Could Samsung and LiMO turn Google's China row to advantage?

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Could Samsung and LiMO turn Google's China row to advantage?

By CAROLINE GABRIEL

Published: 20 January, 2010

Google's stand-off with the Chinese authorities over web censorship claims gets more serious, and this time it is affecting Android directly. The search giant has confirmed the postponement of two handsets, from Samsung and Motorola, that were due to be unveiled by China Unicom today.

According to UK newspaper The Times, Google has requested that the two phonemakers eliminate all Google related elements from their devices. The company, China Unicom confirmed, has withdrawn authorization for content to run on its applications, and for the use of its logo on the handsets.

This leaves Android licensees in a dilemma, although it is one that may be welcome to Samsung, at least. Should they pursue the Chinese Android market without Google's help, assuming it does not sort out its problems in the country any time soon? Or should they back away from Android and target China with other platforms?

Since Android is open source, Google cannot actually block vendors from using it, but their task will be harder without its support. Many of the key Android enhancements are developed within Google, and some users and cellcos see the tight integration with the company's applications and user experience as a benefit, driving user uptake of the familiar services. Since the smartphone market is so new in China, it is not too late for carriers and their suppliers to defocus on Android and adopt a more fully supported platform like Symbian (already embraced by China Mobile) or a Linux alternative like LiMO (very friendly to the Chinese operators' aims to control and customize their content and user experience).

Some vendors have made such a big commitment to Android that such a change of direction would be very damaging and create a hiatus in Chinese sales. This is particularly true of Motorola, which has anointed Android as its only mainstream smartphone OS and worked very closely with Google on its user experience for phones like Droid.

Local Chinese suppliers have been launching Android devices, with ZTE particularly active, and Huawei and Lenovo also in the field. These should be less impacted by a split with Google, since they work so closely with the Chinese carriers anyway and have been early to implement those cellcos' own Android overlays, Ophone at China Mobile and Uphone at China Unicom. In these, the integration with Google services is less important, and the overlays could even be transported to another Linux OS like LiMO.

Samsung is the player to watch in this battle of wills between Google and China. It supports all the major operating systems and so is in a good position to offer Chinese carriers whatever platform they choose, and shift its balance of interest flexibly between Symbian, LiMO and Android, and its own platforms. It stands to lose far less than Motorola, and may even gain from a weakening of Google's hold on Android - Samsung, despite launching Android smartphones like the Galaxy, has been excluded from the inner circle of vendors, notably Motorola and HTC, that are closest to Google's plans and development initiatives.

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