[Fidel Mercado]

An OEM running Android doesn't have to be OHA compliant. If a company is bold enough to challenge Google they can create an Android fork without Google Play services.
Perfect example: Amazon's Fire OS.

I believe a Blackberry Amazon partnership is in the works. Think about it, Fire OS is not OHA compliant, which means the runtime an stay with BB10. Fire OS allows access to apps and updates for apps that are blocked on the BB runtime and gives Blackberry a chance to build the Blackberry Experience on Android without caving to Google. This partnership allows an opportunity to create an Android variant that's not Google controlled.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[Troy Tiscareno]

None of this is news - people have been making Android forks for years, and I posted a couple of days ago, when it came out that the BB Android device was likely to be a low-end device marketed to emerging markets, that it was far more likely that BB was going to use a non-OHA Android fork, ala the Nokia X. It won't have Google Play or Google Services, but a lot more of the Amazon Marketplace apps will work on it.

Granted, I don't think such a phone will sell well at all, but perhaps it will move some more of the pile of SnapDragon S4 chips they're sitting on. But I still think BB is going to have a very rough time competing against some very competent Google-Certified Android phones with more modern hardware and lower price-points - the Moto G being the most obvious, but there are plenty of others too.

Still, this preserves the Android Runtime on BB10, and since it isn't for Western markets anyway, I suppose it's not a huge risk - just likely not very much reward either.

[Fidel Mercado]

None of this is news - people have been making Android forks for years, and I posted a couple of days ago, when it came out that the BB Android device was likely to be a low-end device marketed to emerging markets, that it was far more likely that BB was going to use a non-OHA Android fork, ala the Nokia X. It won't have Google Play or Google Services, but a lot more of the Amazon Marketplace apps will work on it.

Granted, I don't think such a phone will sell well at all, but perhaps it will move some more of the pile of SnapDragon S4 chips they're sitting on. But I still think BB is going to have a very rough time competing against some very competent Google-Certified Android phones with more modern hardware and lower price-points - the Moto G being the most obvious, but there are plenty of others too.

Still, this preserves the Android Runtime on BB10, and since it isn't for Western markets anyway, I suppose it's not a huge risk - just likely not very much reward either.

I am not saying Android forks are a new phenomenon. I am saying I think a partnership with Amazon seems plausible.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[howarmat]

I am not saying Android forks are a new phenomenon. I am saying I think a partnership with Amazon seems plausible.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

the fire phone bombed like crazy. I have no interest in BB/Fire OS mismash WITHOUT gplay and the services. Sure it might work in countries that already sell phones that are stripped of the services already but not in NA and similar countries.

[Fidel Mercado]

the fire phone bombed like crazy. I have no interest in BB/Fire OS mismash WITHOUT gplay and the services. Sure it might work in countries that already sell phones that are stripped of the services already but not in NA and similar countries.

I think it offers a unique opportunity for BB. The fire OS bombed because OHA prohibited other OEM and OHA software companies to assist in its developement. With it, BB has a vanilla Android fork to try and build on. As you can tell by my tag I am an Android user, but I would love for another company to challenge Google just to shake it up a bit and add some more variety to an already multifaceted OS-In Android. However selling the product as you both alluded to is an uphill battle.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[abwan11]

Amazon is a formidable competitor to Google in the analytical sense. Powerful cloud to enterprise and excellent customer support services,.

Posted via CB10

[howarmat]

They have a fork but honestly its built about is as good it gets. The whole issue we are running into on the current bb10 OS/Android runtime is the lack of services. Cobalt has some ways to help out but that is far from user friendly.

[anon(9353145)]

An OEM running Android doesn't have to be OHA compliant. If a company is bold enough to challenge Google they can create an Android fork without Google Play services.
Perfect example: Amazon's Fire OS.

I believe a Blackberry Amazon partnership is in the works. Think about it, Fire OS is not OHA compliant, which means the runtime an stay with BB10. Fire OS allows access to apps and updates for apps that are blocked on the BB runtime and gives Blackberry a chance to build the Blackberry Experience on Android without caving to Google. This partnership allows an opportunity to create an Android variant that's not Google controlled.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_tiger

[igor10000]

A far more likely scenario is that the Android-powered BlackBerry will be made by Samsung. Thus, it will get all Android features and services. Without them, I see no point in making another forked Android, since there is already one in BB10.

Posted via CB10

[Soulstream]

An OEM running Android doesn't have to be OHA compliant. If a company is bold enough to challenge Google they can create an Android fork without Google Play services.
Perfect example: Amazon's Fire OS.

