Google May Allow Some Customizations To Android Wear, TV, And Auto

Well well well, it looks like manufacturers may be able to customize the software on Android Wear, Android TV and Android Auto after all.  Back at Google I/O when the three new platforms were announced, the impression was that Google didn’t want these new platforms tainted by OEM skins and modifications and it made sense to a large degree.  The UI was already beautiful and no skins/modifications meant quicker/easier updates and a overall more uniform experience.  Well it turns out that Google isn’t quite holding the reins that tightly.

In a recent interview with Re/Code, Google’s Vice President of Engineering, Hiroshi Lockheimer, clarified things a little bit.  Lockheimer said, “It’s not some Google-way-or-the-highway kind of thing…We’re trying to find the right balance of differentiation and customization.”  Google has always been about openness and their latest slogan, “Be Together, Not the Same,” re-emphasizes that point.

So why did so many of us come away with the impression that they were locking things down?  Lockheimer said that manufacturers were initially limited in how much they could customize Android Wear (the first of the three new platforms to come to market) but that it’s not necessarily a permanent thing.  He went on to say that they wanted to get the basics right first before allowing deeper customizations.  It would seem that those “basics” are good and ready as he also stated that the upcoming Asus ZenWatch will be the first device to feature further manufacturer modifications.  He didn’t elaborate on what that meant but we shouldn’t have too long to wait before we see these tweaks.

One last little tid bit that Lockheimer left Re/Code was that the Nexus program will indeed continue on.  If you may recall, there were rumours that Google was ditching the program but thankfully that is not the case.  However, prices are a little higher than we’ve grown accustomed to but the devices are still top notch.

[Re/Code]