Will Google Stop Samsung from Making Windows Phones?

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Google
GOOG
is at the center of a controversy with Acer after the Taiwanese manufacturer abruptly canceled an event this week.
During the event, Acer was expected to unveil a new Chinese smartphone that would use Aliyun, a mobile operating system from Alibaba Group. According to
PCWorld
, Acer pulled the plug after Google threatened to cancel the manufacturer's license to use Android. Alibaba has since used its news and commentary site,
Alizila
, to comment on the disappearance of Acer's phone. "We believe that by introducing the Aliyun OS we are giving consumers and hardware makers more options which is the foundation of a healthy and strong market," an Alibaba spokesman said in a
statement
. "We think that it should be left to the market to decide." The spokesman also said that Google's actions are "clearly unfair to consumers and we are concerned about the impact on customer access to competitive products." While most of the world has been enamored with
iPhone 5 anticipation
, Alibaba has been working on a revision to Aliyun for the Chinese market. Similar to Google's Chrome OS, Aliyun is a cloud-based operating system. Earlier this month, Alibaba unveiled the
full list of features
that are slated to accompany the launch of Aliyun 2.0. Google and Acer have yet to comment on Alibaba's claims. If true, it could be the first step in a battle between Google and Alibaba. It could also be a sign of things to come from Google, which faces increased competition from Windows Phone 8. The online search giant may not be able to persuade Nokia
NOK
, which is still one of the world's largest manufacturers of cellular devices, to use Android. However, Google may be able to use its power and influence to eventually stop Samsung and other manufacturers from releasing
Windows Phone 8 devices
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. This would be bad news for Microsoft
MSFT
, which needs to convince manufacturers to produce a multitude of devices, not just those utilizing the Android platform. As the world's most successful mobile operating system, Android has acquired more customers than Apple's
AAPL
iOS. In an e-mail to investors this week, Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry said that Android and iOS will control 98 percent of the mobile market. "There will not be any third spot left," Chowdhry warned. "Nokia, Microsoft and Research In Motion
RIMM
will struggle in the remaining two percent of the market." Worldwide, Chowdhry said that 1.2 million Android devices are activated every day. He outlined Google's growth from April 2011 through August 2012:
  • April 2011 – 350,000 activations per day
  • June 2011 – 550,000 activations per day
  • December 2011 – 700,000 activations per day
  • February 2012 – 850,000 activations per day
  • June 2012 – 900,000 activations per day
  • August 2012 – 1.2 million activations per day
Most of these activations occur in developed parts of the world. Future growth is expected to be found in emerging markets, particularly in China. Google and Alibaba are just two of the many companies that hope to take advantage of that growth.
Follow me @LouisBedigianBZ
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Posted In: NewsRumorsLegalTechAlibabaGlobal Equities ResearchGoogleTrip ChowdhryWindows Phone 8
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