Vamien McKalin email: v.mckalin@mobilenapps.com
Android is successful in almost every territory enters, Google is happy about that because it can place more advertisements in front of users. However, despite Android's success, Google is wary of Samsung, the company that possesses the power to make or break Android.
During a Google meeting last year, Andy Rubin, the big man behind Android's development, told executives that he was thrilled by Samsung's massive sales with Android, and he then went on to state that if Samsung continues to grow its lead over other Android manufacturers, the Korean giant could become a threat in the near future.
The threat Rubin speaks of is centered on the possibility that Samsung might demand a higher percentage of Google's mobile advertisement income, which stems from search, Gmail, YouTube and other products.
Of all Android-based smartphones shipped in 2012, 42 percent of that is from Samsung; the handset maker second to Samsung only managed to ship 6 percent according to Gartner figures. That's a huge lead and one that should not be taken lightly by Google. Furthermore, the IDC put Samsung's smartphone shipment for 2012 at 212 million units; the likes of HTC only managed 32 million, so no wonder Google is feeling the pinch here.
Google will want to approach the situation carefully, for if the company puts Samsung in a corner, it could fork Android in similar ways compared to Amazon, a move that would definitely see Android's fall from grace. So far, Google's back-up plan, which is the acquisition of Motorola, is not paying off as yet, and this means the big G would have no other choice but bow to Samsung demands.
The much-talked-about Motorola X phone could be the killer device Google is looking for, but it will have to go up against the Samsung Galaxy 4 and the HTC One, and that is no easy task.
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