love Android because they can root the phone, play around, etc, but it's not for the masses and it's poorly designed as a mobile OS. It's extremely inefficient AS IS unless the OEM dickers with it in some way.

The sad thing from the Windows Phone angle is that there is an opening. The carriers are stuck with Android, but Windows Phone is lower cost per handset to them when it comes to maintenance, akin to the iPhone. They have tons of overhead on Android. Same for the OEMs. Samsung doesn't care, but HTC, LG, etc don't like the burden they have to bear with Android.

When Verizon wants to build a WP app for their customers, Microsoft helps them. When they want to build an Android app, Google provides zero assistance. When HTC wants to build apps for WP, Microsoft helps them. For Android? Zero help from Google. Google doesn't care about Android users or OEMs or carriers. All they care about is people logging in and giving them data that allows them to sell ads. 95% of Google's revenue is all ad sales and Android's architecture has little to do with caring about user needs outside of making sure you stay so they can sell information about you and push ads to you.

Microsoft and Apple have incentive to care about user experience in the mobile world. They have incentive to care about battery life. Google couldn't care less because Android is just there to collect more data and push more ads. OEMs needed something to compete with the iPhone and Microsoft wasn't ready while Google smartly bought someone and made it "free" (which was required anyways).

I've found app management in my limited Android usage to be a great pain. I don't even have to think about it on my WP handset. Same on my Windows tablet. Unless I open the desktop (I have a Venue 8 Pro), I never worry about management in the Modern UI. Managing tasks is old school and very 10 years ago. I don't do it on my desktop because I have no battery, but I love that I don't have to worry about it on my mobile Windows devices. Microsoft's smart app suspension works extremely well and gives me less hassle.

No doubt about HTC One M8 being a superb device but the user interface of Android is no way laggy nor unfriendly, and I can't believe how you haven't met someone that doesn't love Android, because I meet such people everyday.

Google doesn't push out ads on my Nexus 5, and is working on resolving the issues that people have with it. If you've ever picked up a recent Android device, apart from the Samsung ones, you'll see that Android isn't laggy.

Battery life has remained a concern for some people and Google plans to resolve that as well in Android L, with Project Volta and the ART runtime.

The reason why the Windows Phone variant had better battery is because it doesn't allow apps to do much(if anything) in the background, you mostly have to keep an app open to do trivial things like sending a photo or video, whereas all this happens in the background on Android.

The way Windows Phone saves battery made it very frustrating for me to do more than one task at a time.

You are wrong about a lot of what you say.

 

[MDMcAtee]

I've never actually met anyone that likes Android phones. They tolerate it and think it's okay, but it's like Windows has often been looked at - I'm stuck with this and I'd prefer better.

The M8 does better than most on Android, but I know people with S5s, S4s, Moto Droids, etc. Kudos to HTC for building a phone that handles Android and Windows Phone so well - because it is superb, but the One M8 is the best thing out there and it's not even close (other than two superior Nokia features - Camera and live audio recording).

I get a lot of info from talking to a Verizon friend who is in corporate sales, but I also chat with AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint reps as part of my job on a regular basis. Their impressions are that people find Android a pain. Battery life is worse than expected, performance is too. They just feel like their choice is Apple or Android - and people that don't go for the iPhone quickly have an aversion to Apple. Tech geeks love Android because they can root the phone, play around, etc, but it's not for the masses and it's poorly designed as a mobile OS. It's extremely inefficient AS IS unless the OEM dickers with it in some way.

The sad thing from the Windows Phone angle is that there is an opening. The carriers are stuck with Android, but Windows Phone is lower cost per handset to them when it comes to maintenance, akin to the iPhone. They have tons of overhead on Android. Same for the OEMs. Samsung doesn't care, but HTC, LG, etc don't like the burden they have to bear with Android.

When Verizon wants to build a WP app for their customers, Microsoft helps them. When they want to build an Android app, Google provides zero assistance. When HTC wants to build apps for WP, Microsoft helps them. For Android? Zero help from Google. Google doesn't care about Android users or OEMs or carriers. All they care about is people logging in and giving them data that allows them to sell ads. 95% of Google's revenue is all ad sales and Android's architecture has little to do with caring about user needs outside of making sure you stay so they can sell information about you and push ads to you.

