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David Flynn12 March 2010, 8:00 AM
A fistful of phones running Google’s open-source OS are set to launch next month, giving Android a boost while Microsoft waits for Windows Phone 7.
Christmas is coming early for Aussie Android fans as manufacturers and telcos ramp up for a bevy of smartphone launches next month.
HTC is prepping for the debut of the
Desire, which will be available only through Telstra for a three-month exclusivity window before competing carriers can add it to their roster.
Motorola has issued Australian tech journalists with a ‘Save the Date’ notice for a launch on Tuesday March 30th (see below). This is expected to see the release of one or possibly more Android phones from Motor’s current portfolio – which includes the Milestone (the 3G version of the Verizon Droid), DEXT (aka CLIQ), Devour or Backflip.
What does Motorola have up its sleeve? We'll know in two weeks' time...
Sony Ericsson has confirmed April as the target date for the release of its first Android phone, the Xperia X10.
VHA says the X10 will be available on both the Vodafone and 3 networks as of May, although it’s not known if this will be an exclusive deal or if other carirers will also be lined up at the X10’s starting gate.
Samsung is also rumoured to have at least one more Android handset on the boil, while speculation continue to swirl about a local release for Google’s
Nexus One.
With such a surge of smartphones Android could shortly repeat the success it’s had in the US.
Market trackers
ComScore reported Android enjoying a 4.3% boost in its share of the US smartphone market between October 2009 and January 2010. Not only was this the largest growth among its competitors, it almost exactly mirrored Microsoft’s drop of -4.0%.
As of January 2010, RIM retained its alpha-dog status with a commanding lead of 43% compared to the iPhone’s 25.1%, Microsoft’s 15.7% and Google’s 7.1%.
With Microsoft’s current Windows smartphone platform effectively moribund until the release of the first Windows Phone 7 devices shortly before Christmas, there’s no reason to expect that the next two quarters will put any swerve into Microsoft’s curve.
Based on these results and the continuing wave of Android smartphones, it seems almost inevitable that Android will pull level with Windows Mobile within the next few months and have twice Microsoft’s market share by year’s end.
While Apple is sailing steady around the 25% mark, the mid-year release of the fourth-gen iPhone should provide a two-for-one kicker as existing iPhone customers upgrade to Steve Jobs’ latest piece of shiny and hand their 3G or 3GS down to a family member or friend.