Google has been accused by Chinese search giant Alibaba of blocking the launch of an Acer CloudMobile A800 smartphone powered by the Alibaba’s Aliyun operating system.
According to Alibaba, Acer’s caling off of the press event for the launch of the device was under direct pressure form Google, which claimed that Aliyun deployed the upgraded Android software making it non-compatible.
Alibaba’s Cloud Computing unit said in a statement: "Our partner received notification from Google that if the new product with Aliyun went ahead, Google would terminate Android product cooperation and related technical authorisation with Acer."
Google’s senior vice president of mobile and digital content Andy Rubin countered as saying: "If you want to benefit from the Android ecosystem, then make the choice to be compatible."
The suspected threat carried weight following Acer’s unveiling of three Android-powered smartphones in Hong Kong, including CloudMobile S500, Liquid Gallent E350 and Liquid Glow E330.
Google said in a statement that compatibility is at the heart of the Android ecosystem and ensures a consistent experience for developers, manufacturers and consumers.
"Non-compatible versions of Android, like Aliyun, weaken the ecosystem," Google said.
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Alibaba’s Aliyun system, which is based on the Linux kernel, was launched in July 2012 in a bid to ensure users would continue to shop through the firm’s e-commerce system.
Alibaba’s vice president of international corporate affairs John Spelich said in a counter statement as "Aliyun OS is not part of the Android ecosystem so of course Aliyun OS is not and does not have to be compatible with Android."
