An attendee poses for a photo next to Android characters during Google I/O 2016 at Shoreline Amphitheatre on May 19, 2016 in Mountain View, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Justin Sullivan)
If latest reports are to be believed, several Android vendors have begun preparing for life after Android. This may seem to be incredible considering the platform's strong position, but people held the same belief regarding Symbian and Windows Mobile before Android and iOS began ruling the market.
In the first quarter of 2016, the global market share of Android was 84.1% in the first quarter of 2016. On the other hand, iOS with 14.8% market share worldwide was the next closest platform. However, the global market share of iOS witnessed a decline from 17.9% during the corresponding period last year.
Contrary to this, there is no other mobile platform with a market share of even a single digit percent. In fact, Microsoft's Windows Mobile is a distant third with a market share of mere 0.7%. This suggests that people are currently living in an Android world, BGR reported.
The strong position of Android notwithstanding, the major partners of the platform are reportedly working to abandon Android sooner or later. For instance, Samsung, the largest Android vendor globally, has already developed its own open source Tizen OS. The company has been selling some smartphone models running Tizen in a number of regions.
Latest reports suggest that even Huawei, which is currently the third largest smartphone manufacturer worldwide, is following suit. Huawei, which sold an estimated 28.7 million handsets during the first quarter of 2016, has hired a team of engineers that is working to develop a new mobile operating system, Information reported.
The media outlet further reported that the in-house OS being developed by Huawei is a possible "Plan B" to Android. The Chinese tech giant has hired former Apple designer Abigail Brody to lead the team as well as improve its Android skin, as the Huawei skin has been criticized by phone reviewers in the West, especially for the way the app icons look.
It is expected that Brody will introduce new features similar to those found on the majority of Android phones, but with Huawei's own finesse. According to the report, the new OS may come into existence soon and the Huawei may use it to run its smartphones provided the company's current Android terms with Google becomes "unacceptable" to the company.
The latest developments should be of concern to Google. Two of its major Android partners have already initiated steps to decrease their dependence on the Mountain View tech titan and someday they may ditch Android and be on their own entirely.
Watch "Huawei building own mobile OS" below:
