android phones

Many of you might have heard about PandoDaily, a new tech blog that was launched on the 16th of January by Sarah Lacy, a former TechCrunch writer. One particular article caught my attention, primarily because of it’s title: How Google can save Android: Close it. License it. Swim in the Profits.

The writer, Farhad Manjoo, isn’t the first person to make the suggestion, and he most certainly isn’t going to be the last. Many have used the example of Amazon’s Kindle Fire and other such Android forks to suggest that Google’s strategy is back-firing. To his credit, the article doesn’t come off as an Apple fanboy mocking Android as many such posts do, and has offered some decent ideas.

But I must admit, right from the beginning the article seemed to miss the bigger picture. And that seems to be the case with all journalists, especially since Apple’s outstanding quarterly results which have put Google’s "failures" in the spotlight.

Google’s main competition isn’t Apple. It’s Facebook.

Google’s business, at this point, is advertising. And the most important resource for it’s business is information. It’s the same thing with Facebook. Google and Facebook are, as such, competing for the same pie. Apple, on the other hand, is a hardware company. It’s profits come almost entirely from the huge margins it has on all of its devices.

For Google to take on Apple in terms of profits and revenues, it has to virtually pivot itself into a consumer electronics company. Admittedly, the purchase of Motorola speeds things up a bit, but with Moto struggling it would be a long, hard struggle to reach the required level.

"Closing" Android will only make a bigger mess

This is where Manjoo gets it wrong almost entirely. While in theory it would increase Google’s earnings from Android, it’s an extremely short-sighted option.

The move would hit the wrong note with the developer community who have flocked around Android because of its open nature. Additionally, it’s going to give all those who have already (unfairly) questioned Android’s open sourced nature a chance to say "I Told You So".

Also, the quoted amounts in Manjoo’s arguments are just plain wrong. The $25-30 amount for a Windows Phone license is what ZTE say they’re being charged. While there’s no confirmation about it, most believe the major manufacturers like Samsung and HTC pay about $15/device for a license. Considering they already pay about $5/device to Microsoft, a $10 charge from Google removes the current monetary benefit that comes with Android. And knowing MS, they’d probably reduce the amount they charge to push WP7 forward.

Who’s to say manufacturers won’t create their own forked versions of Android from the ICS code? They’ve already invested heavily in their own custom skins, they might just decide to use their current code as a base for their own operating systems, say Sense OS or TouchWiz OS.

Closing Android could actually cost Google

Manjoo quotes that Google makes $6-10 per user per year in mobile ad revenue based on a study. While I have my doubts about it, I’ll agree to it for the argument’s sake.

If closing Android results in more forks, it gives Microsoft a big opportunity to throw money at the manufacturers to put Bing as the default search engine on their devices. So not only does Android lose significant marketshare as a direct result, it ends up costing Google $6-10 per user, per year in revenue. They would need to sell as many licenses as the Bing-ed Android forks just to maintain status quo.

Additionally, we must keep in mind that mobile advertising is still in its infancy. It might not be as profitable as desktop ads right now, but more and more money is coming in as businesses shift their focus to mobile-users themselves.

The Kindle Fire has proved to be a boon for Android Tablets

As you might have read recently, Android tablets now enjoy a 39% marketshare. And a lot of the credit goes to the Kindle Fire. While it isn’t the "real" Android, it still puts a dent in the iPad’s success.

Manufacturers like Asus have also learnt their lessons, and as a price war starts, I expect to see a number of a good options in the $200-300 range this year. As a result, we could quite possibly see Android and iOS having an equal share in the tablet market by this time next year, which would be quite a feat considering where we were just a few months ago.

So what do you think: does Google really need to “save Android”? And either way, how do you feel about Manjoo’s suggestions to close off our beloved open OS?

We’ve got a tradition in India where a newbie has to give an "intro" to his peers and colleagues at a new school or workplace, and answer any question as truthfully as possible. And since I’ve just joined the Phandroid team as a weekend blogger, I thought it’s only fair that I bring it here.

So, here I go. I’m a Computer Science undergrad student in India and spend quite a bit of my time developing Android apps and websites (though my primary interest is in UI design).

 Phone: T-Mobile myTouch 4G running CM7

Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Favorite Apps:

1. Pulse Reader: A must for anyone who reads a ton of blogs. I love the UI, and the effort that they’re putting into Pulse Me such as synchronizing sources across devices and the desktop browser extension makes it stand out.
2. Any.Do: I don’t make many to-do lists, so I can’t be certain that this is the best option for a power-user. What made me chose this is an excellent UI  and a good widget. Plus the fact it was Android-first.
3. AirDroid: This app is always on in the background when I’m working on my PC, primarily for sending and receiving texts from my browser and for transferring files to my phone.

