Google closes Android, killing the open ecosystem dream
Android 17 is the first major Android release since 3.x to ship new APIs before releasing source code to AOSP. The thread is full of people who have been watching this slow-motion closure for years, finally naming it as complete. GrapheneOS contributors noted specific roadblocks: delayed source patches, embargos, and attestation issues that make no technical sense but make perfect competitive sense.
The pattern: Google used openness to win the platform war against Apple, and is now using the same playbook Apple used to lock in the ecosystem it built. The duopoly comment in the thread is accurate. There are no viable third options at scale, which means Google faces no meaningful pressure to stay open. Android started as an alternative to iOS's closed garden and has become structurally indistinguishable from it.
The frustration in the thread is palpable but not naive. People understand why Google is doing this, they just resent that the community goodwill that built Android's ecosystem is being cashed out.
So what?
If you're building on Android APIs, your dependency on Google's goodwill just got more explicit. The AOSP buffer that let alternative distributions exist and let developers stay ahead of changes is shrinking. Plan for a world where Android development means Google development, with all the platform risk that implies.