Google is afraid of Samsung, which is why the Pixel 4 is lackluster.

[SupraLB]

That's my opinion. Samsung has teased starting their own phone operating system several times, always to stay with Android. Samsung is the giant market leader in sales, over 20% each quarter worldwide. Apple usually 10-14%.

If Google introduces a killer phone that crushes Samsung in hardware, Samsung would simply launch their own OS and kill off Android. Android would be left with LG and Motorola. Samsung would probably switch browsers too, further hurting Google.

There is obviously some agreement between Google and Samsung, that the Pixels will stay a year or two behind Samsung in hardware, and simply compete with their camera software.

Btw, I know Microsoft tried this and failed, but they didn't have brand loyalty, hardware infrastructure, production facilities, or experience to do it right, nor the existing market reach into every major retail store.

 

[Lepa79]

The 2 dominant OSs are now apple and Android. Anything else won't cut it. Not at this time. Samsung phones won't survive without Android OS. I would dump my Samsung in a hurt beat. No Android OS means no Google play store, means no apps. Nope wont work. Maybe the future is not all IOS or Android but the time is not now.

 

[Almeuit]

I don't think so. Launching an OS doesn't just instantly work. They would have to have the OS out, have devs who make actual apps, etc.

If Samsung could easily do it as you think then why haven't they yet? Why continue to rely on Android and not just swap and be done?

 

[SupraLB]

I don't think so. Launching an OS doesn't just instantly work. They would have to have the OS out, have devs who make actual apps, etc.

If Samsung could easily do it as you think then why haven't they yet? Why continue to rely on Android and not just swap and be done?

They already have it developed, called Tizen. Used in their new smart watches and one phone. They haven't gone full board with it I believe because as mentioned, the apps part. But more importantly, Google hasn't challenged them significantly with the Pixel.

 

[bhatech]

I don’t think Samsung will be successful with tizen but I kind of agree that Google really might be making phones not to **** off the main android OEMs at least in terms of hardware. I buy lots of phones and have my 4 XL on my way and this is not trying to bash google.

But I’m slowly coming around the theory that Google might purposefully not have the hardware specs competing with Samsung or other Android OEMs. After 4 generations of pixel there is no other way to explain with some of the decisions they make on hardware which is so easy to do given the price.

 

[SupraLB]

To illustrate how much power Samsung has over Google, look at how big of a user Samsung is for them. Its 44% of their phone software business. And they just lost their 2nd largest Huawei, which will no longer use Android going forward.

If Samsung was to abandon Android, it would crush Google's phone business. They make a fortune off phone data collection and would lose a huge chunk.

Also interesting tidbit, if Samsung went with their own operating system, their market share would be larger than Apple's, so the app developers would follow.

 

[bhatech]

To illustrate how much power Samsung has over Google, look at how big of a user Samsung is for them. Its 44% of their phone software business. And they just lost their 2nd largest Huawei, which will no longer use Android going forward.

If Samsung was to abandon Android, it would crush Google's phone business. They make a fortune off phone data collection and would lose a huge chunk.

Also interesting tidbit, if Samsung went with their own operating system, their market share would be larger than Apple's, so the app developers would follow.

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I get what you are saying, google needs Samsung and at the same time Samsung needs google/android.

Samsung may have tizen but still it’s a huge ask to get developers learn another platform and start developing apps. As a developer myself it’s not easy. What’s to say if Samsung leaves Android someone else may step up and start gaining marketshare that Samsung leaves. Samsung knows that risk as well.

But I’m with you on may be google and Samsung had a chat few years back and google kind of assured Samsung that hardware wise they will not compete with them but instead compete with Apple. But the problem is if you want to compete with Apple you got to compete with Samsung as well.

 

[dsignori]

No way. Let’s see how many users buy phones with no Gmail app, no Google Maps, Google Docs, Google Photos, Nest app, Google Home, and lose all other Google apps, as well as the Google Play Store.

No way this happens. Samsung would not risk this at all.

 

[Laura Knotek]

No way. Let’s see how many users buy phones with no Gmail app, no Google Maps, Google Docs, Google Photos, Nest app, Google Home, and lose all other Google apps, as well as the Google Play Store.

No way this happens. Samsung would not risk this at all.

