How Google will control OEMs with Chrome for Android

Google’s Chrome browser has finally arrived on Android in beta form, and it’s really rather good. It’s really only a beta in the way Google understands “beta.” Chrome for Android is stable, feature-rich, and blazing fast. This is definitely a new reason for Android users to start pestering device makers about an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) — and that might be just the start of Google’s real agenda for Chrome on Android.
Chrome on the desktop has gained some real attention, even surpassing Firefox to become the second-place browser with 25.7% usage share according to StatCounter. Google is backing that name up with its borderline-magical cloud services. In the new Chrome for Android beta, all your tabs, bookmarks, omnibox entries, and passwords just show up on the phone with no configuration. It is a very compelling experience to say the least.
Chrome for Android is going to eventually become the default browser for most Android users, but it’s going to come in the form of another Google app like Gmail or Market. OEMs will have to be certified to have it on the phone, and that means a Google inspection. Chromium will be the fully open source version of the browser on Android, just like it is on the desktop. All the fancy cloud features that make Chrome so interesting will be kept in the official Chrome build.
As Google seeks to subtly nudge OEMs in the right direction, Chrome for Android is going to give Mountain View a powerful new lever. Since Google only allows the closed apps to be loaded on approved devices, it has all the power. The Chrome name and features will sweeten the pot for device makers, and could get Google more compliance as it makes requests. With better Google apps, maybe that anti-fragmentation initiative has another shot at becoming a reality.
Google knows that it needs to keep innovating with its Android app package because that’s essentially the only method they have of controlling the platform. The Kindle Fire might not be the fastest device running Android, but it’s one of the most successful. As much as Google would like to applaud Amazon’s efforts publicly, it definitely needs to work behind the scenes to make sure top-tier Android OEMs don’t get any similar ideas about forking the platform. Chrome and its cloud services can help Google do that.
Google might also be able to hand out a little tough love to Android OEMs if its position is strengthened. HTC has been sticking to its gimmicky device strategy (LTE, 3D), and in recent quarters that hasn’t been working for them. HTC needs to change things up, and Google might be able to give it the gentle guidance it needs. More robust Google apps could be just the thing to get HTC to listen; after all, it will want Google certification more than ever before with Chrome on board.
While Chromium will be available to non-certified devices, we can safely say that OEMs and users will be clamoring for Chrome. The cloud syncing features take it from being a good browser to an essential part of the phone. Chrome-starved users may be able to shame OEMs into updating more phones to ICS, and manufacturers will be even more beholden to Google. This is the power Chrome is likely to wield as Google seeks to keep its platform together.
Download Chrome Beta for Android