The Real Winner of CES: Google
Google wasn’t officially at the show, but it still stole it. From the booths to the halls to the devices attendees were using, Google made its presence known.
Google's Android Honeycomb OS on the Motorola Xoom
2011 is dubbed the year of the tablets and CES 2011 was a clear reflection of that. Tablets of all shapes and sizes were found throughout the show. Yet aside from the Blackberry Playbook and the occassional Windows 7 slates, nearly all the tablets found on the show floor were running Android. In fact, CNET’s Best of CES Award went to the Motorola Xoom, the first tablet to run Android 3.0 (dubbed “Honeycomb”). Yet, the award seemed less about the actual hardware (from Motorola) than the operating itself. While previous iterations of Android have been made for smartphones, this new version is specifically for tablet devices. It certainly wowed the audience, making it a top pick among most tech and news organizations and a seriously contender against the Apple iPad.
Smartphones made a strong showing at CES as well. Yet, aside from the Windows Phone 7 phones at the Microsoft booth, most phones shown, whether by LG, Samsung, or Motorola were all running Google’s Android operating system. Again, one of the favorites of the show was the the Motorola Atrix, an Android smartphone that had the ability to dock into a laptop/desktop. It was this versatility that Android provided that set it apart from other leading smartphone operating systems, such as iOS. Even a quick poll of the showroom floor reflected a high share of Android smartphones (used by attendees) – a stark contrast from even a year ago.
Google even permeated into the television market, despite rumors of Google asking manufacturers to hold back on displaying Google TV. Sony, Logitech, and Vizio showed new lines of TV sets that would integrate with Google, whether it be with Google TV or a form of Android. YouTube, which is owned by Google, has become a staple item for widgets and apps in these new “Smart TVs” that were featured as well this year.
It’s clear that Google is looking to move further into the household, beyond the computer. Yet, Google operates very differently than traditional companies like Samsung, Sony, or Microsoft. Google is not a hardware manufacturer nor does it limit itself by a product line. Instead Google integrates themselves into the daily habits of each person, at home, at work, and in between through its software and services. As it continues to collect data, learning from the various behaviors and actions each person exhibits, it grows in its ability to spread even further into our lifestyle habits. What started as a search engine has already become an entertainment system (Google TV), translator of both different languages and voice-to-text (Google Translate, Google Voice), GPS (Google Navigate), and a guide for your next meal (Google Places, Google Maps). Who knows, maybe next year we’ll see Google spread to the rest of CES with Google refrigerators and Google-integrated cars.
atrix, ces, CES 2011, google, Google TV, motorola, tablets, xoom
Reminds me of how Google originally started. No traditional marketing or expensive booths, simple word of mouth that this little search engine was a good product and got the job done.