There's no
subtlety to Cyanogen's ambitions. CEO Kirt McMaster makes a habit of fiery
rhetoric, recently proclaiming his operating system is "putting a bullet
through Google's head."
Yes, that
means no Gmail, Chrome, Google Search, or Play Store. The details aren't final,
but McMaster tells Forbes the plan is to ship the phone with alternatives like
the Opera web browser, Amazon Appstore, Nokia's Here maps and Spotify for
music.
The company
also plans to build its own app store, though there isn't yet a clear path to
how its scheme will churn out enough revenue to sustain the company. Cyanogen
does have some big-name backers in Twitter, Qualcomm, and mogul Rupert Murdoch,
part of a recent $80 million fundraising round.
But while
modders and open source advocates may be enamored with the plan, it's unclear
how much mainstream appeal a truly Google-free device will have. Android may
not be as open as it once was, but there are plenty of custom themes and stock
app alternatives available to suit your fancy.
The story
behind the story: Cyanogen first began as one of many Android modifications—an
alternate version of the operating system for tinkerers to play
with on
their devices. But after Cyanogen was bundled on the OnePlus One the company's
ambitions haven't slowed down, culminating in its vision for a separate and
Google-free operating system. Sales numbers, instead of rhetoric, will
determine how much traction there really is for another mobile operating
system.
