That is a misrepresentation because Samsung, Huawei, and various Linux vendors each will have their own answer, their own alterative. In no universe will Apple be without competition. Apple is not even a consideration since it doesn't allow unapproved app installation anyway.

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odo1242 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

Android only ever had a chance because it is one ecosystem. Developers aren't going to develop for five slightly-different ecosystems in a trench coat.

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folmar 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

This ship has sailed, in the past Amazon's store did not succeed a lot, but there are already a few important enough offsprings: * Huawei with separate store and no Gapps * Samsung with importantly different browser and ton of extra features, also another store * in China the app-in-wechat and similar are a major thing

If you develop for a diverse set of user you need a lot of effort.

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chasil 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Apps that run on the Kindle Fire can't use Google Mobile Services, and the Amazon appstore is missing many well-known titles.

The Play Store is mostly absent from China, and I really don't know how that ecosystem works.

Was there one ecosystem?

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izacus 2 days ago | parent [-]

You're too young to remember Symbian and Java phone ecosystem mess, are you? Or even Android of around 2.x era, where getting an app doesn't mean it works on your phone?

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chasil 2 days ago | parent [-]

Oh, my sweet summer child, my first classroom exposure was CP/M.

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izacus a day ago | parent [-]

Then you should know better :))

	▲	chasil a day ago \| parent [-]
		I am within a year of retirement, and you think I should care?

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charcircuit 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

There already are multiple different android ecosystems today. For example Samsung has SDKs that have features when targeting their flavor of Android. There will still be a common base.

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OutOfHere 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> Developers aren't going to develop for five slightly-different ecosystems

The point, perhaps, is for one to emerge as the prominent choice, the correct one. Diversity however has its own value.

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palata 2 days ago | parent [-]

I wish Android manufacturers contributed to AOSP, so that it would still be one ecosystem, but with shared ownership. But I guess it's more profitable for all of them to let Google do it on their own. And it sucks for the user, because we have to live with Google's decisions.

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OutOfHere 2 days ago | parent [-]

But does Google accept third-party contributions for AOSP?

	▲	charcircuit 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		Yes, anyone is free to contribute to AOSP and many manufacturers already do. https://source.android.com/docs/setup/contribute/submit-patc...

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palata 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

It is a shame that those companies don't contribute to AOSP (or fork it). Apparently Huawei decided that they would do better alone with their own HarmonyOS, but I don't get it. It could be so powerful if AOSP was actually shared between the Android manufacturers...

I would happily leave Android and go with such a fork. Instead, each (Samsung, Huawei, ...) try to make their own thing. And good luck to them to beat Android on their own.