Taking a Look Back at Google's Romance with Android

Some decisions are taken based on available data and on a hunch. When they turn out to be good, there are many who will praise and commend the decision. If it fails, not many will be around to comfort or provide encouragement. Google took the decision to go Android years back and now commands more than 80% of the smart phone market with this OS. Its nearest competitor is Apple with the iOS and as of now, nobody else seems to be a threat.

Xiaomi Vice President praises Google

So much so that Google has come in for praise from none other than the vice president of Xiaomi. Hugh Barra who had led the mobile business vertical for Google before leaving the company in 2013 commended Google for taking that decision to go Android, saying the company would be able to enjoy its benefits for many more years to come. There have been questions raised from time to time on Google’s decision to go for the Open Source Platform and this praise from Hugh Barra endorses that decision fully. He said that Google could not have managed the levels of adoption as seen now through a closed system. Despite the fragmentation and other issues faced in the market by Google due to the Open Source system, Google is still on a much better wicket due to the enormous volumes it has been able to garner. Readers will remember that the Open Source enabled smart phone makers like Samsung, Xiaomi and even Amazon to develop their own phones upon the Android platform.

Android will not become a paid service

Barra went on to affirm that Google would never make the Android a paid service like the iOS. Google will remain fair to its users and its Open Source system was a wonderful example of how much liberty users have to make their experience a better one without any pre conditions or payment issues. Barra believes a closed system would be too imposing and not what users expect out of a market leader like Google. He goes on to say that the Android decision of Google has been one of the top best developments in the technology sector over the last decade.

Is his comment biased?

Some would argue that since Xiaomi has no intentions of developing their own OS, it suits Barra to heap such praise on Google. But they must also remember that even a company like Samsung did not go far with its own OS and therefore the Android OS is really something that smart phone makers must thank Google for. They have a readymade platform to launch their other services and indigenous capabilities. It is a win-win for Google, such players and also for users as they are getting access to services they would like to use and enjoy. Google though would like to deal with the fragmentation issue and resolve it at the earliest.