Actually, there are a number of different UI's available, some being made by third party developers. The phone is being branded as open, so you are allowed to pick and choose the interface you like best and change it. Manufacturers like their own interfaces, because they feel they best match their hardware set, or further increases the strength with the specific handset.
Maybe I misunderstood or am ill-informed but I've read many times on different tech blogs that it can't be called a "Google experience" phone without the stock Android UI.. but now as evident on the Hero's back'… but now looking at the Droid Eris's back it does have it.. so maybe something chanced.
I actually appreciate this process. I would be upset too if I had to pay for software updates on my G1. So far, the upgrades have all been free. I doubt it has had much effect on iPod Touch users, $4.95 or not.
Google is running an open source project. If you are going to make an OS compatible with many handsets, you have to take steps to make sure it all works right. A nice year long run up to an official Google phone has done well to benefit consumers, carriers and handset makers. Devs got to experience a live environment, Google got tons of feedback, and Android proved to be successful.
What consumer would trust a company that holds all the control over a device and has shown in the past to withhold upgrades in favor of drumming up interest in later models? The answer, ironically, is a lot of consumers would trust such a system. Cheers iPhone users.
My point was if this phone does have a "Real Android" what are the chances older phones get it or hell even brand new ones like the Droid. Secondly, how would owners of phones like the Droid, like the HTC Hero(s) who just bought them months prior would feel about Google.. and is it really possible that Google could be keeping some kind of amazing OS for themselves for the past year?
Part of what Android is here for is to continue the dominance of their search and have more people use their products gmail, voice, etc.. it would really be a pretty foolish thing for them make an Android phone to end all, especially if they think it can compete with a next generation iPhone.
Android's strength is that there is a device for everyone on almost every network, Google if it does have some amazing "real" android would be lowering that down to "Lots of devices running baby Android with one real Android phone" which basically puts it right there with Apple offering one device and I don't think that's a war Google is going to win.
Also, I'm not an iPhone user anymore, AT&T and the other GSM providers in my area are terrible so I got a Motorola Droid which I love, so maybe part of this is I don't want it to look like it's going to be running a secondary OS that might not get support in the future if all the attention will be provided to this "Real Android"'
Another huge hole in this is that if this is a GSM phone that provides only VOIP data (which along with my carrier comment) VOIP only works well over 3G, there is no way in hell it works well over EDGE and unfortunately T-Mobile's 3G area is tiny and AT&T's is fairly unreliable and also not exactly huge.
Is it entirely possible Google might want to sell a unlocked GSM phone? Sure, I think they already offered a G1 for development.. of course this might be pushed more to consumers, but I just highly doubt that it's going to be some insane device with VOIP only, with some brand new OS (pics that just leaked show vanilla Android) or anything, it could very well just be a Google branded Bravo.
