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Google’s cuts to its upcoming phone OS leave many disappointed

Google’s new phone OS, Android OS, is backed by some of the industry’s biggest players.  While some carriers are reticent to the prospect of switching from their proprietary software, in which they have invested millions, Google brings much to the table with Android. 

First Android is free.  Secondly it provides a broad array of APIs to connect users to the internet and to perform graphical functions.  Lastly, the OS comes with numerous Google programs, all free, such as Google Maps, GMail, and Google Docs.

However, with the release of the 0.9 beta SDK, an updated version of the OS’s previewed SDK, Google unfortunately decided to cut out a couple of desirable features.  Google acknowledged that both Google Talk, its popular IM program, and its Bluetooth API were on the chopping block.

In a blog, developer advocate Dan Morill announced the omissions and provided a bit of background, stating, “Earlier this week, we released a beta of the Android SDK.  In the accompanying post, I mentioned that we had to remove some APIs from the platform for Android 1.0, and as a result they don’t appear in the 0.9 beta SDK, and won’t appear in 1.0-compatible SDKs.”

In the case of the Bluetooth API, it may come eventually.  The reality, says Android engineer Nick Pelly, is “we plain ran out of time.  The Android Bluetooth API was pretty far along, but needs some clean-up before we can commit to it for the SDK. Keep in mind that putting it in the 1.0 SDK would have locked us into that API for years to come.”

His comments indicate that the API will not be headed to the Version 1.0 release of the SDK, set to launch next month.  As some Android supporters such as HTC or T-Mobile offer Bluetooth on their phones, this leaves their developers unable to support the technology.  This in turn passes the task of Bluetooth support and the design of Bluetooth functionality on to the hands of Google’s engineers.

Mr. Morill stated that Google Talk API might never make its way on the OS, due to security concerns raised by Rich Cannings, a Google security researcher, and others at Google.  Google is concerned that games using the messaging program as a means of communication might expose users’ names and information on the internet, compromising their privacy. 

Also the program has no “intent” mechanisms, so it offers equal control from remote locations, raising the possibility of malware hijacking phones.  Explains Mr. Cannings, “At first, remote applications could send arbitrary Intents, meaning that your Google Talk friends had almost the same control of your device as you did.  Even once that issue was resolved, we recognized that we could not trust the identity of the application who sent the request. We could only trust the identity of the user. So a “bad” application on your friend’s device could send a message to a “good” application on your device which would negatively affect the good application.”

Finally, Mr. Cannings fears that Google Talk could become an unwitting Android virus propogation tool.  The protocol lacks the security needed to protect against such attacks.  Explains Mr. Cannings, “An Android application using GTalkService would be reachable from all of the user’s Google Talk friends, and a flaw in that application could pose an inviting target to a malicious ‘friend’ or automated malware.”

One unspoken possibility is that Google may have also been pressured due to the p2p functionality of the Google Talk protocol.  The protocol could easily have been adapted to offer a cell-phone based p2p network.

While the exclusion of these APIs are disappointing to prospective users and developers, they’re just as disappointing to Google.  Mr. Morill states, “I’m definitely bummed about these API removals.  I was particularly looking forward to the P2P capabilities offered by GTalkService, but, as always, user security and privacy must come first.”

Android OS will compete with smart phone OS leader Symbian, and minority player Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, and the iPhone, which supports a version of OS X, when it launches either late this year or in early 2009.