The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today announced its review of the mobile ecosystem, including apps, app stores and mobile browsers. We welcome the opportunity to bring support for Android, Chrome and Play to consumers, businesses and the wider UK mobile system.
Android has increased choice, reduced prices and democratized access to smartphones and applications. It is the only example of an effective and efficient mobile operating system used by developers and manufacturers to create useful and secure applications and devices.
This open source model offers deep economic benefits and is an important source of growth. In the UK, the Android app economy generated more than £9.9 billion in revenue for British developers, and supported more than 457,000 jobs across the UK. Thanks to Android, there are more than 24,000 phone models on the market, at all prices, from more than 1,300 manufacturers. We estimate that Android has saved developers more than a million days that could be spent adapting to different operating models for each smartphone – the equivalent of £300 million in reduced costs.
Our commitment to choice and openness on Android and Google Play creates opportunities for innovation that other competing platforms simply cannot afford – from enabling multiple app stores and browser engines to exploring new ways for users to pay for in-app purchases. The CMA has already seen the benefits of our open approach during its ongoing market investigation into mobile browsers.
We will work constructively with the CMA on these topics and pursue outcomes that avoid choice and opportunity for consumers and businesses, and avoid exposing users to new security and privacy risks. In doing so, we will underline our commitment to a system that supports innovation, an evidence-based regulatory framework that enables continued investment and growth in the UK.
