Larry Page, Google CEO has issued the following statement, verbatim, via Google’s Official Blog:
Sergey and I first heard about Android back in 2004, when Andy Rubin came to visit us at Google. He believed that aligning standards around an open-source operating system would drive innovation across the mobile industry. Most people thought he was nuts. But his insight immediately struck a chord because at the time it was extremely painful developing services for mobile devices. We had a closet full of more than 100 phones and were building our software pretty much device by device. It was nearly impossible for us to make truly great mobile experiences.
Fast forward to today. The pace of innovation has never been greater, and Android is the most used mobile operating system in the world: we have a global partnership of over 60 manufacturers; more than 750 million devices have been activated globally; and 25 billion apps have now been downloaded from Google Play. Pretty extraordinary progress for a decade’s work. Having exceeded even the crazy ambitious goals we dreamed of for Android — and with a really strong leadership team in place — Andy’s decided it’s time to hand over the reins and start a new chapter at Google. Andy, more moonshots please!
MacDailyNews Take: Google’s Andy Rubin is going to “start a new chapter?” So, who wrote the original?
Larry continues:
Going forward, Sundar Pichai will lead Android, in addition to his existing work with Chrome and Apps. Sundar has a talent for creating products that are technically excellent yet easy to use—and he loves a big bet. Take Chrome, for example. In 2008, people asked whether the world really needed another browser. Today Chrome has hundreds of millions of happy users and is growing fast thanks to its speed, simplicity and security. So while Andy’s a really hard act to follow, I know Sundar will do a tremendous job doubling down on Android as we work to push the ecosystem forward.
Today we’re living in a new computing environment. People are really excited about technology and spending a lot of money on devices. This is driving faster adoption than we have ever seen before. The Nexus program—developed in conjunction with our partners Asus, HTC, LG and Samsung—has become a beacon of innovation for the industry, and services such as Google Now have the potential to really improve your life. We’re getting closer to a world where technology takes care of the hard work—discovery, organization, communication—so that you can get on with what makes you happiest… living and loving. It’s an exciting time to be at Google.
Posted by Larry Page, CEO
MacDailyNews Take: And where did Andy come from? Apple. Of course.
Oh, by the way: In 2011, Apple told the U.S. ITC: Android started at Apple while Andy Rubin worked for us.
Oh, BTW again, here’s what Google’s Android looked like before and after Apple’s iPhone (Andy was busy cloning BlackBerrys before Steve Jobs showed him the future):
Related article:
Apple to ITC: Android started at Apple while Andy Rubin worked for us – September 2, 2011
FBI’s Android security warning means Apple’s iPhone beats Android for BYOD enterprise – October 16, 2012
FBI issues warning over Android malware attacks – October 15, 2012
Researchers discover serious flaw in Android app security, say HTC and Samsung ignore issue – September 28, 2012
Apple’s iPhone has passed a key security threshold – August 13, 2012
Android permissions flaw allows eavesdropping, data theft, location tracking – December 2, 2011
Massive HTC Android security flaw leaves security expert speechless – October 2, 2011
Apple’s iOS unaffected by malware as Android exploits surge 76% – August 24, 2011
Android malware records phone calls; iPhone users unaffected – August 2, 2011
Symantec: Apple iOS offers ‘full protection,’ Google Android ‘little protection’ vs. malware attacks – June 29, 2011
Malware apps spoof Android Market to infect Android phones – June 21, 2011
Google forced to pull several malware-infested apps from Android market – June 8, 2011
Android malware sees explosive growth; even faster than with PCs – April 27, 2011
Virus-laden apps infest Google’s ‘open’ Android platform; iPhone unaffected – March 3, 2011
Security firm warns of new Android trojan that can steal personal information; iPhone unaffected – December 30, 2010
Trojan infects Android smartphones; iPhone unaffected – August 10, 2010
Millions of Android phone users slammed by malicious data theft app – July 29, 2010
Unlike proactive Apple, reactive Google doesn’t block malware from Android app store – June 4, 2010
Malware designed to steal bank information pops up in Google’s Android app store – January 11, 2010
Secret agent man…
his last words….”my work here is done…”
Most people thought he was nuts because they thought that such a system would be prone to security risks, but Andy assured those critics that no one would really care in the end. It was all about being free. Get some hardware vendors on board and get them to give the product away with the promise of market-share. Forget about profits, at least, for the foreseeable future. “And remember,” said Andy, “you’re not selling software or hardware, you’re selling eyeballs and personal data. You gotta get on this!”
