We’ve heard much about Android Silver over the last few months, but according to a new new report from Pay-Walled site – The Information – the program could be dead before Google even announces it.
According to the site, the rumoured program which would have seen premium Android handsets released running Android as Google intended (think GPe writ large), has been put ‘on hold’. The reason for the program being on-hold has been attributed to the departure of ex-Google Chief Business Officer, Nikesh Arora, who was the driving force behind the Android Silver program. Arora left Google earlier this year to join SoftBank as Vice Chairman as well as CEO of SoftBank Internet and Media and apparently the Android Silver program has not fared well since, with many employees having ‘serious doubts’ that Android Silver will be released.
We’ve never had access to Google Play edition devices here in Australia, but the Android Silver program was rumoured to hit our shores through carriers like Telstra. We’ve previously expressed doubt as to the validity of the Nexus program being killed off in favour of the Android Silver program, but having the two lines running side-by-side would have been a win for everybody. Still you can look forward to a Nexus 6/Nexus X sometime in the future.
Did GPe ever really matter? Apart from to a handful of Android obsessives.
It was never given a chance to matter, toast.
It was deliberately kept to a restricted number of devices, which were produced in low volumes, and only made available in the USA.
It would never have mattered.
I never thought Google would kill the Nexus line and thought Android Silver was just rebranding the ‘Google Play Edition’ phones.
The Nexus line is meant to be a reference device for their latest version of Android. A phone like HTC One or Galaxy S4 running ‘Stock Android’ is not the same as a Nexus phone as google did not cotrol the hardware and each phone had a custom kernel.
Good,Means the Nexus program should survive
Whilst it’s good for Nexus, it’s DoublePlusUngood for anyone hoping for the possibility of manufacturer flagship devices without the crippling damage they inflict on Android, being available outside of the U.S.A.
What makes you so sure they would release silver outside of USA again. Google is horrible when it comes to supporting Australia (as are most software companies) I wouldn’t get excited for it until I see it.
Or in some cases, improve on the Android experience, ie; HTC Sense 6.
Android Silver sounded like a stupid idea from the start. Bringing GPE devices to retail stores was a lame idea, and one that I could see wouldn’t really be backed by OEM’s.
Example: Hey you can buy the new HTC phone with X, Y and Z new features, or you can buy the Android Silver version of same HTC phone which doesn’t have those features….
I wonder which the consumer would choose….