A senior Android executive at Google is leaving the company to join a smartphone maker based in China that is up and coming in the industry.
Hugo Barra, the vice president of product management of Android announced that this week he would join Xiaomi, a maker of Android smartphones, as vice president of a global team to expand the company’s product portfolio and reach around the globe.
The company first developed its Android unit under the guidance of Bin Lin a former engineering director at Google. The company makes other mobile devices that are fully integrated with is firmware that is MIUI-based including a television set top box known as Millet.
Barra was running the product development for Android at Google for the past three years. He started working at Google during 2008.
He announced he would join the Xiaomi group in a few weeks in China to expand their product portfolio and global business.
His exit at Google follows Andy Rubin the founder of Android who left in March. He also leaves during the same time that reports have emerged of difficult relationships inside the company.
Sergey Brin the co-founder of Google confirmed through a spokesperson he had split from Anne Wojcicki, his wife of six years. The two have two children and are already living separately.
Several reports claim Brin is now with a marketing manager for Google Glass who is just 26 and had reportedly been dating Barra previously.
However, a source inside Google says the departure of Barra was not related to any personal issues as he has talked about the possibility of leaving for quite some time.
