Were OEMs to blame for Android Silver never coming to fruition?

Back in May, we saw news leak from the now retired evleaks that suggested that Google was working on a program for premium Android devices known as Android Silver. The program would offer a pure Google designed Android experience on next-gen hardware and all for a premium price. The program would have been something offered on all the majors carriers, however, about a month before the release of the Nexus 6, word spread that the unconfirmed program was scrapped and it’s possible that the major carriers were to blame.

Re/code learned that Google struggled to convince OEMs to get onboard with the program.

“The company wanted to promote a less-customizable version of the OS that would make it easier for app developers to create one version of its software for the Android devices, instead of having to make many versions for different flavors of Android,”Re/code wrote. “The program was shelved after lukewarm interest from device makers that didn’t want to share its branding with another company or employ such a restricted version of the software.”

According to other reports, Google’s licensing agreements for Android have become tougher for OEMs that push its online services but it looks like Google couldn’t push forward with Silver. Google’s VP of engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer didn’t comment on Silver in a recent interview, rather dodged the unconfirmed program by saying that the “Nexus brand of devices will continue well into the future.” While Google is tightening the reigns on some aspects of Android it looks like the search giant may loosen its grasp on certain aspects.

As was previously stated, Google is thinking about opening up Android Wear, TV, and Auto for customizations. That is, as soon as Google hammers out the basics of each of the respective platforms.

That said, it’s kind of easy writing off a program that never existed. Unlike previous Nexus devices — that skimped in a few areas to cut cost — the new Nexus 6 looks to to be what Android Silver could have been; a premium device with next-gen hardware and a pure Google experience. Android Silver never existed, maybe OEMs weren’t onboard, maybe Google scraped the program and integrated the idea into making the new Nexus. One thing’s for certain, the program that never existed, continues to not do so.

source: Re/code
via: BGR

Come comment on this article: Were OEMs to blame for Android Silver never coming to fruition?

Nexus 6 is basically Android Silver

‘Nexmas 2014′ has come and gone, and the previous leaks all seemed to be correct… surprisingly. I truly did not believe that “Shamu” would actually be the Nexus 6. And if it was, I was really expecting a smaller 5.2″ variant to be announced as well. So when the official announcements were live, I was a bit thrown off by how different the Nexus program is this year. Very different indeed.

Earlier this year, a mysterious program called Android Silver was being tossed around news sites, with reporters claiming it would replace the Nexus program entirely. Android Silver was rumored to bring a very premium device or set of devices with stock android to be sold through carriers at a premium price. There’s a lot of Android enthusiasts out there like me who didn’t want to see this happen because of the love for Nexus phones, so I didn’t want to believe it. The rumors began to fade though throughout the year, and eventually it was reported that Android Silver didn’t quite make it past the discussion board as one of the heads of the project left.

I thought that would’ve ended the possibility of Android Silver once and for all, and honestly I was happy about that. I love Nexus phones not only for stock Android, but the high-end hardware and $350 price tag felt perfect to me, even if there were always a couple cut corners. But the year is 2014, and Google’s got a new vision for Android.

Silver….

Everything about the Nexus 6 lines up with what Android Silver was rumored to be. It is a 100% premium device that did not skip anything. Moto X quality build with a metal frame, 2K AMOLED display, Snapdragon 805 chip, 3GB RAM, dual front-facing speakers, big battery… It’s a dream phone. Obviously the monstrous size of it is a turn off for many, myself included, but maybe in the future I’ll warm up to it once I actually hold it. Back to the topic though, Android Silver also included the fact that the phone will be carried by all carriers. The Nexus 6 is heading to all major carriers in the US in November, most likely with an on contract price of $199-299.

Oh hey, more silver!

The Nexus 6 is basically a high-end phablet by Motorola with the Nexus name on it and a new version of Android on it. I have no complaints about this really, I’ve always wanted to see a perfect high-end Nexus phone. The price is just what scares me a little.

So much silver!!!

I’ve seen theories around the internet that the Nexus phone in 2015 will be a 5.2 inch model and sort of like an updated Nexus 5. In all honesty, the Nexus 5 is still a champ when it comes to specs and could go another year before a refreshment is necessary. The theory is that Google will alternate between a new Nexus 5 and a new Nexus 6 phablet every year. Next year we will also see a new Nexus 7 instead of a Nexus 9. It’s an interesting theory, and it’s one I can definitely see happening. There’s no way the Nexus 5 will be Google’s last “one-handed” Nexus phone.

What do you guys think? Are you put off by Google ditching the idea of an affordable new Nexus phone in favor of this giant, or are you stoked to get your hands on the beauty that is the Nexus 6?

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