Google has hired one of Amazon’s top hardware minds to lead development of future Pixel smartphones, according to The Information.
On Monday, David Foster became vice president of product engineering at Google. He will report to Rick Osterloh, the former Motorola executive who recently became responsible for overseeing Google’s hardware projects.
Foster spent five years at Amazon. While there, he worked with the company’s secretive Lab126 hardware division, helping to lead development on Amazon’s lineup of Echo speakers, as well as the Kindle Paperwhite and Voyage. Last year, the division was hit with significant layoffs after the failure of the Amazon Fire phone.
It’s not clear if Foster had any involvement in the development of the Pixel phones we’ll see Google unveil today. However, it’s almost certain he’ll play an enormous role in future devices, underlining the company’s concerted effort to become more of a hardware force.
Prior to joining Amazon, Foster spent time at Microsoft, where he helped create the Zune HD. He also had a five year stint at Apple.
Related: Everything we know about Google’s October 4th Pixel event
[source]The Information[/source][via]Engadget[/via]
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