4 ms·

> That would not only be them conceding that they couldn’t win on mobile, but that would also reduce them to yet another Android Phone manufacturer that has to

> That would not only be them conceding that they couldn’t win on mobile, but that would also reduce them to yet another Android Phone manufacturer that has to spend tens of millions of dollars on low margin devices that won’t sell. There is a third way, assuming the Android license allows for it: Microsoft concedes they can't replace the OS layer Microsoft forks Android Microsoft focuses on the next battle that could be won: making Cortana/whatever the default digital assistant in their build. For fun, let's then assume Google tries to block this. Microsoft sues Google for "bundling" and uses their own case where they were forced to unbundle the web browser as precedent. (I say this as someone who likes his iPhone but hates Siri.)

Ded7xSEoPKYNsDd 9y ago
Unlike Windows in the 90s, Android isn't a monopoly. (iOS has a decent marketshare.) So Google is free to be as anti-competitive as they want to be.
- Jyaif 9y ago
  Tell that to the EU.
  - richardwhiuk 9y ago
    That ruling applies to Search, where Google does have monopoly
    - Jyaif 9y ago
      https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/20/eu-commission-google-android-skew-market-competition-antitrust-vestager https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/20/eu-commis...
- abritinthebay 9y ago
  Not entirely true. Android market share is !85% (worldwide, it is less in the US). When Microsoft was going through the monopoly cases their market share was ~90-93%. Not actually that far off the same metric. The thing is that Google is being very careful to not commit the same mistakes there. Though I'd say they're pretty close (and the EU seems to agree, generally, warning them a few times over similar behaviors) iOS marketshare is a funny thing - it makes ~$30 billion a year in revenue - 3 times that of the Android marketplace - but has less than 1/5th of the users.
mankash666 9y ago
They're free, like Amazon, to fork Android & make Cortana the default assistant. What's this got to do with bundling an Google? MS never gave access, hence never allowed forks of Windows to happen. How much more can Google do than give away the entire OS for free? They have ZERO commitments by monopoly law to usurp their default apps in their distribution of Android
- scarface74 9y ago
  They're free, like Amazon, to fork Android & make Cortana the default assistant. What's this got to do with bundling an Google? They don't have to do that. They can make deals with OEMs to make Cortana the default.

Ded7xSEoPKYNsDd 9y ago

Unlike Windows in the 90s, Android isn't a monopoly. (iOS has a decent marketshare.) So Google is free to be as anti-competitive as they want to be.

Jyaif 9y ago
Tell that to the EU.
- richardwhiuk 9y ago
  That ruling applies to Search, where Google does have monopoly
  - Jyaif 9y ago
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/20/eu-commission-google-android-skew-market-competition-antitrust-vestager https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/20/eu-commis...
abritinthebay 9y ago
Not entirely true. Android market share is !85% (worldwide, it is less in the US). When Microsoft was going through the monopoly cases their market share was ~90-93%. Not actually that far off the same metric. The thing is that Google is being very careful to not commit the same mistakes there. Though I'd say they're pretty close (and the EU seems to agree, generally, warning them a few times over similar behaviors) iOS marketshare is a funny thing - it makes ~$30 billion a year in revenue - 3 times that of the Android marketplace - but has less than 1/5th of the users.

mankash666 9y ago

They're free, like Amazon, to fork Android & make Cortana the default assistant. What's this got to do with bundling an Google? MS never gave access, hence never allowed forks of Windows to happen. How much more can Google do than give away the entire OS for free? They have ZERO commitments by monopoly law to usurp their default apps in their distribution of Android

scarface74 9y ago
They're free, like Amazon, to fork Android & make Cortana the default assistant. What's this got to do with bundling an Google? They don't have to do that. They can make deals with OEMs to make Cortana the default.