Android has been adopted by a plethora of different manufacturers to become the best iOS opponent running Apple’s iPhone. Google’s system has the advantage of being open-source, allowing each actor to shape it to its liking. Financially, it is also very profitable for the American giant. Indeed, the latter takes advantage of Android to massively push its home-made applications whose respective business models make him money.
Based on this premise, it would seem illogical to say that Google is gradually separating from Android. Indeed, the verb “separate” might sound too strong for the idea that interests us today. Let’s instead say that the Mountain View firm is still detaching its image a little more from that of Android. Explanations.
A NEW ECOSYSTEM
To build a complete ecosystem, you also need physical products, hardware. For a few years now, Google has been marketing its Pixel smartphones. They rely heavily on photography, of course, but also on their software experience specially designed by Google.
Of course, the smartphones run on Android, but it is always the name of Google that is highlighted. The conferences where these products are announced have a name that doesn’t lie: Made by Google.
Google wants people to understand that its ecosystem is exploited to its full potential on its products, more than on other devices in the Android universe. The message is the same for the other devices of the American giant like the Google Home and Google Nest, where Google Assistant is always at the heart of the commercial discourse.
ANDROID IS MORE MATURE
There was a time when the new versions of the OS were prevalent, as they always provided essential features that made life easier for users. If the craze always seems to be present with each new version of Android, it must be admitted that, for the last two or three years, significant updates have been mainly used to refine an already complete recipe, without bringing significant changes in usage.
Android 10 thus brings an improved gestures navigation, a native dark mode, or a screen recorder. Three things already present on several manufacturers’ interfaces, even when they were not yet based on this version of the system. As for the Developer Preview of Android 11, it doesn’t contain critical new features. The future version will mainly improve existing options.
TOWARDS THE END OF ANDROID
Let’s not rush to Android’s bedside yet. The OS still seems to have a few good days ahead of it as it’s animated by a plethora of manufacturers. The idea of this article was rather to show that the green man was not necessarily the number 1 priority of the Californian giant who prefers to focus on his identity.
However, it should be remembered that Google is also working on a more or less mysterious OS: Fuchsia. This future system is supposed to run on any device, and some people consider it as the successor of Android.
The testing of Fuchsia has recently intensified. In this perspective, it’s worth remembering that Android, even if it’s not at all at the point of death, is not eternal.