How Samsung Is Undermining Android: Google Inc (GOOG), Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN)

Perhaps a trial separation is in order
In addition, Samsung is legitimately trying to add entirely new features to Android for further differentiation, such as its Air View and Smart Scroll features. These are relatively new and don’t seem to work as well in practice as they do in theory, judging by early hands-on reviews.

Samsung is also actively targeting enterprise customers with its new Knox security certification. The South Korean company is positioning Galaxy devices with Knox within its broader Samsung For Enterprise, or SAFE, initiative. That puts it in the same enterprise market with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), while leaving the rest of the Android army behind. Samsung now characterizes its own Galaxy Nexus, “all other Google Nexus,” and “all other Android tablets and phones” as “not safe for work” (emphasis mine).

Put it all together and what you get is an increasingly tense relationship between the largest smartphone OEM by volume and the provider of the dominant mobile operating system that powers all those devices. Loveless marriages simply aren’t built to last.

The article How Samsung Is Undermining Android originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Evan Niu, CFA.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com, Apple, and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Amazon.com, Apple, and Google.

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