TECHNOLOGY
Tech Stars
It's an
Android World
Tech Stars' Jon Bradford investigates how
Android has gained ground, while Silicon
Valley snobbery isolates Apple
N
othing creates
more arguments
and flame wars
online than raging
debates between
Apple’s iPhone fan-boys and
those of Google’s Android
operating system.
It is widely accepted that
Apple’s iPhone and IOS
operating system were years
ahead of anything else available
when it launched seven years
ago. At the time, it was mocked
by the mobile powerhouses of
the day - Nokia and Blackberry
- but where are they now?
Conversely, when Google
launched Android, it was at
best half-baked, but now the
differences for the average
end user between the two
systems are limited.
There remain philosophical
differences between the two
tech giants. Steve Jobs was
widely known for his obsessive
and controlling approach,
leading to Apple maintaining
absolute control of its entire
experience, from designing
and manufacturing hardware
and software, to having its own
stores. Anyone who owns more
than one Apple product will
testify to how beautifully and
effortlessly they work together.
On the other hand, Google’s
historic stance has been very
different, adopting a more
open approach. It has largely
chosen not to develop its own
hardware, instead working
with other manufacturers
such as Samsung and LG
to implement variations of
Android. This has led to
interesting anomalies, whereby
Google’s major competitors,
Amazon and Microsoft/Nokia
have developed their own
branded phones and tablets
by piggybacking on heavily
modified versions of Android.
Interestingly, in the battle for
smartphones, both Apple and
Google can justifiably claim to
be winners. And this is where
I draw parallels with another
eco-system - the start-up ecosystems of Silicon Valley and
the rest of the world.
Just like Apple, Silicon Valley
is a tightly integrated and welloiled machine. But to benefit
from it, you need to be an
integrated part of it. There are
many Silicon investors who will
not even consider your start-up
unless you are physically based
there. During the last 50 years
it has thrived and, much like
Apple, it has produced very
healthy profits, but it is subject
to ongoing criticism about its
arrogance. Combined with the
US’ increasingly restrictive
immigration policies, Silicon
Valley might ultimately become
narcissistic and isolated creating a huge echo chamber.
Android is much more
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comparable to start-up
eco-systems outside of
the Valley. Whilst the
entrepreneurial kernel
remains consistent across
these clusters, each
implementation creates a
different eco-system.
However, it is their
differences that we should
embrace. Many of these
clusters are still developing,
finding their own niches and
opportunities to innovate.
As with Android phones, ecosystems come in a wide variety
of sizes, forms and levels of
sophistication.
There has never been a
time in human history that
the rate of change resulting
from innovation has been
so profound, creating
opportunities in more
industries and geographies
than ever before.
Whilst Silicon Valley might
be the pinnacle of innovation,
it’s an Android world; startups and eco-systems are messy
and fragmented, but their
opportunities are enormous.
In an increasingly
interconnected world, it’s
difficult to claim that no man
(or eco-system) is an island.
Combined
with the US’
increasingly
restrictive
immigration
policies,
Silicon
Valley might
ultimately
become
narcissistic
and isolated
- creating
a huge echo
chamber
Contact:
www.techstars.com
talkbusinessmagazine.co.uk 107
29/08/2014 12:50