Why Cyanogen wants Google to leave Android alone

Cyanogen’s CEO Kirt Mcmaster has plans to take over Android from Google so that OEM and third party developers can integrate their services better. Cyanogen has plans to do so in the next 3 to 5 years.

At an event in San Francisco McMaster introduced himself “I’m the CEO of Cyanogen. We’re attempting to take Android away from Google.” He said “We’re making a version of Android that is more open so we can integrate with more partners so their servicers can be tier one services, so startups working on [artificial intelligence] or other problems don’t get stuck having you have to launch a stupid little application that inevitably gets acquired by Google or Apple. These companies can thrive on non-Google Android.”

• Cyanogen wants to take away Android from Google because Cyanogen wants Android to be completely open platform down to its core so that more third party developers can create highly integrated applications and services for the platform.
• Kirt envisions that in times to come developers working in Android development may no longer have to rely on Google to develop and deliver core operating system elements. These developers could just develop their features and designs on their own with Cyanogen running the game.
• McMaster revealed plans that Cyanogen is building its own app store and native app ecosystem. The new app store by Cyanogen will be available within the next 18 months.

Cyanogen, one of the biggest custom ROM maker for Android was recently in the news for removing support for OnePlus One in India due to their exclusive deal with Micromax. This caused Cyanogen to receive a lot of flak from not only Indian OnePlus One customers but from the international press as well.

OnePlus One Indian version on the left and OnePlus One International version on the right

These unfortunate developments and voiced revelations made by Cyanogen’s CEO Kirt McMaster are very contradictory. On one hand Cyanogen shortened its support for community favorite OnePlus due to the fact that they signed an exclusive deal with Micromax and on other hand they want to help third party developers to build better apps if and when they part ways with Google.

It wouldn't be a big jump to say that in next five years or so Cyanogen may take a different path than Google and may take the Android development to a more forked and developer oriented level. The developer community of Android is concerned over the fact that since Cyanogen is a venture funded company, it may deviate from the original ethos of this community project. Also according to various forums, developers are concerned that Cyanogen’s long term plan could be to sell software licenses of its forked Android version to OEMs.

Google meanwhile has not commented on the matter but looking at past instances, if and when Cyanogen tries to introduce a new app store of its own, Google will likely shun Cyanogen.

Whatever the future holds for Cyanogen and its vision of Android, we believe that it needs to regain the community's trust after the OnePlus One debacle.

Source: Android Authority, OnePlus one Forums,