Google is changing its current strategy for its Android mobile operating system. The company's new strategy will create a united front with smartphone and tablet makers to take on rivals, such as Apple, and prevent wireless carriers from controlling Google’s devices.
Currently, Google is planning to give multiple mobile-device makers early access to new releases of Android and to sell those devices directly to consumers. This differs from their previous strategy, when Google only joined with one hardware maker at a time to produce devices, and then releasing the software to other device makers. Those devices were then sold to consumers through wireless carriers or retailers.
Google’s expansion into direct sales will allow the company to have more control over key features and apps that run on their Android-powered phones and tablets, and ultimately minimizing the influence of wireless carriers over such devices.
This change in Google’s strategy will allow the company to work with five manufactures at a time in order to create a portfolio of devices, including smartphones and tablets. Google is also planning to sell their devices directly to consumers in the U.S., Europe and Asia through its website. These new smartphones are expected to be sold unlocked, meaning they would come without a wireless contract. As a result, an unlocked device could cost a consumer $150–$200 more than buying a phone through a wireless carrier.
Avoiding wireless carriers will have many benefits for Google. For starters, it will prevent wireless carriers from blocking Google applications. It will also allow the company and their hardware providers to push out new devices to the market faster than wireless carriers who are slow to push through software updates for phones. Lastly, it will provide Google with a new revenue stream by selling directly to consumers.
For more information read this Wallstreet Journal article, “Google Shifts Tack on Android.”