Microsoft and Apple have incentive to care about user experience in the mobile world. They have incentive to care about battery life. Google couldn't care less because Android is just there to collect more data and push more ads. OEMs needed something to compete with the iPhone and Microsoft wasn't ready while Google smartly bought someone and made it "free" (which was required anyways).

I've found app management in my limited Android usage to be a great pain. I don't even have to think about it on my WP handset. Same on my Windows tablet. Unless I open the desktop (I have a Venue 8 Pro), I never worry about management in the Modern UI. Managing tasks is old school and very 10 years ago. I don't do it on my desktop because I have no battery, but I love that I don't have to worry about it on my mobile Windows devices. Microsoft's smart app suspension works extremely well and gives me less hassle.

Here's the problem...

In your limited usage of Android.......

If you are used to doing things one way and then having to explain something that you really don't understand or are familiar with,it doesn't work properly here.

Misinformation about the various platforms becomes readily accepted facts the more it gets repeated..

For the record...Google isn't Android..

Android is a open source software that anyone can build off of...Google doesn't own it,and never will...but they control many things about it and what some people have to associate with it. Each manufacturers can do whatever they want to with it,but to be able to utilize Google services must conform to their policies.. Microsoft owns the entire WP ecosystem..and can do whatever they want to with it as well...

Now...as to battery management and app management...both have a different approach but both can be controlled...but with Android phones the user is in charge of this..that's the difference...

I've been around Android since before Cupcake..and seen the changes and it's night and day different now.

Google doesn't own Android like Microsoft owns WP.and has no responsibility to help developers like Microsoft does.. Android is a open source software that anyone can build off of and as such they help develop within their own sandbox...as do they for the various versions...

But...battery life is always going to be easier and better if set up for those who don't want to take responsibility for their own phones..WP is like this by it's very nature...

There's good and bad in each approach but arbitrarily stating one over the other without having both doing the same thing isn't being completely honest and continues to spread this misinformation.

Posted via Windows Phone Central App

 

[salmanahmad]

I've never actually met anyone that likes Android phones. They tolerate it and think it's okay, but it's like Windows has often been looked at - I'm stuck with this and I'd prefer better.

Just to counter this one specific point of yours, many experts have used Windows Phone but the majority of them still prefer either iOS or Android over it(mostly Android). This would include people like Linus Sebastian, Marques Brownlee, Austin Evans, Jon Rettinger, Taylor Martin, etc.

There are obviously some people that still use Windows Phones even from experts, Micheal Fisher from Pocketnow uses a Moto X and Lumia 1020 together, judging from his videos he uses the Moto X for pretty much everything, and the 1020 mostly for photography.

Adam Z Lein at Pocketnow uses a Windows Phone only, but that's because he is the Windows Phone expert and is pretty much forced to use it, he reports a lot of issues on Twitter to Windows phone support.

In short, a lot of people are satisfied with Android. So you are wrong.

 

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Here's the problem...

In your limited usage of Android.......

If you are used to doing things one way and then having to explain something that you really don't understand or are familiar with,it doesn't work properly here.

Misinformation about the various platforms becomes readily accepted facts the more it gets repeated..

For the record...Google isn't Android..

Android is a open source software that anyone can build off of...Google doesn't own it,and never will...but they control many things about it and what some people have to associate with it. Each manufacturers can do whatever they want to with it,but to be able to utilize Google services must conform to their policies.. Microsoft owns the entire WP ecosystem..and can do whatever they want to with it as well...

Now...as to battery management and app management...both have a different approach but both can be controlled...but with Android phones the user is in charge of this..that's the difference...

I've been around Android since before Cupcake..and seen the changes and it's night and day different now.

Google doesn't own Android like Microsoft owns WP.and has no responsibility to help developers like Microsoft does.. Android is a open source software that anyone can build off of and as such they help develop within their own sandbox...as do they for the various versions...

But...battery life is always going to be easier and better if set up for those who don't want to take responsibility for their own phones..WP is like this by it's very nature...

There's good and bad in each approach but arbitrarily stating one over the other without having both doing the same thing isn't being completely honest and continues to spread this misinformation.

Posted via Windows Phone Central App

I'm a tech savvy guy, so I don't need to be explained to. I can figure out how to work it without much of a problem, but I still find it poorly designed for a mobile OS and I would also dispute that it's truly Open Source. It is and it isn't. It is ultimately non-functional as a mobile device without Google services and Play, which is where it has gone. And while you can claim Google doesn't own it, they are the developer. Sure, you can mod it - but why and how many people do that?

