The problem with OEMs

Sprint ID uses "Packs" to customize the phone

The problem with multiple devices

Google's Options

No two Android phones are alike. This much is clear from even a cursory glance. Android is an open operating system that allows not just user, but manufacturer modification . Many have cited this as one of the major causes of Android fragmentation. Many OEMs, and even some carriers, have devoted million to developing software to differentiate their devices. As Android moves into more devices, and consumers expect a more integrated experience. Google may find itself at odds with its manufacturing partners.In the early days, Android felt very unfinished and needed a little UI help. The likes of HTC managed to give it that fresh coat of paint that it needed with overlays like HTC Sense. Now that Android has matured, it might not need that same coat of paint, but the custom UIs aren't going anywhere. The truth is, it was never all about making Android prettier. It was about OEMs wanting to makebetter and more attractive to the consumer.When given the opportunity, OEMs and carriers started working to create their own special builds of Android. Custom apps, custom skins, and "custom" wait times for updates. When you pile on all these addons, a ROM is no longer stock. It becomes much harder to update a phone when a new Version of the platform comes out. After the millions spent developing a Heavy skin mod like HTC Sense, the OEMs aren't going to just throw what away. In a similar vein, look at Sprint ID. This experience is being built into multiple phones as a differentiating factor. Sprint is giving this app top billing on some phones because they think it's an improved experience. Whether or not it is, they won't abandon it quickly.On the Android side of things, Google's way of developing the software and letting OEMs make it work will hamper the building of an experience. Devices from different manufacturers will have varying levels of integration with consumer electronics. A Sony Ericsson phone for example might have tight integration with your Sony PS3 or Sony TV. Other OEMs might forge deals with the makers of electronic goods to build-in some kind of interoperability. It's not going to be the consistent experience we might want, but it is the direction things are going.In the way Steve Jobs is fond of talking up the consistency of the iOS user experience, individual Android OEMs are doing the same thing. The Samsung TouchWiz UI is present on both the Galaxy S phones, and the Galaxy Tab. Expect more value adds in the Samsung ecosystem. Maybe your next Samsung TV will sport the TouchWiz UI and integration with your Android phone; but only if Samsung made it.Okay, so this whole scenario doesn't sound all that great. As we've previously discussed , the value of these OEM Android skins is questionable. But here we are with an Android ecosystem relying on manufacturers making their own little integrated experiences. It has been rumored that Google would discourage skinning with the Gingerbread update in the coming months. But this would be a huge issue for the OEMs which have already gone all in on skins.Another way to go about shoring up Android's UI would be to leverage Google's cloud services on the backend. Google lives to talk about the power of the web, and we think it's time they step up and prove it. So many of these differentiation value-adds were originally developed because Google didn't offer an official solution.It might not make sense to make OEMs ditch their custom software, but Google can make the cloud services for Android more compelling. Where is the music streaming we saw at I/O 2010? That should be part of Android by now. Google also needs to get video and music purchase ecosystems in place before we end up with narrow OEM product tie-ins. This could also be part of the web-based interface we saw at I/O. It doesn't need to be a "feature" of Android per se. it just needs to work with the existing cloud-based features of the platform.We might wish Google could just banish all custom UIs to the scrap heap of failed technology, but it probably isn't going to happen. Manufacturers want to develop their own apps and experiences, and they've spent a lot of time and money doing just that. Google can accept that, while still moving to keep the feature set more consistent across devices. A slower release cycle and more cooperation with OEMs will help that, as will a expansion of cloud services for Android. How do you feel about the state of the Android UI?