News

Google good, Apple bad on "open" phones?

A pretty stark contrast between the iPhone and the Android has been drawn uncompromisingly by Brad Stone and Muguel Helft - clearly drawing up what NYT writers seem to think is a pivotal battle between Google and Apple. Here's the nub of their analysis:

"Mr Jobs, Mr Schmidt and their companies are now engaged in a gritty battle royale over the future and shape of mobile computing and cellphones, with implications that are reverberating across the digital landscape."

See what you think. I think it's a profound analysis. I don't know if it's right, but it sounds like they've done a lot of homework on this. At the least, it reflects widespread perceptions in the smartphone business.

"Apple believes that devices like smartphones and tablets should have tightly controlled, proprietary standards and that customers should take advantage of services on those gadgets with applications downloaded from Apple’s own App Store. 

"Google, on the other hand, wants smartphones to have open, nonproprietary platforms so users can freely roam the Web for apps that work on many devices."  

I think this quote is particularly to the point:

"Google has long feared that rivals like Microsoft or Apple or wireless carriers like Verizon could block access to its services on devices like smartphones, which could soon eclipse computers as the primary gateway to the Web. Google’s promotion of Android is, essentially, an effort to control its destiny in the mobile world."

Full article at the New York Times