Gesture Search now available for Android 1.6
Since we launched Gesture Search on Android Market two weeks ago, I've seen quite a bit of feedback. For example, some of you have requested Gesture Search for earlier versions of Android, as well as access to it outside the US.
Context & Ripple Effects
Google introduced Gesture Search through Android Market two weeks earlier, then received requests for compatibility with older Android releases and availability beyond the U.S. Extending support to Android 1.6 addresses the version-compatibility part of that feedback.
The move matters because Android's software base was expanding across uneven OS versions; a search feature is more useful to Google when it reaches devices that have not moved to the newest release.
First-order effects
- Android 1.6 users gain access to Gesture Search rather than being excluded by the feature's initial version requirements.
- Google must maintain Gesture Search across an additional Android release, broadening the feature's reachable installed base.
Second-order effects
- Android developers and handset partners face a clearer expectation that notable Google services may be backported, raising the value of preserving compatibility with older releases.
- Feature availability becomes less dependent on whether a user has received a platform update, reducing one visible cost of Android version fragmentation.
Third-order effects
- If Google continues backporting core experiences, Android competition shifts partly from rapid OS upgrades toward Google's ability to deliver services consistently across a fragmented device base.
The trend: Android's growth is pushing Google to separate service reach from the pace at which individual devices receive platform upgrades.