

Ask HN: How programmable is an Android phone, really? - anigbrowl

I'm not thinking of the apps, so much as how 'open' the basic operation of the phone is for users who want to hack it around. I'm struck by this engadget story http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/02/motorola-milestone-does-what-droidont/ where they point out that a Euro version of the Droid has multitouch, which is missing in the US, perhaps because of a patent situation with Apple. When I first heard of Android I was attracted by the idea of a totally programmable phone, which might allow the user to implement thing the carrier doesn't necessarily offer - like call blocking, for example, or custom behavior in response to incoming emails from various people. As things are, it seems like apps float on top of a more closed-off level of firmware.<p>Any Android developers out there care to share their insights?
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mbrubeck
If you buy the Android Dev Phone from Google, you get full support for
building and installing Android from source. The source code includes the
kernel, libraries, and applications - except for a few closed-source apps from
Google (Maps, GMail, Google sync providers) or added by carriers.

Every phone sold by a carrier (at least, all the ones I know of) is TiVoized.
That is, the user does not have root access and there is no supported way to
modify or reflash the system partition. However, for most models the community
have discovered ways for owners to bypass these restrictions and jailbreak
their devices. Once this is done, you can install modified OS builds.

Even on a stock, non-rooted phone, Android applications are less restricted
than, say, iPhone applications. You can install an application over USB or
HTTP. (Unlike the iPhone you do not need any sort of certification or third-
party signature.) With user confirmation, applications can override standard
functionality. For example, you can write your own home screen or dialer or
email app and then use it to replace the built-in one.

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anigbrowl
Awesome, thanks for the content-rich reply.

