Android in China

Ryan Paul:

That is exactly what the Chinese mobile industry is doing with OPhone. They are creating a completely distinct third-party Android software ecosystem that is independent from Google and they are building a heavily-customized userspace stack that integrates with completely different Web services and allows them to deliver the kind of user experience that they want.

In effect, they are using Android—but not Google’s Android. They don’t need Google’s Android Market and they aren’t necessarily integrating with Google’s search or other services. When you think about it in those terms, it makes Android’s ascent towards dominance in Asia seem like a hollow victory for Google.

★ Thursday, 22 July 2010