Google Offering 'Voluntary Exit' For Employees Working on Pixel, Android (9to5google.com) 26
Google is offering U.S. employees in its Platforms & Devices division a voluntary exit program with severance packages, following last year's merger of its Pixel hardware and Android software teams.
The program affects staff working on Android, Chrome, Google Photos, Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest products, according to a memo from Senior Vice President Rick Osterloh. The move comes after the hardware division cut hundreds of roles last January when it reorganized into a functional model. Google said the program aims to retain employees committed to the combined organization's mission, though it does not coincide with any product changes.
The program affects staff working on Android, Chrome, Google Photos, Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest products, according to a memo from Senior Vice President Rick Osterloh. The move comes after the hardware division cut hundreds of roles last January when it reorganized into a functional model. Google said the program aims to retain employees committed to the combined organization's mission, though it does not coincide with any product changes.
They should take it seriousl (Score:5, Interesting)
Usually voluntary exit programs come with a sweetened package compared to layoffs. I was with a company 20 years, and it wasn't on my radar to leave until I received the personalized letter... 6 weeks per year, 6 months recruitment services, counselling, bridge benefits,,, And given uncertainties in the market, if I was ever going to leave, this was the time. And I did.
Plus, voluntary offers can be followed by involuntary ones, if not immediately then soon, and at less favourable terms.
Tech is so uncertain now, if somebody is willing to fund your reeducation, it's worth considering.
Re: They should take it seriousl (Score:1)
It would have been stupid to stay.
Re: (Score:2)
I was with the big G for just under a decade and got a layoff package (I think because I had recently changed PAs and my new director didn
Android? (Score:1)
Most of that list isn't surprising, but Android? Are they doing away with it, or just pulling back the team to far fewer because AI is going to save man-hours like every management team is currently proclaiming? Or did I miss the memo that Android is out and some new-new is in?
Re:Android? (Score:4, Informative)
They had two (and then some, but let's focus) teams, both of which were working on Android. One team was the "Pixel hardware" team which had some Android software roles, while the other team worked on general Android. They now have redundant roles in the merged division.
Spin off Android (Score:2)
Expect Google to spin off Android into its own company at some time.
Re: (Score:2)
As long as you put its own in quotes, I could buy that. They could benefit from making themselves look less monolithic.
Re: (Score:2)
Keep in mind that the smartphone and tablet industry tends to progress more through evolution than revolution. Advancements typically involve incremental improvements, such as better cameras, faster processors, and increased memory.
Over the past decade, there haven't been many groundbreaking innovations that have truly disrupted the industry.
Re: (Score:3)
As a user I'm happy for them to go slow down development.
The shift from Google music -> play music -> YouTube music brought feature loss each time, some still lacking in YouTube music.
Similar with I forget the name -> Google podcast -> YouTube music (this is specifically remember the loss of subscribing to an RSS feed).
YouTube mobile keeps getting updated with things working different and sometimes worse.
A lot of these apps were stable and refined, then for whatever reason a less good app gets m
Re: (Score:3)
With Android I'm not sure anything since 4.x has really been important.
For a very long time, I've been of the persuasion that KitKat (4.4.4) was my absolute favorite version of Android, and it's largely gone downhill from there.
That being said, I will acknowledge a few useful things that have been added to Android since then:
1. Android Wear support (Personally, I prefer Gadgetbrige, but I can appreciate the integration)
2. 64-bit CPU support.
3. Multi-SIM/eSim support.
4. Fingerprint/FaceID support.
5. Printer support.
6. Misc. codec support (AV1/VP8, etc.).
7. Much better, per-app
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Sure, but did they really need to do 1 if not 2 pretty dramatic overhauls of it to get us there?
Now I'm nostalgic for cards and the first gen android watch OS that really felt built for a watch and not like a small screen phone.
I really thought the cards were getting great when they dumped them.
I think with less programmers they would have more focused on adding those things to you list (and others) and not redoing the whole thing (interface and feel wise anyway) and we'd be in a better place.
Re: (Score:2)
I still use the "Gallery KK" app which is just based on the gallery app from KitKat. Fast, simple, no bullshit. Claims not to be supported for new versions of Android, but works great when you force install it.
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As a user I'm happy for them to go slow down development.
I wish Google would do the opposite. Steve Jobs advised Larry Page to just focus on a handful of products that they could dominate. So, Page did exactly the opposite. Google has been trying to increase market share in the phone handset market, and they've been successful over the last few years in that regard. So, to further that goal, they are going to cut workers in that strategically important area.
The current layoffs are stupid. If Google needs more money to invest in AI, then they should take that
Re: (Score:2)
customer exit too (Score:3, Interesting)
After the recent Pixel 4a firmware debacle that makes the battery useless, our organization is switching to iPhones.
Between only 3 years of updates and FU firmware, there is no reason to choose Google hardware.
No wonder they don't need so many people.
Re:customer exit too (Score:5, Interesting)
My Pixel 6 just got an extra year of updates (bought it in 2021 and it is now supported through 2026). New Pixel phones have 10 years of updates.
Re: (Score:1)
My Pixel 6 just got an extra year of updates (bought it in 2021 and it is now supported through 2026). New Pixel phones have 10 years of updates.
I'll believe that when it happens.
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
After the recent Pixel 4a firmware debacle that makes the battery useless our organization
your "organization" relied on unmaintained phones 1.5 years beyond eol?
is switching to iPhones.
smart choice indeed ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] ...
same "organization" decisionmakers i guess
there is no reason to choose Google hardware
i'd say being a top quality phone with long support, excellent performance, second best camera in the market, no walled garden and a reasonable price are all good reasons, but of course a smart "organization" could always find reasons not to choose it.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, Apple got past batterygate - apparently Google didn't notice and fucked up. Besides, that Apple issue was actually less impactful than this Google one.
The quality of the Pixel 4a phones I've supported has been just okay, tons of repairs, not water safe. We have one guy that sweats a lot, he has gone through several. I've had zero swollen iPhone batteries (Apple branded ones), every single Pixel 4a over 3 years old ends up with a swollen battery - probably why Google shipped an update so late.
You know,
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, Apple got past batterygate - apparently Google didn't notice and fucked up.
yeah, they likely have noticed now, that was sort of the point: all companies fuck up occasionally, over the long term an isolated fuckup isn't usually a reason to ditch a whole product line or company, more so if it doesn't expose hidden malpractice. google has yet to come out clear about what exactly happened with the 4a.
ofc i can't comment on your experiences with version 4 (much less in a work context), by the time those came out i was still clinging on to the blackberry priv, and i still miss that keyb
Re: (Score:2)
Pixel 4a started strong and finished meh. I'm sure the firmware update that took away most of the battery capacity is all about the swelling batteries that catch of fire super easily.
I called 4 different Asurion locations today. None of them have parts for Google's battery replacement program and are estimating 2 weeks for parts. Not my first experience with lack of parts of Pixel repairs - warranty repair parts seem to have to ship direct from Google or something, making them very slow.
I experienced death
They should had kept FITBIT Employees (Score:1)