Column: For Samsung, all roads lead away from Android

Samsung likes software.

Anyone who bought the Galaxy S4 already knows this; the handset comes loaded with proprietary software.

There’s eye tracking, advanced touch functionality, and an enterprise package called Knox. There’s also a custom camera app, a TV remote app, a workout app, a travel app, a translation app ... the list goes on and on.

So really, last week’s Wall Street Journal article only told us what we already knew: The Korean manufacturer has been charging headlong into smartphone apps.

Meanwhile, Google likes hardware. Ever since it bought Motorola, the Android developer has been competing with the smartphone manufacturers -- like Samsung -- that put its operating system on the map.

Microsoft made the same Faustian bargain in September when it acquired Nokia’s smartphone division and stabbed countless OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners in the back.