The relationship between Google and Amazon has been incredibly hostile for years. The two companies compete in multiple categories, such as smart speakers or TV viewing devices (Chromecast and Amazon Fire) This has produced them as competitors, and they want to reduce the presence of some of these components, something they don't always do in a very clean way. The war between the two had many episodes.
The battle between Google and Amazon: from YouTube to Chromecast
Google and Amazon have been fighting in the shadows. Amazon will now sell Chromecast again, but what's the background?
Background
One of the first things was when Amazon stopped selling Chromecasts in 2015, by doing so promote your Fire TV sales. The store also blocks the sale of other Google products, such as its home speakers or Nest speakers. Seeing that Amazon was the best seller in the category of speakers, Google chose a controversial decision, because they chose to block YouTube on the Amazon Echo Show.
Also, Google didn't stop there, because YouTube has also removed it from Amazon's Fire TVs, making it fully operational in 2018. These structures and their continuity have been repeating for years, until last year, both companies seemed to finally bury the hatchet.
The first step is that Amazon Prime Video is made compatible with Chromecast. At the same time, YouTube last came back to Amazon Fire TV, which was seen as another important step in relation to the reconciliation between the two companies. The truce seems to have been alive for a while, based on new information.
The Google and Amazon team are top: YouTube on Fire TV and much more
Google and Amazon have announced that YouTube will be available on Amazon Fire TV and that Prime Video users will be able to use their Chromecast app.
Google still reveals the hatchet
Google's latest action is causing a conflict and it is similar to a new war announcement between the two companies. The Mountain View company looks forward to that TV makers remain loyal to Android TV and do not try other programs like Amazon Fire TV. In fact, this situation is very difficult, because it is a clause in the agreements.
According to this clause, manufacturers who accept or have an Android TV license must remain faithful to this operating system. Since they were prevented from participating in making other Smart TVs available they use open source Android, so it includes Amazon Fire TV from the list. Manufacturer is not allowed Work or produce on TV with Android TV and other Fire TV at the same time. Also, if someone makes a TV with Fire TV and wants to introduce another with Android TV, they have to start leaving this fork from Amazon, otherwise it won't happen.
Google has a series of guidelines used by television producers, in addition to other devices, that start with a few requirements to meet in order to have the Google Play Store and other Google apps. Although developers are allowed to customize Android versions by making changes to the source code, they must first be certified by Google. Amazon Fire TV is not one of those allowed in this case.
This approach from Google has already given you problems in the past. The European Commission fined the company $ 4,000 million because they were preventing manufacturers from selling mobile devices running different operating systems, developed by competitors, based on the open source code of Android. “And in India there is ongoing research on this type of company practice.
Despite the controversy, it is currently a success, for six of the ten best-selling Smart TVs in the world close some kind of agreement with Google, which means we won't see some of them launching televisions with Amazon Fire TV.
