Google has just announced that Andy Rubin is stepping down as head of Android — he'll be replaced by Sundar Pichai who is currently the senior VP of Chrome and Apps. Pichai will keep his current duties, as well. CEO Larry Page announced the change on Google's blog today, and also took a moment to tout the domination of Android in the mobile marketplace — more than 750 million Android devices have been activated globally, and 25 billion apps have been downloaded from Google Play. Judging from the blog post, it sounds like Rubin stepped down of his own accord and will remain at Google in an as-yet unspecified role. Page hailed Rubin's work, and asked him for "more moonshots, please!"
While Rubin's move away from Android sounds amicable on the surface, there was some evidence recently that he's been off-message regarding Google's plans — particularly the rumored Google retail stores that several outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, reported on last month. Rubin denied those rumors, but it wouldn't surprise us to see the rumor return with Rubin's departure. As for Pichai, who is now the head of both Android and Chrome, there's strong possibility that his new role could bring us to a world when Chrome OS and Android are unified, or at least more closely linked — something that's been discussed and rumored since the launch of Chrome OS in December 2010.
As for where Rubin may wind up, we're expecting that his name will resurface on a major project sometime down the line — after successfully launching Android and making it "the most used mobile operating system in the world," he should have enough clout to do whatever he wants within Google going forward. We're reaching out to Google for more information on the switch and will update with any more information we hear.
Comments
WOAH O.o
EDIT: Could it be any clearer, what direction Android is taking?
By Adriel Mingo on 03.13.13 12:56pm
Yeah this is going to be a pretty big point in Android over the long haul. Lets see what direction it takes from here…
By wackyanimation on 03.13.13 12:57pm
I wanted it to be Matias, he’s the one really turning android around.
By ryan_socio on 03.13.13 12:59pm
He is doing great work on design, leave him to it.
By ytknows on 03.13.13 1:00pm
I want him to go to Motorola and work on a unified set of products rather than a dev base platform.
By cheese on 03.13.13 1:04pm
I want him to work on streamlining Moto’s portfolio and marry great software with beautiful hardware. Razr M looked stellar, and Duarte can only improve this.
By jainrounak on 03.13.13 1:12pm
I love the Razr M. It’s an incredible device. Super reliable
By thesailingboss on 03.13.13 1:20pm
always wanted one. Sadly, Moto shut shop in India :(
By jainrounak on 03.13.13 1:28pm
I would be very surprised if Rubin isn’t heavily (HEAVILY) involved in the X phone
Now this being said the X phone might turn out to be a crazy Hawaiian shirt
By DaGetz on 03.13.13 1:14pm
Did you mean Duarte?
By Ghost650 on 03.13.13 1:15pm
Sorry, yes. :P
By DaGetz on 03.13.13 1:17pm
That said, I’d be surprised if both Duarte and Rubin aren’t involved at Motorola. I’d be surprised if Rubin’s role is anywhere else at Motorola, frankly. Duarte might be involved as an advisor and possible device designer or something.
By redbullcat on 03.13.13 4:46pm
as far as Duarte is involved if you go back and listen to the interview with him on the nexus 4 listen to the way he describes it, he definitely had a hand in its physical design. He strikes me as a fellow that wouldn’t be satisfied with not being able to impact physical design. He always says software and hardware a mesh and they compliment each other. I bet he helps design both.
With an X phone his creativity is exactly what they want. An X phone will have to be stunning yet original, these guys don’t do better than everybody else products, they do products you didn’t think were possible, google glass and such. Whatever impressive technical shizzle wizzle that is in there it will need an amazing body to set it off, Motorola have the capabilities to do that, all they need is the bravery and the vision.
By DaGetz on 03.13.13 5:00pm
Sundar Pichai seems to have too many things under him. Google Apps like Gmail, maps, drive etc..Chrome, Chrome OS and now Android. Vic Gundotra on the other hand only has Google+
By Grimmjow on 03.13.13 2:17pm
I know, it sounds like half of google is working under Sundar Pichai
By JohnMitchel on 03.13.13 2:30pm
Oh no! The double down kiss of death!
By fernandizzel on 03.13.13 4:08pm
why ’s that, the only thing they said they would double down on was tablets?? and the success of the nexus 7 means they meant buisness.
By mintvilla on 03.13.13 4:13pm
The OSs need to have a unified experience, and need to have an overarching visionary across them.
Google of old we’re great at building services, but they lacked cohesion. This will hopefully bring a holistic integrated google experience.
By cheese on 03.13.13 4:22pm
Indeed. Though i’m not sure what involvement he’s had on hardware/industrial design.
By Ghost650 on 03.13.13 1:15pm
Matias is great at design, and I just hope he remains at that position to be honest. Although, I too believe him to have a great mind.
By Biccies on 03.13.13 1:00pm
I was thinking he should be in a position like what Johnny Ive has at Apple, he designs the OS and the engineers make it happen instead of him designing around what the engineers are making.
By ryan_socio on 03.13.13 1:59pm
That would be a HUGE change for Google. Their whole company is focused on engineering.
By Sagetology on 03.13.13 2:29pm
Google is a regular engineering centric company like Intel, Microsoft etc. OTOH Apple is a design centric company, something rarely seen in the computer business. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. I don’t think Apple’s way is superior.
By TheFakeSteve on 03.13.13 3:21pm
Nope. The Apple approach is that rather than a design following engineering, products are developed with both having equal prominence. Steve Jobs has said as much before and it’s repeated in the biography.
This is entirely the right way because design effects engineering and engineering affects design. This is why Apples hardware is still way ahead of the competiton in terms of build and materials.
By RobotPi on 03.13.13 3:49pm
That has nothing to do with it. Apple has been known to buy up high quality materials to the point where the rest of the industry has to go bargain binning for what ever else is left. You have 3rd party factories dedicated to building Apple parts, Apple has a very tight control of their supply chain. Ford and GM did the same in the 60s and 70s. It has nothing at all to do with design or engineering, it’s having a monopolistic grip of supplies.
By cantcurecancer on 03.13.13 4:12pm