Roger McNamee (Credit: Bloomberg TV)
When it comes to Apple's iOS versus Google's Android, there aren't many fence sitters. Roger McNamee, an investor who's been analyzing the output of Silicon Valley for 30 years, thinks Android is the "equivalent of having a motor scooter at the Indianapolis 500."
McNamee, who began his career by turning out big returns at T. Rowe Price Science and Technology Fund, and then started Silver Lake Partners, a private equity firm, and venture capital firm Elevation Partners, is troubled by what Google has done to encourage Android's "profitless prosperity."
"I watch what they have done with Android, and I'm flabbergasted because their market share in units is so high, but look at the profit share," McNamee told Bloomberg TV. "Apple's profit share is like 75 or 80 percent because Android has been managed essentially to make it a profitless prosperity. Right now, if Google is not careful, Android will be Samsung or Samsung will be Android." Customers buy Android devices because they are cheaper, not because there is any brand loyalty to the platform, he concluded.
McNamee also criticized Samsung, which dominates the market for Android smartphones, outselling the iPhone by 6-to-1 in recent months.
"Samsung could be what Apple is, but for whatever reaso... [Read more]
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