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What Google must do to make the Android operating system the best

Google’s Android operating system has taken the world by storm given the power of the system and its ability to (arguably) work with most hardware configurations. Due to its hardware choices, the Android system has propelled Samsung to the number one cell phone brand in the world, unseating Nokia from its reign as the number one cell phone brand in the world that lasted from 1998 to 2012.

So what did Android do right to get here? The most important thing the Android designers did was see the opportunity. Before Android, the cell phone market had major operating systems consisting of Windows Mobile, Symbian, Blackberry, and then came the iPhone.

Windows Mobile never worked as well as it once did. Symbian never got the support it needed and never realized it. BlackBerry never progressed. The iPhone captured the market fresh. The iPhone was built on the concept of an iPod with a cell phone and quickly took over the mobile world as THE device of choice.

Nobody cared that they were locked into a single cell phone carrier, they couldn’t replace the battery, 2G data service when 3G was well established, they had to use iTunes for everything, they couldn’t work with multimedia messages, they didn’t have a physical keyboard , could not add sd card memory, had to choose between 8gb or 16gb, liquid damage indicators were placed on the outside and not in a protected area like the battery compartment, price tag $599, no LED notifies, etc. Some of these issues are still in use on the iPhone today, but none of that mattered if you wanted the latest and greatest entertainment device. The iPhone wasn’t really functional for work and was labeled the most insecure device made at the time. Of course, this has changed, and IT technicians now include the iPhone in most companies’ server services.

Makers of Android, The Open Handset Alliance led by Google, he saw this and took the opportunity to fill the void. An open source software system that would be the most versatile ever built and could be improved by the cell phone user community. Android system can be used by any developer. Most hardware will work. Google gives the system away for free and pays for it with advertising. Any phone manufacturer or cell phone operator can use the Android system. This is in stark contrast to the locked and controlled system of the iPhones. These ideas laid the groundwork for fierce competition between Apple and Google. Competition is good for creativity, business, and the end user.

The reasons for the failure of Windows Mobile (not Windows Phone), Symbian and now Blackberry have been a complete lack of support, creativity and resting on our laurels. All of these systems had a decent percentage of the market until the iPhone began its decline and Android made them obsolete.

Android is in a fierce battle with iPhone to reign supreme, and both do so with their prospective audiences. If Android wants to dominate, they need to look at the very slow improvement process that Apple has implemented since 2007 and make a bold leap in fast and constant improvements to get better. Android shouldn’t focus too long on adding processor cores to an operating system that doesn’t have the ability to read them, as Intel discovered, but only put multiple cores into upgraded systems that will actually see improvements. Make less distinction between mobile phone and tablet operating systems to make the app store more functional for tablet users. Apple hasn’t done this, but Microsoft says it has for Windows 8. Google shouldn’t be catching up. Reduce fragmentation. Currently, developers are striving for an 80% compatibility rate with apps. iPhone apps work on all iPhones. Android can have almost as many apps as iPhone, but you can’t use them all. For all its flaws, Android is the most powerful system with capabilities far beyond the iPhone, but Google needs to get to work to keep it that way and improve the operations of current systems. The current work with the US government to create an ultra-secure Android phone is a great start.

Do what Google did in 2009. See the void and fill it with real quality.

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