I believe a Blackberry Amazon partnership is in the works. Think about it, Fire OS is not OHA compliant, which means the runtime an stay with BB10. Fire OS allows access to apps and updates for apps that are blocked on the BB runtime and gives Blackberry a chance to build the Blackberry Experience on Android without caving to Google. This partnership allows an opportunity to create an Android variant that's not Google controlled.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

And what possible advantage would an android fork phone (still without Google play services) would hold over BB10. They can/can't run pretty much the same kind of apps at this point in time. Maybe I'm missing something, but i trully see no advantage of going android fork; for all intents and purposes BB10 with the runtime is already an Android fork.

[MobileMadness002]

Well, if the device is full android, Google play services can be downloaded and as far as can tell, BlackBerry cares very little what you do after you hand over your cash.


Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk

[BeautyEh]

None of this is news - people have been making Android forks for years, and I posted a couple of days ago, when it came out that the BB Android device was likely to be a low-end device marketed to emerging markets, that it was far more likely that BB was going to use a non-OHA Android fork, ala the Nokia X. It won't have Google Play or Google Services, but a lot more of the Amazon Marketplace apps will work on it.

Granted, I don't think such a phone will sell well at all, but perhaps it will move some more of the pile of SnapDragon S4 chips they're sitting on. But I still think BB is going to have a very rough time competing against some very competent Google-Certified Android phones with more modern hardware and lower price-points - the Moto G being the most obvious, but there are plenty of others too.

Still, this preserves the Android Runtime on BB10, and since it isn't for Western markets anyway, I suppose it's not a huge risk - just likely not very much reward either.

Troy do you think it would make sense for BB to just go full Android with an OS10 UI appearance (is this feasible?) in order to fully close the app gap?
It seems as though opinions are mixed on whether or not this would bring people back into the fold. Some prominent Android device makers are clearly struggling to make a decent profit. I have to wonder whether or not the average consumer would care or rather if the market would see this as gimmicky.

Posted via CB10

[Troy Tiscareno]

Troy do you think it would make sense for BB to just go full Android with an OS10 UI appearance (is this feasible?) in order to fully close the app gap?
It seems as though opinions are mixed on whether or not this would bring people back into the fold. Some prominent Android device makers are clearly struggling to make a decent profit. I have to wonder whether or not the average consumer would care or rather if the market would see this as gimmicky.

I thought BB should have gone with full Android with a BB UI (their version of TouchWiz/Sense/Blur/etc.) that replicates the BB10 UI (which is itself a copy of WebOS and Meego) back in 2008 - I think they could have been a strong competitor, having several differentiators.

In 2015? I'm not sure if it will make any real difference. The brand image is so damaged, and so is the company (limited funds and resources, no dev support, very little carrier support, etc.), and without an advertising budget, I'm not sure enough people would even KNOW that BB now makes phones with full access to Google Play, etc. I remain strongly unconvinced that Chen plans to keep hardware around long enough for Android to make much difference now. If I knew hardware was still a long-term strategy that the company was absolutely committed to, then, yes, I'd still do it, knowing that the ramp up would be long and slow and would not suffer many more mis-steps or denial. I just don't think that's the case, though.

[skibnik]

I think it offers a unique opportunity for BB. The fire OS bombed because OHA prohibited other OEM and OHA software companies to assist in its developement. With it, BB has a vanilla Android fork to try and build on. As you can tell by my tag I am an Android user, but I would love for another company to challenge Google just to shake it up a bit and add some more variety to an already multifaceted OS-In Android. However selling the product as you both alluded to is an uphill battle.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

Cyanogen and MS just announced a partnership if anyone could make a real go at creating a viable alternative it's MS. Microsoft has the $ not to mention it's established office suite and cloud services. MS also is releasing a compiler program for devs to use that compiles their android and IOS apps to native Win OS they could easily adapt this to quickly and easily convert google service dependent apps over to Cyanogen (meaning they would supply devs with this tool for free and perhaps with incentives)

http://m.androidcentral.com/cyanogen...s-and-services
http://m.windowscentral.com/there-ar...-ios-compilers

Loving my Passport!

[Prem WatsApp]

Whoa.... I'd say just go with any Android fork, Amazon, MS/Cyanogen...

Ship the phone "free" of Google services. Keeps the die-hard BB and anti-Google crowd at bay.

All they (or we?) really need then is a download link to a pre-packaged one-click installer with all the Googlies, haha... it will appear on the torrents list soon enough!