I agree with you. I've had Android phones for over 4½ years, but I just got my first Samsung phone this week. I even used my Google Account as my Samsung Account. No Play Store = no Samsung phone for me.

 

[ezdoit]

I agree with you. I've had Android phones for over 4½ years, but I just got my first Samsung phone this week. I even used my Google Account as my Samsung Account. No Play Store = no Samsung phone for me.

You're not keeping the Samsung phone?

 

[Laura Knotek]

You're not keeping the Samsung phone?

I definitely am keeping my new S10+, since I love it. However, I wouldn't have bought it if it ran Tizen, rather than Android.

 

[ezdoit]

I definitely am keeping my new S10+, since I love it. However, I wouldn't have bought it if it ran Tizen, rather than Android.

Got it.

 

[SupraLB]

No way. Let’s see how many users buy phones with no Gmail app, no Google Maps, Google Docs, Google Photos, Nest app, Google Home, and lose all other Google apps, as well as the Google Play Store.

No way this happens. Samsung would not risk this at all.

All those Google apps are on the Apple store for Apple phones. Gmail, maps, photos, chrome, youtube, etc, all of them. They would quickly be available to any operating system with Samsung's 33% market share worldwide

 

[dsignori]

All those Google apps are on the Apple store for Apple phones. Gmail, maps, photos, chrome, youtube, etc, all of them. They would quickly be available to any operating system with Samsung's 33% market share worldwide

No. Samsung would not have anywhere near that % without Android the Google apps/ecosystem. I think you have it backwards.

 

[gebco]

Microsoft tried
BlackBerry tried

Nuff said.

 

[bembol]

Like I said Google is just following Apple.

android and iOS are the standard hence why others have failed.

 

[alodar101]

Sidebar:. When Microsoft introduced the DUO last week, it went with Android, rather than intro another OS. The reason, you heard Panos say it....APPS, it's all about the apps. Google is about apps and service. Keep that in mind. The only Samsung app î use is Samsung Pay. The rest are either Google or other.
End Sidebar:

 

[Mike Dee]

That's my opinion. Samsung has teased starting their own phone operating system several times, always to stay with Android. Samsung is the giant market leader in sales, over 20% each quarter worldwide. Apple usually 10-14%.

If Google introduces a killer phone that crushes Samsung in hardware, Samsung would simply launch their own OS and kill off Android. Android would be left with LG and Motorola. Samsung would probably switch browsers too, further hurting Google.

There is obviously some agreement between Google and Samsung, that the Pixels will stay a year or two behind Samsung in hardware, and simply compete with their camera software.

Btw, I know Microsoft tried this and failed, but they didn't have brand loyalty, hardware infrastructure, production facilities, or experience to do it right, nor the existing market reach into every major retail store.

I'm not buying that theory. Regardless of how great a product Google puts out. If Google would improve their hardware, Samsung would just answer back with their own improvements. Google has to first catch up to Samsung in design and sales. It also would hard for Samsung to run with their own OS. IOS and Android are very entrenched and that would be a major risk on Samsung's part.

 

[alodar101]

I'm not buying that theory. Regardless of how great a product Google puts out. If Google would improve their hardware, Samsung would just answer back with their own improvements. Google has to first catch up to Samsung in design and sales. It also would hard for Samsung to run with their own OS. IOS and Android are very entrenched and that would be a major risk on Samsung's part.

Amen on the risk part. I also read last week about Samsung quarterly earnings. They are in the red on phone, primarily because the offer high trade in value and they subsidize the hardware cost. They walk a fine edge here. I would not begrudge Google for holding to a different line. Another thing about design. Lots of people say.. Them seem to forget, the point, the Nexus design. A core device. No frills, no extras. A core experience device. I think the pixel is a more core experience device than it is a cutie market innovation device.... Just like the Nexus.

That is why I buy it, but also why a lot of folks don't

 

[C5Longhorn]

I don’t think Samsung will be successful with tizen but I kind of agree that Google really might be making phones not to **** off the main android OEMs at least in terms of hardware. I buy lots of phones and have my 4 XL on my way and this is not trying to bash google.

But I’m slowly coming around the theory that Google might purposefully not have the hardware specs competing with Samsung or other Android OEMs. After 4 generations of pixel there is no other way to explain with some of the decisions they make on hardware which is so easy to do given the price.

I agree with this completely. Google wants to keep services going and hardware is not the same priority.