

Samsung drifts away from Android; will Motorola rise to replace it? - sidmkp96
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/01/samsung-drifts-away-from-android-will-motorola-rise-to-replace-it/

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bookwormAT
"Speculation suggests the company is moving away from Google as a result of
Google’s acquisition of Motorola in 2011"

This "speculation" is what the whole article is based on. Where does it come
from?

I think it makes sense that Samsung would like to expand their influence on
the market by leading customers into their own ecosystem. But Android is not
stopping Samsung from doing this: In fact, Samsungs Touchwiz OS already comes
with plenty of Samsung Services installed: You log into a Samsung account, you
get a Samsung app store in addition to the Google store, a music store etc.

What gives Google power in the Android ecosystem are its "Google apps for
Android" services. Most people expect these to be part of every Android based
operating system.

If Samsung thinks it can do without these services in the future, it will try.
That its operating system is currently based on Android does not grant Google
much influence over Samsung IMHO.

And that Samsung is also supporting other operating systems is no change from
the current or past state. Was there ever a time when Samsung did only support
a single software stack? I don't think so.

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Zigurd
At best, this article is overwrought analysis. At worst, it's fabricating
unlikely scenarios.

Samsung has been diffident regarding Tizen, and quite unwilling to commit a
level of resources that might draw Google's attention.

NTT Docomo was the most high-walled walled garden, with a Docomo-specific app
runtime and other tightly bound ecosystem-technology links. More recently,
docomo has had to accomodate Android smartphones. It's likely that Docomo sees
Tizen as a platform for defending their garden walls.

This is not to take away from the accomplishment. Getting Tizen to market with
a top OEM and a top carrier ain't chopped liver. But neither is it a strong
indicator of continued success beyond that Samsung will support Tizen as long
as Docomo orders handsets. It says nothing about whether US or European
carriers will pick up Tizen, or whether any of Intel's plans for a Tizen
ecosystem will come to fruition.

On top of all that, the question "Will Motorola rise..." is an appendage,
without a single link to reality, least of all any indication that Samsung is
less committed to growing their Android products.

