Samsung Could Soon Start To Twist Google's Arm 214
Hugh Pickens writes "For the past three years, Android has experienced a kind of free space expansion, but as we enter 2012, it seems the game may be changing. Instead of the old 'there's more than enough room for every Android handset maker to be a winner,' we have a three-horse's-length leader: Samsung shipping close to 55% of all Android phones, while Motorola and HTC lag behind. '[Samsung] could be in a position to twist Google's arm,' writes Jean-Louis Gassée.'If last quarter's trend continues — if Motorola and HTC lose even more ground — Samsung's bargaining position will become even stronger.' But what is Samsung's 'bargaining position'? What could they want? Perhaps more search referral money, earlier access to Android releases, or a share of advertising revenue. Will Google let Samsung gain the upper hand? It's not likely, because Motorola is about to become a fully-owned but 'independent' Google subsidiary, and its 16% of the Android market could counterbalance Samsung's influence to some extent. So what could Samsung do? 'Consider the Kindle Fire example: Just like Amazon picked the Android lock, Samsung could grab the Android Open Source code and create its own unlicensed but fully legal smartphone OS and still benefit from a portion of Android apps, or it could build its own app store the way Amazon did,' writes Gassée. 'Samsung is a tough, determined fighter and won't let Google dictate its future. The same can be said of Google. This is going to be interesting.'"
Re:Platform in-fighting (Score:4, Informative)
Samsung already has their own app store. It actually says there's free apps and games in it that aren't available in the normal android marketplace, although I don't know if that's true or not. It's simply called "Samsung Apps" on my phone (Galaxy S) and was there when I bought it.
It's plausible they thought of this back then already and will try to aggressively market it on their phones, possibly in other languages? It even has its own sign-in mechanism.
That could be interesting, I didn't really think about it that way when I got my phone.
Re:It would be a mistake (Score:4, Informative)
Motorola is continuing to make Android hardware while owned by Google, yes.
Google is claiming that they are going to let Motorola's hardware development continue independently, but there are limits to that sort of reasoning. Motorola Mobility now exists to generate a profit for Google and is beholden to Google's shareholders. Every sale Motorola takes from Samsung is now attributable to Google. Heck, if Google hadn't bought Motorola, there is a somewhat decent chance that Motorola would be out of business eventually, and Samsung would have more of the market to itself.
Google saving Motorola probably has hurt Samsung's market share outlook.
Re:Platform in-fighting (Score:2, Informative)
And iOS is the #1 mobile OS on the web, which suggests a large portion of Android users are budget buyers who aren't even using their smartphones as smartphones.
Careful with that quote. Too many use it without realizing that its the iPad that makes up about two thirds of the iOS presence.
Re:How does it happen (Score:5, Informative)
There go the mod points, but what the h*ll, I must reply to this.
"Samsung ping-ponged a bit on ICS for the Galaxy-S, but it looks like they'll be go for it after all."
No, absolutely not. If you have followed the debate enough to know about the ping-ponging, you should have followed it more than enough to read that, no Samsung is NOT bringing ICS to SGS/Tab. The proposed "Value Pack" is *nothing more* than a more bloated version of GB. Android 2.3.6 to be exact, saddled with a couple of ICS-like features (Face Unlock, new lockscreen and video editor, some others) that Sammy thinks will magically make the users happy.
It is not, I repeat, NOT based on Android 4.x in any way, and thus does not bring any sort of compatibility with Android 3.x/4.x apps at all. Which, in my opinion, would have been the primary concern with the update. Perhaps not so much with SGS, but more so with the Tab that is now largely incompatible with almost all tablet-optimized software.
No platform in-fighting (Score:5, Informative)
Gruber is normally full of shit and here he does not disappoint me.
In case we've forgotten, there was a time where IBM controlled almost all of the PC market. They didn't dominate Microsoft.
Right now Intel has 60% + of the Windows CPU market (probably above 75%, but I dont have numbers on hand) and they dont dictate terms to MS. There are only three GPU vendors, Intel, Nvidia and AMD. Do any of them dictate terms to MS?
So, Grubers point is pretty much bollocks.
There is no platform infighting here. HTC are competing with, not fighting against Samsung. Same with Motorola, LG, SonyEriksson and others. Samsung dont hold anything over Google or other vendors.
As they continue to watch the Iphone fall behind in features and market share. Even with the majority of Android phones being sold with 2.3.x they are still outselling Iphones. People are choosing Android, as much as the Iphone fans like to pretend otherwise.