Is Android stoppable?

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Even before Google opened its chequebook to snap up Motorola Mobility last week, there was a growing feeling that the Android operating system might be pretty near unstoppable.

Just look at the situation it’s found itself in. It’s got hardware support that its nearest rivals can’t even begin to match (with a breadth of major manufacturers behind it), a rate of growth that’s unrivalled, and it’s about to snag itself over half of the smartphone market. Add in the spread to tablet computers, and the lack of a rival that looks capable of stopping it, and the future, seemingly, is bright for Android.

Whilst the $12.5 billion that Google spent in purchasing Android has proved divisive, with some analysts believing that the firm might just have shot itself in the foot, and others believing it’s a smart move, it does help cement the future of the platform. For those who believe Google has spent wisely, it’s the patent book that’s been cited as the main reason for praising the firm. So let’s start there.

It’s clearly Microsoft and Apple that have the most to lose from the growth of Android.

Stop right now?

To question whether Android is stoppable inevitably involves looking at those who are trying to stop it. The two familiar faces in this story belong to Apple and Microsoft. Both companies have a heavy vested interest in this segment of the market, and they’ve also made some pointed allegations against Android.

Microsoft’s patent claims are being tested first. Last October, the firm filed claims against Motorola, arguing that its Android phones impinged on nine of its patents. Those patents related, in particular, to the likes of syncing, battery power indicators and contacts, and begin to be heard before the US International Trade Commission this week.

Elsewhere, Apple has filed a suit against HTC, arguing that its Android-powered handsets infringe on patents related to the iPhone.

It’s clearly Microsoft and Apple that have the most to lose from the growth of Android, given that they’re both sizeable players in that market. Android devices are outselling both Microsoft and Apple products in this market, and in terms of overall market usage, Android is poised to imminently overtake Apple’s iOS. With Symbian OS struggling to keep its sizeable foothold in the market, Android should be a clear market leader, by most measures, come the end of 2012.

And it’s not until 2012 that the International Trade Commission will even rule on the first of the big cases being brought against Android. By that time, Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS is expected to be a long, long way behind the leading pack. Android, by then, should be comfortably in front.

As for Apple, whilst it won’t mind being market leader, it’s less important to it than it would be to some. After all, every sale of an iOS product directly brings good revenue into the firm, given that it’s an Apple hardware product that it’ll be tied to. There are many critics for proprietary systems, but every time a business looks at Apple’s annual turnover numbers, there’s even less desire where it matters to change the status quo.

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