The European Commission is investigating Google’s efforts to streamline and harmonize Android across devices and device families. If you are a developer that supports today’s improved Android and you do not wish to return to the fragmented Android ecosystem of 2009-2012, sign this letter and comment, and send the Commission your views.
Dear Commissioner Vestager,
We are Android developers. We spend a substantial portion of our lives (and many earn most or all of our income) coding Android apps. We care deeply about Android being easy-to-use for developers, having great tools that make our apps better, having our apps reach the most consumers and largest audiences possible, and having consumers enjoy uniform experiences that we (and our clients and business colleagues) intend.
We understand the European Commission is reviewing many of Google’s business activities in the mobile industry, but we write about only one: the concern that Google may have harmed the mobile ecosystem by its efforts to harmonize and unify the Android OS and Android environment. It would be disastrous for developers (and consumers) if you stop Google from improving the Android and Google Play ecosystems, and especially if you reverse the last five years’ progress that has essentially harmonized Android across many device families.
Early Android, and its adoption by many manufacturers, helped developers by enabling us to port apps to many devices and in many countries. Google’s SDK and other resources helped developers quickly learn how to code Android apps.
But early Android was a mess. Because it was open source and many manufacturers were heavily customizing Android, our apps were breaking or not rendering correctly, and we were having to test apps on dozens of devices and rewrite them for all of the “Androids.” Developers were frustrated, clients and business colleagues were angry, and consumers didn’t understand why an app that worked on one phone didn’t work on their friends’ phones.
Fortunately Google heard this frustration and invested in efforts to harmonize Android. Many more manufacturers now use standard Android features, so we can more easily build apps that work for many different devices. Google delivers updated APIs directly to devices, so we can include new Android features in apps and know they will work – even on devices that use old versions of Android.
As you consider Google’s conduct in the mobile industry, please consider developers and consumers. It will be devastating for developers and consumers if Android no longer works smoothly across devices and device families and carriers, or if developers lose easy access to APIs that make our apps better. Please don’t reverse years of progress.
Thank you for your consideration.
Signatories +
Thank you to the following supporters for sharing their views on the issue.
- Aaron Dennis
- Adam Southall
- Akbar Sha Ebrahim
- Alberto Ballano
- Amal Kakaiya
- Amir Ajmi
- Ana Capatina
- Andrew Jackson
- Andrius Semionovas
- Anna Figoluschka
- Ash Davies
- Ataul Munim
- Ataul Munim
- Benjamin Monjoie
- Benoît Djerigian
- Benoit Jadinon
- Bert Van Rillaer
- Brendan Fahy
- Brice Goureau
- Cezary Woszczyk
- Chris Donnelly
- Chris Martin
- Ciro Rizzo
- Clément Hély
- daniel fears
- David Vávra
- David Vicente
- Desmond Ng
- Dieter Holvoet
- Dominik Helleberg
- Edward McLeod-Jones
- Enzo Belli
- Erik Hellman
- Euangelos Linardos
- Eugenio Marletti
- Ewelina Robaczek
- Fadil Haddouch
- Ferran Garriga
- Ferran Ribell
- Florian Meskens
- Francesco Pontillo
- Friedger Müffke
- Giuseppe Mariniello
- Gonzalo Fernández
- Guillaume Hachez
- Guillermo Orellana
- Hans Petter Eide
- Hasan Hosgel
- Hugo Visser
- Ian Masters
- Ian Rumac
- Igor Flysta
- Ivaylo Karmazov
- Jacopo Cafarelli
- James Young
- Jean-Baptiste Delahaye
- Jean-Bernard Collet
- Jesus Nuno
- JF Sengier
- Joe Cory
- Johannes Braun
- Johannes Müller
- Jonas Soukup
- Jordan Terry
- Jorim Tielemans
- Jozef Celuch
- Jurij Gantar
- Karim Dehbi
- Kenneth Kwok
- Laith Nurie
- Liudas Survila
- Lukasz Sawicki
- Mandeep Khataria
- Mario Kreußel
- Mario Lenci
- Mark Allison
- Mark van Rees
- Martyn Dowsett
- Mathias Seguy
- Matt Fenlon
- Matteo Bonifazi
- Matteo Giaccone
- Maximilian Keller
- Mia Alexiou
- michael coffey
- Michael Tweed
- Michal Harakal
- Miroslav Nedyalkov
- Mohammad Haque
- Monty Dariani
- Neil Hutchison
- Nick Holvoet
- Nienke Vanderwegen
- Nuno Castro
- Otávio Massard Mendes
- Pablo Lombillo
- Peter Murphy
- Philip Reynolds
- Quentin DOMMERC
- raegan hart
- Raul Hernandez Lopez
- Rebecca Cotton
- Robert Gardner
- Robert Niedziela
- Roberto Orgiu
- Rok Petek
- Ronny Anderssen
- Rudo N Takavarasha
- Russell Wheeler
- Said Tahsin Dane
- Sam Bailey
- sam castaigne
- Sammy Sadati
- Sébastiaan Versteeg
- Sebastian Birunt
- Sebastiano Gottardo
- Sebastiano Poggi
- Simon Rolin
- Stas Bevc
- Stefano Bonetta
- Stev Tam
- Sven Bendel
- Tariq Patel
- Theodora Badiali
- Thibault Dory
- Tim Günther
- Tomasz Bochenek
- Uddyami Agrawal
- Valentin Ilk
- Vasiliy Simonov
- Yannick Lemin
- Yonic SURNY
- Younes Baghor
- Zan Markan
- Zdenek Machek
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