;-)

�   Pastaporto aglio e olio... Mmmhhh!   �

[anon(4086706)]

I'm not sure if this is a stupid idea but I wonder if QNX has the capability to host a full vanilla Android OS as a virtualized session running aside BB10? I mean instead of forking Android, can't BB10 just run a VM session with it... of course if phone's processing power permits.

Passport | SQW100-1/10.3.2.2204 | Globe PH

[yhamaie]

I'm not sure if this is a stupid idea but I wonder if QNX has the capability to host a full vanilla Android OS as a virtualized session running aside BB10? I mean instead of forking Android, can't BB10 just run a VM session with it... of course if phone's processing power permits.

BlackBerry Limited has been successfully running Dalvik on BlackBerry 10 OS.

Meet the BlackBerry wizardry that created its 'better Android than Android' ? The Register



An Overview of the Android Architecture - Techotopia

Dalvik has been replaced by Android Runtime in Android Lollipop.

Android apps have been functioning very well on BlackBerry 10 OS unless they depend too much on Google Play Services.

Is Google Inc. (GOOG) Under Threat From Forked Android Adoption ?



IDC: Smartphone OS Market Share 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012

[yhamaie]

P.S.

You might find iDroid Project interesting.

[Troy Tiscareno]

I'm not sure if this is a stupid idea but I wonder if QNX has the capability to host a full vanilla Android OS as a virtualized session running aside BB10? I mean instead of forking Android, can't BB10 just run a VM session with it... of course if phone's processing power permits.

Not allowed under the OHA, so it wouldn't get BB Google Services.

[Prem WatsApp]

Not allowed under the OHA, so it wouldn't get BB Google Services.

BlackBerry will just provide the VM slot.

Users will download the Android distro. They can just pop a Nexus ROM in there, and inject drivers, if at all necessary ...

Anyone can download it, and that driver package, someone will make it, and release it (even if it's BlackBerry themselves) ...

Now show me whether that is covered under OHA rules, I bet it's not, even Samsung has Tizen 'droid runtime for download, right...?

:-D

�   Pastaporto aglio e olio... Mmmhhh!   �

[keithhackneysmullet]

BlackBerry will just provide the VM slot.

Users will download the Android distro. They can just pop a Nexus ROM in there, and inject drivers, if at all necessary ...

Anyone can download it, and that driver package, someone will make it, and release it (even if it's BlackBerry themselves) ...

Now show me whether that is covered under OHA rules, I bet it's not, even Samsung has Tizen 'droid runtime for download, right...?

:-D

�   Pastaporto aglio e olio... Mmmhhh!   �

You really think Google is going to put up with any shenanigans from BlackBerry.



Posted via CB10

[twiggyrj]

Whoa.... I'd say just go with any Android fork, Amazon, MS/Cyanogen...

Ship the phone "free" of Google services. Keeps the die-hard BB and anti-Google crowd at bay.

All they (or we?) really need then is a download link to a pre-packaged one-click installer with all the Googlies, haha... it will appear on the torrents list soon enough!

;-)

�   Pastaporto aglio e olio... Mmmhhh!   �

Isn't that morally wrong? Anyway Cyanogen is eligible for Google Services anyway.

[Soulstream]

Isn't that morally wrong? Anyway Cyanogen is eligible for Google Services anyway.

Cyanogen itself is not, as in the cyanogen mod doesn't come with google services by default. OHA doesn't apply to ROMs, but to manufacturers. So if a manufacturer want to use Cyanogenmod, they must apply as a member of OHA; that is the way that the One plus one phone manufacturer went.

The problem with "let users download Google play services" isn't going to bring in a lot of new consumers. Today consumers are though to have access to apps and services out of the box. Doing workarounds to get access to apps doesn't appeal to the average consumer.

[twiggyrj]

Cyanogen itself is not, as in the cyanogen mod doesn't come with google services by default. OHA doesn't apply to ROMs, but to manufacturers. So if a manufacturer want to use Cyanogenmod, they must apply as a member of OHA; that is the way that the One plus one phone manufacturer went.

The problem with "let users download Google play services" isn't going to bring in a lot of new consumers. Today consumers are though to have access to apps and services out of the box. Doing workarounds to get access to apps doesn't appeal to the average consumer.

Oh right thanks for clearing that up I was under the impression it was with how easy it was to patch in google services when installing the rom.

[Soulstream]

Oh right thanks for clearing that up I was under the impression it was with how easy it was to patch in google services when installing the rom.

It is easy. they are just not installed by default inside the ROM due to legal reasons:
Google Apps - CyanogenMod

Still considering ROMs are mostly used by techies and enthusiasts, I am not sure BB can actually target that segment. That segment is already pretty much captured by android due to the open and moddable nature of the OS.