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After consulting the tea leaves and having spilled the entrails of a newborn lamb, Nokia head honcho Stephen Elop has decided that Google’s acquisition of Motorola is a portent of doom for the Android operating system, Reuters reports.
But then, y’know… he would say that.
Speaking on Wednesday, Elop said, “If I happened to be someone who was an Android manufacturer or an operator, or anyone with a stake in that environment, I would be picking up my phone and calling certain executives at Google and say, ‘I see signs of danger ahead.'”
Elop’s concern seems to be that because Google has bought Motorola, it’s possible that other manufacturers who build Android devices (like Samsung, LG or HTC) will feel jealous of that tight partnership.
Motorola could be given early access to Android code, for example, and any kind of preferential treatment could cause ‘droid lovin’ companies to run into the arms of Microsoft, with its Windows Phone operating system.
Obviously Elop is seriously biased — Nokia has a massive stake in Windows Phone, and no love for Android, which has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. But while he’s probably just trying to stir up unrest, he might have a point.
Google bought Motorola with the aim of defending Android against the likes of Apple, and its lawsuit-happy lawyer division, but in the process it could have ticked off the manufacturers who helped make Android so popular.
What do you reckon? Does Elop speak sense? Or is he just trying to stir the pot? Is this acquisition the end of Android? Let us know on our Facebook wall, or in the comments below.
