Android Phones Sans Google Services

Yandex introduced new firmware Wednesday that relies on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) to let hardware makers develop their own Android smartphones away from the watchful eyes of Google. The firmware package includes essential apps and user-interface elements, which Yandex is offering for free. This is good news for smartphone manufacturers seeking to offer a differentiated experience, but it comes with a catch. The AOSP program offers the basic benefits of Android without Google's services on board. That means no Play Store, no Gmail,...

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