Google has stopped selling Galaxy Nexus device from Google Play Store as Apple deposits around $96 million bond demanded by the court in a controversial decision. The reason of why the sale of the devices has been halted is unknown, as Google has not released any statement. What it does mean is US citizens can no longer buy the device from Google Play Store.
However, Google and Samsung are working on circumventing the ban. Google will be pushing an OTA update which will limit the search functionality to web and remove the ability to search local content, emails, apps etc. Voice search will also meet similar fate. It is ironic that Google is a pioneer in search technologies and just because the company stayed away from patenting every stupid process, and Apple did, it is suffering.
Google will be pushing this patch today and it is expected that the company will start selling the device from Google Play.
Apple's issue with Galaxy Nexus was mainly the search feature. As Google told The Verge:
The standout feature of Android 4.1 — Google Now — will be safe when 4.1 arrives for the general public. "This just relates to the Galaxy Nexus," the spokesperson told us, "and not a product on the Galaxy Nexus."
The good news is once Galaxy Nexus sales resume, as the page is stating, the device will come with Jelly Bean aka Android 4.1.
Samsung is expected to be appealing the ruling again.
Anger Among Users
There is extreme anger among users who have been vocal on social networking sites like Google+ and Twitter against this ruling. Commenting on the court decision TechDirt published the article 'Dear Judge Koh: Competition Is No Reason To Ban A Phone'.
An excerpt from the article:
"losing substantial market share" is what competition is all about. If someone comes out with a better product, then the other company should lose substantial market share. That doesn't deserve an injunction. That harms the market, who clearly -- even by Apple's own admission, apparently -- wants the other product more."
#BoycottApple is still trending on Google+.
Swapnil Bhartiya
A free software fund-a-mental-ist and Charles Bukowski fan, Swapnil also writes fiction and tries to find cracks in a proprietary company's 'paper armours'. He is a big movie buff and prefers listening to music at such high volumes that he's gone partially deaf when it comes to identifying anything positive about proprietary companies. You can follow him on Twitter, Google+ & Facebook. You can write to him on editor at muktware dot com
