The Android Marches On

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Google has been the biggest kid on the block for years, but something has the 800lb gorilla spooked…

Apple’s ecosystem clearly came out on top after the holiday season… even though 6 million+ Android-powered Kindle Fires were sold.

If I had to guess, I’d say that’s why Google is pulling all the stops — doing everything it can to dominate the headlines and overshadow all the good news at Apple.

But Google’s not about to concede defeat. They’re doubling down.

Powering almost every tablet on the market that’s not an iPad, Android is definitely moving the needle. According to TechCrunch, Google’s OS has reached 39% of the tablet market.

In another smart move yesterday, Google is working to improve the quality of its apps by creating a page for Android developers on G+. Quality, design, and usability are where Apple has really been dominant. So it’s going to take a VERY serious effort to catch up.

Here the thing to keep in mind: This is ALL about the battle of the formats I’ve talked about before.

Winning the device battle is about controlling mobile, which is about controlling social media, which is all about controlling the most powerful emerging marketing channel on the planet: The dominant ecosystem.

At our Traffic and Conversion Summit last weekend, I was watching Laura Betterly talk about Search+ (if you’re not familiar with it yet, it’s a feature that shows Google users “personal” search results, including recommendations from their Google+ network).

Once again, the question came up: Is Google+ is going to be a Facebook killer?

Her answer was the same one I’ve been giving: It doesn’t matter, because Google is going to treat it like one.

As the world’s largest search site — and the owner of the second largest (YouTube) — Google has every intention of pushing its ecosystem over Facebook’s and over Apple’s.

If you were to ask Google, they’d probably tell you that Facebook has one foot in the grave… that Facebook is the new MySpace.

That doesn’t mean it’s true…

While 2011 was all about partnerships, 2012 is going to be all about the titans of the internet butting heads. The battle of the formats is ratcheting up a notch.

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One Comment

1. 

   Phill Turner

   February 7, 2012 at 4:44 pm

   Great post.

   I think Apple have only just started and Google are playing catch up just like you said but where the heck are Microsoft?

   If the future is mobile Microsoft are over!

   Warmest

   Phill Turner

   Reply