Samsung’s most recent unveiling, a series of tablets showcased at CES 2014, may have landed the company in hot water with Google on the subject of UI and app design, if reports are to be believed.
According to Re/code, Google executives were “dismayed” by Samsung’s new Magazine UX , which merged Microsoft-style tile-based elements with other features described as being similar to Flipboard.
Re/code cites “multiple sources familiar with the companies’ thinking,” who allege that shortly after that reveal, Google and Samsung reps quickly met up to discuss things – presumably at Google’s urgent behest.
The meetings were said to result in a “series of broad agreements” between the pair which are intended to ensure Samsung’s software design sits closer to Google’s vision of Android. Details of these meetings are leaking into the tech news sphere, but officially both Google and Samsung have declined to comment on the matter.
It’s difficult to tell what kind of ramifications this could have for Samsung’s forthcoming products, previously leaks of a Samsung UI alleged to be the next version of TouchWiz showed a similar tile-based affair to the interface which shocked Google’s people. That new software was rumoured to be debuting on the Samsung Galaxy S5, which could be revealed as early as the end of February for a launch in March, according to the grapevine.
Would Google and Samsung’s meeting be enough to set that launch back? If Samsung has to go and re-design most of its software it’s certainly possible. Sources say that Samsung is considering ditching the Magazine UX following its discussions with Google and one condition of the talks is that Samsung will put Google’s app suite at the forefront. That’s quite a big move considering Samsung has always pushed its own set of bespoke apps.
What remains unclear, however, is what Google has put on the table in exchange for all this cooperation from Samsung. The majority of leaked information so far simply points to what Samsung has agreed to stop or start doing with its Android devices from now on.
by pbriden via Featured Articles
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