Is Google's Android Killing Windows Mobile?
Earlier this morning, I got a chance to catch up with Dr. Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of Motorola, soon after his company reported earnings (they met Wall Street's modest expectations) to talk about everything from the state of the mobile market to prospects for Motorola.
Context & Ripple Effects
Motorola had already said it viewed Android as stronger than Windows Mobile, while Windows Mobile 7 was not expected until 2010. That made Sanjay Jha’s earnings-day assessment consequential for Motorola’s near-term handset software priorities.
Motorola also began courting Android developers in July, signaling that applications and developer attention—not only device hardware—were becoming part of its recovery strategy.
First-order effects
- Motorola’s preference for Android directs its handset and developer effort toward Google’s platform while Microsoft awaits its next Windows Mobile release.
- Microsoft faces a visible endorsement problem: a major handset maker is framing Android as the more compelling option before Windows Mobile 7 arrives.
Second-order effects
- Android developers gain a clearer incentive to support Motorola devices, reinforcing Motorola’s attempt to compete through software availability as well as handsets.
- Microsoft must make the Windows Mobile 7 transition credible to manufacturers whose product plans cannot wait for a future release.
Third-order effects
- If handset makers continue to choose platforms on developer momentum and release timing, mobile operating-system competition will be decided increasingly by ecosystems rather than by the device makers’ hardware alone.
The trend: Mobile manufacturers are shifting platform allegiance toward operating systems that can deliver both near-term product roadmaps and developer ecosystems.