Sinobytes
Navigating the bamboo scaffolding of China's rapid-rising tower of technology
by Steven Millward, China
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China Mobile could hijack Android?
Nov 29, 2009 20:59
China Mobile is China's largest mobile telecommunications company, with more subscribers than the US has citizens. With its upcoming 'OPhone' platform, which is based on Google's Android mobile system, China Mobile could well effectively hijack Android and turn it into a closed system which locks out Google web apps and stops Google getting any advertising revenue from it.
So far, Google's Android has been growing at a fair pace, and evolving as a highly-customisable piece of mobile software. But China Mobile has the power of numbers to radically change that at will, and looks set to radically alter the Android code-base with its debut Android phone, the Dell Mini 3i, which launches this coming week.
The Mini 3i is big for Dell - it's both its first Android phone, and its first smartphone - and the 3G device is huge for China Mobile too, as it opts to battle rival China Unicom's Apple iPhone by going for the cheaper end of the smartphone spectrum. There's not much being made of China Mobile's Dell Mini 3i being an Android device, and it has been heavily skinned - see the actual screenshot, pictured, right - and adapted to local users interests, and China Mobile's services and widgets.
As yet, Google has not voiced any concern publicly that it might well be locked out of its own platform in the massive Chinese market, where it is already losing out to Chinese rivals in terms of search, video, blogging, and email (but, remember, the 'Great Firewall' plays a part in blocking two of those Google services, namely YouTube and Blogspot).
All about the Apps...
Google's 'Marketplace', where Android users in other parts of the world get their Android apps, will likely be bypassed in China in favour of an online portal - see the China Unicom 'Wo' online app store for the iPhone - and apps which don't work in China, such as YouTube, will vanish from the OPhone platform.
So, in summary, the risk for Google is that the modified OPhone platform will divert so radically from Google's framework and ideals that it'll muddy the already confused Android landscape, deprive Google of a lot of ad revenue and market exposure in China, and put potential new customers off the more standard Android experience they've so far seen with the unlocked, pay-as-you-go Android phones. We'll have to see how radical 'OPhone' is, and how consumers react to it in China, as it launches this coming week...
- Talkback
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Funny picture , yea made in china for everything you van imagine . maybe 1 day for windows os , & ....
But now they satisfied with hijacking android ! what is next ?
Nov 30, 2009 05:23
This would certainly explain the market blocking that is taking place at the moment. A number of users in China have been reporting it but so far no word from Google
see this: groups.google.com...
Nov 30, 2009 12:32
Seems like yet another example of the protectionism that China claims it is so much against. Pushing out competition through counterfeiting goods, ripping off western products, blocking or inhibiting western companies, especially Internet services from operation freely. There is no Vimeo or Youtube, only the Chinese Youku. There is no Twitter only China's, tightly controlled micro-blogging services. Google searches are restricted or so screwed up that Baidu becomes the only option for many Chinese. Facebook is down to a few thousand users in China from more than a million in June, yet of course China's only virtual copy of Facebook, Xiaonei is reaping the rewards of censorship. Some users of Android have spoken of problems accessing Android apps in China anyway, so Google's attempt to take the Chinese market with their mobile OS may already have been thwarted. It's Chrome OS developer site is also blocked and it seems unlikely the platform will be able to establish itself here. Of course one can pay for a VPN, even one that works on a mobile, but one shouldn't have to. China should play the rules of international trade as set down by the WTO, of which it is a member. When the WTO make judgements over China, the country challenges or merely ignores them. The west should start to assert itself more forcefully, or perhaps they should play more hardball and see if China likes a taste of it's own medicine. The blocking of all .cn sites and some faking of Chinese goods would certainly raise some attention in Beijing.
Nov 30, 2009 12:37
@tvbewswatch:
The West should play more hardball towards China, you say? Well, truth is, the West has always been playing hardball by restricting China's attempt to purchase their products, particularly technology goods. That's like shooting yourself in the foot and blaming someone else. Like I always say, there's no free lunch if you're gonna barge into someone's backyard.
Nov 30, 2009 14:22
To go off the subject of Android somewhat... I certainly hear you, @Scoobydoo, but on this subject I've got to agree with @tvnewswatch - the whole web-filtering issue is a pretty shameless contravention of WTO rules and the Dear Leader's own recent statements about opening up the media and trade.
I'm waiting for the day when the WTO, backed up by a few EU nations and the US, finds their own balls and speaks up about all these web blockages being a very clear trade issue, costing some major websites hundreds of thousands of dollars - maybe even millions - in lost revenue. I don't want to see Baidu or Youku knocked from their top spot, where they deserve to be by having the best localised content, but it has got to be a fairer playing-field, which it clearly isn't right now.
Nov 30, 2009 16:25
Interesting, but I think there's more pressing issues in the world than few people whining about web blockages. Anyway, internet censorship exists in the west guised as terrorism law, so before we critise maybe should look at other country first.
Nov 30, 2009 19:52
@ShiningStar, yes of course there are more pressing issues in the world. The 100 + tonnes of plutonium sitting at Sellafield waiting for an accident to happen. Nuclear proliferation in Iran, N.Korea and elsewhere, third world hunger, etc. the list is endless.
However, this debate is surely about 1. the Internet, 2. Mobile phones and the operating system and 3. the markets in which they operate, in this case China.
From your profile I note you are in the UK, where there are some issues raised over censorship there. However, I think you will find that you can download almost anything in the UK including al-Qaeda training manuals, though you may be logged by your ISP or surveyed by the Echelon network.
