Are Google and Samsung fighting over Tizen's role in wearables? According to a new report, the answer is yes.
According
to The Information, Google CEO Larry Page met with Samsung Vice
Chairman Jay Y. Lee at the Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley. The
purpose of the meeting? To discuss Samsung's plans for wearables.
Evidently,
the meeting wasn't a success. The report reveals Page was unhappy to
hear that Samsung still plans to focus most of its wearable efforts on
its own Tizen operating system rather than giving more support to
Android Wear.
Although
Samsung has made a smartwatch that runs Android Wear — the Gear Live —
the bulk of its smartwatch efforts are focused on Tizen.
Google
and Samsung have a decidedly complicated relationship. Samsung is the
most successful Android OEM by a large margin. As a result, Samsung
wants to be able to differentiate and customize its experience.
Sometimes, however, things go too far. In January, Samsung agreed to
tone down the extent to which it customizes Android's user interface.
Still, that hasn't stopped Samsung from creating its own app store and
doing its part to maintain the Galaxy branding.
With
wearables, the situation becomes even more complex, because Samsung is
essentially selling two competing devices. The Gear 2 smartwatch runs
Samsung's own software and works only with Galaxy smartphones. The Gear
Live, on the other hand, has to follow Google's rules and will work with
any Android 4.3 or higher device — even if it's made by someone other
than Samsung.
The
wearable market — especially the smartwatch part of it — is still new
enough to allow Samsung to support both platforms. Assuming the
smartwatch truly does go mainstream, however, Samsung may have to choose
a platform and commit to it. For Google, the question then becomes,
what does it need to do to keep its most important partner committed,
without ceding control of its platform.
Posted by : Gizmeon
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