There are over three billion Android devices, but even though they breathe the same OS, their experience has never felt like one, coherent system. Products from makers like Samsung and Xiaomi are mistakenly believed to run on separate OSes with their own in-house tech for exchanging files, pairing Bluetooth accessories, and more.
So for the last few years, Google has made it its mission to tie the diverse portfolio of Android devices together with an ecosystem of services that’s consistent and familiar. This is pulling from the playbook that has allowed Apple to turn each of its product lines into a hit for decades. And at this year’s annual Google I/O developer conference, the pieces of the company’s “Better Together” theme finally seem to be falling in place.
