Dear Google: An Open Letter on Vanilla Android

by Jeff on 01/25/2011

Dear Google,

A couple of months ago I posted a wonderful open letter full of ranting and raving about how the Android platform will fail to overtake the iPhone so long as you continue to let handset manufacturers butcher your operating system. I am back again today to once again plead with you to stop manufacturers from turning a great mobile OS into an otherwise steaming pile of garbage that barely resembles Android at all.

A week ago I stopped into my local T-Mobile to check out the Windows 7 Phone. It was a nice looking device, but I just wasn’t that interested. However, the G2 caught my eye. It just looked great. Upon using one I was amazed at how smooth everything was. As luck would have it my wife and I were offered a deal we couldn’t refuse. We could trade in our completely awful, bloated, and far over-hyped Samsung Vibrants for two G2s along with a little cash. Being careful consumers we went to lunch before we made a decision.

The first question that came up between Whitney and I was, “Do we hate the Samsung Vibrant or Android?” After deliberation, some pancakes, and talking about what we hated on the Vibrant, we came to the conclusion that it was the Samsung Vibrant that was the root of the problem. At the very least, we figured we couldn’t be getting into anything worse than what we were in so why not take the chance?

We headed back to T-Mobile and took the jump with a pair of G2s to replace our Samsung Vibrants. After spending a week with vanilla Android I am amazed at how much better this phone performs compared to the Vibrant. Despite the lower processing power this phone is twice as fast. I tell it to end a call and rather than waiting 10 seconds, tapping the screen again, and waiting another 10 seconds before the call finally ends (as I found constantly with the Samsung Vibrant), the call just ends. Amazing! No longer do we deal with 6 hour battery life, forcing a recharge halfway through the day, the G2 only needs to be charged……… once a day! Amazing!

This situation reminds me of a PC that has a fresh, stock version of Windows installed on it versus a HP computer with Windows and HP’s “special” software that supposedly makes your life easier. The former runs the way Microsoft intended it, quick and efficient. The HP monstrosity runs well for a little while but over a short period of time HP’s “special” software consumes vital system resources and overrides Windows way of doing things all in the name of “it’s better for the consumer”. In the end the HP bloatware does nothing but turn your new computer into a paper weight within a year.

Google, I know you are busy buying up smaller companies, expanding your influence, taking over the world, and increasing my Gmail storage all at the same time, so I will get to the point.

Stop letting manufacturers turn Android into an abomination. Android is growing by leaps and bounds and I for one am excited to see where it is going.

To any phone manufacturers that happen to read this article listen very, very carefully. No, shut it and just listen. Stop treating Android like a $3 tranny hooker on two for one night. Just stop.

Don’t speak, just let that thought sink in for a minute.

Google, I want to thank you for an amazing OS and I am very happy that I am experiencing Android the way it is meant to be – vanilla.

-Jeff