Sounds a little like Microsoft. When the google balloon pops, apple will continue to innovate and grow with quality, solid, and safe products.
Because there’s a place in _____ (we’ve now identified that to be Google) for _____ like Andy Rubin.
Andy is a thief. And his AnybotOS is a sham-scam bloated hack-in-crap. Android should be destroyed. The OS is fuelling profits for the Asian markets not for the American Markets. He laughed at Siri and then provided openness for development to copy yet again where Apple was going. Again he is a thief, a liar and a traitor. Step aside and be punished Andy and Larry.
If Andy were a automotive designer he would not be allowed to design for another manufacture for 5 to 7 years after his leave (so should Apples contracts and employment agreements be set). And more specifically on projects directly related to that which he did in his previous job. That is not fair competition at all.
If iOS and iPhone were a market anything like pharmaceuticals, there would be a protection on innovative drugs for 7 – 9 years. Again so the generic drugs then can come to market afterwards. iPhone had competition the second year.
Android was the closest copy to iOS and Apple should NEVER had allowed them to ever come that close.
Samsung is NOT innovating or designing.
Eye tracking… what a bloody stupid idea… My eyes need to read words not have a device scroll for me. Total ridiculous.
Siri is a much better innovation.. though Apple did not create the voice assistance it does partner with those who it is doing better development in directions Apple can’t.
Look Larry Page is pretty cool. Patents and all the bad blood aside, it’s pretty cool what they have accomplished with Android. They definitely stepped on patents along the way, and it could be way better (from what I’ve seen), but where is the competition? (not counting Apple since they are kind of the holy grail)? … and screw Eric T Mole.
“It’s pretty cool what they have accomplished with Android?” What they’ve accomplished with Android is provided a low-cost knockoff of iOS just like Microsoft did with Windows in knocking off OSX. To me, Google and Microsoft are no better than peddlers of counterfeit Rolexes.
You may be right on some of this. Analysts right and left are proclaiming how Samsung and other Android phone makers are innovating. My question is: If they’re all innovating so much, why are so many data charts showing a lot of traffic from older iterations of Android (Gingerbutt, Honeybucket) and fewer from Ice Cum Sandwich. I haven’t read anything about data points from whatever the J version is (Jelly Booty maybe) or K. Yet bloggers are all in a frenzy about what they expect in IOS 7, and how they’ll pitch a hissy fit if certain predictions aren’t realized.
Gingerbutt?Honeybucket?Ice Cum Sandwich? LOL now REALLY tell how you feel about ____roid! 😉
It says the SOB is starting a new chapter AT google. He’s not going anywhere. Or is it not true?
I thought Google made money in adds not in Android devices that they give the OS away for free to. It is very common knowledge that Apple iOS devices out purchase Android devices in every market they both are in. So, what does this change for Google’s bottom line? Nothing. When Siri and other verbal systems dominate the searches, again, Google gets nothing.
http://www.google.com/mobile/voice-search/
Google realises that Android is not the profit generating machine they originally thought it was going to be. Now that they have won the low end of the market, they have come to a sudden realisation that Android will never turn a profit if you combine the development cost of iterating the OS with the cost of acquiring Motorola, only to have it arrogated by competing hardware manufacturers like Samsung and a thousand Chinese knockoffs that don’t return Google a single cent in advertising as Google has either no presence in that country (China where Baidu, Tencen, etc dominate) or has minimal presence (Korea where Naver dominates).
So Google is literally throwing millions of development costs into the toilet with little returns. As a matter of fact, Google obtains a higher payout from iOS in terms of revenue generation than it does from its own Android platform.
The end result of all this is they will gradually back away from overspending on the Android platform and steer it into a web browser model which needs less development effort to maintain.
Not unless they’re forced to
“…..drive innovation across the mobile industry…” “….Having exceeded even the crazy ambitious goals we dreamed of…” “….a beacon of innovation for the industry…” “….the potential to really improve your life…”
I love understatement.
It’s a sign that Google needs someone else to figure out how to monetize Android.
Honor among thieves. Probably moving to Samedung or Microsoft.
Still hoping ORCL winds appeal in which judge ruked that the APIs Rubin stole from Java for Android were not copyrightable. And also hoping Apple will untimately prevail agains Samedung. Those millions of SI and SIII would mean could mean a big albeit belated payday, far in excess of the original $1 Billions as collectively infringing sales proably have trippled since the last case was filed.
Jesus I hope Oracle gets their a-holes handed to them a second time.
