Google working on mobile phone OS to rival Microsoft
After months of speculation, it seems that we finally know what Google’s phone plans are. They won’t be making a physical mobile phone, but instead creating a Linux-based operating system and software which could theoretically work on a large number of mobile phones.
Google is said to be modifying its online suite of productivity and office tools, such as messenger, email, and maps, to run on the new OS.
Google could well be planning to take on Microsoft, as in a number of areas it seems, who currently have around a ten per cent share of the mobile OS market with Windows Mobile versions.
Reports suggest that Google may give away their OS rather than charging phone companies to use it, as Microsoft does. An alternative is that users who are prepared to hack their phones could install “Google OS” over whatever system is initially installed on their mobile phone.
Some people aren’t happy with Google’s proposed moves. Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone, jjust one company who has partnered with Google, said of the idea, “What is it that is missing in life that they are going to fulfill? It is not a no-brainer. You can reach Google already through a number of devices. You don’t need a Google phone to do that.”
Phone manufacturers and network operators could be very unhappy with users bypassing their own services to use Google’s, which could potentially lead to more “bricking” incidents akin to Apple’s lockdown of hacked iPhones.
(Via Daily Tech)
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