Google’s Coup Shifts Mobile Alliances

Major telephone makers like Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson and LG said that they supported Google’s planned purchase of Motorola. But will they still feel that way in a year?

Those companies have made plenty of money selling millions of devices powered by Android, Google’s mobile operating system. Analysts and industry specialists say the deal could sour relations between Google and its partners, who have helped Google beat Nokia and Apple to win the biggest share of the mobile software market. “They can't be too thrilled to find that suddenly, these companies are no longer partnering with Google — they’re competing with Google,” Michael Gartenberg, director of research at Gartner, an information technology research and advisory company, said referring to the telephone makers. “No matter how Google tries to spin it, they’re competing.”