Google's Hugo Barra has left his role as one of Android's guiding lights to go work for China's rising star Xiaomi. August 28, 2013 6:20 PM PDT Hugo Barra debuting the second Nexus 7 in July in San Francisco. (Credit: James Martin/CNET) For the second time in less than a year, Android has suffered a major executive loss. Android's vice president of product management, Hugo Barra, has left Google for Chinese firm Xiaomi. His resignation was first reported by All Things D. Related stories: Google co-founder Sergey Brin and wife reportedly split up Surgeon live-streams knee repair with Google Glass Google stagnant as Facebook picks up pace in mobile ads Google quietly starts 720p HD Hangouts rollout Moto X pays a premium to be a made-in-America smartphone Barra was an increasingly public face for Android, demonstrating new Android devices such as the July debut of the second Nexus 7 tablet throughout his five years at the company. A Google spokesperson said that Barra would be missed at the company. Android co-founder Andy Rubin relinquished leadership of the division in March to longtime Googler and Chrome honcho Sundar Pichai, although Rubin has stayed on at Google. His new employer is known for its enthusiastic embrace of Android, its charismatic chief executive who has been compared to Steve Jobs, and its skyrocketing value. The company has leapt from being valued to $4 billion at the end of last year to $10 billion earlier this month. According to All Things D, Barra's resignation is rumored to have occurred before he ended a relationship with a Google employee who is reportedly now dating the company's co-founder, Sergey Brin. Xiaomi did not respond to a request for comment before publishing this story. CNET will update when they do.
Google's Hugo Barra has left his role as one of Android's guiding lights to go work for China's rising star Xiaomi.
Hugo Barra debuting the second Nexus 7 in July in San Francisco.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
For the second time in less than a year, Android has suffered a major executive loss.
Android's vice president of product management, Hugo Barra, has left Google for Chinese firm Xiaomi. His resignation was first reported by All Things D.
Related stories:
- Google co-founder Sergey Brin and wife reportedly split up
- Surgeon live-streams knee repair with Google Glass
- Google stagnant as Facebook picks up pace in mobile ads
- Google quietly starts 720p HD Hangouts rollout
- Moto X pays a premium to be a made-in-America smartphone
Barra was an increasingly public face for Android, demonstrating new Android devices such as the July debut of the second Nexus 7 tablet throughout his five years at the company.
A Google spokesperson said that Barra would be missed at the company.
Android co-founder Andy Rubin relinquished leadership of the division in March to longtime Googler and Chrome honcho Sundar Pichai, although Rubin has stayed on at Google.
His new employer is known for its enthusiastic embrace of Android, its charismatic chief executive who has been compared to Steve Jobs, and its skyrocketing value. The company has leapt from being valued to $4 billion at the end of last year to $10 billion earlier this month.
According to All Things D, Barra's resignation is rumored to have occurred before he ended a relationship with a Google employee who is reportedly now dating the company's co-founder, Sergey Brin.
Xiaomi did not respond to a request for comment before publishing this story. CNET will update when they do.
