The real reason Google made Android

So, why did Google make Android? In this week's Processor episode, Dieter Bohn looks at the launch of Android ten years ago. The HTC G1, codename Dream, was the first commercially available phone that ran Android and it was released more than a year after the iPhone. But, here's the thing, Android wasn't meant to compete with Apple. Instead, Google was actually trying to compete with Microsoft.

[thehobnob]

I know they weren’t as big of a “thing” in the states as in Europe, but I’d love a deep dive into the history of Nokia and Symbian - they really produced some fantastic, genuinely forward-looking devices

[atulkatariaa]

10 years before, I would have been super amazed, if anyone had told me that we are gonna have 2k, 4k display phones with 93% screen, inscreen finger print scanner and iris scanner and console quality games right on phone. Dslr Like portrait picture right on phone.
Damn tech is growing so fast.

[alejomiranda]

I love anything with Dieter in it. Such a likeable guy and very informative. Keep up the good work!

[afarhan]

You totally ignored Symbian which was the dominant Operating System for 'smartphones' at the time (and even later) the iPhone arrived. Nokia, Sony (Ericsson) Samsung, LG all made Symbian phones.

[AakashKalaria]

And even before Android was put into phones, Android was meant to be OS for camera... if I have my facts right.

[HiddenDriveways]

The only thing anyone needs to know about Android is that Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin arrived at the platform's announcement event on rollerblades. Android: Dorky on day one, full dork today.

[titan]

*Does anybody remember the Palm Pre 2, I liked that phone.*

[asonga]

To everyone commenting "Google didn't make Android", He literally address that they bought it in the video, but they development a good bulk of it alongside Rubin.

I also think that the title saying "Made" is more in reference to them investing in it and trying to make it what it is rather than them inventing it.

[arrtea]

Make a video about nokia's Symbian ... it was an awesome os .. my first two smart phones were Symbian S60 based nokia phones.. they were lit 🔥

[gyanwire]

But before android and iOS phones were kind of different from each other not just becoz of software in fact in hardware form factor like a slider phone sony rotating phones to flip ph like moto razer to Nokia N95 all were different and everyone was crazy to check out each other phones.it was really fun...😃

[GadgetsDiscover]

*Interesting...* But wasn't Android actually meant for camera software!

[ntnwwnet]

No way they could've gotten the G1 out in 1-2 years if they were competing/reacting to the iPhone. They HAD to have had it well in development when the iPhone was announced.

[supernpstr]

Man the treo was my dream phone back then. I always wanted it but never bought it. Somehow I still like that design. And the Samsung dash8. The designs as Dieter said were nerdy! Now it's just plane slabs. I want that nerdiness!

[steller]

Why did Google make Android? You mean Google, the company that bought Android in 2005 for $50 million? Jesus Christ Verge, a quick Google search is all it takes.

[opticalecho]

I remember my dad’s G1. That thing was so cool back in the day.

[RitaceBhattarai]

Verge still has people who know their stuff

[MRdeLaat]

dont u need a antistatic wristband to open your slidephone like that?

[MichaelSmith-uzwh]

TECH HISTORY/NOSTALGIA VIDEO IDEA: Take something that we tend to take for granted everyday through our phones/the internet and track the history of that thing. Like a Tech Timeline. FOR EXAMPLE -- MUSIC: From LPs to Spotify. LPs >>> 8 track >>> cassettes >>> walkman >>> making mix tapes >>> CDs >>> DiscMan >>> MiniDisc? >>> iTunes >>> Napster >>> CD burners >>> Making Mix CDs >>> iPod >>> Making playlists >>> Streaming Music >>> Spotify.
You could take the same approach with PHOTOS: 1-hour developing to digital cameras to iPhoto to Instagram. Or even MAPS/NAVIGATION: Paper road maps, to Tom Tom, to Google Maps. Just an idea... Keep making great videos!!!

[venomk]

I had the G1 and loved that phone. The Sidekick was also a super fun game, especially with the AIM client.

[ruzzelladrian]

The hardware was terrible. It really showed that it was still a hesitant era. It took 4 years for Android to settle down with the experimental hardware differentiation efforts to not look like the iPhone to finally get rid of unnecessary features and settle for a simple all screen phone, just like the iPhone but with bigger screens like hTC back in 2012-2013.