Andy Rubin, the architect of Android, the world’s top-selling mobile operating system, has decided to step down as Google combines mobile software divisions under one roof, the company said yesterday.
Sundar Pichai, who oversees the Chrome Web browser and applications like Google Drive and Gmail, will take over Rubin’s responsibilities, a hint at how the company with the dominant Internet search engine intends to address the rise of mobile devices.
In a blog post, Larry Page, Google’s chief executive and co-founder, credited Rubin for evangelizing Android several years ago and building it into a free, open-source platform that runs on nearly three-quarters of the world’s smartphones.
Some analysts speculated that Rubin could take on one of the company’s many budding projects such as its Glass eyewear or the self-driving car.