Samsung and Google · Links

Mobilism 2015, Beyond Borders, Beyond Mobile

Mobilism 2015 is over

18 March 2013 · PPK

This WSJ article points at a huge Google-shaped hole in the recent Samsung Galaxy S4 launch event. Samsung hardly talked about Android, but only about its own features. It's also working on replacing the Google apps, starting with Maps.

There are a lot of angles here:

  • No word about the default browser. I expect it to be Android WebKit, and not Chrome. Why would Samsung allow Google's browser on their devices, when they are accomplished browser vendors themselves, and Android WebKit is very tweakable?
  • Samsung could create its own Android branch, as this article proposes.
  • Then there's Tizen. Samsung's new operating system is being readied in the wings, although it will be at least another year, and more likely two, before Samsung will dare to switch its top Galaxy line to Tizen.
  • Tizen or Android, Samsung will need its own services: mapping, music, cloud, the works. Hell, maybe even search.
  • Google needs Samsung more than Samsung needs Google.

Read more: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/03/15/missing-at-samsungs-big-galaxy-s-4-unveiling-google/