When Google acquired Motorola over the summer, the biggest concern was that the relationship balance would shift away from the other manufacturers. Google reassured us that Motorola wouldn’t automatically be first in line to work on Nexus handsets, and Google ex-CEO (now Chairman) Eric Schmidt recently reiterated the sentiment in an interview.
“The Android ecosystem is the No. 1 priority, and that we won’t do anything with Motorola, or anybody else by the way, that would screw up the dynamics of that industry. We need strong, hard competition among all the Android players. We won’t play favorites in the way people are concerned about.”
That’s nice to hear and all, but I could hardly blame other manufacturers for still sniffing around Windows Phone as a contingency plan. In the interview, Schmidt also touches on the ongoing patent disputes, which he hopes will ultimately resolve with a “rough truce” where there are licese sharing agreements in place. He also touches on a number of other problems which are stunting innovation in the U.S. Overall, it’s a pretty interesting interview, and worth a watch below.
What do you guys think – are smartphone manufacturers going to stay cozy with Android with Motorola nestled comfortably under Google’s wing?
[via Bloomberg]