As a journalist involved in research in such subject within the UK I have never experienced any such censorship. There are some blocks placed on certain sites, though they are primarily aimed at stopping the flow of child pornography.
China's censorship is altogether different. It can be disproportionate and its targets are not specific. Some is motivated seemingly just by spite. A contentious video of Tibetan monks being beaten posted on YouTube will get the whole site blocked. Such videos will of course be censured from appearing on China's Youku, which displays much copyrighted material from the west.
Perhaps you might cite an example of what censorship exists in the UK, since the last time I was there the Internet could access virtually anything I could think of.
In China, an individual can pay for a Virtual Private Network [VPN]. Many companies do. Others don't or can't. Even Xinhua News Agency has the same restricted Internet as everyone else. Many ordinary citizens only have Internet access at public Internet cafes and are obliged to register with their ID card.
Any company hoping to promote themselves to these people via Facebook, embedded videos posted on YouTube or other social media have no hope.
Nov 30, 2009 20:37
@tvnewswatch: You kinda answered you're own argument there. Who downloads anything that allows self-incriminate themselves?. Anyway under terror law, the UK govt can prevent information for being leaked under the guise of national security.
What's interesting here, is that you brought Iran being an issue, your opinion is reliable as CNN.
Nov 30, 2009 21:16
@steve & @tvnewswatch:
To the Chinese authorities, stability of the country is the most important factor in achieving growth and prosperity. If you look at the tumultuous history of China through the ages, you'd see why. As outsiders, we should perhaps be a bit more modest and find out why others do what they do, before putting up banners proclaiming injustices were committed. Enough said.
Dec 01, 2009 08:00
it's true that stability is key here, partly for the nation and partly for the Party's own survival. virtually every country puts this first, but it still doesn't mean that civil liberties should be infringed to maintain stability - be it the web-filtering (and many, many other issues in China), or illegal detention of suspected "terrorists" in the US, etc.
An interesting conversation to have, as always... Though way off subject from Android!
Dec 01, 2009 10:49
@ShiningStar "Who downloads anything that allows self-incriminate themselves?" Lots of people it appears from the cases of music piracy cases one sees in the media. [N.B it should be "Who downloads anything that allows self-incrimination of themselves?"] And as previously stated laws pertaining to terrorism in the UK and elsewhere are entirely different from the sledgehammer approach of Internet censorship in China. I don't believe I mentioned Iran. Yes there is censorship there too, as there is in many Muslim countries especially with regards to pornography. Iran has clamped down harder recently on sites that may be used for organising or sending out messages from the country. But again Iran is NOT the issue here, it is China. Please stay on the topic.
Dec 01, 2009 11:02
@ShiningStar Just checked on my previous comments, and yes I did mention Iran as an issue of importance, specifically to its probable development of nuclear weapons. I can't really see where you're coming from in suggesting my "opinion is as reliable as CNN". So you're suggesting Iran is not an issue?
Anyway, this is not the point. I was merely responding to your argument that there were other issues more important than Chinese Internet restriction. As said there are other issues which are far more important. However, this is not a forum for such discussion. The article is about Android, Google, China Mobile and China's Internet access, is it not?
Dec 01, 2009 11:50
@tvnewswatch: Huh? You're replying to my comments on the subject and then telling me to stay on topic? At the same you're asking for my opinion? That doesn't make sense to me. Critising my english is weak as well since most people here it's a second language (myself included) and it isn't relevant here either.
Anyway a lot of people, you say? So I guess everyone enjoys legally going to caught getting imprisoned and sued. When there's some form reprecussion or prevention, its pretty much called censorship. Well terrorism laws aren't any different. I still prefer a firewall than prison bars. Point is censorship exist in the west and neither free as you claim.
Iran is issue for the US with its power struggle, but that's another debate. But then again should we trust US govt either? Especially one that still justified nuclear attacks on civilians.
Well you're opinion mirrors CNN, you objectify US govt sentiments and are subjective with morality and issues. And issues you discussed, are issues addressed by western countries and you limit criticism to one perspective.
Anyway since you're getting personal or maybe I don't like tone of this arguement, I'll leave it as that.
Dec 01, 2009 19:38
So just to get back on topic .. as far as i can tell current android users in China are now getting blocked from the market and without motivation for the government to block sync services on the device, fingers are pointing to China Mobile ....
Anyone got any further insight into this?
Dec 02, 2009 12:45
Not having an Android myself I cannot comment first hand. However several Twitter users have said that the Market for apps is blocked over the last few weeks. One writer named only as John writes on Sinosplice [www.sinosplice.com... that his experience has been fraught with problems. "Starting about a month ago, however, I could no longer download anything from the Android Market" he states [Nov 11]. Several other Android users describe similar problems on Google's forum [www.google.com.... Some even talk of syncing problems for Calendar and GMail as well as app problems.
It seems clear that Android does have some issues in China. Whether or not its entirely to do with the GFW, or if that just compounds issues, is not so apparent.
Dec 02, 2009 20:17
About Steven Millward
Six years after arriving in China to 'check it out', Steven Millward has decided to stay put, and is hooked on the fast-changing dynamic of mainland China. He's not too intimidated that his current city of residence has a greater population than his entire homeland of Wales. A freelance editor, lifestyle magazine writer, English teacher, and enthusiastic blogger, he can also be found on twitter (as @SirSteven) discussing media, tech and music. You can email him with any tips, queries or feedback.
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