The Achilles' heel in Google's phone plan

Iria · Nov 12, 2007, 08:09 PM

Source: News.com
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Can Google grovel? Probably not well, at least not initially, and that could become a major problem in its plans to create a cell phone platform that will compete with Microsoft, Research In Motion, and Apple. Technically, a subsidiary called Android will oversee the project, but it's an appendage of the big G.

The problem is that Android (and by extension Google) will inherently be in a subservient position to the carriers and cell phone makers. The carriers own the direct contracts with the customer. The carriers and the handset makers as the customers, meanwhile, can pick and choose which software layers to include in their phones. Most likely, they will work with all of the big platforms and chronically play them off against one another.

Nov 12, 2007, 08:09 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	The Achilles' heel in Google's phone plan Source: News.com ________ Can Google grovel? Probably not well, at least not initially, and that could become a major problem in its plans to create a cell phone platform that will compete with Microsoft, Research In Motion, and Apple. Technically, a subsidiary called Android will oversee the project, but it's an appendage of the big G. The problem is that Android (and by extension Google) will inherently be in a subservient position to the carriers and cell phone makers. The carriers own the direct contracts with the customer. The carriers and the handset makers as the customers, meanwhile, can pick and choose which software layers to include in their phones. Most likely, they will work with all of the big platforms and chronically play them off against one another.