10 Critical Android Issues Google Needs to Address Soon

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By: Don Reisinger 2011-04-19

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Table of Contents: 1. 10 Critical Android Issues Google Needs to Address Soon 2. Tablets, Security Not Cutting It

News Analysis: Android is the world's top mobile operating system, but it isn't perfect. Google needs to address a number of issues related to the operating system's security, usability and accessibility to continue to gain ground in the mobile market.
10 Critical Android Issues Google Needs to Address Soon ( Page 1 of 2 ) Although it got off to a bit of a slow start, Google's Android mobile operating system has caught its stride. In 2010, it was the most desired operating system in the world, and according to most analysts, the platform will dominate the mobile market for the foreseeable future. All other competitors, including Apple, Research In Motion and Microsoft, will have no other choice but to pick up the scraps. Considering that, there isn't much that Google should be upset about in the mobile market right now. When it's all said and done, the more market share a company has, the better. And considering that Google is so heavily invested in advertising, the search giant could make boatloads of cash off its platform.

But that doesn't mean there aren't issues related to Android that Google won't eventually need to address. The mobile operating system is an outstanding choice for many consumers, but there are glaring problems with Android that are simply impossible to ignore. Read on to learn more: 1. The fragmentation is real Google likes to downplay the Android "fragmentation" issue in which mobile device manufacturers are releasing new products for the multiple concurrent versions of the Android OS. It's a major issue for software developers who have to support all these versions, and it's time that Google acknowledged it. In a recent study, Baird Research found that developers are especially concerned with Android fragmentation. In fact, 24 percent of respondents said it is a "huge problem," while 33 percent of developers said it is a "meaningful problem." Only 14 percent of respondents said it isn't a problem at all. If that's not a good enough reason for Google to start reducing Android fragmentation, what is? 2. The update process is a pain As Android owners know all too well, getting an update to their smartphone is a pain. A user of a particular Android device may have to wait (and wait) for her turn to get the software, while her friend with a different device might already be running the latest version of the operating system. When Apple releases an update to its operating system, it's available to all customers that day. Granted, Apple's process is simpler, since it doesn't need to worry about multiple device manufacturers and the modifications those companies might be making to the operating system. But for Apple customers, it's a much easier process. The time has come for Google to work with vendor partners to streamline the update process. 3. There must be better consumer education Android is undoubtedly a fine operating system that consumers around the world are happy to use. But Google just hasn't done a good enough job of informing the public on the differences between the versions of its operating system. Sure, Android 2.3 might seem like a better option than Android 2.2 by virtue of the fact that it's newer, but what are the relative advantages of each version that's currently on the market? Those who follow Android closely know, but the average, mainstream user who simply buys a phone and wants a good operating system needs to be better informed. 4. Solving the iPhone problem If sales figures are one's guide, it's clear that Android is more desirable than iOS. But that's not the full story. It's important to keep in mind that Android is running on devices from many major vendors. Apple's iOS platform is running on the iPhone and the iPad. Despite its wide use, it's hard to find a single Android-based smartphone that can match the iPhone in terms of overall popularity. The Motorola Droid X is a fine device, but it's not an iPhone. The same can be said for HTC's line of Android smartphones. It's about time Google finds a way to offer a smartphone that can finally supplant the iPhone as the top mobile device in the marketplace. 5. The tablets aren't cutting it

Although the tablet market is still in its early stages, the Android-based tablets that are already available to customers just aren't cutting it. The Motorola Xoom has been totally unable to compete with the iPad 2. And the same can be said for the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Dell Streak. Granted, many more Android-based tablets are on the way, but considering more than 50 million tablets will ship this year and analysts believe the iPad 2 will account for the lion's share of those devices, it might be time for Google to figure out how it can make Android-based tablets more relevant in that marketplace. 6. Making 'Honeycomb' live up to the hype When Google unveiled Android 3.0 "Honeycomb," just about everyone was excited. The platform offers full tabbed browsing, improved multitasking and a slate of features that, on paper, makes iOS look obsolete. The only issue is, "Honeycomb" is a bit "buggy," according to some users. Global Equities analyst Trip Chowdry went so far as to say in March that the operating system is "extremely complicated and confusing." He noted freezing problems, battery issues and other quirks that will need to be addressed. If "Honeycomb" is going to lead Google's tablet charge, the company better get to work on fixing it. 7. It's still not iOS Google and Android fans might not want to hear it, but Android is still not on the same level as iOS. The operating system is undoubtedly getting closer by the minute, and with a fully improved "Honeycomb," it might be able to overcome iOS, but for now, it lacks the polish that Apple's operating system offers. Moreover, it doesn't deliver the same level of usability that customers are after. If Google can overcome that issue, it could finally put the threat Apple poses to rest. 8. Security considerations Last month, Google was forced to remove several applications from the Android Market after they were found to contain malware. Worst of all, they were believed to be downloaded over 250,000 times. Google remotely removed the malicious apps from users' devices, but it did little to help the platform's standing in the security space. Several developers, including Lookout and others, have developed Android security apps to help users confront Android security issues. So far, no major problems related to those tainted applications have come to light. But if Google should do anything, it's start addressing security concerns now. The last thing it needs is to turn out like Microsoft Windows in the desktop market. 9. The Android Market Android application developers have criticized Google's Android Market over the past several months for failing to give them the same ability to generate revenue from their programs as in Apple's App Store. Angry Birds maker Rovio has been the most outspoken. The company's CEO said back in December that "everyone would agree the payment and purchase experience [on Android] has been less than excellent." Google recently launched an in-app billing service to help quell some of the unrest, but it's still a problem. The Android Market needs to be as developer-friendly as possible. Right now, developers aren't giving Google high marks in this area. 10. Getting the enterprise to care

The corporate world is a difficult market to break into for any company. It's notoriously averse to change, and even when it does opt for a new technology, it takes forever to make that jump. That's part of the reason Android has had some trouble appealing to the enterprise. But some of the blame can also be placed on Google, which simply hasn't done enough to deliver all the features enterprise users care about. The company's mobile operating system is decidedly consumer-focused. If Google wants Android to be a long-term, dominant success, it will have no choice but to work with vendors and deliver a far more enterprise-friendly option.

