Haven’t got Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4) on your RAZR Maxx yet? Don’t worry, in a matter of months you may be able to leapfrog it and go straight to Jelly Bean (Android 5).
I had to chuckle when I read that Google is rumored to be planning to release the next major rev of its mobile OS in Q3. Oh, the irony (or is it just a bummer? I don’t know- Ask Alanis). Just as ICS finally lands on devices by Samsung, HTC, Motorola and others — boom! — the upgrade wait begins anew. According to CNET’s Blake Robinson, “the timing would coincide approximately with Google I/O, the company’s annual developer conference, which is held at the end of June.” Sounds reasonable to me, except for the fact that’s it completely unreasonable.
Look, I know you know I’m a huge Android when it comes to smartphones. I don’t do iPhone. But Google ought to shore this thing up.
Say you, say me: Android is a beast.
Too many variations. Too many devices. Too many launches.
When you look at the paltry 1.6% user base, you’re not exactly burning the midnight oil to develop that killer new app for ICS.
Here’s an idea for the Android/JB marketing team: work with manufacturers and stage a coordinated, consumer-ready launch. I hate to say it, but Apple kills Google in this regard. After JB is announced, we should be able to get an OTA upgrade right then and there, or within a few weeks. That would be reasonable, no? With ICS, it’s been a real mess. Remember back in November 2011? That’s when Google launched ICS. That’s almost 5 months ago. And there’s basically one phone that you can buy today that runs the latest and greatest: Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus (of course, go ahead and root your S II and join the party!). Consistency with the release, and confidence in knowing lots of users will own a device running it, will build trust with developers. When you look at the paltry 1.6% user base, you’re not exactly burning the midnight oil to develop that killer new app for ICS.
The good news is Google has an opportunity to get it right this time. With Google+ we see a company not afraid to try, try again. Wave and Buzz were, well… buzzkills. But smart people work at Google. And smart people learn from their mistakes, right the ship, and get back at it.
Competing on price (from cheap $0 basics to $299 flagships), display size (talk about choice), and shelf space (every carrier, tons of manufacturers) has gotten Android this far. The market share results speak for themselves. RIM is retreating back to the enterprise. Microsoft will likely play the role of a strong #3 to Apple and Google. But to take it to the next level, to ensure that the growth continues, Google needs a coherent launch strategy that brings together all the critical pieces – developers, consumers, partners. Will it happen in 2012?