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| Authored by: kuroshima on Monday, July 22 2013 @ 08:39 AM EDT |
Can't provide links at the moment, as I am typing this on my
Nexus 7 tethered to my CyanogenMOD flashed Samsung phone.
However my understanding is as follows:
Google pushes the code to AOSP (Android Open Source Project).
It is free software and so anyone can do whatever he wishes
with it. It doesn't include the Google Services.
The manufacturer takes the code, modifies it to make it work
with the device and possibly add the secret sauce
(manufacturer us such as HTC Sense or Samsung Touchwiz) plus
extra pre-installed apps. This often includes 3rd party apps
that are either paid apps or only available to oems, such as
that office suite someone keeps mentioning. This is called the
factory image.
If the manufacturer wants to include the Google Services (that
are not free software), it must make sure that his
customizations break compatibility. This is verified with a
compatibility test suite that AFAIK is also free software. It
may need to sign a contract with Google. Once this is done,
the manufacturer sends the factory image to Google for
certification. Google makes sure that it still passes all the
conditions (compatibility, contractual obligations, etc)
This factory image is then preloaded in the phone, and is not
modifiable by the user without rooting the device. The reason
for this is to allow for factory reset to properly return the
device to a known state. Starting with Android 4.0, it is
possible to disable built in apps via the applications
manager. This could allow you to "remove" an app that you
don't want to accept the TOS for, like the above mentioned
office suite. This is the factory image for unlocked devices.
If the device is sold via a carrier, the carrier will want to
customize the factory image, by preloading apps, disabling
some features, and in the old case of GSM devices, SIM-locking
it. Any GSM carrier will allow any GSM compliant device on its
network, as long as the device includes the appropriate SIM,
the device supports the carrier's frequencies, and the device
is not SIM-locked to another carrier. CDMA devices are
slightly different because the SIM equivalent is software
based, and is added as part of the carrier customizations. [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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