Back in 2008, Motorola was using eight different operating systems across its smartphones. Then Android came along, and Motorola decided, let’s add a ninth. Obviously, in hindsight, nearly 20 years later, that turned out to be the right move.
Rick Osterloh, who came from Motorola and then moved to Google after the acquisition, talked about Motorola and Google’s relationship with Qualcomm, which really started back in 2006. Before the first Android device – the T-Mobile G1 – was released. Osterloh said that at the time, he was at Motorola, “and we were trying to make an Android phone, knowing that we had to work with the best, and had to work with Qualcomm to really deliver this.”
“Together, we were able to pull it together and ship Motorola’s first Android phone,” Osterloh continued.
He also mentioned that “Motorola was working on eight different operating systems at the time, and our collective solution was to add a ninth.”
Google now works with Qualcomm on way more than just Android
While Google doesn’t use Qualcomm to power its Pixel smartphones, and instead uses its own chipset, that doesn’t mean the partnership between these two companies is over. Qualcomm’s CEO Cristiano Amon said during this short fireside chat with Osterloh that the projects the two are working on no longer fit on a single page. There’s just that many.
This includes the new Android on PC project that they’re working on, Qualcomm’s automotive ambitions with the Digital Cockpit, which is being used for Android Automotive OS. And so much more. Let’s not forget that the Pixel Watch is also using a Qualcomm chipset, and has since the Pixel Watch 2 – the same chip actually.
So needless to say, this partnership between Google and Qualcomm is still quite strong, and will continue to be for years to come.
#Android #Origins
