What did Google do to turn Android from “impossible to be possible” on smartphones?

Meeting history

One day in 2005, Larry Page, co-founder of Google, began to know about Andy Rubin’s Android project. Larry Page asked a Google executive to approach Rubin and that might be the most important call in Rubin’s life.

Google told Rubin that they heard about Android and wanted to “help”. Page previously met Rubin in a seminar at Stanford University.

The meeting took place in the first week of January 2005, with Andy Rubin, a Google director, Larry Page and his Google co-founder, Serge Brin, as well as Georges Harik, a Google Ventures advisor. and one of the company’s first 10 employees.

Page dressed very comfortably with jeans and a T-shirt. Brin didn’t even wear shoes and wore a plastic Disney watch on his wrist. He sat near two jars of candy and stuffed each hand of candy into his mouth.

Page did not waste time, praised Rubin’s previous product. He calls the T-Mobile Sidekick one of the best phones he has ever seen.

Andy Rubin (left), Android father and two founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

Brin intervened with some jokes. He also talked to Rubin in a detailed way about the technology provided to the Sidekick. However, the meeting is not only praised Rubin; Brin also wants to test Rubin. Brin continued to emphasize to Rubin what could be done to make the Sidekick even better, and why he chose to create the phone the way he did.

It is not a positive conversation but a collaborative exercise in problem solving!

When Rubin and Page stepped out of that meeting, one thing was clear: Google was interested in Android. But it’s not clear why.

Is Google a friend or foe of Android? Is Google developing its own mobile software and learning from competitors?

Forty-five days later, when Google called Rubin back to the second meeting, Page’s intentions became clear. This time all four Android co-founders attended and they brought a prototype of the software to show to Google.

Finally, the problem is turned over: Google wants to buy Android.

Android has accepted Google’s offer for $ 50 million. About 6 months after their first meeting with Google, the Android team moved to the Googleplex headquarters on July 11, 2005.

All operators turn their backs on Android

Apple launched the iPhone in 2007 and the iPhone itself helped Android succeed.

Google often reviews each piece of code before putting it into products to improve the best quality. Android, however, has resisted that idea. It took a year or two for Android to allow Google to review its code.

A former Googler described Android as an “island” within Google in the early days of its operation. It is like a secret group with its own culture.

The Android team’s strategy when it comes to mobile phones is also unfamiliar to other Google employees. If a person explains the idea behind Android to other Google employees around 2005 or 2006, the reaction will probably be “good luck.”

Before Android, Google focused its mobile efforts on bringing apps to other phones – like apps created by Nokia or Blackberry devices. However, the idea with Android is to create Google’s own system to distribute its services in addition to creating Google applications for other platforms.

But to distribute Android, the team at Google will need to develop a phone that runs on software. After that, they will have to find a network operator who sells the phone.

If you say just go out and build a phone. That’s what Apple did! What should Google and Android do when they have Apple’s iOS?

That means, Google must partner with chip makers, smartphone manufacturers and wireless carriers. All to build a phone is considered to be “absolutely sure of failure” at the time.

Google and the Android team basically built their first phone, G1, as proof of concept. They want to show potential partners what Android can do so they want to use Android on their own phones.

But none of the carriers wanted to work with Google to launch their first Android phone in 2007. Verizon declined, Sprint did not care and AT&T did not give a straightforward answer. Even T-Mobile, finally agreed to release the G1, initially refused.

“It’s not a good time in Android history,” the source said.

Operators want to sell content on phones and keep all their own profits, so they are reluctant to work with any company. Basically, they are gatekeepers between phone companies and customers who buy them and they are not willing to compromise.

The Android team knows T-Mobile is their best bet at that time.

After trying to negotiate with T-Mobile for about 6 months, the operator came back and said they did not want to make an agreement with Google. Rubin is one of the few people in Google who knows that the T-Mobile deal has been rejected.

Change the game

But finally T-Mobile also found an agreement. That is, Google has overcome one of the biggest difficulties. But just in time, Google is preparing to put the final notes on G1, something that happened: Apple revealed the iPhone smartphone.

Rubin and his team had to modify their original plan and eventually transferred another phone. Apple is the first company to bet 100% on the touch screen. Therefore, Google is forced to decide how to put Android on a product, whether to “follow the game” touch screen or not?

I must say, it was Apple that made Android grow as strong and successful as it is today.

‘Crusade against iPhone’

Although the Android team had to step back and reevaluate the plan, the iPhone itself contributed to Android’s success in a strange way.

iPhone was released under AT & T’s exclusive rights, and was extremely successful. By 2009, the growing success of the iPhone has become a big problem for Verizon. Verizon has no real smartphone that can compete with the iPhone.

The iPhone itself has pushed phone manufacturers and operators on Android’s side!

Operators have viewed the iPhone as the biggest threat to their business models. With the iPhone, Apple has a relationship with customers – not AT&T. And customers moved from other carriers to AT&T to get the iPhone.

Compared to iPhone, Android is a much more attractive opportunity for operators. Rubin and his team considered Android a platform for developers, not consumers, which made carriers and phone makers more comfortable. Operators can modify phones and add their brands, which allows them to control the product.

Android’s first big victory

Although BlackBerry fell to the bottom of the smart phone market, it was the dominant player in the early 2000s. The iPhone has become strong after its launch in 2007, while Android has nothing. .

Verizon sees a clear threat, but Verizon does not find a way. However, Motorola jumped in!

Motorola has developed an Android-based phone. It is not as beautiful as the iPhone. It’s a bit bulky and has a sliding keyboard. But it is the best “non-iPhone” phone on the market when released in 2009.

Verizon has spent $ 100 million to market Motorola phones, called Droid. Its sales are not as big as the iPhone, but it was successful enough to make the whole world begin to pay attention to Android.

And finally, Andy Rubin’s Android platform has broken through, becoming the main operating system on smartphones today!