Taiwanese PC maker Acer Inc. has withdrawn from a launch ceremony of smartphone due to pressure from Google. It has withdrawn from a launch for a new CloudMobile A800 smartphone that uses Aliyun, the operating system developed by a unit of Chinese e-commerce services provider Alibaba Group Holding Limited, which is being seen by some as a challenger for Google’s dominant Android operating system.
Acer originally scheduled to launch the Cloud Mobile A800 smartphone on 13 September with Aliyun but Acer withdrew due to pressure from Google Inc., Aliyun mentioned in a statement on microblogging site, Sina Weibo. “ Our partner (Acer) has been informed by Google that if the Aliyun operating system is used with the new phone, Google will scrap Android product agreements and its related technology authorization agreements with Acer. We regret to announce the launch of the smartphone due this afternoon has been canceled because our partner is under direct pressure from Google Inc. We respect and understand the decision made by our partner,” Aliyun added that the company believes its operating system more alternatives to consumers and manufacturers. Acer apologized in a statement “for the inconvenience caused to our media friends” and said it will carry on working with strategic partners in China.
Google’s reply:
“We agree that the Aliyun OS is not part of the Android ecosystem and you’re under no requirement to be compatible.
However, the fact is, Aliyun uses the Android runtime, framework and tools. And your app store contains Android apps (including pirated Google apps). So there’s really no disputing that Aliyun is based on the Android platform and takes advantage of all the hard work that’s gone into that platform by the OHA.
So if you want to benefit from the Android ecosystem, then make the choice to be compatible. Its easy, free, and we’ll even help you out. But if you don’t want to be compatible, then don’t expect help from OHA members that are all working to support and build a unified Android ecosystem.”
This is the first time we’ve seen membership in the OHA actually have created problems. Till now, it has appeared to be just a good-group of companies that contribute to Android. The current situations may be a bad PR for Google and for not being open about the Android ecosystem.