Every Man Is An Island: The Fragmentation of Android

Android as a running system has had some exceptional achievements over the previous few years. Android producers took a returned seat to Apple; Android turned into suitable, but iOS turned into better, the critics stated. Over the previous few years, Android’s success has critics seeing the Apple enemy in a whole new mild, with some suggesting that the future of the phone enterprise lies with Android producers and no longer with the Apple Corporation – an organization that many as soon as thought turned into invincible and beyond failed.

Fragmentation of Android

Android’s fulfillment became presupposed to emerge as an awesome element; it turned into alleged to assist Android producers in seeing the achievement they may reap and propel them to heights they had never dreamed of. Android’s success became speculated to be its producers’ incentive and effect to surpass Apple and iOS. I worry the worst, but: with Android’s growing fulfillment, its manufacturers are starting to see their very own individual companies as “superstars,” dividing Android, once a cohesive whole, into character portions or fragments. We are getting ready for the fragmentation of Android.

Before you placed this newsletter down and walk away, let me explain. Earlier this week at the International CES, LG Electronics announced that the Nexus four was best the primary of collaborative efforts with Google: “Through our collaboration with Google, we launched the LG Nexus 4 phone. This is the primary of many devices to come from our growing partnership with this very selective company” (underline mine).

What this indicates is that we can look forward to a Nexus five and 6, possibly a “Nexus 9” or “Nexus eleven” one nowadays (relying on how the Nexus smartphones are named, in contrast to the Nexus drugs). Sometime after LG made this announcement, but, the International Business Times claimed that “the Nexus four manufacturing ‘is said to have [been] halted,’ with LG interested in constructing its subsequent-gen devices” (Chris Smith, “Nexus 4 production reportedly halted, as LG is that specialize in destiny smartphones, Nexus five blanketed?”). What is that this intended to intend? To be blunt, LG has decided to abandon the Nexus 4 in choose of its own smartphones. Supposedly, the LG Optimus G has made the company develop confidence in transferring ahead to strengthen its personal reason. As for its mission with Google? LG looks to work with them in the future, but no definite time body became given in which the two companies could come together. Consumers who wanted to get their palms on a Nexus four are now left anticipating the following Nexus challenge (which might be in a year or two).

Fragmentation of Android

In an article I wrote on the Google X Phone, I said that it might now not be a smart circulate for Google to push Samsung out of the manner. I assumed that Samsung could need to live in the Android manufacturing group. While Samsung’s telephones have made Android the OS to be envied, Samsung has also been working on an OS of its very own: Tizen. Reports have surfaced within the ultimate weeks that Samsung will produce greater Tizen telephones than ever earlier. What this indicates is that Samsung, which has in no way gone public approximately its “OS inside the wings,” intends to promote its very own OS in its own hardware this year. Some say that that is in reaction to Google’s plans to create an X smartphone; considering that Google published its declaration first, I could not be amazed if Samsung’s decision to press ahead has something to do with Google’s preference to rule Android (and Samsung’s preference to rule Tizen).

Now, LG has progressed and made the identical pass as Google: identifying to place its personal work before the partnership between itself and Google. LG’s pass may also be a political reaction to Google’s X phone assertion: because Google is moving forward with its very own telephone, LG looks to do the same. Unlike Google or Samsung, however, it does now not have the economic assets to continue producing one line of smartphones even as operating on a new line, so it has determined to pull its sources together and begin on any other smartphone (past the LG Optimus G and Nexus 4). What this says to the patron is the following: “while LG and Google produced an excellent cellphone together, not anything matters more than our own telephone line and organization called. If left to select among our phones and a partnership cellphone, the companion phone venture might be the first to head.” This does not bode well for a corporation that, until the Optimus G and Nexus 4, became not recognized for its phone collections.

With Google’s move to create a 100% Google telephone, Samsung’s pass to have its personal autonomous Tizen OS, and LG’s withdrawal from its Google challenge to pursue its very own line, we’ve got the start of what is called “the fragmentation of Android.” This curious declaration refers back to the breakdown of what was once a unified OS, a group of cellphone and software producers who, as soon as unified, decided to head their very own separate approaches and create their personal Android flavors that stick out from the relaxation. The fragmentation of Android refers back to the breakdown of a unified OS into individual businesses and their tech achievements. In different phrases, groups that once said, “it’s about we” (more than one producer) will now say “It’s about me” (our one corporation)!

This attitude, lamentably, will show destructive for Android as an entire. Android has emerged as a success thru not best its harmony but also its diversity. The range of the Android atmosphere, running collectively with the settlement of its hardware manufacturers, has kept the running device collectively – even though the days while it struggled to compete with Apple’s iOS. There is harmony in diversity and variety in team spirit, and those standards have made Android what it’s far from nowadays. Unfortunately, Android producers are beginning to believe that there may be no variety in harmony (simplest in the division); this mindset will permit Apple to divide and overcome its approach to remain on top inside the smartphone world.

Apple has made its fulfillment appear with a dictatorial, different strategy. The organization produces its personal OS and maintains stern management over its vendors and plans. It does everything for itself, and simplest does what it wants to do. Samsung has already proven in 2012 while it beat Apple in the ultimate zone ($8.Three billion vs. Apple’s $8.2 billion) that running with Google has been a hit project, as opposed to going at the tech industry by myself. Now that Samsung has verified that “there is no ‘I’ in ‘crew,'” Android manufacturers have to do what they can retain to push their economic profits above that of Apple. This year, but Android producers are beginning to assume that they could accomplish greater on their own than they can in collaboration with others. This is a risky mindset only to depart a course of destruction in the back of. The reality is within the sales: If customers are compelled to select among organizations rather than operating structures, Google and Samsung will rack up sales simultaneously as companies including HTC, LG, and other lesser-regarded names will lose inside the smartphone war.

Fragmentation of Android

Englishman John Donne once wrote the announcement “No guy is an island”; if that is real, Donne’s phrases couldn’t be truer than in the current Android occasions. Android’s fulfillment has come thru its collaboration and innovation – an aggregate as opposed to isolation. Take away one of the two elements of the equation, and the Android “I-land” will become nothing in any respect.

Amanda R. Dubose

Spent high school summers getting to know dogmas in Minneapolis, MN. Spent several years merchandising walnuts worldwide. My current pet project is researching Slinkies in Jacksonville, FL. Spoke at an international conference about testing the market for action figures in Hanford, CA. Spent the better part of the 90's lecturing about cellos in Orlando, FL. Spent 2001-2007 building sausage in Naples, FL. Tv fanatic. Internetaholic. Travel expert. Incurable zombie nerd. Coffee advocate. Hardcore web trailblazer. Gamer.