Google tightens its grip

[Pliablemoose]

Other navigation options are only free now because Google killed the nav market with it's free nav.

Devices listed in the link weren't mainstream, much less were they offered through carriers. For the US market, Android devices offered in the US. before nexus 1 were nowhere near it's performance. The Droid 1 was out, tru and it did perform great but it was limited to Verizon's network.

Nexus 1 was the the first high end Android phone targeting all US customers. I could be wrong and it could have been simply a matter of time for those devices to come but I doubt it. Android was still in it's infancy so very hard to tell.

Depending on how enticing sales through Amazon are for devs, I can see it taking off, even to a point where devs only offer lite versions through the market and full on Amazon to bypass Google taking their cut. Would hurt Google's income that way but not Android as a platform.

As for android phones without google services, let me know when that takes off and how the alternative services provider would differ his approach.

All the Nexus One did was to piss off the manufacturers/carriers and confuse them, I've run every version of Android since 1.1 on a G1, and follow the industry pretty closely. Google killed it and has worked with carrier/manufacturer branded devices ever since, because the carriers outside of TMobile refused to provide unsubsidized contracts.

It was a a half baked idea that they abandoned and then spun to look like they knew what they were doing. I have one lying around somewhere...

The mobile industry is pretty fluid, and Google needs to watch what it's doing or it will become an also run OS.

 

[Fire&Blood]

True, the nexus sale model was a nice idea but implementation failed hard.

Absolutely agree that Google needs to stay on it's toes but I think that's valid for any OS. You snooze, you lose in the mobile industry.
IMO, Google has yet to please developers in a manner that Apple does.

Apple's original iphone and it's success were a wake up call. The fact that OEM's gathered around Google's Android rather than creating their own platforms leads me to believe that Google is somewhat safe unless they make several big mistakes in a row.

On the other hand, I expect Apple to target Sony's and Nintendo's mobile gaming much harder, either through a mobile console of their own or with more content on existing devices.
If it happens, it will be interesting to see how Android responds.

 

[Aikouka]

On the other hand, I expect Apple to target Sony's and Nintendo's mobile gaming much harder, either through a mobile console of their own or with more content on existing devices.
If it happens, it will be interesting to see how Android responds.

I've complained about it plenty of times, but I'll reiterate that I don't think Apple will be a true contender until they fix their mobile gaming "model." The segmentation between devices because of non-universal apps and multiple game-tracking APIs is problematic.

 

[Mopetar]

The mobile industry is pretty fluid, and Google needs to watch what it's doing or it will become an also run OS.

I don't know if the carriers would want to completely kill off Android if they don't have some viable choice to replace it. The carriers really don't care what kind of smart phone they're selling as they get to sell valuable data plans, but if Android were to go away right now the dominant phone platform would be the iPhone and the carriers might be very wary about giving Apple that much leverage. If HP does well with the release of the next Pre, WP7 starts to take off, or MeeGo starts to become more mature, then the carriers might not have a problem with getting rid of Android, but right now it's their best card against Apple.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I don't know if the carriers would want to completely kill off Android if they don't have some viable choice to replace it. The carriers really don't care what kind of smart phone they're selling as they get to sell valuable data plans, but if Android were to go away right now the dominant phone platform would be the iPhone and the carriers might be very wary about giving Apple that much leverage. If HP does well with the release of the next Pre, WP7 starts to take off, or MeeGo starts to become more mature, then the carriers might not have a problem with getting rid of Android, but right now it's their best card against Apple.

Agreed, but it won't be this way forever...

Google does some pretty stupid stuff for being the smartest guys in the room...