Nokia’s HERE maps on Tizen another sign of Samsung, Google splintering

As mentioned in this post, Android has split into two camps, the Open Handset Alliance version, which includes Google services baked right in, and the version for the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

The other side is the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), a far-freer version that lets device makers tinker with all manner of elements of the software. Often that means ripping out Google services, and customizing the handset to run other software and services. Google apps are still accessible, but are not central to the experience as they are in OHA Android devices.

Samsung’s Tizen is based on their own customized version of Linux and is designed to work with their Galaxy Gear line of watches. Samsung has just inked a deal with Nokia (note that this is Nokia and not Microsoft — h/t to Janne Ojaniemi) to use Nokia’s HERE maps for turn-by-turn and offline directions. Just as Apple has reduced dependence on Google by rolling their own maps, Samsung has done the same by rolling their own OS and allying with Nokia for mapping.

Whether this alliance was forged by strategy or necessity (would Google have to cooperate to get Google Maps ported to Tizen?), this is sure to splinter Android further still.

If Apple does roll out the iWatch on September 9th, it will be interesting to see how the iWatch OS interacts with iOS and whether mapping is part of the picture.