According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is planning on allowing device manufactures early access to Google Android devices and the ability to sell directly to the customers. This of course would be cutting out the middle man, (Our carriers).
This would prevent our service providers from getting their grubby little fingers on our phones and loading them up with their branding and garbage apps. That’s just the start. Most importantly, we may not have to wait on our carriers to get our updates either. If we cut out our carriers from the deal, theoretically we should get our updates right from the manufacture of the device, thus reducing the 6+ month additional wait for updates while we watch our carriers drag their over paid feet.
The idea of direct sales outside of carrier influence is to take control of Android devices. Carriers are often reject full price buyouts in order to sell the phones in this unfair business method of selling products, trying to force customers and potential customers in to 3 year contracts. Carriers are also manipulating the software inside either taking away or adding their own flavour, ruining the experience the user was intending to get off the manufacturing line.
Cutting out the carrier will would most likely allow the device to be sold Unlocked, allowing users to come and go as they please.
This of course is nothing but stories and speculations at this point. If things follow through, what you read above could potentially become a reality by this years end.