Google ran with it for ad servicing and to feed their system. Most Android phones are not fully open source and are tied directly into Google services to even function properly.

And Google does own Android, Inc - so they actually do own it and just release certain bits under Open Source, but to think that Android as it currently is on most devices as Open Source is silly.

Sorry, you can keep trying to vindicate your Android phone, but I keep seeing similar usage between two people and my Windows Phone lasts longer. For the record, my brother is a developer who has a background in computer engineering and he has drawn the same conclusion - Windows Phone manages power better and is more efficient.

Part of it happens at the kernel level. I'd rather have the RT (Minwin) kernel than the Linux kernel.

 

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Just to counter this one specific point of yours, many experts have used Windows Phone but the majority of them still prefer either iOS or Android over it(mostly Android). This would include people like Linus Sebastian, Marques Brownlee, Austin Evans, Jon Rettinger, Taylor Martin, etc.

There are obviously some people that still use Windows Phones even from experts, Micheal Fisher from Pocketnow uses a Moto X and Lumia 1020 together, judging from his videos he uses the Moto X for pretty much everything, and the 1020 mostly for photography.

Adam Z Lein at Pocketnow uses a Windows Phone only, but that's because he is the Windows Phone expert and is pretty much forced to use it, he reports a lot of issues on Twitter to Windows phone support.

In short, a lot of people are satisfied with Android. So you are wrong.

I said average people, not experts. A disproportionate number of tech press use Macs, yet the marketshare hasn't changed and most consumers won't consider them.

So you are wrong by thinking that people at PocketNow or various "experts" are representative. I didn't say "experts don't like Android", I said the opposite - the lay person isn't thrilled with it. Markets aren't made of experts, but of lay people. You need mass for most markets and there aren't enough experts for that.

And that's where Android has vulnerability, but it's a tough nut to crack because customers, OEMs, and carriers are resigned to it. Customer satisfaction surveys also show that iOS and Windows Phone users are far more satisfied than Android users. That's more powerful with iOS because there are far more users, but the last large survey only showed around 25-30% of Android phone users are satisfied and like it. It has very low consumer scores. Now, individual phones have higher scores here and there, but overall people care more about the phone than the OS experience when it comes to Android. They are one in the same for iOS and people genuinely love Windows Phone, but a smaller market like that is likely more dedicated.

 

[salmanahmad]

I said average people, not experts. A disproportionate number of tech press use Macs, yet the marketshare hasn't changed and most consumers won't consider them.

So you are wrong by thinking that people at PocketNow or various "experts" are representative. I didn't say "experts don't like Android", I said the opposite - the lay person isn't thrilled with it. Markets aren't made of experts, but of lay people. You need mass for most markets and there aren't enough experts for that.

And that's where Android has vulnerability, but it's a tough nut to crack because customers, OEMs, and carriers are resigned to it. Customer satisfaction surveys also show that iOS and Windows Phone users are far more satisfied than Android users. That's more powerful with iOS because there are far more users, but the last large survey only showed around 25-30% of Android phone users are satisfied and like it. It has very low consumer scores. Now, individual phones have higher scores here and there, but overall people care more about the phone than the OS experience when it comes to Android. They are one in the same for iOS and people genuinely love Windows Phone, but a smaller market like that is likely more dedicated.

Could you show me such customer satisfaction reviews? In the past year people all around me, from my friends, cousins, seniors most of which we're iPhone fans have switched to Android and are extremely happy with them.

 

[DoctorSaline]

The reason why the Windows Phone variant had better battery is because it doesn't allow apps to do much(if anything) in the background, you mostly have to keep an app open to do trivial things like sending a photo or video, whereas all this happens in the background on Android.

The way Windows Phone saves battery made it very frustrating for me to do more than one task at a time.

You are wrong about a lot of what you say.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/xaml/hh452975.aspx

http://blogs.windows.com/buildingap...ed-windows-networking-backgroundtransfer-api/

This is so not true. Windows Phone does support background downloads. And the APIs involved are part of WP8.1.

Since HTC One for windows come with WP8.1.1 you can't give this argument against it.

Secondly, battery tests are independent of background tasks. They typically measure Talk time, Browsing time, Video watching time and standby time. Among them, only standby time involves background tasks.

