AT&T Locks Sirius XM Out of Android Phones

[Dave Farber <dfarber () me com>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Charley Kline <csk () mail com>
> Date: June 16, 2010 10:38:52 PM EDT
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: AT&T Locks Sirius XM Out of Android Phones
> Reply-To: csk () mail com

> In a stunning move, AT&T (T) has locked Sirius XM (SIRI) out of all of its Android based phones. AT&T’s new HTC Aria 
> Android based phone, which is scheduled to be released on June 20th, will be locked to prevent the downloading of 
> Sirius XM’s Android app. AT&T’s Motorola (MOT) Backflip has already been locked to prevent the downloading of the app 
> as well. This is the result of AT&T’s decision to lock out all non-Android Market apps, including the Sirius XM app, 
> from being downloaded to its Android based phones.
> AT&T’s decision to not embrace the open source nature of the Android OS is surprising, especially in light of CEO 
> Ralph de la Vega’s previous comments regarding the Android platform. In an interview with Engadgethe seemed to 
> indicate the opposite:
> We like the Android as an operating system on its own, but we want to make sure that we have, and customers have the 
> option, to put applications on that device that are not just Google (GOOG), applications, so when the G1 came out and 
> T-Mobile (DT) launched it, it’s primarily a Google phone. And we want to give customers the choice of other 
> applications on that device, not just the same Google applications … the whole idea behind Android is that it’s gonna 
> be an open OS, and so I don’t wanna roll an open OS to market that has primarily Google apps on it, and I think 
> that’s gonna happen. I mean, I see a lot of activity, I think it’s got a good future, and I think it makes a lot of 
> sense that the OS is open-source, separate from Google apps that are also very good.
> Why isn’t Sirius XM’s online streaming app available from the Android Market? Pandora, Slacker, Last.fm, along with 
> many other streaming apps, are currently available from the Android Market. Sirius XM’s April 23rd announcement 
> stated that the app “will be available as a free download through the Android Market on the handset or by 
> visitingsiriusxm.com/android.” The company’s May 28th press releaseannouncing the launch of the app then dropped the 
> Android Market download option, simply stating: “The SIRIUS XM App is available by visiting siriusxm.com/android.” 
> The reasons for this have not been made public as of now. While many unanswered questions remain, AT&T’s decision to 
> lock out non-Android Market apps risks alienating customers who want Sirius XM.
>  
> http://seekingalpha.com/article/210408-at-t-locks-sirius-xm-out-of-android-phones?source=yahoo



-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com