In the past, Android phones could come with any theme the manufacturer or developer wanted. For example, Android 2.2 and Android 2.3 had different themes, but anyone could change that to their liking. This meant that some apps did not look as good on every theme, giving them a less polished look. Google has had a enough with this, and is starting a new requirement to all developers and manufacturers. To have access to the Android Market, the device must use the default “Holo” theme of Ice Cream Sandwich.

This isn’t completely locked down, as Google will provide an API for developers to allow customization to the theme, but it will still remain intact with the original experience. By doing this Google is hoping to make all apps created with the Android 4.0 SDK look like they belong on every single Ice Cream Sandwich device with the Android Market. Compatibility will remain intact for older devices, but they will still look like Android 4.0 apps. Do you feel like Google is slowly locking down Android? Is this a smart move? Let us know in the comments!

via Android Developers Blog
image via PhoneDog