If HTC One has better battery life than Android counterpart then you gotta admit Windows Phone handle tasks more efficiently.

 

[salmanahmad]

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/xaml/hh452975.aspx

http://blogs.windows.com/buildingap...ed-windows-networking-backgroundtransfer-api/

This is so not true. Windows Phone does support background downloads. And the APIs involved are part of WP8.1.

Since HTC One for windows come with WP8.1.1 you can't give this argument against it.

Secondly, battery tests are independent of background tasks. They typically measure Talk time, Browsing time, Video watching time and standby time. Among them, only standby time involves background tasks.

If HTC One has better battery life than Android counterpart then you gotta admit Windows Phone handle tasks more efficiently.

I know that Windows Phone 8.1 has the background download ability, but barely any apps use it. Also the live tiles refresh every 30 minutes, whereas widgets update even when the phone is locked.

Plus Android L will bring battery improvements to the table, Google estimates around 30 to 40%, the new power saver mode will also be very effective.

 

[lparsons21]

I know that Windows Phone 8.1 has the background download ability, but barely any apps use it. Also the live tiles refresh every 30 minutes, whereas widgets update even when the phone is locked.

Plus Android L will bring battery improvements to the table, Google estimates around 30 to 40%, the new power saver mode will also be very effective.

Android L sounds very nice for the few models that most likely will end up getting it. And that is a very big issue in the Android world. The OEM's haven't shown much interest in keeping very recent, but older models up to date with the latest version.

When I got my HTC One yesterday, the first thing out of the salepersons mouth when I wanted to look at Windows phones was 'why?'.

First thing on my list was the pee poor battery life of Android phones and that I just didn't like Android.

 

[salmanahmad]

Android L sounds very nice for the few models that most likely will end up getting it. And that is a very big issue in the Android world. The OEM's haven't shown much interest in keeping very recent, but older models up to date with the latest version.

When I got my HTC One yesterday, the first thing out of the salepersons mouth when I wanted to look at Windows phones was 'why?'.

First thing on my list was the pee poor battery life of Android phones and that I just didn't like Android.

We'll the Galaxy S4, Note 3, HTC One, One M8, Galaxy S5, LG G2, LG G3, Moto X, Moto G, Moto E are getting it. Pretty much all high end devices are getting it, even the low end Moto G and E are getting it.

I don't see your issue here, has Windows Phone been very good with updates? Do you forget about Windows Phone 7 phones being abandoned?

You could just simply say you don't like Android, rather than arguing about things you don't know.

 

[MDMcAtee]

I'm a tech savvy guy, so I don't need to be explained to. I can figure out how to work it without much of a problem, but I still find it poorly designed for a mobile OS and I would also dispute that it's truly Open Source. It is and it isn't. It is ultimately non-functional as a mobile device without Google services and Play, which is where it has gone. And while you can claim Google doesn't own it, they are the developer. Sure, you can mod it - but why and how many people do that?

Google ran with it for ad servicing and to feed their system. Most Android phones are not fully open source and are tied directly into Google services to even function properly.

And Google does own Android, Inc - so they actually do own it and just release certain bits under Open Source, but to think that Android as it currently is on most devices as Open Source is silly.

Sorry, you can keep trying to vindicate your Android phone, but I keep seeing similar usage between two people and my Windows Phone lasts longer. For the record, my brother is a developer who has a background in computer engineering and he has drawn the same conclusion - Windows Phone manages power better and is more efficient.

Part of it happens at the kernel level. I'd rather have the RT (Minwin) kernel than the Linux kernel.

Just because you are tech savvy,doesn't mean that you are a expert on a platform that you have started you have limited experience in...sorry that is a major contradiction of what you posted...

You are quite correct,most mainstream Android phones are not running a true open source os,however anyone can if they want to. The vary nature of it allows for it,and can accommodate many different kernels that have been developed for it.

While you are also correct that Google does own the name,it doesn't own Android in general. Yes Google services are a vital part of the entire package,but not the entire package.

I'm not trying to vindicate Android at all,least to anyone here on WPC..what I am trying to do is to show the difference in how the different platforms work towards battery management and app management between the two phones and point out some misinformation being passed on here.

While discussing the various attributes of Google's vs Microsoft phones is always fun,I don't think that is needed in this conversation...because it appears your starting to become distracted from the reality of this by what you think you know and what you actually are knowledgeable about in your limited usage of Android or others whom you associate with. I'm sorry if this is upsetting,but I can only go by what you yourself have said.