Favorite Games:

1. Great Little War Game: An extremely addictive strategy game. The only blemish is how much battery it seems to consume.
2. Homerun Battle HD: I really enjoy the online gameplay, though I don’t spend too much time on it. Add "rb6teen" to your rivals list if you’d like to take me on.

The Geekiest Moment of my life:

When I bumped into Matias Duarte, Android’s Director of User Experience, at a TechCrunch party during my trip to the Bay Area last July.

As for you’re questions, just put them below in the comments, and I’ll try to reply to each over the weekend. You can also follow me on Google+ here.

How was that for a relatively calm week in Android news? Despite a last minute scare the Google might be stripping of Galaxy Nexus of its Nexus-given rights (thankfully there was another explanation), we managed to make it through without too much drama. Things are sure to pick up in the coming weeks as Mobile World Congress draws near. For now, we’re headed into Super Bowl weekend. (Did you see our contest?) It’s Patriots vs. Giants, who do you got? (Oh, sports aren’t your thing? There’s always the Puppy Bowl…)

• The LG Optimus LTE is headed to Canada’s TELUS. [MobileSyrup]
• The Samsung Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Duos Pro have gone on sale across Europe. [UnwiredView]
• Sony Ericsson has partnered with Billabong to release a custom version of the Xperia Active. [AndroidCentral]
• Foodspotting has been updated to version 3.0, creators call it “Pandora for food.” [Foodspotting]
• Seesmic Ping allows for one click posting to all social networks, allows for scheduled posts as well. [Android Police]
• Costco is offering the Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus for $219.99 through February 7th, throwing in free extended battery. [DroidLife]
• Is Rovio working on a KISS-themed Angry Birds? [DroidGamers]

How was that for a relatively calm week in Android news? Despite a last minute scare the Google might be stripping of Galaxy Nexus of its Nexus-given rights (thankfully there was another explanation), we managed to make it through without too much drama. Things are sure to pick up in the coming weeks as Mobile World Congress draws near. For now, we’re headed into Super Bowl weekend. (Did you see our contest?) It’s Patriots vs. Giants, who do you got? (Oh, sports aren’t your thing? There’s always the Puppy Bowl…)

• The LG Optimus LTE is headed to Canada’s TELUS. [MobileSyrup]
• The Samsung Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Duos Pro have gone on sale across Europe. [UnwiredView]
• Sony Ericsson has partnered with Billabong to release a custom version of the Xperia Active. [AndroidCentral]
• Foodspotting has been updated to version 3.0, creators call it “Pandora for food.” [Foodspotting]
• Seesmic Ping allows for one click posting to all social networks, allows for scheduled posts as well. [Android Police]
• Costco is offering the Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus for $219.99 through February 7th, throwing in free extended battery. [DroidLife]
• Is Rovio working on a KISS-themed Angry Birds? [DroidGamers]

It’s Super Bowl weekend and we, at Phandroid wanted to do a little something fun for you guys. We’re teaming up with AndroidSlide — developer of the hit Android app, Camera Zoom FX — to throw another fun filled photo contest that everyone can join in on. Since you’ll most likely be partying it up at home or with friends come Super Bowl Sunday, all we want is for you to capture how you celebrate the big day — whether it’s on your couch, with your family, at a bar, or painted up with your posse at Lucas Oil Stadium — and share it with us. The wilder and more crazy you get, the better.

The rules are simple:

1. Download Camera ZOOM FX (now 40% off in the Market)
2. Download Camera ZOOM FX’s “Buddy Pack” (free add-on in the Market)
3. Select the Phandroid logo from the list of “buddies” (FX > Overlay > Buddy > Buddy Pack x1)
4. Capture your best Super Bowl moment!
5. Post the pic to either Facebook or Google + and tag our Phandroid page: Facebook | Google+

Winners — selected at random — will receive these awesome prizes:

• 1st Place Winner: Kinivo Wireless Bluetooth Mini Speaker and a $50 Amazon gift card
• 2nd Place Winner: Kinivo Wireless Bluetooth Mini Speaker
• 3rd Place Winner: Kinivo Mini Portable Speaker (No Bluetooth)

If for some reason you can’t (or wont) download Camera Zoom FX — don’t worry. AndroidSlide still wants to hook you guys up too. Simply use the camera app of your choice to snap a pic of your Super Bowl moment and post it in the comments below. 20 runner ups will be selected to receive a free complimentary download of Camera Zoom FX. Of those 20 runner ups — 2 lucky winners will also receive:

• 1st Place Winner: 32GB micro SD card (plus Camera Zoom FX)
• 2nd Place Winner: 16GB micro SD card (plus Camera Zoom FX)

Sound like fun? Deadline for all entries will be 11:59PM PT on Super Bowl Sunday (2/05/2012). All winners must be 18 years of age or older and currently living in the US. We will contact you via Facebook, Google+ or the email tied to your Disqus account.

Good luck to everyone, your teams and have a great, safe weekend.

[Camera ZOOM FX | Camera ZOOM FX Buddy Pack]