Android malware problems continue to grow

New report cites 472 percent increase in malware since July
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Google "Most consumers don't care until they get their first $1,000 phone bill because their pirated Angry Birds has been calling Estonia all month," says one security adviser about Android's security issues. By Matt Liebowitz

updated 11/17/2011 5:52:09 PM ET

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There's an alarming amount of malicious software targeting Google's Android smartphone platform, but experts say the problem will only get worse until a large share of Android customers experience firsthand the frustration, inconvenience and damage the malware can cause. "Android malware is growing at an exponential rate, but until a large and significant user base is affected by malware, I fear we won't see any major changes in user behavior," Tim Armstrong, malware researcher for the anti-virus firm Kaspersky Lab, told SecurityNewsDaily. Chester Wisniewski, senior security advisor with Sophos, put the issue in terms nearly every smartphone customer can relate to: "Most consumers don't care until they get their first $1,000 phone bill because their pirated Angry Birds has been calling Estonia all month."

Both Armstrong and Wisniewski were commenting on a new report from Juniper Networks showing that Android malware has jumped 472 percent in the four months since July 2011. Despite this astounding uptick in harmful, corrupt software, Android has captured 52.5 percent of the global smartphone market share, according to technology research firm Gartner, with more than 440.5 million units sold in the third quarter (July through September) alone. So Android malware is clearly a problem. But, like car theft, it's not a real problem until yours is the one that's stolen. "The average mom and dad don't care," Harry Sverdlove, chief technology officer for Massachusetts-based security firm Bit9, told SecurityNewsDaily. The rise in malware will only become a real issue, he said, when a customer "gets a $300 phone bill from premiumrate SMS messages or their identity gets stolen."
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[How Your Android Phone Data Could Be 'Gone in 60 Seconds'] Armstrong echoed Sverdlove's assertion, and said that a majority of users are simply unaware of Android security flaws because they haven't been caught in an attack. Yet customers continue to blindly let Android apps access their computer without exercising any of the same precautions they would on a computer. "Take permissions, for example," Armstrong said. "For years, we've been taught on the desktop to click and click through screens until an application finally installs. Compare this with the permission-request screen of an Android app install. Most users will not take the time to read or understand every permission and its consequences. They'll just click through to start using the app. EULAs [End User License Agreements] are a good example of this. Who has ever read a whole one?" Too many cooks in Android kitchen Unlike Apple, which makes the iPhone, owns and maintains complete control over the iOS operating system and pushes out updates to all its customers at once, several manufacturers build Android phones, often tweaking the software. It falls on the carriers (Sprint, Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile, to name the big four in the United States), not Google, to release security updates to their millions of customers. "This is a flawed distribution model," Sverdlove said. He likened the process to buying a personal computer from Dell, and then expecting Dell to update a Microsoft Windows program. "I don't think people realize how chaotic this ecosystem is," Sverdlove said. Between carriers, manufacturers and software providers, he said, "There are too many cooks in the kitchen."

Another cook, or at least another ingredient in this messy recipe, are the app developers and the ease with which anyone can put a flawed product in the Android Market or a third-party app store. "It's just too easy at this point to upload virtually anything within an app," Armstrong told SecurityNewsDaily. "There appears to be no review system at all, so, as users, we are dependent on reviews which come from other users." New phones, same old problems Sverdlove said Android phones, unlike iPhones, are "not end-of-life phones." Android customers are likely to buy new handsets every 12-to-18 months, as opposed to iPhone owners, who typically keep their phones until the units die. To that end, the carriers and phone manufacturers are consistently focused on bringing out the next, newest model, not on fixing security flaws that already exist.
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"We go out and buy the phone that has the prettiest touchscreen or the best color and we don't care," Sverdlove said. Armstrong and Wisniewski are in the same camp. They both said they would like to see more research on existing software flaws rather than a constant stream of new phones. "The major issue for Android users is the inability to patch their phones with fixes for known security vulnerabilities," Wisniewski said. "Continued improvements on securing and patching the existing models would do wonders for creating a safer experience for users," Armstrong said. "Unfortunately, carriers and manufacturers need to keep selling new phones, and need new and exciting features to drive this demand, so many times resources are spent in places that do not best benefit user security." Ice Cream Sandwich Even with the release of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), which includes some built-in security measures such Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) and Data Execution Prevention (DEP), both designed to prevent malicious software from damaging users' phones, the problem is too vast for the new OS to tackle. "The problem is endemic in the whole infrastructure," Sverdlove said. "I think the problem will continue. Something has to change in the Android ecosystem, not the OS." "I'd love to say there's a magic answer," he added. "This is a tough problem [that] requires tough changes. Manufacturers need to prioritize security as much as they prioritize selling phones, and there's no question in my mind carriers need to step aside." Wisniewski told SecurityNewsDaily he doesn't see the Android Market ever becoming as locked down and secure as the iTunes App Store, but he said he expects Google to partner with security organizations that can alert Google about malicious Android apps.

With other companies like Amazon and Barnes & Noble now in competition for Android customers, he said Google "will need to step up their game."