This is not in my opinion to be a clear indication of the actual battery life for either phone. Many factors have to be taken into account when doing a truthful comparison...since each platform has different ways of dealing with this,and with Android platforms there are many more variations to contend with and as such more remedies to correct it. However...we are not discussing the platforms as a whole,but how these 2 phones handle this issue...so let's try to stay on track
.

 

[lparsons21]

We'll the Galaxy S4, Note 3, HTC One, One M8, Galaxy S5, LG G2, LG G3, Moto X, Moto G, Moto E are getting it. Pretty much all high end devices are getting it, even the low end Moto G and E are getting it.

I don't see your issue here, has Windows Phone been very good with updates? Do you forget about Windows Phone 7 phones being abandoned?

You could just simply say you don't like Android, rather than arguing about things you don't know.

I could say that, but that isn't all it is.

MS hasn't been great about keeping phones up to date, but I firmly believe they will be going forward. Apple is the only one that has been excellent about that. You have to go back quite a few generations to have something that won't run the latest OS though there may be some feature of that new OS that can't be done on some of the older ones.

But the Android OEMs have been terrible about it. And I'll believe the list of which ones will get it as an update when I see them actually get it. It wouldn't be the first time a list of ones that would get something ended up getting the short end of the stick.

 

[chezm]

While you are also correct that Google does own the name,it doesn't own Android in general. Yes Google services are a vital part of the entire package,but not the entire package.

With the debate going on and i agree a lot of both sides does present good points, the above is NOT correct. Google services are VITAL for Android to run the OS, go try disabling your Google Server processes and any other "Google" backend tasks for the OS, and you will soon realize the phone becomes a brick. I know, i tested it aggressively back with my S3 and S4...it just doesnt work. In order to sustain a mobile operating system that WORKS, Google services must be running.

 

[salmanahmad]

With the debate going on and i agree a lot of both sides does present good points, the above is NOT correct. Google services are VITAL for Android to run the OS, go try disabling your Google Server processes and any other "Google" backend tasks for the OS, and you will soon realize the phone becomes a brick. I know, i tested it aggressively back with my S3 and S4...it just doesnt work. In order to sustain a mobile operating system that WORKS, Google services must be running.

Google Play Services are a vital part of keeping phones updated and secure and it makes sense why you can't operate your phone fully without them.

It does in no way make Android less open source, nor any Android devices less open.

If you are so against Google's operating system, you could run one of many other operating systems out there that run on Android devices, such as Sailfish OS, Ubuntu and Firefox.

The above people constantly keep saying that Google couldn't care less, and that consumers hate it, that's all BS.

If Google didn't care about user experience, Project Butter, Project Svelte, Android One, and Project Volta wouldn't have ever come into existence. And if consumers didn't like it, Android wouldn't be on the top today.

 

[chezm]

Google Play Services are a vital part of keeping phones updated and secure and it makes sense why you can't operate your phone fully without them.

It does in no way make Android less open source, nor any Android devices less open.

If you are so against Google's operating system, you could run one of many other operating systems out there that run on Android devices, such as Sailfish OS, Ubuntu and Firefox.

The above people constantly keep saying that Google couldn't care less, and that consumers hate it, that's all BS.

If Google didn't care about user experience, Project Butter, Project Svelte, Android One, and Project Volta wouldn't have ever come into existence. And if consumers didn't like it, Android wouldn't be on the top today.

Wow, talk about taking what i said in a very different direction...and debating what i did not say at all. I only needed you to point out the bold part which i guess is true; but lets wait and see how many Ubuntu and Firefox phones are part of Androids overall marketshare. I never said anything about hating on Google...but running Google services is an essential part of the Android experience people know/love.

 

[MDMcAtee]

With the debate going on and i agree a lot of both sides does present good points, the above is NOT correct. Google services are VITAL for Android to run the OS, go try disabling your Google Server processes and any other "Google" backend tasks for the OS, and you will soon realize the phone becomes a brick. I know, i tested it aggressively back with my S3 and S4...it just doesnt work. In order to sustain a mobile operating system that WORKS, Google services must be running.

It is true...you only have to use their services if you are running their variations of THEIR os...and as I said before..to be able to utilize their applications....

Open source is just that..Open..all of the various versions that they have developed needs their services..but..it's not the only way.