An API is how software systems integrate and communicate. Would you want to pay a fee to use something like an HTTP request? That’s what companies like Oracle are hoping for if they win.
Sun open sourced Java and Oracle tried to violate a software license with that lawsuit.
I don’t think you understand the damage to the industry that would result if Oracle won.
dont be a wiener…
Oracle has every right to profit from what it bought from Sun.
Like other technology JUST pay the royalty of usage through a licensing fee agreement – its totally fair.
Sure they have a right to profit but that does not mean they can just randomly decide to change the license terms of their software and then start suing anyone they want for infringements of the license.
They tried to change the meaning of licensing terms that have been long established and understood in the technology industry.
What would you think if AT&T suddenly sued Apple because they decided they should profit off of OS X and started making the claim that Apple did not pay for a license to various Unix APIs ?
Never mind they gave AT&T Unix to the University of Berkeley and Apple followed the licensing terms set forth in the BSD license, they should have to pay AT&T after the fact ?
That is basically what Oracle tried to pull.
Go, Go Gadget
Holy Moly, the plot thickens! … since 2011. And, what has changed since then? Nothing. Android is spreading wildly and happily all over the world. Again, Apple has lost credits for another tech revolution. Why Windows succeeded? Why Android succeeded? Why Apple lost? A real mystery.
People, there’s no mystery here! Develop an OS for mobile devices, license it for free to hardware manufacturers when the only other option is Windows Mobile, open-source it so that you can talk about how “open” it is, and watch the hardware manufacturers flock to your door. They can rip off the most successful mobile products ever conceived, with total impunity, because the legal system operates at 1/2 the pace of a snail (and is corrupt besides). They can afford to give the mobile devices away with the purchase of a pizza because they spent nothing on R&D. Of course they’re going to flood the market with these devices. Does the guy who buys a pizza care that the OS that runs his device has holes in its excuse for security that a mac truck could drive through? I don’t think so! Not until someone rips off his identity, then he’ll care, but not while he’s eating his pizza. But what really matters here? Certainly not who’s got market share! What matters is who’s making money? Who’s making money on the sale of the device and everything that goes with it? Google? Maybe some, but Android users aren’t surfing the web. They’re not watching video. Not on their mobile devices. iOS users are doing those things. Because they feel safe doing them and they have the requisite intelligence to know how to open a browser or go to Netflix. Come on. Where’s the mystery? What is there here that one needs be upset about? Give that market to Google, or Android purveyors. Who cares? And if Apple starts listening to those arguing for a larger screen, or a cheaper iPhone, know that it’s time to get out of Apple because it’s lost its mojo.
Maybe Android users aren’t surfing the web, but they’re certainly watching video by YouTube. They’re also chatting, emailing, twitting, updating Facebook statuses, reaching places by Google Maps, taking photos, uploading them to Instagram, texting, playing Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies… well, you name the activity and I’ll bet there’s a (Google) app for that. And whom do they give credit to? Google Android!!!! Clap!, Clap, Clap! Who really cares about Apple making more money? Them? Me? I’ll tell you who: Apple shareholders. Stop that tune; not every iPhone and iMac owner also becomes an AAPL owner by default. So, what is left for us, plain Apple fans and users, when pride and credits for tech revolution have been stolen from our lovable company? Let millions of Androids tell a lie a million of times and it’ll become a truth. People believe Google IS the innovator, not Apple… and It’s sad.
Yes, I’m sure that there’s Android users that are doing ‘stuff’. However, particularly when it comes down to the question of the monitization of the consumer’s eyeballs, that there’s something like ~3x more webhits from the iPhone despite the Android now being ~3x more prolific, the ramifications are that the Android sleeps in the consumer’s pocket while the iOS device is in the consumer’s hand (actually being used).
The truth is plainly evident out in the public: even though there’s allegedly many more Androids, that’s not the phone is it that we always see.
-hh
Apple hasn’t lost shit. The Mac has outgrown the PC industry as a whole for 26 straight quarters and counting. Apple margins are the envy of the PC world.
Android hasn’t succeed in anything other than littering the world with pretend iPhones. Apple owns 70% of global smartphone profits.
Lucky you… if you own AAPLs. Otherwise…
That headline has a typo. It meant to say “thief”, not “chief”.
This must mean Andy saw a new product somewhere and is getting ready to clone the future again.
The more I read that Google BS the bigger the Shovel needed!
This is just a Road Warrior test, sorry for the inconvenience.