Following a shake up in Google leadership Android creator and former senior VP of mobile and content Andy Rubin steps down to a new, yet unspecified, role within the company.
Replacing him is Sundar Pichai, the senior VP in charge of the Chrome browser and OS. Interestingly Pichai will continue leading all things Chrome even as he takes over Android-- maybe Google will converge mobile and PC operating systems in the future?
“Having exceeded even the crazy ambitious goals we dreamed of for Android-— and with a really strong leadership team in place-— Andy’s decided it’s time to hand over the reins and start a new chapter at Google,” Google CEO Larry Page writes in his announcement. “Andy, more moonshots please!”
Page also used the announcement to reveal a few numbers-- 750 million Android devices (from over 60 vendors) have been activated globally, while app downloads from the Google Play store total 25 billion.
Rubin started working on Android back in 2003, when he co-founded the technology startup after selling off his previous company, T-Mobile Sidekick creator Danger. Google bought Android in 2005, with whom Rubin has remained, overseeing both the Android rise to the top of the smartphone OS pile and development of Google-branded devices such as the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.
What next for Rubin? Rumours suggest he might go to Google X, the mysterious "skunkworks" division in charge of exotic projects such as Google Glass and self-driving vehicles.
