"[Google] has been gradually eroding Android’s open-source capacity in the last decade.
For example, it recently released the source code for Android 16 without the device trees and drivers for its Pixel phones. Device trees tell the operating system what hardware is present in the device: camera, display, speakers, Bluetooth, and so on. Drivers provide instructions for how to use these components. Without them, your phone is just an expensive paperweight.
In March, Google said that it would develop Android behind closed doors. Previously everyone could see the code as it was being written. Developers working on alternative versions could grab this prerelease code, make their changes, and test them on actual devices. They could release their versions just days after Google. Now they must wait for months until Google dumps the code alongside the stable release. This greatly delays the development cycle for competitors.
In 2023, Google deprecated the open-source Dialer and Messaging features and made future versions proprietary. This means that others must build their own software to make phone calls or send text messages from scratch. Over the years, Google has moved many crucial features, such as the camera, keyboard, and push notifications, from the open-source project to its closed-source black box. Competitors must now spend their scarce resources on reinventing the wheel rather than implementing new features.
Being open source helped Android compete against the iPhone and swiftly dominate the global smartphone market. Manufacturers could quickly adapt it to their devices and sell at lower prices than they could if they had to make their own operating systems from scratch. But now that it has captured the market, Google is rolling up the ladder behind it to keep competition at bay."
https://jacobin.com/2025/07/google-android-smartphones-open-source
