Honeycomb code will not be released until Google sees fit

March 24, 2011 | by Andrew Kameka

Android Honeycomb will stay locked in the pantry until Google decides it’s ready for release to everyone. BusinessWeek reports that Google will not make the Honeycomb (Android 3.0) code readily-available because of fears of what manufacturers may do to it.

Google VP of Engineering Andy Rubin says that the company will not release the Honeycomb source code until it has more time to polish Android 3.0 and ensure that device makers will not try to put Honeycomb on Android phones to what could be poor results.

“To make our schedule to ship the tablet, we made some design tradeoffs,” Rubin said in reference to why Honeycomb is not yet ready for open-source release. However, Rubin notes that Google is not going to backtrack from its history of making the Android code available to others. He added, “Android is an open-source project…we have not changed our strategy.”

Google typically releases the code used to power Android so everyone from HTC to Samsung and Vizio can build products based on that software. This often includes customizing Android as a means of differentiating new devices from the other Android phones and tablets flooding the market. We’ve already seen Samsung depart from the stock Honeycomb experience, and Google is wary of more companies doing the same on other devices. Google fears that would create a bad first impression before it is able to merge Honeycomb elements with Android phones in a future release.

While these may be valid concerns, one could easily argue that they are in conflict with the idealistic view of open-source software. Rather than provide access to the software in a reasonable timeframe, Google is withholding Honeycomb and making it incredibly difficult for small companies and independent developers to build proper Honeycomb products. Meanwhile, the larger OHA members willing to sign licensing deals are able to use and customize Honeycomb at their leisure.

>> BusinessWeek

Android 3.0, Android Honeycomb, android os, Google, honeycomb, Honeycomb tablets

6 Comments

sudhir said: On March 24, 2011

So Google is becoming Evil. Going is same direction as Apple.

tittiebaby said: On March 24, 2011

i dont blame them…some company might put it on a phone before its ready and then customers pissed that software is bad, when its really not. Majority of ppl dont now what version they are running anyway.

@aboyandroid said: On March 24, 2011

Guess you didn't buy and Atrix. The Software sucked.

@burnayev said: On March 25, 2011

As an Android developer I welcome the move as I find myself spending too much time troubleshooting issues that wouldn't have existed had Android been a single-faced creature.

Borys Burnayev
actioncomplete.com
GTD for Android and Web
My recent post Minor Release of ActionComplete Brings More Task Viewing Options- Adds More Languages

fred said: On March 25, 2011

When it is released, it will be open source. Withholding a product until it is ready is very much in the spirit of Open Source. Most of the software products don't have a release schedule, rather, they release "when it is done". A half-baked cake is a gloppy mess. So is a half-baked operating system. I'm willing to wait.

Rohan Joshi said: On April 17, 2011

Google has to maintain a standard with honeycomb, other wise people will use it smartphones and the work that Google has put in to differentiate this OS from the others will go to waste.
The open source aspect is not hampered by google's decision.

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