So what do Samsung actually need Google for?
I think it’s fair to say they need Android, because I don’t think the alternatives – Bada, Windows Phone, or Intel’s Meltimi – are a good fit for Samsung’s current market position. But that doesn’t mean they need Google. Samsung need to be in control of their destiny as I discussed last week, and that means control of the smartphone’s operating system. Not just access to the changes, but total control.
Samsung should fork Android.
They should take the Ice Cream Sandwich code base and follow the path blazed by the Kindle Fire. They have the TouchWiz user interface to maintain continuity, and their ‘S’ apps would form part of the core operating system. They should continue to work on their software services and cloud support to replicate the services Google offer so any transition for the majority of the Galaxy users would be seamless.
And they should be working on this right now to take on the next waves of smartphones due up at the the end of the year. A mythical iPhone 5 is likely to blow the Galaxy S III out the water, HTC are swinging hard to reach the perimeter, and Windows 8 could have a noticeable impact on the whole mobile consumer electronics space.
Samsung are on top of the world at the moment. But it’s time to grow up and own the hardware and software that is vital to the continued success of the Galaxy range. And that means putting some distance between the South Korean company and Google.
