Inventor of Android Steps Down, Set to Find New Role at Google.

Andy Rubin, the inventor of Android operating system that led its development for about a decade, decided to step down from his current position at Google. The former senior vice president of mobile and content at Google is expected to find a new role at the company and has no plans to leave completely.

Mr. Rubin started to work on Android operating system back in 2003 when he started Android Inc., a technology startup that tried to develop an open-source mobile OS based on industrial standards. Google bought Android in 2005 and Mr. Rubin continued his work on the platform. Today, Android is the most used mobile operating system in the world: over 60 manufacturers use it; more than 750 million devices have been activated globally; and 25 billion apps have now been downloaded from Google Play.

“Having exceeded even the crazy ambitious goals we dreamed of for Android – and with a really strong leadership team in place – Andy has decided it is time to hand over the reins and start a new chapter at Google,” said Larry Page, chief executive of Google.

Going forward, Sundar Pichai will lead Android, in addition to his existing work with Chrome and apps. Mr. Pichai has a talent for creating products that are technically excellent yet easy to use. One of his achievements is Chrome browser, which has gained hundreds of millions of users worldwide since its launch in 2008.

Neither Mr. Page nor Mr. Rubin himself comment on the responsibilities of the latter going forward, except the fact that it will be about “a new chapter at Google”. It is unknown whether it will be something related to Google Glass and wearable computing, or will work on one of the innovative X projects.

by Anton Shilov.
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