Secret Android SDK Seeded to Select Developers, Concern Raises About Open Platform

When the Open Handset Alliance debuted, Google made the promise that the platform would be open source and free to developers. The community assumed at the time, and rightfully so, that the SDK would be available to everyone, without bias. However, at time went on and the dated beta development kit made more onlookers question the overall tangibility of the endeavour, many were left wondering what fate was left to the still unreleased mobile operating system. Unfortunately for those left to question, news broke today that will surely break some developers’ hearts.

For whatever reason, Google has been giving out newer versions of the SDK to 50 developers who were finalists in the Android Developer Challenge under NDA. The dealing, which had been unearthed by accident as a Google employee mistakenly sent out a message about build 84853 of the SDK to a pubic mailing list, was awknowledged, but ultimately ignored by both Google and the developers involved.

I believe what most outraged developers are seeking is an explanation. The simple fact that no one was publicly notified of the existence of the newer builds, as Ars Technica points out, did a lot to crush developers’ trust, and perhaps faith, in the platform.

Google vowed that its Linux-based Android mobile platform would empower enthusiasts and amateur developers, but today we have seen compelling evidence that this is an empty promise. Third-party Android application developers, who have grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of SDK updates, were shocked to discover that Google has been secretly making new versions of the Android SDK available to the Android Developer Challenge (ADC) finalists under non-disclosure agreements.