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My love affair with Android has been… tumultuous, to say the least.
I have a first-gen Samsung Vibrant, a Galaxy-S device bought at launch. It currently runs Android 2.2 (FroYo).
The first problem is Android 2.2 itself. Where is my Gingerbread update, Samsung? Should I ask T-Mobile instead? Maybe being stuck on 2.2 is my main issue — and I’m not willing to root/install a different OS.
My phone, as much as I love it, will crash for no reason from time to time. Usually it starts with a freeze, followed by the screen going to sleep. Soon enough the phone won’t let me “wake it up,” forcing me to pull the battery. Ouch.
(I feel like a BlackBerry Bold owner, ha ha. Yes, I’ll be here all week!)
The browser will force-close every couple days. The Audible application usually force closes on start, but it works on the 2nd try.
I still have the nasty wi-fi bug where once disabled, wi-fi might never come back (a reboot is required).
In short, I have an undying love for Android but Google needs to address these issues if they want to beat Apple. An iPhone is infinitely more reliable — and stable — than any Android phone so far.
Come on, Google. You don’t want to be the Windows Millennium of the smartphone wars!
Google recently admitted that 50-plus applications found in the Android Market were infected by the Droid Dream malware. The scary discovery — partly ameliorated by the deployment of Google’s Kill Switch tool — underscores the platform’s vulnerability to such attacks.
Yes, Android is as open as a mobile OS can be. Developers have unmatched freedom to upload and update their apps, unlike Apple’s App Store. Most (if not all) welcome it, but even Android fanboys like me admit that this much openness can backfire sometimes.
The sad truth is that Android’s openness is an “open” invitation to malware authors. Mobile malware started life with Symbian and Windows Mobile in the early 2000s, but Android’s explosive growth makes it an ideal target for cybercriminals:
- Worldwide reach: check
- Volume installs: check
- Open platform (i.e. not a walled-garden): check
Android phones can give them access to:
- Personal info to be used in social engineering (contact list, memos, etc)
- Passwords to social networks
- Personal data that can be used for blackmailing attempts (photos, videos)
- Financial info
Kill Switch or not, Google needs to step up their game. Right now, Apple can absolutely hammer Google on security, which could scare potential smartphone owners. If we lose this war, it can’t be because we are an unsafe platform. That would be just… Sad.
Google needs an automated malware scanning system, one that would go over each submission and refer positives to an Android Engineer. That’s the only way to keep bad guys at bay — and our little green friend healthy for the next Apple showdown at the O.K. Corral.
Did the news on new Android malware change your opinion of Android? Let’s hear it in the comments!
