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Do you mean Android the open source project that pretty much everyone agrees is mostly useless on its own? Or Android as in Google Play, the proprietary software that Google controls fully?

It was easy. They just started using the same name, “Android”, for loads of proprietary stuff, and the geeks didn't care because they were too busying sucking up to Google for not being Microsoft.



AOSP is not "useless own its own". I don't know how you got that idea. Custom ROMs are every bit as capable as Google-flavored Android.


I said “mostly” useless on its own.

I believe Lineage and co have to supply their own replacements for some important features, and/or use the proprietary Google Play Services.

AOSP isn't a usable base product, like Chromium for example.

(That's my understanding anyway. It's quite possible I'm wrong!)




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