Motorola Backflip doesn't allow non-Market apps, proves AT&T doesn't get Android
By Chris Ziegler 
posted March 8th 2010 3:06PM
posted March 8th 2010 3:06PM
A year later, enter the Motorola Backflip -- AT&T's very first Android device. Does it hold true to de la Vega's principles? Well, it depends on whose glasses you read the statements through. Yes, true, it definitely doesn't have "primarily Google apps on it" thanks to the carrier's questionable decision to remove Google search and replace it with Yahoo -- but as for giving "customers the choice of other applications," that's another matter altogether. It seems that Backflips are being shipped without the ability to turn on non-Market installations, meaning that AT&T has effectively locked you into getting all of your content through the walled garden. Add in the Yahoo debacle and the egregious amount of unremovable crapware they've left in ROM, and we start to wonder: why did AT&T bother partnering up with Android if they weren't going to take it seriously? Certainly doesn't bode well for the Mini 3 and the rest of the pack, now, does it?Chris: Okay, and expanding on that a little bit, I heard you speak at CTIA last year and you mentioned that... you mentioned basically the same comments about Android at that time. You said that you thought that it was promising, you liked what you saw, but that was at a time when there were a lot of questions about why AT&T wasn't in the OHA. I'm wondering if your thoughts, your opinions have changed since then. Has AT&T's direction with Android changed at all?
Ralph: No, actually, I think that they have been somewhat validated in that... we like the Android as an operating system on its own, but we want to make sure that we have, and customers have the option, to put applications on that device that are not just Google applications, so when the G1 came out and T-Mobile launched it, it's primarily a Google phone. And we want to give customers the choice of other applications on that device, not just the same Google applications.
Chris: So you're basically waiting for Android to be de-branded, so to speak?
Ralph: Well, to be open. (Laughter.) Right? I mean, the whole idea behind Android is that it's gonna be an open OS, and so I don't wanna roll an open OS to market that has primarily Google apps on it, and I think that's gonna happen. I mean, I see a lot of activity, I think it's got a good future, and I think it makes a lot of sense that the OS is open-source, separate from Google apps that are also very good.
AT&T and yahoo? That sums up everything I don't want all in one place, thanks Motorola!
No one upping Verizon; At&t this is there specialty.
@jroff stock ROMs can be had my friend.
de la Vega's SHUT THE HELL UP MAN. You know you don't love Android. You only love your crappy iPhone. That's why you sign a contract with Apple and Yahoo. You put Yahoo in the search bar instead of Google for Backflip which is still crap. I think your a idiot for not even getting any good Android phones to the service. YOU HAVE iPhone why don't you just keep it and shove it. All you care bout is getting more and more people to buy your crappy iPhone. YOU PUT YAHOO in Backflip. If you DO that to any of upcoming Android phones theirs NO POINT FOR ME TO UPGRADE.
@Kunta Kinte
You'd have to be pretty out there to believe that apple had some direct influence on the design of the backflop, but there is SOME truth to it. I mean, de la Vega pretty much said it himself at CES that ATT's strategy is going to be focusing on featurephones and bloatware (he thinks it really adds value to customers, the poor twit), so they'll eventually work their way up to owning an iphone.. It isn't really that far of a stretch of imagination to assume that this thing has been purposely crippled to not compete with the iphone, but to persuade people to eventually upgrade to one.
@brown like dookie Nobody's stopping Motorola to make and release an Android phone with 850 UMTS band and sell it standalone unlocked. But they don't. So I blame Motorola for being a wuss, allowing AT&T to rape the backflip (that sounds like a porn movie title, btw).
This is probably what happened:
Moto: We want to make yet another Android phone, who wants it?
T-Mo, Verizon, Sprint: Pass, we have plenty of them already.
AT&T: Hey, do you want some cash from us? You'll be guaranteed a big chunk of order, but you gotta be our bitch, and we'll rape that phone good.
Moto:.... Customer experience, or money.... Hmmm.... Okay AT&T, we
@jroff Huh? Motorola made the backflip, not AT&T nor Apple. Motorola is the one agreeing with AT&T and allowing AT&T to rape the phone, something that AT&T has been doing to their branded phones since forever, way before the iPhone. If you still thinks Apple is somehow related to this, than you're a mere hater. Motorola has the option to release an Android phone with 850 UMTS band support standalone unlocked, or simply tell AT&T to GTFO from their firmware, but no, they bend over for AT&T.
ATT's involvement with Android is just lip service. And THAT is why I am no longer a customer of theirs.
I'm still wondering why the unqualified charity case Ralph de la Vegas still has a job in this day and age.
@pika2000
To suggest Apple ACTIVELY had a hand in this is plain crazy, no argument there.
But to suggest that At&t hasn't made a single business decision in the last 2 -3 years without having a huge thought bubble over their heads with an an Apple in it is just being downright naive.
So everyone can hack/root their backflips and done.
Whatever. I think if anyone was so badly wanting to have an Android handset, you'd be on T-mo or VZW by now. Just like if I really wanted an iPhone, I'd be on At&t by now.
Wow, I don't understand why they keeping pushing phones worse then the original Android device; The G1. It's been almost 2 years. The technology is old and cheap by now. There's no excuse but to expand their profit margin. And locking the app? Really? It's not 2001.
And I thought its not so horribly deformed T-Mobile cousin, the CliQ, was bad. (Smaller Screen yet Fatter phone? No thanks. I'll keep my G1 thank you very much)
@Merikov
Indeed. My wife tried a Cliq for two weeks and decided to go back to the G1. The only improvements it offered were that it was prettier and had a real headphone jack. IMO, the G1 is still the best "low-end" Android phone out there. Certainly the best keyboard.
I was able to install a 3rd party app using android SDK. this is no excuse as to why the option was removed from the phone itself though.
People don't seem to realize that AT&T has quite a large agreement with...Yahoo, which hosts their att.net email, and their DSL hompage is powered by Yahoo. It makes a lot of sense, that when dealing with a company, that is in direct competiton with one they have an agreement with, they'd try to play it safe on both ends. The unsigned app deal is beyond me, but I understand using Yahoo as the default homepage, and search engine. I can't complain though, I just got a Backflip for free today from a contest, and for the most part I like it.