How Android isn't Really That Open

GetJar CEO Iljas Laurs noted that Android isn't already as open a platform as Google says because the company is restricting what kinds of Android apps are developed and the technologies used for their creation. He commented that the 30 percent cut of the revenue generated from apps paid out to Google seems to be a tax on developers.

The cut is supposed to account for Google hosting the app, running it on the Android Marketplace, and handling the transaction. While that may be great for some smaller developers, he said larger players may not necessarily need all of those services, and could manage the apps on their own for a lower price.

Laurs said the 30 percent cut is an industry standard only because Apple, which runs a closed system, dictates it.

Google, for its part, has always maintained that Android is an open system, and points to the number of varied vendors and developers that use the platform. The company, to its credit, has been able to draw a diverse mix of partners. But Google's reputation for openness isn't without its question marks.