Is Google running scared of losing its dominance in the smartphone market? Strange news has hit the wire, claiming Google issued a strong warning to Acer that it would terminate its Android-related cooperation and other technology licensing if Acer went ahead with launching a non-Android phone.
Acer had a press meeting planned on Thursday in Shanghai to introduce the CloudMobile A800, a new smartphone based on Aliyun, an operating system from Chinese Internet firm Alibaba. The press conference was cancelled, and Alibaba issued a statement that the launch is postponed due to concerns by Google.
The statement comes from Alibaba, the Chinese internet group behind Aliyun, the OS that Acer’s new device was to run. If Alibaba is telling the whole story, then it sounds like Google is using a lot of the same tactics that (supposedly) got Microsoft in trouble back in the ‘90s. What’s ironic is that it’s obviously going on the opposite direction this time – if Google is serious about this, you can bet that they won’t be afraid to make the same threat over OEMs trying to use Windows Phone on their devices, either.
Acer’s comment was a bit more neutral, simply noting that Google was ‘concerned’ by Acer’s use of Aliyun, and that “Acer will continue to communicate with Google and the company still wants to launch the new smartphone…”
