Google’s Android division has lost another key member today, with Android Vice President of Product Management for Android, Hugo Barra, said to be leaving the company to join Chinese phone manufacturer Xiaomi.
The reasoning behind Barra’s sudden move is unclear, however, All Things D is speculating that a ‘personal situation related to the end of a relationship’ with another Googler, who is now seeing Google co-founder, Sergey Brin, might have something to do with it, although his resignation was tendered before this happened.
Barra joined Google in 2008 after the company he formerly worked at, Nuance, was purchased by the company. He rose through the ranks to become one of the key figures behind Android’s success and development.
After Android’s founder, Andy Rubin, Barra is the second high-ranking individual to leave the Android divison, with Rubin working on new efforts within Google. Jean-Baptiste Quéru also recently left the Android Open Source Project due to frustration with Qualcomm and their legalities for drivers.
Will this cause more people to become unsettled and leave the Android division, or Google altogether? We hope not, but we’ll keep you posted if it happens.
