PC Magazine has posted a very interesting interview with Android chief Andy Rubin today. In it, he talks about their relationship with the carriers, the next version of Android, and of course, the Android rivals. While he never mentions the iPhone by name, he does speak to Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 7. Of it, he says: “the world doesn’t need another platform.”
Rubin says that based on the screen shots he’s seen (which is funny — I’d say there’s no way he hasn’t actually seen a device itself, just about everyone in Silicon Valley has at this point), he thinks Windows Phone 7 looks “interesting” but he doesn’t see the value of it when Android is already out there. “Android is free and open; I think the only reason you create another platform is for political reasons,” Rubin says.
Of course, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has already given his stance on Android being free — that stance being: it’s not free, you have to pay patent fees for it, notably, to Microsoft.
Rubin expands his thoughts on Android versus Windows Phone 7:
I encourage everybody to use it, but I’m also not under the impression that everybody will use it, which is a good thing, because competition is good for the consumer and if somebody has an an idea for a feature or a piece of functionality in their platform and Android doesn’t do it, great. I think it’s good to have the benefit of choice, but in the end I don’t think the world needs another platform.
He notes that the key strength of Android lies in Google’s ability to create mashups of a bunch of service — meaning, thanks to their cloud computing expertise. Rubin notes that Google has been in this business “since day zero” — a clear shot at Microsoft lack of success transitioning to the web so far. “The cloud is humming away with unlimited bandwidth, acting on your behalf,” Rubin concludes.
More: Android Chief Likely Out Of Breath After Non-Stop Excuses For Carriers In Interview
