- Jul 9, 2010
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The Augen Gentouch will no longer ship with Google Experience Applications. In addition, they will not be enabling the device for Google applications for future updates.
This includes the Google App Market, Gmail, Google Maps, Youtube, Google Talk, Google Calendar, and Google Contacts.
An announcement was just made on the official Augen news webpage for the Augen Gentouch by the CEO of Augen Electronics is as follows:
Reading into this, the Augen Gentouch may never get Google apps. Augen will try to acquire licensing for upcoming products. While they are adding apps to accommodate for this, Google applications bring a lot of functionality core to the Android operating system that cannot be simply replicated.For future production runs and delivers, Augen will block and remove the Google Mobile Services Application Suite from the current devices until further notice. We are current in communication with Google Inc. to obtain the required licensing for upcoming products, and will announce our future statements the timelines and availability of these products as it will become available to us. However, for your convenience Augen will add applications to accomodate the absence of the Google Mobile Services Application Suite.
Current devices can expect to keep their Google applications if they already have been shipped.
Android is an open-source operating system, but the Google apps typically bundled with the operating system are closed source and requires special licensing from Google before the device is allowed to ship with the apps included. Yet most Android tablets on the market today are shipping with Google apps, all of which are in fact are pirated by definition.
While we can expect the apps to be added back to the device by custom firmware developers, this is a big blow for end-users who are not familiar with Android. It is certainly a disappointing turn of events for what would have been the first real competitive Android tablet on the American market.
Source:
AugenUS
Via XDA Developers