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Here's what I wanna know: to what extent does Google actually "have a phone"? I mean, when I think about Apple, I think of a company that designs the look, the

Here's what I wanna know: to what extent does Google actually "have a phone"? I mean, when I think about Apple, I think of a company that designs the look, the internals, the case, the glass, the board layout, and even some of the chips. (Sure, they contract the manufacture out, but Apple is deeply involved with designing components on a low level -- not merely farming it all out to some device maker in Taiwan or China.) But for Nexus/Pixel: how much is Google and how much is LG or Samsung or HTC (yes, I know they bought HTC). I mean, how deep do Google personnel in Mountain View really go? How much do they just hand off to outsiders? Is it comparable to what Apple does? Maybe so. I just can't quite see into it.

ChuckMcM 8y ago
Its a fair question, when I was there Google was all over the design of the handsets (the original 'Dream' phone), they did the Nexus One with HTC, after I had left, they bought Motorola Mobility which did the Moto phones and that group mixed in with the Android handsets folks. Then Lenovo bought it from them. Google's biggest challenge was customer support, they just didn't do the whole "someone to pick up the phone and talk to you" thing. So I'd say, they have a core capability to do handset design (perhaps some of it residual) and they likely strongly influence the hardware they sell. Is their bench as deep as Apples? No.