Google Forcing "Powered by Android" Branding on New Devices

Something old and something new, something borrowed, something blue. 

Google is insisting that a 'Powered by Android' brand now appear on any new devices that contain that operating system. The motivation appears to be partly aspirational and partly, resentful.

Google is trying to capture the early magic of the Intel Inside brand that worked so well during the heyday of the Windows/Intel partnership. Whether anyone who matters either remembers or cares anymore is another question, but among the legends of tech iconography, that memory apparently still shines.

The other part of this effort may be driven by just a hint of jealousy. Despite the fact that Samsung has provided Google with a savvy, powerful and effective partner who has helped them keep Apple at bay, there appears to be some not inconsiderable resentment of the credit that the Korean behemoth is receiving. Ronald Reagan once observed that there is nothing you cant accomplish if you are willing to give someone else some credit, but that is still difficult for the sort of Type As who tend to populate senior positions at large tech companies.

Google evidently hopes that this effort will remind everyone of their genius and power, not that anyone is likely to forget, and that such an initiative will somehow keep them from fading from public consciousness - or perhaps more importantly, losing pride of place. Given what has happened to Intel in relative terms compared to their preeminence a generation ago and how that success might have blinded Intel to the changes that were already coming, this might actually serve best as a cautionary tale. JL

Devindra Hardawar reports in VentureBeat:

Just like the “Intel Inside” slogan made mainstream consumers aware of the chip powering their computers, Google wants people to know that the likes of Samsung don’t deserve all of the credit for their beloved smartphones.
With just about every Android phone maker tweaking the OS to suit their needs, Google is taking a big symbolic step to remind consumers of its own importance.
Google is now requiring new Android devices to display a “Powered by Android” logo when they boot up in order to access the Google Play store, Geek.com reports. It’s a small but significant move to make Android as much as a household name as Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones.
The branding appears in the boot sequences for the new Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One right below their parent company logos. Expect to see the branding everywhere this year.
According to Geek.com, the requirement is now part of Google’s Mobile Services Agreement, which manufacturers need to follow to get access to the precious Google Play app store, as well as Google’s own Android apps. Last month, leaks of the agreement gave us a rare glimpse of Google’s other requirements, which include pre-installing a dozen core Google apps on phones and limiting what sorts of things could appear on the home screen.
Even though Android is open-source, you lose out on Google’s apps and services if you don’t sign up for the Mobile Services Agreement. But that’s still a useful option if you’re prepared to build out your own Android app store and custom apps, as Amazon does for its Kindle Fire tablets.
Just like the “Intel Inside” slogan made mainstream consumers aware of the chip powering their computers, Google wants people to know that the likes of Samsung don’t deserve all of the credit for their beloved smartphones. The move is all about control for Google — over the past few years, Samsung has stuffed its Galaxy S smartphones with so many custom features and software that it’s hard to tell they’re actually running Android.