Android and the demise of operating system-based power: Firm strategy and platform control in the post-PC world

The emergence of new mobile platforms built on Google׳s Android operating system represents a significant shift in the locus of the platform “bottleneck,” or control point, in the mobile industry. Using a case study approach, this paper examines firm strategies in a market where the traditional location of the ICT platform bottleneck—the operating system on a device—is no longer the most important competitive differentiator. Instead, each of the three firms studied has leveraged different core competencies to build complementary services in order to control the platform and lock-in users. Using platform theories around bottlenecks and gatekeeper roles, this paper explores these strategies and analyzes them in the broader context of the changing mobile industry landscape. •Comparative case study to analyze platform strategies in the smartphone industry.•Uses three firms building proprietary platforms on the Android operating system.•Analysis suggests the operating system has ceased to be a control point or “bottleneck”.•Firms are relying on cloud-based services to lock-in users and capture value.