5th Birthday wishes, little green robot!
Five years seem like a lifetime when you measure it in terms of the upgrades Android has rolled out since the announcement of Android 1.0 on November 5th 2007. Very few, especially those with eidetic memories, would actually remember what working on that bulky keyboard dependent OS was like.
In a mere span of half a decade, Android has grown to dominate the smartphone market and currently on verison 4.2 Jelly Bean, is now world’s most advanced mobile OS. John Lagerling, Director of Business Development for Android confirms that it has not been an easy ride.
He also talks about the Nexus program bring a costlier affair earlier — actually, it was at par with others on the market at that time, only now Google is selling products at ultra-low-cost starting with Nexus 7 and following it up with Nexus 10 and Nexus 4. And that it was more associated with developers looking for carrier free unlocked phones and stuff, which is right, the Nexus One and Nexus S were really that kind of devices. But not anymore, with the legendary and best mobile ever according to silly Gnex lovers like us, today, Nexus is undercutting prices of many OEMs to give smartphone and tablet users the stock Android experience at the maximum competitive rates.
Lagerling also confesses that it is more in the past year, that their very capable team has had the satisfaction of moving much more close to their actual vision.
When asked about Android tablet apps, he admits that the negligence of the tablet arena has come back to bite them in the ass. He says at the onset penetrating the market of smartphones was much more important to Google than developing apps for a larger screen audience. They always intended on picking up on app developments for tablets a little later and he is afraid that they might have procrastinated a little too much.
There is a lot of ground to cover before Android can catch up with the demands of the tablets. Though Nexus 7 does pamper many needs of this area, it might take the launch of Nexus 10 for Android to redeem itself in the world of tablets.
With Google activating more than a million Android phones everyday, Android currently claims 75% of the smartphones market. Yes, 3 out of every 4 smartphones! Not a bad claim for a young five year old.
Oh yes, a word on Motorola-Google relationship too. Lagerling impresses that Motorola is not treated by them as Google extension. Motorola is like any other partner for them and would have to bid on a Nexus device like the rest of them — so your dreams of a Motorola Nexus can’t come to life that easily as Moto will have to earn its own Nexus badge. Meanwhile, the launch of Nexus 4 made by LG is round the corner and  Google is all set to delight the global markets with a new and improved stock Android 4.2 experience, at just $299 (8GB) and $349 (16GB).
We wish our dear little green robot all the success it deserves and more and look forward to all the delights they have for us in the coming year.
Do share you love for Android in the comments below!
