Google needs to push developers if it wants Android to dominate more than the phone market

The Nexus program has often been Google's way to not only offer a pure Android experience for developers, but also to showcase the direction Google would like to see Android hardware take. For example, the Nexus 5X and 6P both have fingerprint sensors, something Google wants to be ubiquitous on Android devices; and, the two devices represent options for customers that want either a more compact device or larger phones. Quality compact phones have been harder to find (aside from the Samsung Galaxy S line) as phones hang around the 6-inch mark, and Google likely wants to make sure manufacturers don't abandon that segment and leave customers with few choices between low-end devices and the expensive Galaxy S.

But, the Nexus program has been a very passive way for Google to steer the Android ecosystem, and has had mixed results as a leader. Google has used a stronger hand when it comes to software skins and included Google apps on Android devices, but the benefits of that are still unclear. Google was successful in getting Samsung to simplify its software overlay, and more companies have followed suit, but that hasn't really resulted in faster Android updates. As of right now, more than half of devices are running Android Jelly Bean or KitKat (Android 4.1-4.4), with KitKat still leading the pack and Android Lollipop (5.x) on under 30% of devices. 

Nearly all Android devices have a certain level of security because Google puts a lot of those features into Play services which is updated separately, but it still leads to a certain amount of inconsistency for developers. And, those developers are the final piece of the puzzle and the area where Google exerts the least amount of control, even though it warrants stronger leadership from Google. 

Apple makes sure that is never really a problem for its platforms because it is constantly working with, pushing, bullying, or coaxing developers to build for its platforms and adopt its new features. iPads have a great selection of apps for all use cases despite sales for tablets being down. There are a good number of Apple Watch apps despite the market being unsure if smartwatches are useful and the Apple Watch being prohibitively expensive for most people. Every time Apple announces new hardware or software, it has a line of developers that want to get on stage to show off what they built for Apple's platforms. Google doesn't have that, but it should. 

Anyone who tends to buy a Nexus device right away will know the annoyance of various apps not being updated to support the latest version of Android. Just as Android updates are slow to filter out to devices, so too are developers slow to update apps to either take advantage of new features, or even just to make sure users can install the app properly. That's the most basic update of all, and doesn't even get into games being updated to take advantage of things like the latest version of OpenGL supported in Android in order to give Android the same marketing appeal for games that you find with iOS.

More than 80% of mobile devices in the world are Android, so Google certainly doesn't have the problem of developers not wanting to put resources towards a platform without users. Of course, this fact probably points towards why Google doesn't feel the need to use stronger tactics to get developers to update apps. As far as Google is concerned, maybe the incentive is already there and the fact that tablet apps aren't well optimized is something that doesn't matter to the average user, because if it were, then people would complain more. I can't say if that's how Google feels, but it does make a certain amount of sense. 

But, the loudest voices in the crowd - journalists, reviewers, and hardcore users - would all like to see the software side of Android feel more like a team effort. Google has done a great job with Android and the Google layer of apps and services; developers have done a good job of making great apps for Android; but, those two sides continue to feel disconnected. Google creates services that developers ignore for too long; developers don't properly optimize apps for the wider and wider array of screens in the range of 8-inches all the way up to 50+ inch TVs; and, everyone just chugs along without trying to make things better. 

Unfortunately, Google can't just sit back and let the developers sort themselves out anymore. Android phones are dominant, but in screen sizes above the phone level, Android has a very weak story. Anyone who wants to do more than basic consumption on a tablet will probably opt for iOS; Chromebooks are a far better option for laptops than Android is right now; and, Android TV feels like it was dead on arrival. Android is a great platform, though, so none of that needs to be permanent.

Google is already reportedly planning on combining Android and Chrome OS, which should help the laptop space and could benefit tablets as well, but that will be a space where Google can't claim huge amounts of market share. Google will need to get developers on board with optimizing Android apps for larger devices or Android on laptops can't succeed. Android tablets could be better than they are, as could Android TV, but it's up to Google to push developers, because developers have proven they won't do it themselves.

img src: The Verge