2 min readAug 23, 2015 11:56 AM IST
First published on: Aug 23, 2015 at 11:56 AM IST
Google is set to reduce the number pre-installed apps in its suite on smartphones. (Source: AP)
After announcing that Android M will be called Marshmallow, it appears that Google is now relaxing rules for OEMs when it comes to pre-installed Google apps.
The biggest indicator of this new change is the fact that the Google set apps on Samsung Galaxy Note 5 no longer comes with the Google + app. Of course, given that Google has been slowly killing off Google + ( a Google Plus sign-in is no longer required for instance to comment on YouTube), this could be the reason the app is missing from Note 5.
But it would that there’s more to this saga of Google reducing the number of pre-installed suite of apps that OEMs have to install. According to a report on AndroidCentral, Google has tweaked rules for OEMs and certain apps are no longer mandatory for phone makers to get their version of Android approved.
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As the report points out, OEMs have to follow certain rules when it comes presenting the final version of Android to Google and the rules defined the list of pre-installed Google apps that phones had to carry as well.
This appears to be changing now and according to the report, “Google Play Games, Google Play Books, Google+ and Google Newsstand” are now no longer compulsory. Interestingly the Karbonn Titanium Mach Five device, we had got for review, did not come with Google Play Games, Books, Newsstand app either.
With Google relaxing the rules, it will mean that apps from Google that you are unlikely to use won’t make an appearance on your future smartphone. Additionally this means less bloatware and more memory space as well.
It should be noted that Google is not necessarily killing off these apps (they will still be on Google Play Store for downloads). Instead, the search giant is not shoving them on your smartphone.
Google is set to reduce the number pre-installed apps in its suite on smartphones. (Source: AP)
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