GMS/AOSP
Standard Android is getting more and more commercialized and offers numerous distractions — games, the Play Store, endless notifications, sales solicitations, special offers, etc. Managing that isn’t easy in the commercial Android GMS (Google Mobile Services).
An alternative is Android AOSP (Android Open Source Project), an open systems version of Android without the Google Play Store and the popular Google apps. But Google made AOSP so sparse and basic that it affects functionality. Some Android AOSP devices don’t even have backup functionality.
As a result, Android AOSP doesn’t feel familiar to users and its missing important functionality. In addition, the lack of Google Play Store access can drive users to often unsafe third-party app stores. So be careful in what you do and do not offer customers.
Google’s heavy hand
Longtime Android users know that Android is becoming increasingly Google-centric. The use of Google apps usually requires a Google account. Google News and Google nagging about users to sign on for its services are ever-present to the point of distraction. Configure devices so that Google’s intrusion is kept to a minimum.
Help customers with the Android experience
While there are billions of Android users, Google’s rapid version release (15 different major versions, plus subversions over the past 12 years) and endless tinkering with the Android user interface can be quite frustrating.
Functions are moved around, naming is changed, things are done slightly differently, and so on. And Android device customers are often stuck with an old version because their handhelds cannot be upgraded. Helping customers with streamlined user interface and future version upgrade guarantees goes a long way.
Fill in the blanks
Despite its global popularity, Android has some glaring weaknesses and omissions. Basic functionality like backup/restore or a universal file explorer that makes finding, copying, and moving files easy are either lacking or missing altogether. Find or create apps that make those functions available on your device(s). And be consistent across your product lineup.
Migration assistance
Only a few years ago, virtually all handhelds used either Windows CE, Windows Mobile, or Windows Embedded Handheld. While users were waiting for Microsoft to offer a migration path, devices and apps became more and more obsolete.
Now the situation is clear: the migration path is from legacy Windows CE/Mobile/WEHH to Android. There is a very large backlog of migration projects, and users will need all the assistance they can get.
Any way one looks at it, the outlook is very bright for providers of rugged handhelds and solutions. Billions are familiar with handheld devices that have become part of their lives. The migration to Android is real and it is huge. Don’t let the opportunity getaway.
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