13 JULY 2016
Why We Don't Make Android Cases
Co-founder and CEO Ken Tomita explores our adventures in running a small business and the journey to understand the meaning of it all.
“When will Grovemade make a wood case for my Android phone?” It’s a question we’re asked often, and it’s a good one. After all, Android devices are the most popular in the world. Last year, more than a billion Android devices were sold, which is nearly five times the number of recorded sales for Apple iOS devices during the same time period. Yet, regardless of Android’s seeming omnipresence, we are certain that we will never make a case for it now or in the future. Here’s why.
Android is an operating system and not a phone. Just as iOS powers the iPhone, Android runs Google's Nexus, but because its source code is completely open, it's also found on Samsung's Galaxy, Motorola's Moto, HTC's One, LG's G Series, and just about any other smartphone that is not an iPhone. In 2014 alone, Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and LG released a combined 135 new phones that, individually, do not sell exceptionally well compared to the iPhone.
Android is an operating system and not a phone. Just as iOS powers the iPhone, Android runs Google's Nexus, but because its source code is completely open, it's also found on Samsung's Galaxy, Motorola's Moto, HTC's One, LG's G Series, and just about any other smartphone that is not an iPhone. In 2014 alone, Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and LG released a combined 135 new phones that, individually, do not sell exceptionally well compared to the iPhone.
With the development of a single case for a single phone requiring a large quantity of our limited resources, the necessity to be strategically selective is paramount. Attempting to make cases for a never ending conveyor belt of new phones would put us behind the eight ball and keep us there. With Apple’s relatively unhurried approach to developing and releasing new products with very few variations, as well as consistently high sales, it made good economic sense to concentrate on their lineup.
Though our development cycle is expeditious, the amount of work that goes into each of our products is considerable. With new iPhones coming along roughly every two years, we’re able to focus our energy on a single device that will be on the shelf for a substantial period of time.
Even if everything regarding Android and its many iterations were to change, it’s still unlikely that we would tackle cases for anything other than iPhone. The past year has seen us design and introduce products that don’t rely on Apple or any other company but our own, and we’re dedicated to exploring what lies beyond the phone case.
Though our development cycle is expeditious, the amount of work that goes into each of our products is considerable. With new iPhones coming along roughly every two years, we’re able to focus our energy on a single device that will be on the shelf for a substantial period of time.
Even if everything regarding Android and its many iterations were to change, it’s still unlikely that we would tackle cases for anything other than iPhone. The past year has seen us design and introduce products that don’t rely on Apple or any other company but our own, and we’re dedicated to exploring what lies beyond the phone case.
