“Google doesn’t want to sit around while its Android ecosystem becomes ever more fragmented,” Parmy Olson reports for Forbes. “It’s apparently looking at ways to exert more control, Apple-style, of Android smartphones by having a say in the creation of their processors.”
“Google has been talking to chip manufacturers about building smartphone processors that are based on Google’s own designs, according to a report in The Information,” Olson reports. “The report didn’t specify which chip manufacturers Google was talking to, but Qualcomm, MediaTek and Samsung are the biggest vendors for Android phones. Qualcomm is the most ubiquitous, MediaTek is focused on lower-cost Android phones and Samsung’s Exynos chipsets go into its own devices.”
“It’s hard to see Qualcomm agreeing to this sort of partnership with Google, since ceding control over design would start to commoditize its business and make it harder to differentiate from other chip makers,” Olson reports. “Google wants to make Android more competitive with Apple’s iOS ecosystem, which has been gaining market share over the last year while still-dominant Android has declined slightly.”
MacDailyNews Take: The “still dominant” Android, with its 8 percent profit share. Apple’s iPhone owns 92% of smartphone industry’s profits.
“Google is looking at chip designs that would allow Android phones to feature virtual and augmented reality services, along with more powerful sensors, according to The Information,” Olson reports. “Google also appears to want future Android chips to support cutting-edge sensors. Some might seem redundant now but are likely to get more use in future, such as sensors that measure distance to help enable virtual-reality environments.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Alphabet Inc. is giving Microsoft a run for its derivative money.
Here’s what Google’s Android looked like before and after they saw Apple’s iPhone:
SEE ALSO:
Android fingerprint sensors aren’t as secure as iPhone’s Touch ID – August 10, 2015
Former Android VP: Apple’s iPhone 6 is ‘the most beautiful smartphone ever built’ – October 28, 2014
Before iPhone, Google’s plan was a Java button phone, Android docs reveal – April 14, 2014
How Google reacted when Steve Jobs revealed the revolutionary iPhone – December 19, 2013
Apple to ITC: Android started at Apple while Andy Rubin worked for us – September 2, 2011
