Android co-founder Rich Miner has blamed Bill Gates for Microsoft’s failure to control the mobile market.
Android co-founder Rich Miner has blamed Bill Gates for Microsoft’s failure to control the mobile market. Miner asserts that Gates was a major contributor to Microsoft’s demise in the smartphone industry. This criticism comes after Gates recently acknowledged that one of Microsoft’s worst errors, losing the business an estimated $400 billion in market value, was its failure in the smartphone industry.
Miner’s perspective: A move to stimulate innovation
Miner reacted angrily to Gates’ remarks on social media. “To stop Microsoft from controlling the phone the way they did the PC—stifling innovation,” he added, “I literally helped create Android.” After working on the Windows Mobile phone, SPV, which was introduced in 2002, Miner, who was actively involved in the mobile ecosystem, clarified that he was worried about Microsoft’s propensity to control markets. He was concerned that, like with personal computers, the firm might extend its monopoly strategy to mobile devices.
Miner made it apparent that Android was a countermeasure intended to preserve a more open mobile environment rather than just a product. “Sorry Bill, you’re more responsible for losing the $400B than you realise,” he added, implying that Gates’ actions were a major factor in Microsoft’s mobile blunders.
Gates considers Microsoft’s poor handling of mobile
Bill Gates recently admitted in an interview that Microsoft made a big mistake by not taking the lead in the smartphone market. After giving this some thought, he said to Julia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite, “The biggest error of all time is the poor management I committed that made Microsoft not what Android is.”
The lost chance: The game might have been different with a different strategy
Had Microsoft recognised the potential of the mobile revolution earlier and been more flexible in adapting its strategy—perhaps by embracing open-source principles or collaborating more with hardware manufacturers—it might have positioned itself as a stronger competitor in the mobile market. However, by failing to innovate promptly, Microsoft missed a significant opportunity for growth and allowed its competitors to dominate the mobile market. By contrast, Android and iOS focused on openness, customisation, and developer engagement, while Microsoft maintained a more rigid, proprietary approach that worked for personal computers but did not translate well to mobile.
