The phone challenge

This is the challenge Huawei now faces on the phone side. The only companies that have come close to creating a viable Android alternative outside of China are Microsoft or Amazon, and Amazon’s attempt is now limited to tablets. Microsoft created Windows Phone and was able to gain some impressive ground in certain countries in Europe, but Android still absolutely dominated overall. Microsoft took the approach of licensing its more closed operating system to phone makers for a fee per handset, while the “free” Android alternative came with its own royalty payments and a lot of customization options for phone makers and carriers.

Microsoft tried to offer a phone operating system without the support of Google’s apps and services. Windows Phone users were cut off from Google Maps temporarily, there was a bitter battle over a Windows Phone YouTube app, and Google surprised Microsoft by cutting off Gmail’s Exchange ActiveSync support for Windows Phone. Google also refused to develop Windows apps, undermining Microsoft’s mobile efforts to compete with Android.

Amazon has seen some limited success with its own implementation of Android. The company has created its own Android app store for its Fire tablets, and it’s managed to convince some app makers to list their popular apps in the store. Facebook, Spotify, Netflix, Skype, HBO Now, and others are all available, but Google’s apps are, predictably, nowhere to be seen. Amazon’s app store is still missing a lot of key apps, and even the ones available aren’t always updated at the same time as their main Android alternatives. Thankfully, the Fire tablet screen size lends itself to using the browser to access Google services more than the smaller display on phones. Amazon tried to compete with Android with its Fire Phone, but the company discontinued it quickly after poor sales

Ref: theverge.com