Sony’s software choices haven’t always been the best but the team over there in the past year has been really stepping up their game. One such way is the far more stripped down version of Xperia devices we’re seeing with Sony adding software where they feel that Android is lacking, most notably in the camera department. Now Sony wants to tackle Android’s crash problems by allowing users to reboot their phones, instead of having to turn them on/off.

 Virtually every OEM has added a reboot option to the power menu because, big surprise, it’s useful. According to Sony’s bug ticket, a reboot option in the power menu is the most requested feature from testers in its Android concept study. The proposed solution is in two commits to AOSP, and it’s a little different than past attempts. Sony wants to add it as a setting in the developer options. So, you’d have to go in and turn on the power menu reboot option if you wanted it. 

But it doesn’t seem like Google wants to play ball.

 Google’s response thus far hasn’t been positive. The issue has been marked as a duplicate and merged with another ticket… one that was closed as “declined” back in February. Oh, Google. The AOSP patches haven’t been accepted or rejected yet, but it seems likely Google will take a pass. Google seems to dislike the idea people would reboot their phones to fix problems, but sometimes that’s what it takes. And Google’s own Nexus troubleshooting app even recommends a reboot. 

No surprise here. Despite Android being proclaimed as an open platform, Google has been closing down the system over the past few years and now more or less requiring Google services. If an OEM opts out of that, Google simply locks them out from the Play Store and other core parts of Android.

This is just another example of Google dictating how they want Android to look and feel. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but counters what Android is supposed to be and what Google claims it is. Hell, Google is running an entire ad campaign based around it.

I guess Android can be “not the same” as long as Google dictates what that is.

Edit:

It’s worth pointing out that Android did have a reboot option in prior builds and that it’s been removed in Marshmallow.

Discuss:

Do you think your phone would benefit from having a reboot option?

[Via Android Police]