Google vs Samsung- bring it on...
08/12/12 15:31 Filed in: iPhone
Please don’t tell me there isn’t someone at Google HQ thinking, “Samsung; they owe us everything!
Google developed a free operating system for smartphones (later for tablets) and Samsung are currently riding this wave, making billions off the back of their OS. Sure, Samsung make great hardware, but would they have sold as many phones with Windows as the operating system- of course not!
So this poses the question- not if but when the relationship turns sour, what will Google’s new terms be? Right now Samsung make the profit and Google provide the fuel. But what happens when Google comes to look for its cut and insists that it is time for a share in the rewards?
There are three possibilities for 2013-4:
Hypothesis 1: Google ask Samsung and all Android smartphones (plus tablets) for a license fee. Google decides that if one of the main selling points for a Samsung smartphone is their Android operating system, why shouldn’t they get their fair share? Why not charge Samsung 30 dollars per handset and turn Android into the world’s most profitable smartphone operating system? Sane for HTC and all other smartphone manufacturers. Now that Android is established in first or second place throughout the world, why shouldn’t Google now take its fair share of the margins in this market?
Hypothesis Two: Google develops its own handsets and overtakes Samsung, offering a direct rival to the iPhone, where Apple control handset and OS together. A true Google-Android phone could be optimised for speed and features, with Google preparing their handsets to match the latest release of their Android OS. Samsung becomes the also-rans, catching up with Google’s cutting edge handsets. Google have started down this route, but what happens if this becomes their main goal- to take on Samsung directly?
Hypothesis Three: Android is split into two versions, with the enhanced version being available on Google handsets. The second version, provided to third parties might lack certain features. An example of this was Google Maps on the iPhone, which lacked navigation. Instead Google kept these features for the Android version, thus leaving the iPhone Maps experience was lacking. So what if Google began to build in these new features to their Goole handsets, but delaying them in the Android versions distributed to Samsung and HTC?
Who knows what 2013 will bring, but with Samsung becoming the largest smartphone manufacturer off Google’s OS development, please don’t tell me someone at Google has not considered these options…
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Google developed a free operating system for smartphones (later for tablets) and Samsung are currently riding this wave, making billions off the back of their OS. Sure, Samsung make great hardware, but would they have sold as many phones with Windows as the operating system- of course not!
So this poses the question- not if but when the relationship turns sour, what will Google’s new terms be? Right now Samsung make the profit and Google provide the fuel. But what happens when Google comes to look for its cut and insists that it is time for a share in the rewards?
There are three possibilities for 2013-4:
Hypothesis 1: Google ask Samsung and all Android smartphones (plus tablets) for a license fee. Google decides that if one of the main selling points for a Samsung smartphone is their Android operating system, why shouldn’t they get their fair share? Why not charge Samsung 30 dollars per handset and turn Android into the world’s most profitable smartphone operating system? Sane for HTC and all other smartphone manufacturers. Now that Android is established in first or second place throughout the world, why shouldn’t Google now take its fair share of the margins in this market?
Hypothesis Two: Google develops its own handsets and overtakes Samsung, offering a direct rival to the iPhone, where Apple control handset and OS together. A true Google-Android phone could be optimised for speed and features, with Google preparing their handsets to match the latest release of their Android OS. Samsung becomes the also-rans, catching up with Google’s cutting edge handsets. Google have started down this route, but what happens if this becomes their main goal- to take on Samsung directly?
Hypothesis Three: Android is split into two versions, with the enhanced version being available on Google handsets. The second version, provided to third parties might lack certain features. An example of this was Google Maps on the iPhone, which lacked navigation. Instead Google kept these features for the Android version, thus leaving the iPhone Maps experience was lacking. So what if Google began to build in these new features to their Goole handsets, but delaying them in the Android versions distributed to Samsung and HTC?
Who knows what 2013 will bring, but with Samsung becoming the largest smartphone manufacturer off Google’s OS development, please don’t tell me someone at Google has not considered these options…
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