Samsung Electronics and Google have worked together to reduce Apple’s smart phone lead, but all is not well between the two business partners.
Google execs are concerned that Samsung is becoming such a monster. As of now, Samsung sells 40% of the products that uses Google’s Android software. The fear is that Samsung could flex some muscle and try to cut a new deal with Google that could cut into the search giant’s profitable mobile ad business.
So, Google, which is now starting to push out its groundbreaking Glass product, is starting to hook up with other companies to see if they can get other electronic firms to put Google’s Android software onto other devices to provide some competition for Samsung. Google hopes that new Droid devices from Hewlett Packard and HTC could help to keep Samsung honest.
Samsung’s success has been great for Google, which did its 23rd update to Panda in December. It shipped nearly 200 million more Droid smartphones last year than the next largest Droid device manufacturer.
However, Samsung could start to become a threat to Google if it gains much more ground among mobile device manufacturers that use the Android software.
In total, Samsung shipped 215 million smart phones in 2012, and almost all of them were Android equipped. This is a whopping 39% of the total global market. Apple shipped 136 million iPhones or 25% of the market.